What is good value in M and S?

the_cat

Hi all

My OH was lucky enough to come home with £50 Marks vouchers last week!
I would like to use them on food if poss but they are sooooooooooo expensive I don't ever go in there! Is ANYTHING in there worth the money? Does anyone have suggestions as to how to make my money go furthest?

Thanks in advance
Cat

Hardup_Hester

Not much help, I know, but I was given £88 of M & S vouchers for my birthday & I've spent some of them on some socks for hubby & a belt. The rest I'm saving til the sales.

LisbonLaura

I'm not sure whether to say spend it fast (M&S may go bust very soon).

Or wait for the fire sale (M&S may go bust very soon).

But either way M&S is not what it was....my late mum said so, & she lived out of their Poole Dorset store. When she died I knew M&S wouldn't survive another 5 yrs. It's been just over 2 yrs & the UK economy is about to hit the YKW. What more can i say?

What is happening to me? - I haven't touched a drop & I'm typing drivel already.. or is that

champys

My OH was lucky enough to come home with £50 Marks vouchers last week!
I would like to use them on food if poss but they are sooooooooooo expensive I don't ever go in there! Is ANYTHING in there worth the money? Does anyone have suggestions as to how to make my money go furthest?

I know buying food from M&S could be tempting - but if I were in your shoes I'd buy something non-food that they are really good at (like sensible underwear for all the family.....how boring) and get the food somewhere else!

Topher

Lambs Liver,
Apricot Swiss Roll,
Angus Beef Mince based things,
soft bread,
99p cheese taster selections,
Biscuit selections in nice tins for Christmas...

All in my opinion nicer than supermarket equivalents, and therefore worth spending your hard earned money on... Won't quite make up your voucher total I'm pleased to say.
T

Coupon-mad

I bought some M&S credit vouchers on ebay (the receipt type ones) and I am definitely saving most of them to use in the sales. I used a small amount on some yummy biccies & snacks for xmas but that was it.

The best time for M&S sales is a couple of weeks into January when they put the prices down again on the sale stuff. Pretty good for getting cheap pressies ahead of time, kids stuff and your Xmas cards for next year!

poodlehorse

Another vote for the sales here, I think the longer you are OS then the less you see in M&S foodhall that tempts you. On occasion I will go in with memories of thinking it was a treat only to come out empty handed thinking it is all ready meals I could make better and cheaper myself. I do like their pepper crisps but that about sums it up. What about some booze for crimbo/NY?

jellymid

Hi Cat,
When they are on special the chickens are good value - not the cheapest but taste great and not pumped full of water. I think the stuffed ones are 25% off at the moment. Look out for specials on biscuits, pies and wine. Lots of their pies/meals can be frozen. Fruit and veg are very expensive. However, given the choice, my daughters would prefer a picnic from M and S rather than go to Mcd's etc...chicken pie, layered pot of pre prepared veg, potato slices in batter followed by egg custard tarts. Works out cheaper and we all feel like we've had a good meal! We then recycle all the packaging.
Enjoy,
Al
Nearly forgot, tins of chicken breast meat in white sauce...heated through with pasta, make a fantastic camping meal. Even quicker with noodles.

freyasmum

My mum had £50 of vouchers a few years back (she got £20 of them with her insurance and someone else gave her £30 for doing a favour). Well, when we went down to spend them we were in the shop for hours. We kept going around and saying "for goodness' sake, how many of those could you get for that in tesco/asda/wherever". Eventually we went for things that other stores don't sell. Although I wouldn't recommend the 'barbeque biscuits' (wrong season, I know, but still). They were just two digestives with a bit of marshmallow and chocolate in them :rolleyes:.
I would either buy the things that you can't get in other shops or buy underwear.

Lx

the_cat

poodlehorse wrote: »

Another vote for the sales here, I think the longer you are OS then the less you see in M&S foodhall that tempts you. On occasion I will go in with memories of thinking it was a treat only to come out empty handed thinking it is all ready meals I could make better and cheaper myself.

You have summed it up exactly! We tend to get given these twice a year (as payment for OH being 'fire officer') and to start with I used to think 'oh good, there's always plenty I need from there' but since convertion to OS ways I find it harder and harder to hand vouchers over when I don't feel I am getting any value for money.

From all your kind advice I am formulating a plan:
Underwear/socks for DS1 and DS2
Socks for OH
Perhaps a coat for DS1 if in the sale

We have an outlet store about 1/2 hour drive away - do they do a 'sale' of their own does anyone know?

johanne

if you really cant think of anything maybe not something you want to do but what about putting it on ebay? You wont get the full £50 for it.. but you should get quite fair amount.

Then use the money you get in a much cheaper place like your usual supermarket?! That way your not restricted to buying "posh/expensive" food you might not even use or like!

This is what id probably end up doing as even if i had a voucher M&S prices give me a heart attack.