To ask your suggestions what it's ok to cheap out on?

[lettymoo]

I recently saw a thread about things it's worth spending more on to get better quality, but I was hoping to start a discussion about what things it makes absolutely no difference at all with and the lowest priced versions are just as good.

Some of the things I'll buy the cheapest/value version of include:
painkillers
medications
tortilla chips
cleaning products (although I'm starting to wonder about this)
printer paper
disposable razors
cotton wool pads

Would love to hear your suggestions!

Agree use vinegar for Windows, put bicarb and vinegar for cleaning drains much cheaper.
Aldi ultra kitchen towels are really good,
Aldi Lacura no more fizz shampoo and conditioner
Aldi Soft clothes conditioner
Asda ginger nuts 22p and much better than Mcvities.
I worked in a Pharmacy for a few years the Chemist swore that E45 cream was the best moisturiser and said that even the most expensive moisturisers had the same bass ingredients. She also said always buy generic medicines whenever possible they're the same as your most expensive brands.

Baby socks.

Pasta
Rice
Chopped tomatoes
Tomato purée
Most cereals
Most veg and fruit (no extra special oranges or whatever rubbish in Tesco)
Greek yoghurt
Diet lemonade
Bottled water
Rinse aid
Dishwasher salt
Passata
About 70% of cheeses
Flour

Look in the "World food" or "Ethnic food" aisle for things like dried lentils, basmati rice, tinned toms etc at a better price than the ones stocked elewhere in the shop. No idea why, but there we go

@NormaNameChange

Anadin Extra are aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine. If you don't find generic meds work, it could be the caffeine. Caffeine is effective in stopping migraines in some people. It might be worth trying? As a fellow migraine sufferer, it was a game changer when I found that Coke or Red Bull could stop a migraine in it's tracks if I drank some as soon as I got the first signs.

Cheap ketchup but never cheap mayo, Tesco’s own makes me wretch

I wouldn't say I'm a 'brand snob' but I do like to shop around to make sure I get cheapest deals too.

Things I will only buy branded:

• Lurpak
• Toothpaste - I prefer Oral B Pro Expert *;Tuna - will only use John West, purely because I've not found any bones yet, other brands I have and it puts me off for life
• Shampoo and Conditioner - I ahve 2 preferred brands, however found a pretty good match for one in Home Bargains and only 79p each.
• Tea bags - Tetley only I'm afraid and I carry my own when I go out and about

Loo Roll - I tend to buy whats on offer

Laundry - have preferred brands but quite fluid in changing when usual brand not available.

I use Aldis own brand yogurts, meat, milk, fruit and veg, pasta, beans, tomatoes, passata

Fresh meat I buy from a local butcher

I use Home Bargains a lot, Aldi, Lidl & I cook from scratch a lot, so 'brand' technically doesn't matter as its usually meat, veg, potatoes, pasta.

Fizzy water
Rice
Own brand shreddies- taste the same
Meat - always fine from lidl
Tinned tomatoes and veg
Pizza

Have to have brands for
Heinz beans
Heinz ketchup
Lurpak
Yorkshire tea

People who reckon only nurofen or calpol will do are utter fools. Read the ingredients they are identical to own brands.

Pasta is also made from a single ingredient so how can expensive ones taste different? Cheapest all the way here. Cheap tinned toms combined with cheap tomato puree are also perfectly fine, it's not like you eat them on their own anyway, they are always cooked with garlic, herbs spices etc. They are only a base.

We buy nearly everything own brand. Only Kellogs cornflakes and frosties can't be beat. And Colgate toothpaste, I don't like any other.

Oh and the best frozen pizzas are £1 in Iceland. Better than the posh ones my mum gets from coop.

Baking trays and plastic measuring jugs. Everything goes in the dishwasher and if it’s cheap then there are no tears when it goes rusty/discoloured.

I have to disagree on the pasta front, would rather have really nice pasta but less of it. For me it would be:
Children’s furniture-it’s going to get destroyed anyway and really doesn’t need to last that long
Milk-all milk in Britain is adequate, I have no issue using the essential supermarket range over organic milk, same goes for butter etc. I wouldn’t do that overseas though
Toilet paper/foil/zip lock bags etc
Baby wipes
Cleaning products (although I would pay extra for those wool and aluminium pads, those are well worth it)
Craft supplies-my children really aren’t that talented, I’m hardly going to keep their work
Chocolate/coffee from Aldi
Misshapen fruit/veg. It really doesn’t need to be a certain shape.

Cheap pasta and tinned tomatoes are horrible and a waste of money as my lot wont eat them.

I use a soda stream for fizzy water. Lovely and no wasted plastic.

For the 'only Lurpak will do' people, try Aldi's Norpack. Exactly the same blend and half the price!
Aldi loo rolls also very good - same ply and no of sheets as Sainsbury's and again, half the price.

Basics pasta is rank and always crunchy but shops own brand normal range is fine imo!

I notice no difference whatsoever when it comes to pasta. Aldi's and Lidl's is just fine.

I mean like the 20p pasta vs 80p pasta!

Pasta is pasta imo, the cooking is what counts when it comes to 'crunch'!

Agree with most of these although I swear by Tesco own teabags. They’re really nice and way cheaper than Yorkshire Tea.

I won’t compromise on chopped tomatoes. I actually don’t buy tinned tomatoes, I buy the little jars of Cirio rustic passata which isn’t fully smooth and has tiny chunks of tomato in it. It’s so much nicer than the cheap stuff and you can really tell the difference when it’s used in sauces. It’s quite expensive so I end to buy a truckload if it when it’s on offer

Mayonnaise has to be Hellman's
Good quality loo roll tin foil and kitchen roll. Cheap versions false economy.
Lurpak
Branded cat food for the furry divas

Good own brand
Waitrose dishwasher tabs
Ocado cafetière coffee - various, all v good and I am fussy about coffee
WAitrose fizzy water

I generally use passata instead of chopped tomatoes. Aldi and Lidl's are great, Tesco's is runny crap.

Tesco's mayonnaise exactly the same blend as Hellmans and I'm fussy about mayo! I couldn't compromise on tea bags. Has to be decaf pg tips or Yorkshire.

Pretty much everything. I shop mainly in Aldi and Lidl and 99% of that is own brand labels. Only things I won’t compromise on are Yorkshire tea bags and Harpic black toilet duck.

My fave thing is dog poo bags, which are quite expensive. But own-brand nappy sacks are 25p and do exactly the same job.

On the nation’s favourite auction site I buy Scot Petshop bio poo bags for waaay cheaper. Under 10p per bag if bought in bulk of 500-1000. And they are slightly stronger for more poop scoop confidence.

@drogosnextwife If you’re tap water is rubbish, get a water filter, either in fridge or install an in-line filter to your kitchen tap. It really makes a difference.

I buy own brand general all purpose cleaner in as big container as I can then pop it into the spray bottles I already have at home (mostly re-used cleaner spray bottles). 1/4 fill then dilute with water for dirty cleaning and 1/8 fill for general wipe down type cleaning. Saves money and plastic.

Greenpop I really disagree, cheap budget pasta always has a gritty crunchy taste imo. I used to buy it then gave up on it, maybe it was just the particular brand I bough!