COL - what is the one thing you haven't found a replacement for?

[TheMindfulMum]

I have made countless changes to our weekly shop to try and reduce our outgoings. I've always been quite a savvy shopper since having children and switched from branded to own brand for quite a few items to try and make our money go further. Since COL though other items have had to be substituted. Weetabix and cheddar cheese are now supermarket own brand and we've got used to this. There are a few things though that I just cannot find a good substitute for and adjust to...

Beef OXO cubes - I like being able to crumble it over joints of meat before roasting as well as mince meat for bolognese. I can't find anything that crumbles and tastes as good as OXO does.

Frosties. Need I say any more? Own brand doesn't taste as good. Most are soft and taste stale from the day you open the box.

What can't you find a good alternative for? Or what have you managed to find that's great and costs less?

Omg I can’t buy Winiary, it’s bloody lethal. Hands down the nicest mayo I’ve ever had

Heinz ketchup here. Neurodiverse household so despite the extortionate cost-there’s no substituting it. The kids eat it with practically everything 🙈

I do find supermarket own brand special k far superior to the Kellogg’s version though.

Good quality strong tin foil and cling film

Can't find good replacements for

Frosties
Decaf PG Tips
Hellman's mayonnaise

Nivea or Sure Maximum Protection deodorants.
Nothing else works for me.

Waitrose brown sauce is fabulous.

Yes it is and less than a pound.

If you don’t put real butter in the fridge then it stays a lovely spreadable temperature and you don’t have to spend money on expensive butter spread. Just get a butter dish!!!

The foil from Aldi was excellent but it's been out of stock for ages.

Rose's lime juice.

Everything else is fair game

Taylor's coffee beans ARE the replacement! They are £10.50/kg here , I can't find a decent espresso bean any cheaper than that now. Send links if you can! I found a delicious one - it was £35/kg!

Cathedral City vintage cheddar hasn't got an equivalent. Closest I've found is Waitrose Cornish. I don't even shop in Waitrose!

Lurpak butter, Kenco Rich and Weetabix. I'm willing to try a cheaper version of anything else, but not them.

How long does it last out of the fridge?

Frizeease serum I can’t find anything quite the same but boots do a cheap pink no frills hair curl cream which is good.

A couple of days (but that is because we eat the butter)... I chop a bit off from the block and put it in the butter dish (I've been looking at butter bells but they get mixed reviews)

Salted butter lasts much longer than unsalted. It needs to be out of the wrapper and in a proper heavy butter dish with no air or light in. Can last a good two weeks. If you have a very warm kitchen, it’ll be less. Also don’t need to always put a whole block out. If it’s summer and I’m just using for daily toast, I’ll put half in the fridge, half in the dish, rather than keeping it all out. you’ll know when butter has gone off as it tastes a bit bitter and smells a bit garlicky. Easy sniff test.

We swapped to M&S beans, cheaper and no difference

Heinz baked beans and Lurpack.

Longley Farm cottage cheese, milicano instant coffee and Hellmans light mayo.

Literally the only brand we still are loyal to is Finish dishwasher tablets. Everything else now is own brand.

Kenco rich/smooth for me. Haven't found anything cheaper that's nice.
For DH, Heinz ketchup and HP sauce.
We are easy going with most things but not those and we have tried but always gone back.

I like M&S beans, I also like Aldi crunchy nut cornflakes more than Kellogs and sainsburys gravy granules instead of Bisto. I think I have cheap taste which is quite useful at the moment.

Cheap Aldi dishwasher tabs. The mugs have tea stains on them, the pans still have bits of food stuck to them and you either have to run the dishwasher again or hand wash them

I would have agreed about the Warburtons crumpets but yesterday in an emergency (Morrisons didn't have any) I bought a pack of Morrisons own brand, half the price and I think they are better.

Very similar to others: sure deo, fairy or finish dishwasher tabs (from Amazon), Yorkshire tea, fairy liquid. Have stopped buying some things I can’t substitute or stomach the price of like pukka teabags, will only get if on a reasonable offer now. Have been loyal to marmite for so long but recently have adjusted to Aldi version. Finding Aldi and Lidl pretty good after years of Sainsbury’s shopping actually.

The only heinz stuff I can’t give up is salad cream. No other brand tastes right.
We have branston beans, Daddies ketchup and own brand mayo .
Sainsburys own Strong tea is an acceptable substitute for Yorkshire tea, as is Taylors tea from Morrisons.
Lidl filtered milk is much cheaper than cravendale.
We can get a month’s worth of meat from the local abbatoir for £30. Steaks, chops, sausages, braising steak etc.