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.

Yes value flour (Sainsbury's) is fine - can't tell the difference, I bake every week.

And, suprisingly (to me anyway) so are Tesco value bagels, I thought they'd be awful but they're the same as the New York ones.

value honey is great, and the peanut butter. most of the tinned stuff is also edible.
the chocolate, whilst not the best is okay for the price and handy for cooking purposes like in cupcakes or brownies.

I must confess weakness for very cheap sausages, I know they are crap but they make the best sausage sarnies.

saqinsburys basicsare nice

asda yuk

sainsburys basics beef is yummy in a stew.

the ketchuptastes the same

but I always have good tea and coffee

Tesco value dishwasher tabs came out either top or near top in the last Which mag test...... they are about a third of the price of the others

Far TMI herbieta

Value tinned tomatoes are great, also kidney beans (which apparently feed all of MN's families judging by this thread!). Am planning a big shop to try the other stuff, especially dc's cereal but NOT dropping down on ketchup or baked beans.

So far none of the cheap stuff I've used has been spotted here at Slummycentral!

With ref to previous posts about value cereals being less healthy, I have just compared normal weetabix with the Tesco value version (I have both in my cupboard). The value weetabix is actually healthier if anything! The value weetabix has very slightly more salt per 100g but far less sugar (2.5g as opposed to 4.4g in normal weetabix).

Alot of the Value ranges are healthier as there is less money to pump them full of flavors and sugar etc.

Sainsburys basics is generally acceptable. Could not say the same for tesco value or asda smartprice, some things okay, others not. Aldi nappies, wipes, chocolate good value.

had a friend who went on the value diet- she bought only value foods and lost loads of weight, -because it all tasted crap, and she couldnt eat it !

I remember DH coming home with "economy burgers" once. Heaven knows why given how much he was earning at the time. Even the phrase "economy burgers" makes me want to vomit never mind what might happen if you eat them.

Oh yes, and natural yoghurt.

Was really embarrassed recently when had to take DS to Drs at short notice and asked neighbours to let the Sainsbury's man in - at how many value items I had. Hadn't noticed until then .

Does anyone get embarrassed buying value items?

Not from Sainsburys, they are all good quality. I heart Sainsburys, forced to shop at Asda at the moment due to cost and I hate it

oh yes, sainsbury's yoghurt is good. I had a basics veggie lasagne once, it was pretty ok actually. Not a homecooked meal of course, but it filled a hole at lunchtime when I was at work, and was better than sandwiches again.

Yes to value
Juice
Pasta
Rice
Kidney beans
cheese slices
cheddar for kids and cooking
flour
crisps, smaller packets, taste fine for kids
biscuits
fruit and veg, especiall sainsbiry's they're excellent
nappy sacks

No to
Tinned tomatoes too watery
sweetcorn not sweet enough, back to green giant
any meat / fish or frozen
soya milk, full of sugar

I only buy own brand
cereal
tinned tomato
ketchup
sauces
herbs
pulses / beans
coffee but the gold one
nappies, tescos are the best
soya milk

Branded
tea
marmite
peanut butter
stock cubes and powders
wahing up liquid, fairy really is the best
washing powder, Costco here

Tesco's value fruit and fibre - the kids love it!!

Also value dark chocolate for cooking. I used them to make chocolate truffles at Christmas and gave them to a friend. Her comment was " I don't normally eat chocolate, only the very expensive stuff and I could tell that's what you used because they were gorgeous" - little did she know!!!

If you have an asian grocery store locally it's cheaper to buy all pulses/tins of beans/rice/spices from there.

I buy own brand cereals, tom ketchup, non food items.

Branded tea and coffee.

Everything else is bought from local butchers/market.

Big fan of Tesco Value, ason a tight budget: Here's some definete's to buy:

teabags - taste like Yorkshire
white bread (only for toast -freeze on day of purchase)
Brown for sandwiches (if use within 2 days)
Cheddar Full Flavour
Brie
Fromage frais (no different to well known brands)
spaghetti
malties (equivlent of shreddies)
frozen cheese & tomato pizza
double concentrated blackcurrent squash (no E's etc)
Apple/Orange juice
washing up liquid
baby wipes
own brand nappies (not value as leek to easy)
cream crackers as no difference

Ones to avoid:

Cream (tastes fowl)
Baked beans (nasty smell, hardly any beans, horrid after taste)

I wonder if mumsnet couldset up a few of us to do a tasting panel?

Is everyone on here talking about Value products, as opposed to own brand ones? Those Malties for example, aren't they own brand and not value? And I don't think I've ever seen Value weetabix equivalent - again I was talking about the own brand version. I've looked at the Value cereals and they don't seem to be fortified with vitamins at all. By being concerned about this I accept that I might be naively falling into the trap of paying way too much for essentially the same products, but I'm not sure.

I've noticed recently that Tesco has stopped doing certain own brand products and is calling them Value instead. Brie is a case in point (I agree it's fine) and honey is another one.

Two to avoid:
frozen mixed veg - utter crap. The carrots are like rubber and there is no way the eclectic mix of sizes and types will cook in the same time.
pancakes (not the Shrove Tuesday type which I make myself ) - they used to be a bit rubbery but OK, but they changed the recipe recently and they are like cardboard. Mind you the own brand ones are little better.

Is everyone on here talking about Value products, as opposed to own brand ones? Those Malties for example, aren't they own brand and not value? And I don't think I've ever seen Value weetabix equivalent - again I was talking about the own brand version. I've looked at the Value cereals and they don't seem to be fortified with vitamins at all. By being concerned about this I accept that I might be naively falling into the trap of paying way too much for essentially the same products, but I'm not sure.

I've noticed recently that Tesco has stopped doing certain own brand products and is calling them Value instead. Brie is a case in point (I agree it's fine) and honey is another one.

Two to avoid:
frozen mixed veg - utter crap. The carrots are like rubber and there is no way the eclectic mix of sizes and types will cook in the same time.
pancakes (not the Shrove Tuesday type which I make myself ) - they used to be a bit rubbery but OK, but they changed the recipe recently and they are like cardboard. Mind you the own brand ones are little better.

Not that I think Waitrose is a value shop BUT our one does the big bags of v cheap spices.

The East End ones? - yes, they're good

to the lady whos dh likes heinz tomato sauce as my dh does
tesco big bottle for £109 at the mo,

tesco tratoria verdi gnocchi make a great pasta bake and their value tortilla chips are fantastic, lightly salted and great on their own or as nachos.
Not forgetting the tesco don dario spanish red wine