Spending less. My realization of brand name vs shops' own value brand

carrliadiere

Only three things are worth spending extra on to ensure quality - electronics, machinery and toilet paper.

Toilet paper is COMPLETELY different when it's budget. It's thinner, and rubbish! Although I don't get Luxury Double-Quilted Made With Puppies toilet paper anymore, I have to stick to at least the supermarket's regular brand. It has to have at least two ply, or it's just not worth it.

Toilet paper is a weird one, though. Ever since I started trying to save money, I became obsessed with it. If we use more than two rolls a week I am very annoyed!

Snaggles

Our favourite Smart Price or value brand products are:

Tesco caffeine free coke - nicer than Coca Cola's own brand caffeine-free stuff and a third of the price

Home Bargains loo roll - 18 rolls for £2.99, and it's nice and soft!

Smart Price chocolates (box of ) - 93p and they're very similar to Milk Tray.....the one in the red wrapper in the middle of the box tastes like Taboo....yummm

Asda wholemeal bread - makes gorgeous toast

Smart Price biscuits - 17p for bourbons, not much more for jaffa cakes and chocolate digestives, and I can't tell the difference

Tesco Value vodka - unless you normally buy a 'premium brand' you wont be able to tell the difference (and after a couple you wont care :rotfl:)

Tesco tonic water - likewise

La Comida wine from Asda - £2.19 (ish), a bog standard, perfectly drinkable dry white wine (I'm not a wine buff but drink enough of it to know that this is okay!)

Asda 'Little Angels' baby bath - 99p - doubles as a bubble bath/shower gel, very gentle on your skin (I've got really sensitive skin) and smells lovely. The moisturiser is nice too.

Tesco nappies - these are the best nappies you can get IMO - would choose these over Pampers and Huggies even if I was loaded...:)

(Land_of)_Maz

carrliadiere wrote: »

......... Luxury Double-Quilted Made With Puppies toilet paper anymore, quote]

ROFL..... oh I'm getting funny looks in the office now!!

And yes i grudge more than 2 rolls a week now! Unfortunately my OH and DD, seem to like wrapping it twice round their hand! I think it's genetically programmed into her now!

Minimoneysaver_2

It's definitely a trial and error thing - but the money you save when you find value goods you don't mind/like is brilliant.

I always buy value beans, chooped toms, biscuits (especially tesco value choc digestives - I love them) and toilet rolls. And I will trial and error other things. I will use own brand cleaning stuff and washing powder etc..

I would never ever buy value tuna, cereal (tesco value wetabix are horrific) or ice cream!!!! But found this out through trying them!!!

newlywed

Maz3374 wrote: »

And yes i grudge more than 2 rolls a week now! Unfortunately my OH and DD, seem to like wrapping it twice round their hand! I think it's genetically programmed into her now!

Glad it's not just my OH and kids then :rolleyes:

Seems the cheaper I buy, they quicker they get through it - think it's thinner so they have to wrap it 4 times round their hand or something!!

jo1972

Hi CCC,

Lindsaygalaxy started a thread about this last week, can you live on value stuff for a month, I'm not 100% completely value shopping yet, although my normal Saturday shop would've been around £80 and was only £38!!

Come and join in

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=557958

Jo.

carrliadiere

Minimoneysaver wrote: »

It's definitely a trial and error thing - but the money you save when you find value goods you don't mind/like is brilliant.

I always buy value beans, chooped toms, biscuits (especially tesco value choc digestives - I love them) and toilet rolls. And I will trial and error other things. I will use own brand cleaning stuff and washing powder etc..

I would never ever buy value tuna, cereal (tesco value wetabix are horrific) or ice cream!!!! But found this out through trying them!!!

Biscuits are without a doubt the easiest and most sensible place to save money. Jaffa Cakes and Tesco Jaffa Cakes are actually named the same! The Tesco one is just 20% of the price! You can also get selection packs of like 20 which cost about 2 pounds and typically last me and my girlfriend for a week!

Toughest area to save is definitely meat - really tough making dinners which don't involve meat, and it's really tough to get good meat that isn't quite expensive.

wok_boy

Now you've done it, you've mentioned Jaffa Cakes, I'll be drooling all day now

Gillybilly_2

No wonder Tesco's profits are so high, there are other shops around. You can spend less money on shopping by going to such shops as Lidls or Aldi's... The layout isn't as pretty and u don't have as much choice but the produce is just the same at a fraction of the price!!!

The only area I don't personally rate in Lidls is fruit, but their veg is usually great and they often have half price days on fruit and veg. Even their 9 pack tiolet rolls are great with less fluff than the cute puppy brand...

I also like the fact that you have to bring your own bags. There seems to be a lot of snobbery related to these European stores but I would rather be a rich pleb than a poor snob....

I do appreciate that not everyone lives near to an alternative to Tesco's but give it a try as you have nothing to lose...

Ps I have no connections to Lidls other than being a customer...:j

Kantankrus_Mare

Im only loyal to Tesco for the points and subsequent extra treats this gives me. Which I wouldn't be able to afford otherwise.