Grocery shopping....anyone else finding it increasingly expensive? What do you pay weekly?

[whispywhisp]

Anyone got any recommendations on Tesco Value products - are they any good? What foods to avoid that are clearly rubbish?

We are a family of four. I have always tried to buy our groceries economically but have tended to avoid Tesco Value products because I've worried about the quality.

Its now become so expensive to buy food and household products that we've got no choice but to buy the cheaper range.

I don't know what everyone else is spending each week but, on average, I'm paying way over £100 per week on everything - food, cleaning materials, pet food etc etc and we simply can't afford to continue like this.

What does everyone else do? Are we all finding it increasingly expensive to buy groceries? Anyone found some of the Tesco Value stuff should be avoided?

I would grow my own stuff but we don't have the room. I would use a local greengrocer...if we had one. I cook all our meals - we are a family who eat a lot of fruit and veg and its those items that I'm finding have gone up so much. I like my kids to eat well, which they do, I don't want them to eat junk (which they'd love to, I'm sure!). Help!

Itati, we eat the yoghurt naturally - it's very creamy - not at all sharp like the ones you buy - more like greek yoghurt.

If DS wants something with it, he often has fruit, compote - or maple syrup swirled in. At the moment feasting on strawberries - so the sweetness comes from the fruit rather than adding sugar or anything to the yoghurt.

If your Los like greek yoghurt - they'll like homemade stuff.

Hi all,
Re Tesco Value range:-
This MAINLY their normal own brand but with different packaging on. It is a "targeted marketing" ploy used by all supermarkets and it works like this:-
1.
The "Finest" range really is better stuff. Usually. Targets people with deep pockets.
2.
Some people are willing to pay a bit more for stuff if they think they are getting something "better". So to make sure they don't lose profits on these types of "average" people, they put posher packaging round the average stuff. So tomatoes have pictures of tomatoes on, etc.
3.
85-90% of the cheap "Value" stuff with the horrible bland packaging is EXACTLY THE SAME stuff as 2 above. This is targeted at the people who are either skint or bargain hunters.

Clever use of packaging to make sure all corners of market covered. Learned this on an OU business course. Also checkout the book "Tescopoly" for more insider secrets of great interest!
So now you know!
xxx

I vote for Aldi - have to say I am a bit of a snob when it comes to food - normally go to waitrose.

The last couple of weeks I ahve come there to do my shopping and the food is really nice, I am very suprised, in fact hubby is now feed up of me saying between mouth fulls "I can't belive this you'd never know it was from aldi"

We had a chick and leek pie last night and there was much more chicken in it than one I've had from Tesco before!!!

Its great for lots of things; pasta, rice, pasta sauces, as well as frozen sruff.
I got a big pack of rich tea biscuits for 45p normally have mcvities (72p in sainsburys and ocado and 71p at tesco and asda) and I could really not tell the differnce.

I always use my supermarket to get the best deal on my shopping and look to see who has what offers then just go for the offers.

Shopping by list and ONLY the list always saves me money!!!

gingan...that's amazing. What an eye-opener. I'd often wondered if their Value stuff was actually the next brand up cos there really isn't much difference in quality with some bits.

We need to cut down on our food bills to free up money for other thigs but don't want to comprimise on quality.

Thanks for that jazzandh. Which yogurt maker do you have and can you talk me through how you make it and what ingredients you use please? I have a £20 voucher for Argos so if they sell the right one I could use that.

itati, you really don't need a yoghurt maker to make yoghurt, it is easier to do if you have a thermometer but otherwise all you need is saucepan & jamjar. I keep it warm while it yogs in a pan of hotwater wrapped up in towels, but when I had one I just stuck the jar in the airing cupboard which was even easier.

itati, i think she's got the same yoghurt maker i have - from lakeland.

it's just 10mL of natural yoghurt + about 800mL of UHT milk.

8 hours later, you have yoghurt!

i find it a bit runny for eating (perfect for cooking or baking with, though), so if i'm making it to eat i then plonk it in an old muslin cloth from when teh girls were babies and hang it over a bowl for a couple of hours and it goes like greek yoghurt.

Exactly as Expat said except I add a couple of tablespoons of skimmed milk powder which thickens it up for eating. The trick I have found is not to stir it when its finished and it stays thick in the fridge.

Try this site for money saving ideas www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Home.aspx
Hope it helps

gingan that's fascinating and really makes sense - most of us are suckers for nice packaging and don't they know it! Very clever.

Message withdrawn

I know I've raved on about it a lot already on this thread but I really can't fault Tesco Value cleaning products.

DD2 tipped orange juice down a t-shirt yesterday - a light blue t-shirt - stuck it in a normal 30deg wash last night and its now lovely and clean and that's using Tesco Value washing liquid - bottle for 66p plus Tesco value fabric conditioner. I also did a hot wash on Friday night, using same liquids, to wash all our whites for the week - DD1 wears a white t-shirt as part of her uniform for school - all came out lovely and clean and soft.

I've just cleaned the kitchen using Tesco Value cleaning fluid - like in a Jif bottle - the proper thick stuff which is about 40p for a bottle - it brings the sink and draining board up lovely and clean - much better than any Flash spray I've ever used.

Loo rolls are absolutely fine. Kitchen roll is brilliant. Bin bags are excellent. Furniture polish - no different to Pledge, Mr Sheen or any of the more expensive brands. All in all I'm extremely happy with all of it.

I can safely say I've been paying far too much for far too long.

I went to sainsbury's today and got 3-4 reduced items with use by Tuesday dates and the basics carrots. Tasted fine.

I went to Lidl today. Have to say I was really disappointed. The veg and fruit was pretty old. The onions were black, the bananas were over-ripe, grapes were squishy, hardly any greens etc. A lot of their stuff was foreign so had a job to read labels. They had no baskets - only trollies - guess this is so you tend to buy more? The store was also quite grubby itself. Nah, won't be going there again but atleast I went in!

I would watch Tesco and prices. I used to shop in Tesco a lot but found they were sneaky with their prices.

Went in the for the 1st time in ages and low and behold nearly bought the Tesco Value cotton wool pads only to find they were 8p more than the normal ones. Nearly bought some Devon eggs only to find they were 30p more than the normal free range ones. Ok not the end of the world but I live in Devon so really don't get why local eggs are more.

Noticed a couple of other things too but would look so nitpicky I'll quit while I'm ahead!!!!!!

Lidls does vary on fruit and veg quality sometimes it's great- a lovely fresh huge bag of rocket that lasted ages for 49p, nice Savoy cabbages last week bought loads of really nice fresh veg. The week before however all very thin on the ground. I find Aldi's is consistently good but you need to get there early on a Sat.

Good veg for 69p at Aldi today i got a large plastic tub of grapes , 3 peppers and a honeydew melon.
They also do two gem lettuces for 45p.

Hi all. Here's an update on Tesco Value. I've just done a weeks shop tonight. This is what I bought....

Cat litter (value)
Pineapples x 2 (value)
4pints of milk x 3
1ltr cartons of orange and apple juice x 4 (value)
Large bottle of tropical juice (value)
Large bag of frozen yorkshire pudds (value)
2ltr vanilla ice cream (value)
Chocolate biscuit bars x 2 packs (value)
Fish portions x 2 boxes (value) (for the cats)
Furniture polish (value)
Tea bags x 2 boxes (Tetley bogof)
Chappie dog food x 6 tins
Plain chocolate bars x 2 (value)
Chicken nuggets x 1 bag (value)
Apple pies x 1 packet (value)
Victoria Sponge cake x 1 (value)
Toilet rolls x 12 (value)
Kids yoghurts (6 pack) x 4 (value)
Frosted cornflakes x 2 packets (500g) (value)
Big bag baking potatoes
Packet of 6 tomatoes on vine (value)
Cucumbers x 2
Cheddar cheese (value)
Cream kitchen cleaner (value)
Whole chickens x 2
Bananas x 2 large bags (value)
Baking cases
SR flour (value)
Pancakes x 2 packets (value)
Bag sultanas (value)
Mayonnaise (value)
Lemonade x 2 bottles (value)
Cherry Tomatoes x 2 packets (value)
Big box of muesli (value)
Tins of baked beans x 2 (value)
Tins of spaghetti x 2 (value)
Eggs x 12
Tesco loaves of bread x 2
Coleslaw (value)
Large pack of sarnie ham (value)
Apples x 1 large bag
Carrots x 1 large bag (value)
Baby wipes x 2 packets (value)
Tins of tuna x 2 (value)
Pasta sauce x 2
Lettuce x 1 (value)
Cooking spread x 1kg (value)
Sunflower spread x 500g (value)
Broccoli x 2 (value)

Total bill came to £65.98
Less a £12 money off voucher I had.
Total spend on a weeks shop was £53.98

How good is that?

whispy that's great! i spent £95 with ocado yesterday and actually was pleasantly surprised with what i got - they have lots of offers on at the moment as well though, although dh INSISTS on bottled water which gets my goat every time i have to order it....honestly you would think our water was undrinkable the way he goes on about it

some of that will last a couple of weeks as well (mince into the freezer etc) and we also top up at the farmers market for veg and salad on a sunday - so not doing too bad here in the flick house!

Thanks Flick. I was quite pleased with my shop too last night. Even DH went thru the receipt cos he couldn't believe so much shopping would come to what it did! My budget is £80 per week so with what is left I plan to put into savings each week. That way we not only shop more economically but save too. We have no savings whatsoever and even if its just a tenner a week its something.

Just a point of interest. I bought Tesco value tins of tuna. I compared the labelling to that of their next brand up and there is no difference in the details on the label whatsoever apart from one is value and costs less than the next Tesco brand up.

Someone mentioned in this thread a few days ago that Tesco value stuff is the same as their next brand up but just cheaper and different label. I'm now beginning to believe that!

see gingan's Saturday 00:02 post.

i worked out a meal planner, and ordered a weekly shop accordingly. Inc delivery, a bottle of wine and follow-on milk for DS2, it was £74.

Well, I've done two weeks shopping now buying pretty much Tesco value products. All the items I've bought have been absolutely fine and in some cases much nicer! Both weeks cost me, on average, £55 per week.

Now considering the fact I would normally have spent over £100 per week that's not bad eh?