What’s something you buy which is cheap/basic that is really good?

[Earbogeys]

Mine is bars of unscented soap from (predictably) Aldi, and also Waitrose own salt and vinegar crisps.

What gems are in your life?

Anything Aldi really.
Perfume Parlour are amazing and are replica fragrances for such a small price. Lots of now discontinued perfumes on there. Never again will I pay £100 for Chanel.

Yeah full fat Coke is a joke .

The gingerbread candle from home bargains.. mainly for Christmas but they’re the best candles on earth we do sometimes light them at other times of the year 😂 £1 for a small one or £2.99 for the huge ones 🕯

I have a microwave rice cooker: just a big glass bowl. Rinsed rice, boiling water from kettle, 2 x 10 mins at the most, stir in between = done to al dente perfection.

We buy these glasses from IKEA in bulk- they are lovely, quite big so they comfortably hold a can of beer, nice shape for a G&T and even work as stemless wine glasses. We found our expensive glasses went cloudy in the dishwasher after a while (and we are too lazy to always wash by hand) so these are good because they don’t go cloudy any more quickly than the better ones, but when it happens we just chuck them and buy some more. They last about a year.

@HaveringWavering

We buy these glasses from IKEA in bulk- they are lovely, quite big so they comfortably hold a can of beer, nice shape for a G&T and even work as stemless wine glasses. We found our expensive glasses went cloudy in the dishwasher after a while (and we are too lazy to always wash by hand) so these are good because they don’t go cloudy any more quickly than the better ones, but when it happens we just chuck them and buy some more. They last about a year.

Sorry meant to post the pic

You don't have to throw glasses away when they go cloudy in the dishwasher, just soak them in vinegar for half an hour and put them through the dishwasher again.

Make sure you keep your salt and rinse aid topped up and it shouldn't happen in the first place.

Cussons pearl soap. Smells great and not 'dead whale' like some cheap soap.
I get it dead cheap from home bargains or wilkos.
How bargains and wilkos are brilliant for bargains!!!!
Aldi almat bio laundry liquid.
Aldinown brand pot noodle... 40p instead of £1.20 branded one that tastes exactly the same. I very rarely buy branded food.

Cheap Hubbards tea from Sainsbury’s - it’s fab

Inkey skincare and E.L.F cosmetics. Just turned 60 and no-one can believe it. Also, Aldi cleansers and toners.

Corn kernels for popcorn - excellent value

Aldi alu coffee capsules, Aldi premium cat food.
Bio D products ( eco cleaning stuff) cheaper than Ecover, great for my wool cashmere and silk.not for me big boxes of washing powder with bleach added. liquid bio d fab, buy 5 litres at a time.

@MadKittenWoman

I wish I'd discovered Inkey oat facial balsam/cleanser years ago!

Got an Ikea can opener in a charity shop. It's bloody brilliant, whizzes round those cans!

@Lampzade

Astral moisturiser. I have extremely dry skin and used to pay a fortune for expensive ‘ hydrating’ lotions. Most were crap Started using astral and my skin looks great. May not work for everyone, but it worked for me.

Me too! Used it for the best part of 35 years after my mum did, I’ve tried others but always go back.

The Pink Stuff in a tub cleans literally anything and is ridiculously cheap. Made my window frames come up like new. I water down or use neat depending on what I’m cleaning.

Also second pp with Aldi champagne it’s lovely.

Tescos Oaties biscuits taste just like the hobnobs with chocolate on, if not better.

Palmolive soap - cheap and smells divine
Aldi Q10 night cream
Wet & Wild liquid eyeliner
Essence mascara (the green one) - honestly, the best mascara I’ve used, it’s so cheap and makes my lashes look so long and thick! I buy 2/3 at a time as convinced they are going to put the price up one day!
Most of Elf cosmetics
Revolution eyeshadows
Milani blushers
Collection 2000 concealer

@Malibuismysecrethome

Packs of frozen croisants, pain au chocolate or cinnamon buns are really good value and taste lovely for a couple of quid. Not so economical if you only heat one at a time though.

You can do one or two in an air fryer and they come out really well.

Aldi skincare, I find it amazing and it's probably one of the few product lines that work for my annoying sensitive skin

Love Elf cosmetics.

Ordinary own brand rice, long grain or basmati - just bung in a pan of boiling salted water, simmer until done, drain, rinse if necessary, bingo.
Can never understand difficulties over cooking rice.
I dare say rice cookers are good if you have plenty of worktop space but I don’t.

The small nutella jars that are glass shaped may be the less economic way of buying nutella, but those glasses are amazing, and if you save the lids as well, they're great in the fridge with bits in. I've used them for all sorts, currently drinking Aldi cola out of one of them and it's a great size, a nice shape and really durable.

Second a pp 're tinned fruit. I try to buy fresh fruit that is mainly seasonal or at least avoid from too far across the planet, then I subsidise with tinned.

Added benefit is never again having to guess exactly which millisecond any fresh pears might making their transition from rock hard to mouldy pulp.

@PurpleDaisies

Superdrug naturally radiant skincare range. I switched from Estée Lauder and my skin has never been better.

I also use Superdrug Naturally Radiant too. I also use Aldi Q10 serum/moisturiser. Fab stuff!

I think rice cookers keep the rice at temperature which is a benefit if you’re not all eating at once and avoids the rice reheating problem.