What things can't you compromise on?

Francis1980

I only use Gilette double blade razors with the moisturising strip for shaving. Anything cheaper takes several strokes to remove all hair and irritates like hell.

I find Tescos tomato sauce is as good as heinz.

I have to use an electric toothbrush for my teeth. But that's because I brush far too hard with manual toothbrushes and would end up ripping my gums out (prob part of my aspergers).

Umbro aftershave sold in some pound shops is actually rather pleasant for the price. You could get away using this for day to day use.

Cheap tea and coffee are horrible has to be Tetleys or Nescafe.

I don't buy cheap cheap sausages because of what I've heard about them I go for mid-range priced ones.

I don't eat corn flakes they're boring whatever the make. Weetabix for me

marybishop

Green & Black's hot chocolate drink - I know, I know, it's more expensive than Cadburys but it's my treat and it tastes of chocolate!!!

Will not buy cheap meat - too afraid of where it's been before it's reached the supermarket shelf! Just eat less of it!!

Countrylife spreadable butter - it's English (all those air miles on Anchor!!) and it's not dyed yellow.

Tiger_greeneyes

I'm going to have a go at making my own butter, just have to find some cream reduced in price - it should be much tastier and much cheaper than packet butter. There's lots of farms around locally, maybe I can get cream from one of them - hardly any miles on it

I won't compromise on my cat's food, she's almost 14 and in fantastic condition, she looks half her age and (touch wood!) very healthy. I use Hills Science Diet and buy it in bulk - it goes a very long way (it lasts about 4 months or so) and it's around £30 for a 5kg bag so it's very economical too.

Ben84

I mostly buy fruit/vegetables from the local market, with everything else from flour to cleaning products from sainsburys, either their regular own brand or the cheap own brand label.

However, I only buy free range eggs, which I find much better quality anyway.

A good ISP. I pay £17.99 a month, which is certainly double or tripple the cost of many others. However, the service is perfect, they answer the telephone promptly, the staff speak English (they're in the UK too) and when something goes wrong (which is extremely rare) they actually fix it. I feel that it's worth spending £17.99 a month and getting the service, than it is spending £10 or less a month and getting no service.

I also like clipper coffee (the fairtrade organic in the green jar), which is expensive at almost £5 a 200g jar, but then a jar makes lots of cups of coffee.

Green fairy liquid, I have to use so much more of the others and they don't clean as well either. Half a teaspoon of fairy in hot water does a big pile of washing up, so I think we save our money back on that one at least.

Colgate toothpaste, it does seem to clean better. A tube does last a long time however, and I buy whatever type is on offer, so not too costly.

Otherwise I buy lots of cheap things, and in some cases prefer them. The sainsburys basics butter is nicer than many expensive brands, and I like their own brand washing powder. Their basics brie is excellent too, and I like the fruit juices too.

KittyKate

Things I won't compromise on:
Heinz tomato ketchup (cheaper alternatives taste vinegary and thin to me)
Surf tablets (because of allergies, but I only use one and it does the trick!)
Comfort Pure (as we dry all clothes indoors, so they need a softener, and the Tesco's own brand is thin. We get this on offer at Netto)
Ham (always get no added water, OH doesn't like the cheaper wafer thin stuff)
Free range large eggs
Mince/sausages
Free range chicken
Flash multipurpose (£1 a spray bottle) - sorry don't like Stardrops, too bubbly!
Shoes (NO to plastic shoes!)
Shampoo (Tresemme, Herbal Essences, Pantene or V05 only, whichever on offer)
Bread (15p loaves are too doughy for us)

Things I am happy to compromise on:
Loo roll (OK well I get Tesco's own not Andrex lol)
Baked beans (they all taste the same to me)
Kitchen roll
Tinned rice pud (20p a tin beats 97p, Ambrosia!)
Clothes (£8 Primark Jeans, £3 Internacionale top, suits me fine!)
Instant mash, 33p a huge bag @ Mr T (nicer than Smash by far)
Cola (Mr T cola 41p a bottle, can't really tell difference)
Morrisons whitening toothpaste is good
OH's hair gel (sorry dear!)

Generally I'll try an own brand product once and if I like it stick with it. I've tried , for example, Tesco's own pasta sauce (27p I think it is or was) and it's horrible, way too fake-basil flavoured, so we've gone to Morrisons own at 50 odd pence a jar, which is really nice. I still buy Homepride pasta bakes now and again though. I tried own brand rice crispies and they were truly disgusting, couldn't even cook with them. Tried Tesco's own pasta pots (just add water) for work but they were salty and vile.
Aldi's tie-top bin liners are good but not particularly cheap, and their 59p a bag flavoured chips (like Doritos) are very nice (their oven baked crisps are far too hard though).

I find that even if you like your labels you can shop smart in poundland or with vouchers/offers. You should never have to eat stuff you don't like just to save a few pence!

Telute

I can't do cheap hot chocolate - I make mine with real chocolate and currently have a tin of Charbonnel et Walker in the cupboard. I refused to look at the price but you only need one cup of the stuff to know its worth every penny.

Coffee i'm not so fussy about - just has to be caffinated.
My fruit and veg tend to be organic - but i get a box which has cut down on my spending a bit and eggs have to be free range and organic if possible.

Non-food wise I can't manage with cheap umbrellas - they always seem to fall apart the minute they meet a bit of wind. Luckily there's a TK Maxx in town and they always have good ones half price so not compromising doesn't currently cost more.

KIttyKate - I'll second the shoes - my mum brought me up on Clarks shoes and the cheap ones really don't cut it.

vivvy

Daughter has sesitive skin and uses Simple products - often available from Poundland. Has to have Comfort Pure plus Non Bio Fairy otherwises itches for england.
Extremely fussy cat only eats Tesco in jelly pouches.
Cant manage without PG tips teabags, Heinz baked beans and tomato sauce.
For everything else the best deals in the supermarket this week

mi55moneypenny

Tissues - got to be kleenex ultra
Toilet rolls - got to be andrex, cheapies don't last as long
Diet coke - got to be the real thing but have recently given it up to save myself £5 a week
Bread - pick up reduced Sainsburys taste the difference and food doctor bread and bagels regularly.

Sainsbury's basics chicken soup is like dishwater and Asda Smart Price peas are like bullets.

sillyvixen

mi55moneypenny - your diet coke habbit was only costing 5 pounds a week - may have a problem.

foreign_correspondent

ok, well there are no 'brands' that I can't live without, but the things I do not compromise on are...

Fresh veg - I am not keen on cannned veg, but frozen peas are good!

I only use free range eggs (luckily I get given half a dozen every week!)

I hate UHT milk, so never buy it. I can see why people who cant get to the supermarket very often do though!

I am not keen on instant coffee, so make a pot of 'real' every morning.

I tend to buy my meat from a good butcher every few weeks and freeze it - I would also rather have good quality british meat, but cheaper cuts, than dodgy processed meat products.

For example, yesterday I cooked liver and onions. Just over a pound of pigs liver from the butcher cost about 80p, so for less than a quid I have a lovely, tasty dish which will feed four people with a bit of veg and mash!
Likewise, I often buy shin beef or a few decent sausages and make a casserole which is full of veggies and makes about 6 decent portions.