Shopping: Smartprice, Value, Basic brands

[3cherubs]

I am interested to hear what you all think: I have no real problem with buying some things the cheapest I can get (depends what it is of course!) but I do know people who would not be seen dead buying ASDA Smartprice, for example, even though money is seriously tight.

What do you think?

I have no problem buying cheap stuff espcialy when i'm broke, it can make abig difference to your food bills for the month.

Am a bit wary of smartprice meat tho espcially chicken.

can't taste the differenc with stuff like tinned tomatos so why waste muney on expensive labels. A friend worked in a can factory for awhile, canning peas i think and the same cans just got different lales put on for each supermarket/brand!

I was standing behind a very clever lady doing a big family shop last week. She had tons of tesco value in her trolly as well as fresh pineapple, melons and some luxury treat products. The total for this big family shop was a few pounds more than my basket
Wow did i feel a mug!
It has made me look at shopping with new eye.
Yesterday I bought Tesco value custard creams and bourbon creams. I popped them it the cookie jar, mixed them up with the original "big brands" and I would challenge anybody to see or taste the difference!!
I only saved pence, but it was the principal of the matter for me.
This week I am going to add some more value items to my trolley!!

some value products are nice, some aren't as nice as the non- value.

my cat is very fond of value tuna

Yes, it does seem to make a real difference and I do agree it does depends on what you buy. I am also dubious about some things like meat and also the value toilet paper does not do it for me!

The other day I bought only Smartprice fruit and found this: the satsumas were Smartprice because they were smaller than average, but wow were they sweet and tatsy! The apples were very crispy and nice and the bananas and plums tasted no different to the normal brand.

I think with fruit they sell off the stuff as a value brand which is odd-shaped or too small simply becuase they are not pleasing to the eye!

things like disposable dish clothes are the same too IMO.

Some things are gross (corn flakes for example) but tins of tomatoes, theres not much difference, and tomatoe puree seems the same as well. The apples can be very yummy as well and invariable the fruit / veg is the same just of odd sizes etc!

I have become much less snobbish about food in the last few years, and now buy some of the Value stuff

BUT

Baked beans MUST be heinz
Chocolate digestives MUST be Mcvities plain choc (but only buy them rarely now anyway)

Oh, and fruit and veg are usually much better value at a proper greengrocers than the supermarket anyway.

I used to be a bit sniffy about Lidl and Aldi, but needs must, I got there a lot now and 99% of their stuff is fantastic (avoid the baked beans and soup).

Tesco Value chicken I've found to be not worth the value once I've cut away the nasty bits.

buy value,smartprice stuff like tomatoes, fruit, veg, bog rolls, dishcloths, biscuits etc
but would not buy bread as it is like tiles
or beans as they are too hard
teabags are like dust off the factory floor

Stick to a quality toilet paper

Especially after childbirth

(from recent experience)

I used babywipes as bog roll after my pgs, relieved the soreness and piles

Tesco value Jaffa cakes are yummy as are their custard creams - I agree with Sonnet!

Their value kidney beans are fine to chuck in a chilli too.

Are smartprice dried things like rice & pasta ok

seb I find the rice sticks together more but that could be my cooking

I get value stuff- well busicuts esp the way my DH eats them! unfortunatly he's a snob with the tinned stuff so I get the tesco's own brand stuff - cheaper then the best but tbh I recon same stuff diff label!

don't rate the value loo roll - £1.60 for 16 rolls of somehting- but u use twice as much - defeats the object!

only 'posh' brands we have really is dishwasher (stock up when on offer!) powder tea/coffee/baked beans/washing powder. the rest of it pretty much is tesco's own middle of the range.

I think it's a bit hit and miss really, some value lines are ok others are horrendous.

Do buy value cat litter, dishclothes, bin bags etc

Tend not to buy value food though, each supermarket has a specification that each food must reach, for value the spec (and therefore quality) is a lot lower i.e. meat that isn't good enough for standard products can be used for value.

munz I love the tesco own beans they are lovely (the red tin ones)

(ooh yes value pasta or from lidl and spagetti dry)

dm - I don't eat beans tbh can't stand em it's for DH and he's piccy over them?? (ooh and HP sauce)

Value dishcloths/J cloths are fine too - I'd much rather chuck one away after a few days than keep one cos it cost more!

No, buy the vileda dishcloths. The blue and green checked ones wash very well, and last for ever, cost about a quid for 2 in a pack.
Their yellow ones are excellent too, very absorbant, good for cleaning bathrooms and mopping up spills. Morrisons do their own (same as Vileda yellow ones) currently 3 in a packet rather than 2, for about £1.15. Again they go in the washer and last for ages.

Pasta rice tinned tomatoes are fine
Also buy cloths and biscuits/crackers Never buy meat but pancakes crumpets etc are good and so are some yoghurts and fromage frais.Have been to Lidl and bought loads of stuff to make xmas hampers for presents olive oil chocolates jams port(in a lovely bottle)pannettone nuts etc Doing this enables me to buy better/organic meat and fish Also sometimes use value washing powder with a capful of thin value bleach for whites I need to get out more

Coffee Baragin - for some strange reason Semichem sell imported Nescafe for £1.99 for 200g (£3.49 in asda)