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Original poster

Tightening our belts with cheap toilet paper

194 replies

zippitippitoes · 02/10/2005 14:13

We've done a supermarket shop for the week and bought quite a few "value" products

frozen prawns
frozen cod fillets
chopped tomatoes
diet cola
2 chickens for £4.00
mature cheddar
Tesco tea tree shampoo

but got stuck on some. Are there some things which just aren't any good when they are really cheap.

We usually shop in Tesco's, but we didn't try the Value range in any of these

Andrex toilet rolls
Kellogs cornflakes
Colgate Tartare Toothpaste
Eggs
Shampoo
Can't Believe It's Not Butter

And is Asda actually cheaper than Tesco?

I bought some toddler clothes there yesterday which were great value (including a suede effect jacket with toggles which I really liked for £12.00)but never buy weekly shopping there, should we?

OP posts:
Satine · 02/10/2005 19:15

Sorry if this has already been covered but my dh bought Lidl non-bio washing powder a couple of months ago. I would never have bought it, as I have occasionally reacted a bit in the past to certain washing powders and I'm a bit snobbish about some things (god knows why, I'll happily buy value cheese, loo roll, butter, rice, cereal tomatoes etc but shampoo, washing powder and toothpaste I always end up buying the branded ones). I wasn't too chuffed but had to use it and it's great! It's all I buy now, especially as I bought some ariel bio sachets the other day and they left stains on the kids' clothes!

MrsDoolittle · 02/10/2005 19:17

LOL COD!!!!

Original poster
zippitippitoes · 02/10/2005 19:18

I used to cook loads of offal years ago (including heart, oxtail, chicken livers, kidneys etc) but stopped when food scares started and haven't gone back..I'm certain dp wouldn't eat any of those

OP posts:
cod · 02/10/2005 19:19

Message withdrawn

Original poster
zippitippitoes · 02/10/2005 19:22

making thick soup is another economy that i keep forgetting about..have bought some leeks to amke leek and potato soup this week

OP posts:
QueenOfQuotes · 02/10/2005 19:36

I was just thinking about the cheap meats/ethical buying. ATM TBH, despite my strong views on battery farming, I'd rather provide my family with a varied and nutricious diet, than worry about my 'ethical' buying.

Re the market buying, it does generally work out cheaper, despite the fact that quite often you'll have a few 'duff' vegetables in the pack (ie this evening I cut an onion from the market open, and threw it straight in the bin - as it was off). I've been getting 7lbs (about 3kg) of potatoes for £1 at the market, and last week they had 3 punnets of grapes for £1!

Farmers market (here in Wellingborough) is definitely more expensive though.

QueenOfQuotes · 02/10/2005 19:37

oh yes zippi - thick soups are fabulous, make some homemade bread to go wtih it, and you've a lovely meal (even DH's big appetite survives on that as he fills up on the bread)

Janh · 02/10/2005 19:40

re mince - Sainsburys do extra lean freeflow frozen Scotch mince @ £2.69 for 500g but it's permanently on bogof apparently so you get 1kg for £2.69

Bargain!

Original poster
zippitippitoes · 02/10/2005 19:41

homemade pizza

tuna fish quiche is a good one except dp won't eat tuna

spinach pancakes and homemade tomato sauce

curried lentil loaf

OP posts:
QueenOfQuotes · 02/10/2005 19:42

rickmans' baked bean lasagne is fab too

spidermama · 02/10/2005 19:45

IME cheap lavatory paper is a false economy because one uses more to prevent ... erm ... ones finger going through.
I'm told.

expatinscotland · 02/10/2005 19:45

Jacket potatoes - the original 'fast food'.

Red lentils to thicken any soup.

lummox · 02/10/2005 19:47

We have to use cheap toilet paper because we have a septic tank rather than mains water.

It is very character building.

foxinsocks · 02/10/2005 19:50

we use sainsburys own brand (there's always some on special which makes it much cheaper than the branded stuff) - I can't say I've noticed the difference but maybe I'm not buying the really cheap sainsburys ones.

It's still 2-ply - I draw the limit at buying single ply paper - god knows what happens when you wipe with that because it's so thin, you can see through it!

MrsDoolittle · 02/10/2005 20:07

I am trying out the Velvet even Quiltier at the mo.
However, I think I'm coming round to Cods view, leather tends to be far more effective!!

rummum · 02/10/2005 20:45

I don't buy the value but their own brand...I buy tesco's own brand toilet roll .. (not the value) and to be honest we don't notice the difference...
We also buy tesco's own 'frosted flakes' instead of kellogs frosties, again can't notice the difference and they are so much cheaper..
shampoo.. I buy alberto balsum... I think it's about 99p.. and its really good...
butter... we now buy tesco's own salted butter instead of lurpak.. its about 30p cheaper and you really can't notice the difference

having said that I brought tescos chocolate spead the other day instead of nuttella and daughter didn't like it..

I don't often go to asda.. only to get their make you own pizza...

Mojomummy · 02/10/2005 21:10

I buy novelle, not sure if it's cheaper, but it's either recycled or unbleached, both are a good thing IMO.

For a cheaper alternative to meat, the dry soya mince (hydrated in a low sodium stock cube) from sainsburys is cheap & great in shepherds pie, lasagne & chilli

I buy organic chicken from local farm. Organic brocolli, carrots & potatoes from Asda, but will be visiting farmers co-op on Friday.

We eat chicken about once in a blue moon & would NEVER buy factory farmed muck ( because that's what it is unfortunately) Buy organic eggs or local free range from our corner shop & organic milk, coffee, butter & cheese. If it's not available, we'll go without -we have plenty of variety without risking our health with bird flu/bse/the next big disease.

I don't buy crisps, ready meals, cakes, biscuits, so I don't mind spending a little extra on what I think are essentials. Also buy ecover powder rather than the tablets are this is cheaper & I wish they did dishwasher powder rather than the tablets.

Ekk...just remembered, I buy Tesco VALUE choc desserts they are my treat, on the odd month & cost about 25p for 4. I think they are just choc powder & cornflower, but they just hit the spot. DD has Rachels little friends yogurts & DD has nothing (poor love)

munz · 03/10/2005 09:03

zip - how do u make homemade pizza? - I tried it once with 2 bases from tesco value and normal cheese - and tbh they were vial a complete waste of good cheese.

Original poster
zippitippitoes · 03/10/2005 09:05

Better to make the base yourself

you can either use a scone mix base
or a yeast one

will try and find recipe later
and they are much more satsfying than bought ones

OP posts:
munz · 03/10/2005 09:10

thanks zippy - that's our big expense each month - 3 pizza's for £5 the good fellas ones as DH won't eat the tesco ones. I perfer the idea of doing it myself as then I know what goes into it.

oooh and incidently with tesco.com there's always codes floating about - for example the guide on my shop this month was £130 but after bogofs and my online discount code I paid £100 I think.

u can get codes for £50.00 (think thats only £5 off thou, there is some £10 but they're few and far between)

Katherine · 03/10/2005 10:43

Could NEVER buy cheap meat now. Would feel sick eating it just thinking of the animal conditions etc. We now keep our own chickens and even at this time of year get 2 eggs a day which is more than enough. We choose to feed them organic but you can get mixed corn for about £3 bag which would feed 3-4 chickens for weeks - and is a good way to get rid of all your scraps. I know its not an option for everyone but its easy enough to find places which sell eggs, even in cities.

I don't mean to sound on my high horse but I try to avoid the supermarkets when I can because I think the real "costs" of these places are paid for in other ways. Once I made the time to use the markets and local shops I found I was saving money anyway and yes it was hard to fit it in at first but now its habit. I'm far from perfect and yes I do get stuff from supermarkets but we feed 5 of us on about £40 per week. We only buy organic meat and most of our veg is organic too. If not its local. We do our own eggs, our own pork and our own sausages. We have a fabulous diet. You just have to be inventive.

Original poster
zippitippitoes · 03/10/2005 10:50

Katherine do you keep pigs too?

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 03/10/2005 14:04

Katnerine, are you the home birth Katherine with 3 children that used to come here a lot and who argued with your dh's colleague about home birth costing less than hopstial? If so, ncie to see you, where have you been? Welcome back!

Katherine · 03/10/2005 15:52

Hi there WWW. Yup thats me. I've still been here but not so much. Too much going on playing taxi for the kids (OK OK so I drive loads and own a 4x4, not very green at all on that front ) and building houses for our pigs!

Yes I've got two pigs. Lucky enough to have some unclaimed land nearby so have claimed it for the pigs. We have two at a time. Everyone said we wouldn't go through with it but we sent our first one in January and she tasted lovely. Just sent the 2nd one. Harder this time as we'd had Olive a whole year. DH went to the butcher to help chop her up so he could see how its done. Butcher said she was like an athlete. Means we've been able to get another piglet from Chatsworth. This ones called Blackberry (other pig is Charcoal). the kids love having the pigs but it has caused a huge increase in the amount of washing! They are quite level headed about the whole thing. We feel sad when they go but happy when we eat them. DS won't eat sausages from the supermarket anymore. And he does like to stroke them. The sausages that it!

I feel very positive about being closer to the meat. Makes you appreciate its an animal you are eating.

marthamoo · 03/10/2005 15:55

I've read this whole thread and still haven't found out how you tighten a belt with toilet paper

But my contribution is Aldi dishwasher tablets - a fraction of the price of even Tesco own brand (I think they're less than £3 a box) and they work brilliantly.