To think there's nothing wrong with own brand stuff?

[AverageGayLad]

Was in the supermarket earlier and a woman asked her friend to get her some butter - but "a brand, none of that cheap shite".

What is wrong with own brand? :( Sometimes/Mostly that's all I can afford! Isn't it all the same food anyway?

That's fantastic value Average. A jar of what?

I'm all for saving money but there are a few branded products that I think are nicer and that's when I've tried the alternatives - own brand and value. It's not very many and even when it is, I sometimes still buy the own brand version because the difference isn't good enough.

A Spanish friend gives me jars of pulses from a brand called El Hostal. They are better than anything I've eaten and I don't think they are expensive in Spain. Best are butter beans. I love tinned butter beans but these are the best.

He also gave me 30g of saffron. I can't imagine how much that would cost in Britain. It's probably a bit stale, but I've kept it in the dark and it still has flavour. Everyone who's seen me sprinkle it in says 'you're really generous with that' and I say that's because I have a dealer

I work in the food industry. 9 times out of 10 an own brand product is identical to the branded product.

Well I meant to say tin of sweetcorn!

My thread made it to FB

I don't think I've ever used saffron! Is it expensive?

Is saffron is expensive? It's possibly one of those expensive things that by weight are one of the most expensive things in the world. Like diamonds or dragon eggs, but more expensive

I used to buy it in Schwartz herb pots for about £1 million for half a gram in a twist of yellow cellophane to protect it from the light. Then I realised I used it in such minuscule amounts, like about two strands at a time, that it was pointless and I was giving money to Mr Schwartz while he laughed at me, possibly while relaxing in a bath of saffron and unicorn tears.

Congrats on making it to FB Goodlad

Tonight we're having the rest of the tin of Green Giant sweetcorn with shredded little gem lettuce, tomatoes, thinly sliced shallots, grated carrot and yellow pepper. Served with Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Scottish Crab Fishcakes reduced from £2 to 79p for 2.

They are very nice and generously sized. So are the creamy fish pie type ones. Avoid the yellowfin tuna. They're disappointing.

If you are adamant about certain brands and have access to a variety of shops it's always worth looking on 'My Supermarket' to see if anyone has it on offer, I do this with 'my' coffee and certain other products then go stock up.

I'll look at that Grumpyoldblonde.

My cat is not very fussy for a cat - he's happy with Sainsbury's own brand - but he loves a very expensive brand called Thrive. He fished the thimble-sized empty tin out of the bin to lick it. That's got to be genuine because he can't read and doesn't watch adverts.

I looked at a pet food website yesterday and was going to order but I'll look at My Supermarket go get the best price. Thanks for the suggestion.

love the saffron post!

Grumpy I only have one shop really, that's the issue...

Grumpy I only have one shop really, that's the issue...
I am very fortunate to have a huge choice, do you mean only one supermarket? Because its worth shopping around for your favourite toothpaste, shower gel and so on, and often shops like Wilkinson sell a small amount of groceries. A lot depends on time and shops available to get best prices (on branded goods)

I have one big Morrisons supermarket and a few tiny corner shop versions of tesco/coop :)

IME Co-op and Morrisons do fantastic end of day mark-downs, I used to fill my freezer from Morrisons yellow stickers, 19p packs of sausages. 35p pork chops. Ours shut down, how I miss it

I am or rather have been very fussy in the past but when I was in France and saw the price of their washing powders etc I thought stuff that and bought Lidl's own Lavender 2 in 1 now I buy that in either the powder as it cleans better than liquids or for convenience the round blocks and can honestly say that its the best washing powder ever and at 62 I have used a few. I also use cheap white vinegar in the wash instead of conditioner every time I wash towels as its stops the musty build up smell and keeps the towels softer than fabric conditioner as well as keeping washing machine clean. Cannot find a washing liquid to beat Fairy however. Used to be an Andrex loo roll person but Morrisons own is as good as Andrex since they changed quality. Foodstuffs - cannot beat Nespresso's own capsules, Country Life softer butter and asda's Greek Yoghurt. Also Asda's Gruyere Cheese in their 2 for £3 is gorgeous for example but that is all personal preferences - however will try branded things and make up my own mind.

My mum was the Yellow Sticker Queen and I was her princess Grumpyoldblonde.

I've inherited the crown but wear it uneasily, because she was the best. She also had a much better variety of supermarkets, including two large Sainsbury's, an Iceland, a Morrisons an M&S food and a large Tesco in bus pass reach.

She used to get so much reduced stuff and bring it to me, cackling over her bargains. One of the saddest things was when I finished the last drop of the Morrisons bio washing liquid that she'd bulk bought on offer for me.

Grumpy I don't get people who won't buy "expired today" discounted meat - I'm buying it as I'm planning to throw it in the freezer, what's the issue?

limited I go STRAIGHT to the discount shelf at the start and the end of my shop

I'm the King of yellow stickers, I'm always eagle eyed from the second I get my trolley!

After a bit of thought, the only brands I won't swap are Fairy, Ariel and Nescafe. (There are probably better instant coffees out there, but I don't want to buy potentially shit coffees to check.) DP must make his tea with boiled bottled Waitrose water - yes, you read that right! - so there's that too.

But I'll also occasionally go nuts in American/South African / Middle Eastern food stores and buy brands and products that we just don't have in our supermarkets, which probably cancels out any savings I make.

And I'd also buy brands if I had guests round - so Coke etc. Not sure the guests particularly care, but I can't break the habit.

Are there any own brand brown sauces which are like HP? DH is an HP fanatic & we suspect that all the copies are based on Daddies.

Anybody know?

(Lidl have HP quite cheaply now anyway, hurrah)

limited I go STRAIGHT to the discount shelf at the start and the end of my shop

We were made for each other Average. We would rule our realm benignly and the common people would cheer us and wave palms at our feet.

I walk in past overpriced sandwiches and promotional nonsense to the first reduced aisle which is on the right at ankle height - meat, fish and fresh sauces such as bearnaise, hollandaise and varieties of gravy.

After looking at that, I veer left and up to the second reduced aisle which is ready meals and desserts.

Then seamlessly on to the reduced bread counter for crumpets, muffins, brioche burger buns and ciabatta with or without onions or dried tomatoes.

Right and then left to check out reduced fruit and vegetable goods.

I pick up the things that are never reduced - wine and cat food - before a reverse sweep to pick up any straggling bargains and then off to the checkout.

I've just looked at the clock. There's an hour to go before reduction time...

Reduction time WHERE though

You've basically just described me! I go to the dairy/pasta/sandwich reduced bit, then meat, then find - dented is fine if it's still sealed!

Then I allow myself one full priced treat and I go to checkout!

*limited I go STRAIGHT to the discount shelf at the start and the end of my shop grin

I'm the King of yellow stickers, I'm always eagle eyed from the second I get my trolley!*

Ah, my people!

We should all descend together on a supermarket as checkout staff scatter

Elbows out!
I was in a supermarket once and the lady next to me was sneering at and discarding all the stickered meat (meatballs 50p, chicken thighs 45p!) as fast as she was discarding I was stacking my trolley, I love people who wont look at yellow stickers, more for us that do.

EssentialHummus If you're talking about regular Nescafe instant, you really should try something else at least once. Regular Nescafe is one of the shittest most bitter instant coffee's available.

fast as she was discarding I was stacking my trolley

A weekly occurrence

I'm sorry to people who stand and dither in front of the yellow stickers, but don't give me stink eye if I grabbed something you wanted just cause you couldn't find it fast enough