What items have you switch to own brand to save money?

[TedOnTheBed]

I shop online at Asda and have noticed a trend that each week items are increasing in price by 5p-25p sometimes even more. So which branded items have you down graded to own brand or budget version that have been as good? I buy a lot of branded products out of habit and my weekly shop has increased between £20-£45 a week depending on if Its the week I need washing powder, softener, dishwasher tablets, toilet rolls etc etc. I am interested in own brand versions of food products, cleaning stuff, washing stuff and toiletries.

[BeefSupreme]

I like the fake Aussie shampoo that Lidl do.
We stock up on toilet paper from Farmfoods. It's decent paper, it's not thin. I think it's called "So Soft."

[TedOnTheBed]

I think Aldi is out for me, I tried it previously and it was to stressful no clear allergy labelling (although that may have improved) and the fruit was tasteless and went off very quickly. I think I will pick 5 items a week to downgrade to Asda own brand and see how we get on.

[TedOnTheBed]

Todays shopping was £257 for 1 week and I didn’t even have dishwasher, laundry or cleaning products this week!

[Smokeahontas]

To reverse it, my only branded must haves

Fairy non bio
Coke Zero
HP Sauce

Anything else I can do own brand.

[Smokeahontas]

@TedOnTheBed

Todays shopping was £257 for 1 week and I didn’t even have dishwasher, laundry or cleaning products this week!

How many adults & kids are you shopping for?

[BIWI]

@TedOnTheBed

Todays shopping was £257 for 1 week and I didn’t even have dishwasher, laundry or cleaning products this week!

WTAF are you buying?! How many people/pets for that amount of money?

That's a stupid amount of money especially if it doesn't include cleaning products.

[Hedgecog]

I've given lots of aldi things a try, some are okay some I'd rather not have anything!

I like their curry and pasta sauces and fajita kits; rice krispies; biscuits- most other things not a huge fan of but I know lots are. I think a case of trial and error!

[DOINGOURBIT]

Lidl's FORMIL liquid detergent. Just as good as branded equivalents but much cheaper

[TedOnTheBed]

Family of 5, 2 adults 3 dc aged 15-10.
I buy a lot of fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, pomegranate seeds, watermelon, apples, bananas, oranges, kiwis to name a few. That did include toilet paper and toiletries and I buy everything branded out of habit.

[TedOnTheBed]

And I have to buy free from stuff as one kid has a wheat allergy and I buy the branded versions of these to. One dc has a fish allergy so generally ok with normal food and doesn’t require much free from items.

[Norgie]

Literally everything I buy is the supermarket own brand, it always has been.
Except for coca cola. We won't drink any other brand and it has to be the full fat stuff.

[BIWI]

@TedOnTheBed There's a really good piece by Martin Lewis here about cutting the cost of your shopping.

Each level you drop could cut your bill by 30%.

Buying branded products out of habit is foolish. Own brands are often better than their branded equivalent.

I used to work in marketing, and I know this from talking to my clients - as an example, one of my clients was a manufacturer of toilet paper. They also had the contract to supply Asda. Asda demanded a product that was better quality than the one they made under a very well known brand name. And then it was sold in Asda for less than the brand itself!

[Devo1818]

To be honest, we buy very little branded. Mini cheddars, Yorkshire Tea and coca cola... I think that's it. Lidl own cereals are good (weetabix is the only one I can tell isn't the real one).
Definitely washing powder and toilet roll.
Lidls version of Azera is alright.
Definitely own brand digestives and hob nobs 100%
Own brand smoothies, I.e. not innocent- no difference.
Any sauces, pastas, rice etc- literally no difference.
Own brand version of old el paso dinner kits - I think you can tell but they still taste fine. See also ice cream.
Lidl kids yoghurts.

[Seasidemumma77]

Do all my shopping at Aldi, only by branded items if in the Specialbuys.

[CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood]

I don't think there's anything in my cupboards that's branded, washing powder is own brand, Tesco do a nice quilted toilet roll that's absolutely fine, own brand pull ups for DD. We just spent £96 on a week's shop but that also included some baby clothes and formula etc ready for when DD2 arrives. I recon about £70 at Tesco for a week's shop

[Esspee]

I love Lidl. The quality is excellent so I no longer think in terms of brands.

[stayathomer]

We've always used non branded everything except bread, milk, tuna, beans, tea, fizzy drinks, shampoo, conditioner and waffles (I think that's it!!)

[BIWI]

Why brands of those foods though?

[Wishihadanalgorithm]

Branded products we always buy:
Beans (Cross and Blackwell)
Coffee (Douwe Egberts)
Red and brown sauce (HP & Heinz)
Geeta’s Mango chutney
Iams dog food

I think that is it. Everything else is own brand or wonky veg and occasionally value brand. I don’t see the point of spending hard earned money on a brand which doesn’t taste better. We occasionally do a taste test and own brand always does well.

[Chakraleaf]

I shop at aldi for everything

[Nsky]

Free from limited in Aldi/ lidl, tesco the best, buy fresh from Aldi, then buy free from online at Tesco.
I don’t buy much branded, bio d cleaning stuff, online or health food shop, never buy branded tea ( only for visitors), or fairy liquid.
Used to buy branded cat food, now Aldi premium

[PlanetNormal]

I buy almost all basic groceries at Lidl, all own brand, including:
All cleaning products.
Tissues, loo roll, kitchen roll etc.
Flour, pasta, rice, noodles, sugar, eggs, natural yogurt, baked beans, cooking oil, everyday veggies etc etc.

[Thatsplentyjack]

Aldi

Cold meats
Porridge oats
Crave (kids love it 🙄)
Non bio washing powder
Beans (sainsburys own also good)
Dog food and treats (also sainsburys own is good)
Toilet roll and kitchen roll
Reed diffusers
Fruit and veg
Crisps
Chocolate/sweets and some biscuits
Bread (but still but Warburtons white, but I don't eat that)
Yoghurt (full fat Greek style, fruit corner and fromage frais)
Their ground and bean coffee isn't bad either.
Moisturiser that looks like a bottle of vaseline intensive care.
Unscented bar soap (although the kids don't like that)
Baby wipes and sometimes Nappies but pampers are better.
Baby snacks
Bran flakes

Things I won't swap
Lurpak
Fairy liquid
Fizzy juice

[Thatsplentyjack]

Oh and method orange surface cleaner. It's the best I've ever used and smells the nicest without being too strong

[BIWI]

I agree with you re Lurpak. I have tried other butters - and Aldi do have a lovely one in their Specially Selected range, which has sea salt crystals in it, which I buy every now and then. But Lurpak has a texture as well as a taste that no other butters come close to.