What things can't you compromise on?

Stephen_Leak

Some things are just the original yet still the best: Marmite, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, HP brown sauce, Heinz tomato ketchup and salad cream, Colmans mustard, OXO cubes. Tea bags are Typhoo and coffee is Nescafe: these are cheap at InStore/ Poundstretchers. Eggs are free range from the local farm shop: not too far and not much more expensive than in a supermarket (if you believe the label) and also so free range that you sometimes have to be careful not to run over the chickens in the farmyard! Fairy washing-up liquid (esp. when on offer, even for 3 bottles). Pearl Drops toothpaste. Lynx body spray, but only for "special occasions". Clothes from M&S: they just last so well. Clark's shoes: the quality again, but only from the discount factory outlet.

I may not earn much money, but I do not consider this an excuse to be poor. MoneySaving is also about getting the best things for the least money.

An example: I only own one pen, but it is one of the Fisher AG7 astronaut pens, as used in space and on the Moon. It is superbly engineered and works first time, every time. OK, I will never go into space, but it is the only pen that can write upside down when I'm doing cryptic crosswords in bed. I got it from the US and, including $10 postage, I paid approximately the same in dollars as it would have cost me in pounds in the UK. It has a lifetime guarantee. When it got damaged, I sent it back to the manufacturer's agent in the UK and it was replaced free of charge.

cupid_s

Reading this has made me realise how fussy I am!

Toothpaste - has to be boots expert or squigle. Anything with SLS gives me ulcers
Toilet roll - cheap stuff is just horrible
Butter - has to be premium and have 3% salt but with recent price increases this only works out about 20p more than value butter
Coffee - you couldn't pay me to drink any sort of instant coffee
Not from concentrate fruit juice
Tea - I never drink it but DH is fussy about what sort his 10 cups a day are
Shampoo/soap/moisturiser - has to be from Lush

Cheap shoes/bin bags/rubber gloves/washing up liquid and washing powder are all a false economy.

But all these we try to get on offer and we massively stock up so they're often as cheap as value brands. Almost everything else, including most things we eat are value unless we can get a better version for not much more cost.

iamstacie

cupid_s wrote: »

Reading this has made me realise how fussy I am!

Me too actually, I started this thinking I'd made loads of compromises recently (which still I have I guess) but there's loads of stuff others have listed that have made me realise just how many 'luxury' items I still buy because there simply isnt a decent cheaper alternative, like trainers (£100 once every two years) face wash (lush) instant coffee (nescafe, but prefer douwe egberts 'pods') toothpaste, sausages (got to be 'finest') teabags, washing powder (though I have my soapnuts at the ready!) perfume (I have about 10 bottles at the minute, all designer, most were really cheap as they came in the tester boxes) Dove cream deodrant, soap (lush/dove) english mustard, £1.80 a loaf bread. God knows what else, every time I read the other posts I'm thinking 'oh yeh! forgotten about that!'. Guess it all works out in the end though, the compromises I do make/am making (more HM stuff, more veg in place of meat etc) mean I can afford my little luxuries and still save money I guess. Its just interesting to see it all listed

heather38

pg tips tea
colgate or macleans toothpaste
pantene shampoo
branston beans
duracell batteries. i go through loads with the babys toys and these always outlast other brands. i use rechargable AA but i can't seem to find C or Ds that recharge, and most of her toys use Cs.
huggies nappies
always sanitary towels
proper meat from the butcher- i cannot abide supermarket meat

pww2004

Bounty Kitchen Towel - all others fall apart. Normally buy in bulk when Nettos/Morrisons have it on offer.

OH's coffee - normallly douewe Egberts when bought on special.

Rice Krispies, but some brand cornflakes ok.

Fruball

I never compromise on sausages - in fact I am likely to buy the most expensive i can find as I simply won't eat cheap ones.

I also always have Typhoo decaf tea - I don't like the other decaf ones - its on offer in MrT at the moment but my local store has sold out.

Vangello

Bounty kitchen roll here as well, you have to use twice as much of the other, cheaper brands.

Coffee - needs to be Nescafe, but a lot of shops here lately are selling the big jars for under £2, so my habit isn't costing me a lot lately!

Washing up liquid, needs to be Fairy or Persil, I use 2 or 3 times as much of the cheaper brands. Asda stuff is good though.

Beans have to be Heinz although Aldi beans are quite nice!

I did used to be fussy about bread, but then it shot up to £1+ per loaf, and seeing as we can go through a loaf a day here sometimes, it was too expensive! My local Co-op sells a loaf for 65p so I tried it once, and now won't buy anything else.

Perfume. I can't stand the cheap copies "B J None" or "Channel" or whatever I have a perfume habit as well though so I know what I buy will be used

That's all I can think of I think....oh I buy free range eggs and would rather not buy value meat if I can help it - I tend to go for shops own brand though.

noonesperfect

Deoderant (Sure) and decent perfume (Chanel/D&G/Givenchy etc :rolleyes: body sprays bring me out in a rash!)

For those who only like Heinz tomato soup, Asda have it on 6 tins for £2 (is that cheap?)

I'll try most "value" things in tins/jars, but meat and meat products I'm careful about. Robinsons special R squash, Sloggi knickers and Always ST's till I find out how well I get on with my recently purchased Mooncup .

sonee2405

Bras-have to be from debenhams
rice krispies and cornflakes-kelloggs
Sanitary towels, tissues and toilet paper-always ultra, kleenex balsam &andrex
Hair dye-feria
shampoo &hair styling products-john frieda curl
Foundation-max factor
Beans&ketchup-heinz
Toothpaste-colgate-mouthwash-dentyl
cleaning-Flash spray, domestos & harpic
Apples-Pink lady or granny smiths
Most important of all is coke cola-Always has to be the real thing

mrbadexample