Can you live of basic/value/smartprice food for a month?

purplevamp

at_my_wittsend wrote: »

Anything that I really, really should avoid with a white label?

I would steer well clear of basic teabags, unless you like the floor sweepings flavour!! And cheap sausages have no flavour. I've found that most basic things taste the same as shops own. The other thing is basic bread, it's ok but tastes better if eaten that day, as it dries out quickly. At the moment Sainsbury's basic instant whip is only 3p a pack. Only available in strawberry or chocolate flavours but my children love it and haven't noticed any difference, especially is it's got chopped strawberries in it and smothered in sprinkles :rotfl: .

When I was a single parent I used to buy/live off economy fish fingers, chips and beans. Never did me or my son any harm.

Has anyone else noticed though how the economy range is creeping up in price recently?


Forgot to mention the tortilla chips are better than D**itos!!

beckseven

I'm on a real budget this month with my food so have read this thread with loads of interest! I've got a snobby taste DH so am also very crafty when buying the smart price stuff! I'm hiding it right at the back of the cupboard and am thinking of swapping the packaging too to be really crafty!

MrsE_2

I'll admit, I don't really buy any economy label stuff, but I am more than happy to use a cheap bleach (you do far less damage in an accident with cheap bleach;) ).

I try to buy flora light/diet, sometimes I get confused & Clover jumps in:o :rolleyes:

But if I were to buy "real" butter I eould happily buy value, as butter is butter.

If prices keep rising the way they do, we could all be buying a lot more economy:eek:

chardonnay_2

to be honest as everyone has different tastes it is best to try for your self. most own brand / smart price asda products have the 'try me love me guarantee' - where if you don't love it you'll get a 200% refund. tesco will also refund any product you buy and don't like of their brand. we buy loads of value / smart price products and always try the new stuff whenever they bring it out. some is great and always bought and some is never again - it's trial and error.

mezelks

We have set ourselves a challenge for 2009...
Spend no more than £30 a week on food shopping. Normally go once a fortnight and spend about £50, then get bits n bobs from locl co-op when needed.
Every now and then we have an 'eat the freezer week'. Nothing fresh in, so eat what's in the freezer til it's all gone! That can mean a smallish pizza with chicken on the side...whatever there is! Some meals can be veeeeeeeery strange, but in my house there's just me, my husband and my older brother, so we're all adult enough to know that 'needs must'
We all like the value mince...I really stock up, and make up a massive batch of cottage pies and lasagnes in individual portions to put in the freezer.
Only just started to like rice again (I always found it boring), but now, I put it with some steamed veg (steamer bags from Kleeneze) and either mince, value steak or a chicken breast.
I've become quite inventive - opening the cupboards, surveying the tins, packets and boxes and picking two at random and thinking of ways I can put them together!
Fab recipe...
Tin of cheap chicken soup
Two chicken breasts
Spoonful of honeygrain mustard
Served on bed of rice...Or pasta
Yum!

rog2

mezelks wrote: »

We have set ourselves a challenge for 2009...
Spend no more than £30 a week on food shopping.

It's a tight, but achievable budget - I think the secret lies not only in 'smart-price', 'value' or 'white' goods, but in 'sensible' shopping. We share our shopping between Asda (where I work, so extra 10% :rolleyes: ), Tesco and LIDL/ALDI.
Last night, for example, we bought 'stone-baked' organic bread in Tesco for 23pence a loaf (reduced from £1.89) and have stocked the freezer. They also had loads of fruit and potatoes reduced to 12 and 15 pence - it is, in all fairness, ridiculous to put a sell-by date on fruit and veg as it is fairly obvious by looking, smelling and feeling if the product is good or not.
Otherwise we use Martin's principle - we will buy 'value' goods, but if we don't like them, we will get the next grade up - usually supermarket 'own brand' next time.
It is, also, worth checking out the offers, usually on branded items, as many offer 50% extra, or BOGOF, making them, occasionally, even cheaper than the 'value' ranges.
So good luck with your challenge - be an astute shopper and you won't have to compromise. :beer: