Which groceries do you spend more on?

Edwardia

Interesting thread idea OP !

We eat organic or additive free food only so that's always more expensive. I stock up with things that can be stored or frozen when they are on special offer.

Things like foil and cling film are always the cheapest we can find, toothpaste and mouthwash whatever is on offer, kitchen rolls 6 for 99p at 99p Stores. We don't drink, don't smoke, don't drink soft drinks or instant coffee.

ASDA is cheapest for organic Extra Virgin olive oil, organic Weetabix and organic tinned tomatoes. Lidl for organic Fairtrade bananas and additive free prosciutto di Parma. The grass-pastured New Zealand lamb chops in Lidl are excellent. Some of the organic meat from Sainsbury's and Tesco can be really tough Sainsbury's for fresh wild salmon (YS if I can find it) and organic cheese on long term offers plus organic own brand bread and teabags.

Ocado often works out cheaper than Tesco or Sainsbury's surprisingly and lately Riverford organic courgettes have been cheaper than Sainsbury's but I do tend to shop around for organic veg on price.

If I can't find something organic or additive free I just don't buy it and I'm happy to have supermarket organic own brands.

My must haves would be organic free range eggs and organic whole unhomogenised milk from Abel & Cole.

WantToBeSE

Toilet Roll-usually buy quilted stuff, but only stock up when on offer
Coffee- Has to be Douwe Egberts. Hate nescafe and value ones
Tea-Has to be Twinings Everyday Tea.
Breakfast Cereals- IDont mind store brand, but NOT value ones (except porridge oats)
Bread-Value bread is rank..i normally buy Aldi seeded bread.
Orange squash-Again, store brand OK, value is rank.

Muzikmaster

Over the last year I've changed my shopping habits dramatically thanks to this website.

Toilet roll - changed to Nicky 3 ply from H&B
Baked beans - shifted from Heinz to Branston. To be honest it's my daughter who eats them and not me. I really dislike baked beans.
Soft cheese - I have stayed with Philly because other brands I've tried have just not really been for me.
Coffee - tried top of the range to very bottom. I'm really happy with Tesco's Gold, it's by far the best on the market.
Tea - I drink lots of hots drinks so this was always gonna be a tuff one for me. I was purely a Yorkshire Gold fan but have tried Aldi's Gold Label which are nice but it's Lidl's brand (in a gold box and I can't recall the name) that I'm drinking lots lately.

Kirri

I buy organic as much as I can so probably most items I buy are a bit more expensive but I buy mostly just basic wholefoods. It's probably easier to pick out the odd few bits I buy in cheap versions actually (like foil etc). I want to avoid sulphites/additives/GM etc so worth paying to avoid that.

I only buy organic toiletries & Ecover household products - my skin reacts to chemicals. Though not sure these are necessarily more expensive.

My current even more expensive than usual purchases are the Cow Nation cheeses - but I get them for lesser animal cruelty reasons and to compensate for the cost I don't buy/eat those items so often now.

Personally don't think much of most conventional well known branded items, they usually just have a bigger marketing budget.. Plus I've seen shocking amounts of E numbers in some very well known brands in bread, coffee etc.

Oh and tut tut Edwardia, why are you not converted to organic dental products yet?!!

cheltenhamgal

I won't compromise on Fairy Liquid, HP Brown Sauce, PG tips teabags, loo roll but be three ply, Heinz Baked Beans. I have tried other brands but they either just don't taste the same or don't last as long.

Edwardia

There's only one shop in my town that does Weleda salt toothpaste Kirri and as an independent chemist often not open when I'm out shopping. Must say I don't like the sweet toothpastes much about only one I like is Euthymol. Not sure if it's any good.

Kirri

Edwardia wrote: »

There's only one shop in my town that does Weleda salt toothpaste Kirri and as an independent chemist often not open when I'm out shopping. Must say I don't like the sweet toothpastes much about only one I like is Euthymol. Not sure if it's any good.

Not sure if Ocado do any? Know they stock some Green People stuff.
I buy them online via Green People direct (mint or fennel) or H&B do a natural/non org mint one or have had Lavera mint from org shops. Not tried the Weleda ones.

MrsE_2

Dishwasher tablets - finish quantum
Toothpaste - oral-b
Washing powder or liquid or tablets - can't get on with the cheap ones.
Loo roll - anything decent.
Gravy - bistro best
Morning cereal biscuits - wetabix
Salt - lo salt
One more - cheddar, gotta be a top notch one, fav is waitrose quartz, or m&s Cornish cruncher.

browneyedbazzi

I don't compromise on:
bread- we always have the fresh in store baked stuff
spread - not that fussy about the brand but it has to be a real butter type spread for me, none of the hydrogenated oil stuff
diet pepsi - I'll only buy it on offer and will go without between offers rather than drink another brand
deli meats for sandwiches (or I'll buy proper meat - a whole chicken or a turkey breast fillet- and make my own, we don't have the pre-packed stuff)
toothpaste - has to be oral B pro expert for me, OH will use whatever is on offer

I rotate my shopping between supermarkets so try to take advantage of offers on the above whenever possible.

globetraveller

tea
toilet roll
meat
baked beans