Martin Lewis says to go down a quality stage in your shopping... I urge you, do NOT try out the value range of.........

[Flamesparrow]

tea bags!

It is NOT a good saving. Tastes like hell in a bag.

JARM - but the value tin foil can;t be used in the oven....it's "wrapping foil"

I disagree with the tinned tomatoes being OK, but maybe that's because the tomatoeyness is more important if there's no meat added (I only cook veggie stuff).

I'm also not a fan of value peas - too dry and old tasting.

BUT, the value cereal seems fine IMO

Ditto dishwasher tabs, bottled water (sparkling), erm...can't remember any more at the moment.

Value butter is vile

Diet - the idea is to try out changing down one step, work out what you can and can't tell the difference with, and then just change those things so you save some money overall.

I buy decent meat (and now tea bags ), but cheaper on other things iyswim.

I am with the DH on the heinz ketchup though!

Coco pops need to be kelloggs too.

value tinned tomatoes are great - very useful.

Value beans are HORRIBLE! Unless you are using them in a bungit pie, because they are fine there.

value meat - yuck yuck yuck yuck!

Most things are fine though.

My big tip is to mix! get a box of good (or good enough) stuff and a box of value stuff and mix them, twice as much for a little over half the price! And it makes a big difference - 1 box of good or ok cornflakes/washing powder/whatever + 1 bag of value cornflakes/washing powder/whatever= 2 boxes of good or ok cornflakes/washing powder/whatever and a big saving.

Ceolas - he usually can 'tell' if he thinks a pub of cafe are refilling their heinz bottles ith non heinz. Still might try it though.

ceolas - I tried the value unsalted butter and thought it was OK for cooking with.

Oh, as for husbands and children who will NOT eat anything other than top brands?

I have been using tesco value ketchup for YONKS, decanting it into a heinz squeezy bottle.

Nobody has noticed.

Also cereals that get mixed and put into a top cereal box go undetected!

Try it and see!!

I don't mind supermarket baked beans but value ones are a step too far. Thin sauce and bullett beans.

Look out for smoked salmon 'trimmings' though. Not pretty but v good for pasta, sandwiches etc.

oh (sorry!) NEVER EVER EVER have value range bread for sandwiches - it is vile.

However, it is great for toast. freeze it on day of purchace and take it out slice by slice as required. Fine.

I used to work in the stock control department in Asda and most of the Asda branded cereals were made by Weetabix. Asda crisps were Golden Wonder.

I always buy the value tomatoes and recently bought smartprice passata in the wee carton and it was surprisingly rich!

cheap food ??

Value kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and sweetcorn are all identical to conventional own brand versions.

With meat, rather than trading down to value (please don't, think of the animal welfare) trade down on cuts. I haven't bought chicken breasts for months now, because 4 free range chicken breasts now costs about 8 quid and I just won't pay it. Buy drumsticks/thighs instead and make a yummy casserole. Buy neck of lamb and chop it up instead of diced lamb.

I have halfed the quantity of meat I put in ewverything but bulked it out and so far DH has not noticed.

Sliced cooked roast meat can be frozen. To defrost, take out frozen, put in an ovenproof dish and pour over some gravy, whack in oven for 10 minutes or so.

I now chuck a tin of chickpeas into practically every dish I make.

When making bolognese, you can make 1lb of mince stretch twice as far if you put in extra tin of tomatoes, an extra chopped pepper and a few more mushrooms. Freeze half. I do the same with shepherd's pie/cottatge pie.

Sainsbury's Basics dishwasher tablets - suprisingly good!

(probably shite for the environment but needs must atm )

flamesparrow - can you start a thread that gives all the stuff that is good and cheap to buy. I would start a thread about a thread but it is so rude! I thought I would ask you to

My mum was the queen of making things go further (she had to!) and she used to buy full fat milk, decant it into a jug and top up the last quarter with water. Not for very little ones obviously. I was sworn to secrecy about this and no one ever knew the difference.

And I hang out by the "reduced to clear" fridge. Almost anything can be fozen (including veggies if you can arsed to chop and blanch them), so even if it is going out of date that day I buy anything I am likely to use at some point and freeze it immediately. No one in the Georgie household has died yet.

My other tip - Wilkinsons. All their own brand stuff is fab (concentrated non bio washing liquid 1.99 does 20+ washes) and loads of branded stuff cheap too. 4 rolls of kitchen towel 95p.

DH's top tip to your husbands - King of Shaves razors and oil. Their shave oil is 2.40 in wilkos at the moment. 4 razors are about 4.50 - half the price of rip off Gillette Fusion. He has very sensitive skin and loves King of Shaves.

I do buy own brand cereals and they are ok.

After years of buying Finish dishwasher tablets I now buy own brand. That was a revelation- Tesco, Asda & Sainsburys.

I NEVER buy own brand washing powder. My washing just did not smell so nice but am open to suggestions I haven't tried.

And do not go near the pink coloured Tesco Discount brand disinfectant. After a couple of gos, I just poured the whole lot down the plughole as I could not stomach the smell.

I can't stand value pasta, tastes like glue.

I would IvyKaty - but I can't be arsed

I tend to buy my meat from the butchers (one near us does pre-packaged stuff), and it works out cheaper for decent quality meat

Oh yes prof, agree about the pasta. Really sticky.

we downgraded most things to the supermarkets own, then use a few 'value' things as well. Really cut our shopping bill! Always use shops own cereal (unless 'top brands' are on offer which makes them cheaper)

Always buy value/reduced veg, then freeze them. Always buy value toilet roll. With 6 of us in the house we get through loads.

One things I don't buy cheaper is crisps. Too oily and salty! YUCK! And bread. It's like cardboard! And flour.

ok that last line doesn't make sense!

only things I don't buy cheaper are crisps, bread and flour

tesco value biscuit barrel - very cheap and ideal.

Value meat - couldnt even go there.
value eggs - nor there

Economy cling film is useless.