Credit crunch/economising - what won't you cut back on?

Another one here for washing powder/

and also fairy liquid,

meat i use all cheap meat in the slow cooker they taste gorgeous

Meat from the butchers, even though I've noticed the prices creep up more in recent weeks. 2lb of mince cost £5.06 on Saturday, it was around £4 last month but that will do 8 meals.

Coca-cola, I need it to function and there is only one brand that will do. ?

I think there is very little else I won't budge on to be honest, I'm willing to give anything a go.

I cannot drink supermarket own coca cola ?

other than that, im pretty happy to use supermarket own brands for pretty much anything.

as an aside, i remember doing experiments at university with washing up liquid and the cheaper brands were actually more effective- it seems they just bung in a load of detergent and it just stripped the dirt and broke up fat etc more effectively than the more expensive "gentler to hands" washing up liquids.

Fairy washing tabs. I'm addicted to Fairy.

The happiness of my meat.

The dairy-free stuff my son eats/drinks. Poor little blighter has to eat so much not-very-lovely stuff, I'd rather he got to have the best of those.

I also could not eat value sausages!

Meat

Fish

Loo roll

Coffee

I was against downgrading washing powder but H made me, and its actually not as bad as I thought, I have kept the same conditioner though and that makes the biggest difference scent wise for me.

I can't make myself buy smart price anything (or whatever the shop I am shopping in calls theirs) I think I might be a food snob ?) H thinks that I am mad not to at least try, but I can't see the point when thinking about it makes me feel ill. But we have changed to own brand for most things.

I won't get own brand ketchup though, nothing other than Heinz is the same

Oh and I forgot coca cola/ dr pepper only the real ones will do (morrisons does a version of dr pepper)

Oh fizzy drinks. There's another one. Don't buy them that much though.

Mr R threw a bit of a mini strop when I bought him own brand lime cordial instead of Roses. Tough, it's half the price!

Loo roll - it's got to be thick, wide and preferably quilted.

Mince - I always buy the extra lean versions of beef/lamb/pork mince which is more expensive

Ham - I don't buy super expensive Finest packs but I won't eat plastic sandwich ham.

Not shopping but I won't get rid of Sky - if I have to stay in more then I need lots of TV choice ?

Another one for coke, although it has to be Pepsi here. We're also drinking far less of it these days as it's so bad for you.

We also like a certain type of laundry liquid for the smell! Would prefer not to cut back on that.

Fruit and veg - we get through loads and wouldn't want to buy any less, though would buy cheaper varieties.

Good ice cream. The cheap stuff is awful.

Oh gawd, me too! I couldn't be without Sky+ and also good broadband.

Coca-cola, although I might start drinking less of it again, which would be a good idea healthwise anyway.

also, won't buy cheap sausages.

won't cut back on our broadband, we could go for a much cheaper option, but as we use it for business too, we really need to better connection

Fairy liquid

sausages

loo roll (andrex only)

tomato soup (has to be heinz, i'm not precious about other flavours)

wine ?

Re: washing tablets etc.. Mr S buys the shop's own brand ones, and washes everything at 30C, even if the tablets aren't that great for that wash.. I've been a bit funny about him doing so recently, but then the other day was teh last straw - I'd got a stain of orange juice or something on my top, and it was STILL THERE after he'd washed the clothes! ? So God only knows what the underwear and bedding etc has left on them.. Yak!

As for meat - we did our weekly shop at Asda the other day, but the meats were horrible.. The mince ended up really chewy, and the chicken the same, and very dry.. We try to stick to Tesco products.

We've got the minimal package on Sky, which is £17/month and we're happy with it. If/when we move, we'll try to get Freeview instead.

Not a shopping thing - but the activities the children do is my last thing on the list to be cut

then meat from the butchers - it has gone up a bit recently but it i think it is cheaper than the supermarket anyway

lots of fresh fruit and veg

i would compromise/have less of everything else

I'll try anything once food wise! Think the main things are Sky+ and broadband.

Diet Coke, Heinz ketchup & beans and Ribena are my staples. Washing powder and softner I try to stick with Fairy but stock up when on offer, but apart from that I'm not really fussy ?. Since living on my own I've hardly been shopping anyway so haven't really noticed the prices!

ETA, I'm sort of veggie so don't buy meat but would miss quorn. If I buy fish it's either from the fishmonger or Organic farmed salmon so would rather not buy than 'downgrade' here.

Meat - I'll try cheaper cuts but I won't buy unhappy meat and won't buy cheap mince/sausage etc

Fruit/veg - will try to eat in season a bit more but won't cut back on quantity

Shopping in Waitrose. Would probably be cheaper to go to ASDA but I find it a far less stressful experience.

Sky+ - essential purchase when stuck to sofa with baby on boob

H x

Hmmm, I pretty much would cut back on anything. Only potential would be baked beans. I cannot stand any other brand than branstons. All the others taste funny ?.

We are in a funny position though as we had been quite skint fora long time so are completely used to shopping on a budget. However I've had a few really good payrises in the last few years that we are now in a better position (even with everything going up) of having more available cash after the bills are paid. Been a long time coming though.

Organic meat

loo and kitchen roll as I think cheaper brands are actually less effectve (less sheets on a roll and thinner)

Organic milk (for the child)

Cable tv (as we'd then have to have a new aerial installed for the tv so there would be an additional one off cost)

Coca cola, cereal, beans, fairy liquid hmmm... will think of others

Thing I have changed and like

• to Tesco own liquitabs - I find them better than ariel ones smell wise and much of a muchness on cleaning
• cheaper pasta/rice - can't taste the difference
• cheaper toilet rool and kitchen roll - nowhere near as bad as I thought
• cheaper plain biscuits - rich tea etc are fine
• supermarket fizzy orange, lemonade etc is nice enough esp lemonade with cordial
• supermarket own salt, sugar, vinegar

Tomato ketchup, Coke or Baked beans.

Sky+ and broadband.

I don't have sky either. We saved for a freeview box that we can record on (a bit like Sky+ I suppose) and I wouldn't be without that. However there is no ongoing cost there.

Can I ask how you get 8 meals out of the mince? I don't *think* I serve large portions but I bought 1kg a few days ago, which is about the same and it will just do 2 meals for 2 people, so 4 servings. I can't see how I could get more from it. Can you really make, say a lasagne with half a packet of mince?

Ketchup is the first thing that came to my mind.

I don't drink it but Mr Rusty won't compromise on coffee.

Cereals, bread, broadband.

Everything else I could live without/downgrade. For most things I'd rather buy it less often but get a nice brand. Eg Ribena....I won't buy it all the time now - i'll drink more water instead, but when I do buy it, it has to be Ribena.

I always use Tesco washing up and washing liquid. Dishwasher tabs are whatever is on offer - there is nearly always one that is half price. Loo roll is always Tesco's own anyway.

Oh cat food. I don't buy budget cat food but I buy in bulk (I've got storage space in the garage) to keep the price down a bit.

Meat: has to be happy

Loo roll: has to be recycled

Other than that, I'm an utter shopping tart and will happily buy any brand that's on special offer, shop's own branch if that's cheaper, and will switch between supermarkets each time I shop (I do all my grocery shopping online due to advanced stage of pregnancy!) according to which I have money-off codes for.

We do most of our shopping at Aldi, and use the market for meat, fruit and veg, so the majority of things aren't big brands anyway. Loo roll, kitchen roll, laundry liquid and washing up liquid are all own brand. As are cereals, biscuits, pasta, beans, tinned toms, wet cat food, and loads of other stuff. Some things we don't notice the difference, some we think are better than the brand (esp. plain choc digestives).

I hate big supermarkets, they give me a headache.

The only things I'm picky about are Clover, Heinz tomato soup (I make all other kinds), Go Cat Indoor dry food (not many places sell it and they can't get enough of it!), Diet Coke & Irn Bru (but I don't buy them often), and Cadburys chocolate. Oh, and Lush toiletries.

I think we're happy to cut back on just about everything grocery-wise. With regards to other things I won't give up my personal trainer, he's fab and I feel and look so much better for my sessions. I don't feel too guilty as it's only 22 pounds a week and we would easily spend much more than that just by going out one night a week.

I buy the 500g packs of mince and split them in half. Each half will do a meal for two people with usually enough left over for me to take a portion to work the next day. I bung loads of veg in whatever it is I am making though. A 500g pack will make enough lasagne for 3-4 servings.

Am not Mrs Magic, but a kilo of meat lasts us 8 meals too. We bulk it out with veg/beans if it is chili and a little goes a long way! Also serving veg with the meal itself means the portion we have of the meat item is smaller if that make sense.

I can't skimp on ketchup or beans, must be Heinz. Loo rolls, pasta (used to have cheaper pasta but went off it), happy meat, happy eggs, cleaners.

Most things we try a cheaper alternative though, and if nice we have again. For example still posh I guess but we use Waitrose own washing up liquid, it's that bit chepaer than Fairy and is blimming good. Also just changed to shop own washing tabs and fabric conditioner, haven't really noticed a difference.

I wonder what I'm doing to use so much? I'll try with half a pack tomorrow- maybe its just habit that I'm bunging it all in.