Budget swaps that are better than the expensive, branded versions.

[CommanderBurnham]

I confess I now have very little supermarket loyalty, and as result will shop at virtually any supermarket, and I tart around buying what's on offer and trying different things.

So my question is, what do you buy that's budget/cheaper than the real thing but better?

I'm not a particular brand snob so I will buy own brand Greek yogurt, cream cheese etc but they're just cheaper, not better per se

So far I've only got:

Sondey Jaffa cakes
Asda coleslaw mix
Aldi brioche burger rolls
Aldi pineapple cheese roulade
Asda ready made pizza dough

I'd love to hear what other's recommendations are

Lidl muesli
Lidl cottage cheese
Aldi mature cheddar
Aldi gin
Asda toilet roll
Asda breaded haddock
Tesco flavoured tonics

There’ll be more when I’ve had a think

Ooooooo thank you I need some violet gin for a cocktail we are planning. Will have a look in Aldi.

More food dupes please

the lidl dupes for twix bars are better than real twix!

I just go to Lidl and buy most things, prefer Aldi's loo roll and chocolate

Morrisons twix bars. About 60p and lovely. They also do milky was, mars and snickers copies which are also lovely.

Aldi chocolate digestives.

Morrisons own brand pitta breads are the best available from standard supermarkets and only about 50 pence a pack.

Aldi cinnamon crunch cereal and shredded are good and about half the price of the branded ones.

Any instant coffee rather than Nescafé

I like Asda extra special around £2

obviously this is MN so I prefer fresh ground coffee yada yada

Much prefer Lidl version of Gordon's gin and their own elderflower tonic is good too.
I dislike Heinz tomato ketchup and me and DC much prefer Lidl's but the Aldi one is rank, way too vinegary.
Lidl cream of tomato soup also nicer than Heinz.

Tesco dry roasted peanuts are far nicer than KP

How can you judge better, surely it simply depends on which one you prefer the taste of, just because you like one more than the other doesn't mean that anyone else will

Asda baked beans

We drink gallons of coffee which I make in a stove top Mokka pot so buy lots of ground coffee. Aldi do a cheap one (green and white bag) which costs £1.20ish and tastes as good as M and S Italian blend which is twice the price. Asda also do one (funnily enough also in a green and white bag) for about £1.40.

I'm already looking forward to brewing a pot shortly which I'll enjoy with my reduced Aldi posh hot cross bun . Small pleasures, eh folks?

Asda Extra special Colombian instant coffee Similar taste to Azera but £2 per jar

@Ch3rish

How can you judge better, surely it simply depends on which one you prefer the taste of, just because you like one more than the other doesn't mean that anyone else will

I don't think you can judge which is best and agree that individual tastes differ. I also think that 'big brands' are often not the nicest, especially Heinz beans and soups are very poor products.

You only have to watch a few episodes of Eat Well for Less to see that when blind tasting is done, people often prefer the cheaper brand and often can't pick out 'their' brand, even when they insist they only like Heinz ketchup, Coca Cola, Hellmanns mayo etc.

Lidl Greek-style natural yogurt is the best and the cheapest.
Lidl Snickers equivalents are superb.
Lidl mini-Magnums, called mini mix are better than the real thing.

Awww I bloody love Eat Well for Less. Greg is flippin annoying but not enough to spoil it.

Total derail but I tried their curry paste roast chicken with veg in the summer, it was amazing. And the left overs blitzed up with some veg stock make a great lunch the next day.

Lidl sweet chilli rice crackers are exactly like the M and S version.

Lidl barista premium. The dupe for nestle azeria (summat like that). I don't do dirty nestle but I've tried the branded at work. Lidl is finer milled and just amazing. Best instant coffee out there IMO.

We have bought the kids aldi and Lidl fruit corner dupes for years. They have less sugar and you can taste that - they are much nicer and less sickly.

The dds will remind me that they love aldi meatster (pepperami) dupe. They don't really care for actual pepperami.

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

Lidl sweet chilli rice crackers are exactly like the M and S version.

Agreed. All the rice crackers are wonderful

Lidl choc hob nobs

We will give anything a go but aldi and Lidl mayonaise is yuck. Dd1 also states that Heinz is also yuck and only Hellman's is non yuck.

Lidl choc digestives are ace - really no difference not that I expected one.

Bang goes the diet then.

Agreed it's subjective, and about taste BUT Sondey's Jaffa cake has orange jelly all the way to the edge.