What things can't you compromise on?

BilberryCharlotte

debbiemc wrote: »

Hi :wave:

I've had to compromise on nearly all things in recent years and am appalled to think back to the money we wasted when I was married! No more organic meat amd veg boxes, fresh flowers, newspapers/magazines or expensive wine.

Now as a single mum with a 3 year old, I've compromised on almost everything, and use value products where I can. These are the items I will NOT compromise on though, even if that means having less, or not very often:

Fairy liquid
Heinz beans
Birds Eye peas
Good quality ice cream
Cravendale milk
Kelloggs rice krispies

Debbie. x

Debbie, I completely agree about the Cravendale milk and the ice cream. It is funny how people`s tastes very though, I have never taken to Heinz beans, always preferring C & B ones in the past and
nowadays I like the ones from Aldi.

Boodle

Free-range meat and eggs
Maldon salt, now someone has mentioned it, as I love it on pasta with just some olive oil so it helps with the cheap meals after all
Unfragranced baby wipes
Cheese - even tho we buy the value Cheddar, I don't like the texture of the cheap cheese slices

Other than that I'm pretty willing to give stuff a go.

I never water down the milk either as DD is still a toddler...

celyn90

Ermm...

Marmite
Decent gin (but to be fair, we travel a lot, so it it's often cheaper than buying the rubbish stuff and a bottle lasts for ages. Same with wine - always import if possible)
Coffee. This is my only real vice and I don't drink a lot of proper coffee so a bag of beans lasts me a year, sometimes longer
Decent maramalade - only an occassionaly purchase anyway, but it has to be a good one

moanymoany

Yorkshire tea bags
happy eggs
decent cheese (usually cheese on offer)
daily bottle of wine (bought for £2.25 average from France on booze cruise)
Lurpack light (oh's fave)


I don't buy much meat. Buy lots of value items and even with my 'can't do withouts' still bring the housekeeping in on budget.

bertiebots

Only 2 things are on my no comp. list....they are fairy washing up liquid (its usually on offer anyway!) and marmite. I have spent years not buying fairy but using a bottle of own brand every week to be converted by my sil and have had the same bottle of fairy, be it a big un! for nearly 2 months.
As for marmite , I cannot live without it lol!
Everything else is what I can afford at the time ...usually colour co ordinated and cheap! Luckily I dont have to buy value meat as I have a good cheap butcher anyway or pick up whats on special offer in the supermarket and stretch it out!

EagerLearner

Great thread - last night I had a lovely meal out with a couple of friends, and plucked up the courage to ask for the leftovers to take home. On my own with MrEL would have had no probs but with friends it's not so easy... but they were fine and i had a yummy lunch today.

Foodwise we make much more based on supermarket brands now, never been majorly into brands but there are some I have now changed and it's been worth it.

I will still go to dinners out etc but now go with vouchers.

Clothes wise, still want quality clothing rather than cheap, but I look for discount codes for online shops, or vouchers off now.

I try to do daily clicking even more now, so that I can compensate any higher bills and sort of not have to cut too much.

Won't do without:
- Marmite
- The odd trip to the movies (on Orange Wednesdays)
- Travel abroad at least once a year
- Heinz beans
- Green & Blacks (roasted almond choc is lovely)
- Bonne Mamman jam (unless someone can recommend one that is cheaper and identical in flavour..)
- Happy eggs (£0.95p from local market)
- Nice bread with bits in (ie not just plain white or plain wholemeal)

lilly81

Do not compromise on school shoes!
I made this mistake this sept, got my DS tesco shoes for £7, not only dd they rub but after 2 days the stitching has come off!
Am going to try to take them back with no receipt.
Have had to spend £32 on clarks shoes, should have gone there in the first place!

LameWolf

Hair colour. My hair would be grey if left to itself, which is totally unacceptable. I tried a cheaper colour than my usual Garnier Nutrisse, and it was awful - it faded badly after a very short time, and the texture went very dry.

That said though, I don't spend out on hairdressers, as Mr LW does the colouring for me, and he and I manage trimming it between us. Also, I do try not to buy the colour at full price, but stock up when I see it on special offer.

Cheapskate

Not a lot to compromise on, unless it's the amount of naught things like choc, booze, etc. but I will not buy alternatives to:
E/v olive oil
Ecover washing up liquid
Fairy laundry liquid
Yorkshire tea
Organic wine/beer/cider - almost organic is Splash wines for those near Huddersfield - gorgeous & he'll deliver!!
F/R eggs - milkman brings from local farm shop, laid by their hens
F/r chicken - rather have a veggie meal than non-f/r chook, have done for years before it was trendy
Local meat - good butcher in village & 1 next village over who butcher their own cattle
Local bread - better than fresh from any supermarket
Clarks shoes for kids - even when on breadline years ago
G&B/Thorntons choc - I do without any if I can't afford!

elle_gee

Crikey, reading all this has brought home to me how many brands I buy without even thinking about trying the alternatives. I think it depends what mood I'm in (aka how skint I'm feeling!) - we have had supermarket own brand biscuits in the past but we now seem to have McVities again and I can't even remember picking them up! Much work on that..

Things we have tried and gone back to the originals or things we won't even contemplate trying the alternatives of:-
- McVities Rich Teas
- PG Tips for OH (I only have Ringtons, which my Mum gets for me and I "forget" to pay her back for, or Yorkshire Tea, stocking up when on offer)
- HP Brown Sauce and Heinz Ketchup (again, steered by OH!)
- soft loo roll
- Fairy washing up liquid
- fabric softener, either Lenor or Comfort
- branded sliced bread, Kingsmill 50/50 or Warburtons Toastie

I'm off to write a list of things I ought to be the buying alternatives of! Thank you all for making me think!!