to think there are some things you shouldn't scrimp on?

[MardyBra]

I've just used some cheap Sainsbo's dental floss and my gums are rebelling. AIBU to think that you shouldn't compromise on certain products - recession or no recession!

Clothes are really unpredictable IME. Sometimes the expensive stuff falls apart quickly. I'm looking at my DS wearing his sleepsuit and it's from primark. When I bought them (for DD) I fully expected the super-bright colours to run or fade, but they haven't - they've lasted for both DCs really well, where other brand sleepsuits have fallen apart or faded. And they both wore them loads.

With shoes, I only spend more for the DCs while they're little. DS is still in clarks (21m) but DD (nearly 4) has had cheaper ones. When she starts school though she will definitely be back in decent school shoes.

Oh actually I can think of one thing I will never buy a cheap version of again, mascara. It's clinique all the way for me, i buy one a year on my birthday. I'd rather not wear any than have panda eyes for days because the cheap crap won't come off.

Mattress
Carpets
Diet coke
Loo roll
baked beans (must be Heinz)
Ketchup (see above)
Bread
Meat

Hmm I'm split on this one.. Biscuits, jam, cereals I'll buy own brand/economy. Tea, coffee, washing powder i usually buy what's on offer or BOGOF etc. As for clothes I like a bargain but tend to stick with hight street brands (next etc)

Make-up.
Bin bags
Flour
toothpaste (OP try interdental brushes - way better and more satisfying to use than floss :o )
Beans/spaghetti hoops
Eggs
Mayo
Coffee (although Tesco Gold blend is really nice )
Tyres
Toys

Kids shoes. That's about it. I prefer a lot of other stuff, but if it's a choice between bills and labels, the bills win.

I've heard people say the toilet roll thing is a false economy but struggle to see how. Yes you might use twice as much but value stuff is a quarter of the price per sheet.

I've never bought anything other than supermarket own brand toilet paper.

I won't skimp on teabags, baked beans and bread.

With regards to meat often the tasitier cuts are the cheaper ones. Cheap cuts of steak are often more tender and tasty they are just a little fattier which generally dissolves during cooking anyway.

With regards to meat often the tasitier cuts are the cheaper ones. Cheap cuts of steak are often more tender and tasty they are just a little fattier which generally dissolves during cooking anyway.

I agree. Thats what my slow cooker was invented for.

Agree on tyres as your car / life can depend on them. As for rest its worth trying out different brands / shops to see what you like - sometimes you can really tell the difference others not.

Oh I've thought of another one Brabantia bin bags. Never had one split, and we hardly go through them now we have a massive recycling bin. I'm really not usually fussy though!

Yes. Tinned tomatoes. Some people really do believe there is no difference between budget and premium brands. There is. Usually the amount of and parts tomatoes they can get away with not putting in. :o

Oh yes, Brabantia bin bags, they really are worth the extra money.

Kitchen towel is another one. Bounty in the UK and Viva here in Oz.

I used to buy that shea butter toilet paper in the UK and keep it in the cupboard next to the toilet (the cleaning cupboard) so the boys used the normal stuff and I had the good one. Of course if anyone other than me had ever opened the cleanig cupboard the game would have been up, but that never happened.

I would never skimp on:-

Cornflakes - gotta be Kellogs
Baked Beans - Heinz of Course
Tomato Sauce - Heinz
Cola - Coke/Pepsi - not own brands!

and the main thing i would never skimp on is the heating. In the winter my house is like the tropics, my mum came round once and her glasses steamed up!!

Eggs. Will only buy free range ones from the local shops. Won't ever buy non free range.

Will also only buy beauty products which haven't been tested on animals (including the ingredients as some companies get round this by saying the product isn't tested, which is true, but neglect to mention that half the ingredients have been). This is proving to be a sacrifice, because it limits what I can get, but is worth putting up with.

I am struggling to think of something that I don't scrimp on. Maybe I am just not very fussy! I actually prefer the taste of some of the economy stuff

Actually, I always buy Charles Worthington conditioner at 6 quid a bottle because it's fab, but that's about as racy as I get.

Ariel washing powder/liquid
Shoes

Anything else I scrimp on, but I have found out the hard way that cheap shoes and washing powder are a false economy!

Brabantia bin bags are worth the extra money?!

Cheese (Waitrose Davidstow here too, though My dad gets it at discount)
Conditioner
Jam for the DC's
Bra's - although I have found some good ones on Simply Be for quite reasonable prices.

And thats about it, everything else is fair game.

Ah yes, the finish quantum tablet thingies, have tried the others but they just don't seem to work as well.

Tea, real coffee, wine, foundation, free range eggs and chicken

Ground coffee and bread. Canot stand cheap bread. I'd use basics toilet roll though. I'm not very cfussy about woping my arse.

Bin bags is a good one. Not brabantia, but not value range either.

I stick to Heinz for baked beans and spaghetti hoops.

Msshapelybottom - you know how on 'threads I'm on' the lines run together without spaces? I was wondering what liquid shoes are :o