I know we're all meant to hate Tesco but....

[JellyBelly10]

... I cannot believe how cheap, and how good, some of their Value range is. It is making a massive diference to my weekly shopping bill, some items are literally a quarter of the price of the things I used to buy. So here's a list of some of the Tesco Basic Value range that I would recommend (just in case anyone else cares about my opinion on this ) :
Cornflakes - 31p for a 500g box (yes that's 31p!!!)
Branflakes - 88p for a 750g box
Yogurts - 33p for 4 (a bit watery, but at 33p I'll put up with that!!)
Flour
-Peanut butter (really good! Cannot tell the difference)
-Apple Juice
-Orange Juice
-Chopped tomatoes (ok a bit full of skin sometimes but they are a third of price, so just pick out the skin!)
-Butter (not that much cheaper than branded alternatives, but you save 20p a pack or so)
-Tomato Ketchup
-Jaffa Cakes
-Eggs...
....ok I got bored putting all the prices in, but they are all dramatically cheaper than the normal Tesco range of similar products! Does anyone have any other suggestions about what I should be trying from the Basic Value range? I'm already buying some of the Tesco Market Value fresh produce such as apples and grapes and peppers and courgettes etc but haven't tried any other of the Basic Value items. What's good and what's awful? I need to reduce costs further, so other recommendations gratefully received.

I never used to think there was much difference in the prices between Tesco & Sainsburys, but I went to Sainsbury's yesterday (fancied a mooch around the new layout (clothes, books, toys, homeware etc) and a Starbucks coffee ). I was suprised at how much more expensive it seemed. I don't mind Tesco, but I hate the carpark/queues at my nearest one so I rarely go, but lately I've been working at a different location and pass another on the way home so have been popping in there - the prices seem a lot better than S's. I do go into Aldi & Lidl (both nearby) but more for a mooch and to pick up the odd thing. There's a waitrose nearby too - but I just don't like Waitrose and cannot understand the fuss.

Tesco do the best tomatoes on the vine . They are about 10 p each and huge .. I did ocado the other day and theirs were soggy and yuck..Coop are hard but not tasty .. Me and dd eat a lot of tomatoes !

Ps, I love tescos .. I buy most things from them and enjoy all the club are freebies ... Have had watches and holidays and all theme park annual passes etc .

helli - if nobody uses it, they will close it down in the end. They aren't going to fork out for staff and other running costs if nobody is setting foot through the doors.

So it's just going to be a waiting game.

I use my DDs discount ,she works for tesco .

She also get free shares every year and her pay is not bad tbh.

Yes, but it was such a battle to open it there in the first place I feel they won't give in easily. Locals don't use it but the road it is on, is on a thoroughfare and those from outside the area probably do use it. How they behaved really was Tesco at it's worst. My DD lives near there and was involved in opposing it

I live near a very small town and a Tesco metro has opened on the main street and it's really affected local traders. I won't set foot in the place and would rather support local veg shop and the local baker who has been there since the year dot.... even if I have to eat less bread!

I appreciate this thread isn't an 'I hate Tesco' thread... I apologise for hijacking it... do ignore me!

Tesco is my supermarket of choice . The fruit and veg is much the nicest, widest selection and just generally as i like it to be as are the baked goods.

We also have tesco wanting to open an express near us, however we have Arab budgets and co-op. tescos aren't needed or wanted. They've lost round 1 but I'm sure this won't be the end of it

Arab budgets?

helie, the link didn't work

The Tesco nearest to me is diabolical! It never has any stock of the items I want Every. Fucking. Time. There is talk of Asda being built practially across the road from Tesco's and I have heard Tesco will leave if they do. Bring it on I say loudly every time I go to tescos I can't bloody wait!

Not too keen on some of their own brand stuff but I like the club card vouchers ever since I was able to get three merlin passes last week.

The reason why the value eggs are so cheap is because the poor hens are caged in cramped conditons.I do buy some value food but never eggs,always free range, can't bear to think of the miserable lives the caged hens must endure.
Tesco is also my least fave suermarket but is my nearest, though think they treat their customers like ignorant cretins wwho can,t see through their false price promotions!
When our local tesco opened in 2000, good old teso dedicated it to all the people of redruth, even got a gold plaque in store,how pretenious is that as if they have opened a hospital or arts centre for the community!!!!!!!

Oops! A fab budgens.....

oops!freudian slip =suermarket= sewermarket = tesco!!

Not set foot in since I found out about the workfare - can't say they're missed.

Also, I used to live in Sheringham & a mate's in Herne Bay. We both have first hand experience of their expansion tactics.

Nasty business.

Far nicer produce in Morrisons anyway.

I am a supermarket slut - currently sainsbo's is on the list due to a nice vino with £3 off and if you buy 6 you then get 5% off that too. works for me. And there you can get mint haagen daz. However I do have to get my lunch from tesco's regularly and they have a costa which I don't mind. DD loves their figrolls and will turn her nose up at the posh ones

I check mysupermarket religiously before I shop and Sainsburys is always cheaper than Tesco for me, and the quality is vastly better imo, especially on the value/basics lines - I find Tesco value ranges really rather nasty. The shopping experience is also a thousand times better too. So I've never understood the adoration of Tesco by some and honestly can't understand why people can't taste the difference in quality between them and other stores. But if we're talking about value vs branded within any given store then of course there are bargains to be had, usually on ingredients products rather than ready made processed products.

I shop at Tesco as DP works there and has discount. If he didnt work there, i'd shop in Sainsburys.
He would rather work somewhere else, but in these times, it would be silly for him to give up a stable job and risk not finding a new one for a while.

I dislike the world domination plan they have going on at the moment. There are four tesco extra stores within five miles of my house. Two tesco metro's and a tesco express. Beyond ridiculous.

In terms of their value stuff, i buy their tinned tomatoes and kidney beans, digestive biscuits, and frozen stuff such as peas, mince meat for chili con carne and chicken breasts for casseroles etc. They lack flavour if you eat them without adding to them, but if you cook them into something, then it's fine. I also get washing up liquid, nappy sacks, spaghetti and i love love love the 'garlic and herb' creamcheese. The sainsburys one doesnt compare. If i changed supermarkets, i would sneak into Tesco, just to buy the cheese! .
The one thing ive found to not be cost effective, is the loo rolls. I'm pretty sure that the four pack of tesco value, is more expensive if you buy two packs, then if you buy one 9 pack of the next level up loo rolls .

I shop online to save money, Delivery costs less than petrol used to go in person. Also I check out all the half price and BOGOF offers first then meal plan around that.
Other than what I get on offers, I use pretty much all value range including meat.
The diced pork/beef is fine if doing it in the slow cooker, The mince is fine for bolognese if you drain the fat off before adding a can of tesco value tomatoes.
Penne pasta is 30p per bag.
A whole chicken is £2.07 for our sunday roast.
The value fruit is fine, We get bananas, apples, oranges, grapes and kiwi fruit every week.
The bread is fine for toasting.

I can't afford to be picky/snobbish/moral about where my food comes from at the moment.

I save all my clubcard points to get my vouchers in November which pays for the big Christmas shop.

I bought Tescos massive value pizza the other week - only because the usual pizzas were sold out. It was a big pizza (10-12 inch) and looked like it was all dough and no topping. However, we always add a bit of topping to any shop pizza, so I added a bit of pepperoni and a bit more cheese and I have to tell you, much to my surprise, it was bloody lovely. That cost £1 btw.

happybubblebrain I seriously don't work for Tesco!!! I'm just genuinely impressed with some of the Value stuff as have been a brand snob all my adult life and would never have considered buying Value stuff a few years ago! I've been to Tescos today and have bought some Value items I've never tried before. I may live to regret it mind you! Bought their Value muesli as I thought it said 25% fruit in it...read it more closely now I'm home and it says 25% more fruit....25% more than bugger all by the looks of it! I've also bought their Value lasagne sheets, Value weetabix, Value coco pops and all the normal Value items I've bought before which the family have accepted and not complained about! I was sorely tempted to try their Value tea-bags....but didn't as they just seem tooooo cheap! 27p for 80 bags!! BUt there were no reduced item bargains to be had today, no half price meat or bread at 20p a loaf....so am feeling disatisfied with my shopping experience!! There's nothing more satisfying than getting 5 loaves of bread for the freezer for the price of one loaf! Or maybe I just need some other excitement in my life! Have to say though that Tescos looked appalling today! Loads of empty shelves, hardly any stock in some aisles, loads of empty cardboard boxes etc etc..maybe the fact that I have reduced my shopping bills and stopped buying any alcohol means they are suffering!!

getting back to the topic of the thread....

they've rebranded everything value to everyday value and prettied up the labels a bit, good the old ones were dire!

I rate:

custard creams
bourbon biscuits
white sliced bread is ok if toasted/used for breadcrumbs or bread and butter pudding - yuck otherwise
mozzarella balls, 50p - excellent!
thin bleach
washing powder - bought once in an emergency, cleaned well just no fragrance
pasta - spaghetti or the shapes although the price goes massively up and down on the bags of pasta week by week
ditto tinned tuna
peanut butter
fruit and veg