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

Nappies. Cheaper brands don't fit well enough or hold in the pee.

Meat. Anything including meat. We always buy everything from the butchers now as it tastes so much better some how.

Shampoo and Conditioner. I don't used mega expensive stuff, Only Dove but i wouldn't ever use mega cheap supermarket brands as they dry my hair and give me scalp problems.

The only thing i have not economised on is eggs. I buy free range eggs from a woman down the road, quite cheap actually.

I also always bought finish dishwasher tablets as i found others did not work, but i actually read the instructions with my dishwasher a while ago to find out what programme number 6 was on my machine, it is for salt regeneration, i never realised i had to do that every so often, no wonder it hardly ever needed filling with salt, it wasn't using it! i now use aldi dishwasher tabs, super cheap, and stuff is clean now my machine has salt in it ?

i also now use bold 2 in 1, i love the smell, but it works out cheaper than powder plus a crappy smelling conditioner.

i use value loo roll, it's recycled paper you know! it is super cheap and i have not got a sore botty from it.

I use lots of value products actually, my shopping bill is so much less than it used to be.

I also menu plan and write my list from that so i am not buying lots of stuff i dont know what i am going to do with, and bulk cook. and do a big shop once a month, topping up the milk and fresh goods weekly. I have saved loads since doing this.

Sky would be the next to go if it got really tight, and i suppose the internet too, which would mean i could lose the home phone aswell, there are a lot of things i could do to drastically cut my outgoings if need be, so i guess i am lucky at the mo

There is an Aldi opening round here next year I think, so am hoping to economise on everything. My stepdad reckons Aldi is fab (never been in one)

L
xx

I try to get semi-happy chicken. Once I've boned one I can get at least 3 or 4 meals out of it for all 5 of us.

I don't think there is anything that we would cut back on. We don't weh hey money away, but we have very little outgoings, so supermarket shopping is our main expense & I don't think we spend OTT (£100) per week & that's with family & friends who pop in being catered for too.

I couldn't cut back on Heinz ketcup, cheese, pepsi max for me, coke for h, harrogate water, sausages from the butcher & asda organic kidney beans.

Oh, eggs - Mr R mainly just uses them in baking so I bought cheaper ones (again not smartprice) and he moaned about them. I didn't think it'd make any difference in a cake! So I've had to start getting the free range ones again, blimey they're so expensive now. It was something like £2.60 for 6 large eggs. Oh and he also had a whinge when I bought own brand ketchup. I thought it was fine but he grumbled.

I've always used cheaper brands for a lot of things anyway so haven't cut down - I am amazed people can honestly tell the difference between Andrex and own brand toilet roll. Not the really cheap and nasty stuff but regular own brand loo roll I mean.

I think with mince you have to know which recipes suit which mince. If the fat can drain then the cheap cheap stuff is fine (e.g. grilled burgers). If it can't then use the lean (e.g. lasagne)

Diet Coke and Walkers crisps - have to have the branded! And like others I prefer to buy good meat, although I do buy the cheaper cuts anyway (legs/thighs of chicken, belly of pork). I don't like buying cheap ham, I like the proper stuff, but it seems so expensive now I have switched to cheese sandwiches.

Good ownbrand/'value' products are Jaffa Cakes, weetabix (I actually prefer the cheapo rough version), and butter (Sainsburys though not Morrisons).

We've always used the Morrison's Cyclon washing powder, in the enormous 100kg (or thereabouts!) boxes.

Happy meat, but i buy in bulk (1/2 a lamb etc) so it's cheaper than supermarket regular anyhoo. we'd rather eat veggie tbh than value chicken especially. i'm very tight with meat portions, 500g of mince does 6 portions of lasagne and 2 of bolognese, lots of chopped tomatoes, chopped veg, lentils to bulk it out. a chicken does a roast, then something like fajitas, a risotto, a curry, leftovers in sandwiches

happy eggs, but we solved that by getting chickens, we get a dozen eggs from our 2 big girls a week. they're happy happy chooks.

I compare everything on a weight basis, or for detergent by no of washes. also considering current offers. we have a tight food budget, so we get the things we like when we can afford them. ribena is the best but it's too expensive atm so we have a cheaper alternative. i'm not brand loyal which i guess helps.

if things got tougher we could cut out wine -sob- (also bought in bulk) and i guess the internet, we don't have sky. i do need the internet though, esp as i'm poorly.

H isn't fussy about many things and is happy to go with what's good on the wallet. However, he absolutely insists on Roses lime cordial. He's tried cheaper brands but wasn't impressed at all. As that's his main drink at home (water with lime) whereas I guzzle tea, coffee (both milk and sugar) then I guess he's not asking much. He's recently discovered Rock orange cordial which is quite steep too ? but apparently delicious. Don't see why he can't saturate his body with sugar, tannin and caffeine like the rest of us ?

We do buy roses lime cordial. it's at least 1/2 the price of ribena and a bottle lasts me a couple of months.

We usually by happy eggs, but don't often buy happy meat

Most things we have are store branded. I get Weight watchers stuff because its easy for me to point, but most things are just name brand or Value

We usually by happy eggs, but don't often buy happy meat

Most things we have are store branded. I get Weight watchers stuff because its easy for me to point, but most things are just store name brand or Value

A tip on washing powder - my Mum swears by Tesco own brand one, the cheapest one they have in the white box (called 'Tesco Value' I think? About £1.50 a box)

She couldn't get it for a while and was moaning about stains not coming out of my brother's work clothes, and then I got her 2 boxes last week and she is very happy again.

I have never bought anything other than happy eggs, even as a skint student 14 years ago I bought happy eggs. I will only ever buy happy chicken and at the moment while we still can, I will buy free range organic meat.

I could never compromise on cheese - I'm talking about proper Neal's Yard cheese. No cheap plastic supermarket tasteless muck. I would rather do without than to eat cheese with no character ?

I am also very loyal to Colgate Total toothpaste & couldn't contemplate buying supermarket own brand.

For most other things I am open to offers (not including veg - this is either via a veg box or the farmers market)

I use butcher's meat. I do notice the difference if a friend cooks for us. Its definitely not the same.

We also have Free Range eggs. Again, I think they taste better (and fry better, apparently, according to my H.

I only drink Robinsons Orange Barleywater Squash. Its a bit more pricey than others, but I wouldn't drink the others.

Cafedirect Coffee... I'm not a coffee afficionado, so it tastes fine to me!

There's probably more. I suppose anything else I would forego if money became more of an issue.

Eggs - I'll only eat clarence court ones

coffee and tea - fair trade only

meat on the rare occasions J wants any

washing up liquid - only ecover

milk, cream, cheese and yoghurt - got to be goats, and I've not found any 'cheap' brands

If it was up to me I'd buy own brand for the majority of the shopping.

Unfortunately, H has sensitive little taste buds and insists on Heinz Beans, Salad Cream, Mayo & Ketchup. He also chooses the bread (generally Hovis Best of Both). I don't eat much bread so am not that bothered about it. Oh, we HAVE to have Aquafresh toothpaste too....sigh....

Other than that, pretty much everything else is own brand.

We buy meat / poultry from the butcher and have free range eggs.

We have got rid of Sky!!! We were paying £40 a month. I don't watch much TV and my H just flicks between channels just because they're there. I tentatively broached the subject of getting rid of it anf to my surprise he agreed!! We have now got TopUpTV which is freeeeee (once you've bought the box) or just £9.99 if you want TopUpTV Anytime.

I won't buy cheap meat, I always buy from the local butcher.

Washing powder, dishwasher tablets and fabric conditioner.

Hellmans mayonaise.

I thought I couldn't downgrade on toilet roll but I have recently tried some cheaper stuff and it's ok not too much difference except the price.

I've always been an utter cheapskate on groceries due to my upbringing! My Mum spends virtually nothing on groceries, even now she could afford to. I freeze going-stale bits of bread and dip in when I want some toast. I'll eat anything out of date and rarely throw food away.

I always buy free range eggs and chicken though. We only eat chicken once a week or less though. Everything else is own brand bargain basement, lots of cheap meals with pasta etc.

I never eat mince but it seems popular round here. I haven't eaten it for about 20 years - am I missing out? Also, butter I don't buy? What do you need it for? Toast?

Over the last year I have downgraded pretty much everything I bought from the supermarket. What I won't change is Organic Whole Milk for my son (and it does taste better) and free range eggs. Oh and I don't think I could buy a chicken for £1.50 like I saw in Sainsbury's today. No value meat either (although my mum is happy with the Basics salmon fillets in Sainsbury's).

I buy value loo roll (it's not harsh at all, might be a bit thinner than quilted Andrex but it's only to wipe our bums with at the end of the day!) and loads of value stuff from Sainsburys (don't like Tesco's value stuff as much).

With regards to washing powder I have started using Sainsbury's basics with Soda crystals. With my son coming home from pre school covered in red paint and washing at 30 degrees it's all come out! Not bad for a large box for £1.40 and soda crystals at 59p.

Strikes me that you'll know the 'crunch' has bitten when you don't have the choice...

There's nothing in the domestic line I wouldn't compromise on I don't think. What you'd probably class as luxuries I tend to be more picky about... And if it comes to it, I'll just do without.

TBH, I'm happy to buy Lidl / Aldi / own label most things, except any meat-based/dairy products. They have to come from the farmers' market or Waitrose.

Food wise I won't compromise on cheap eggs or meat, and I only buy produce from NZ or Australia, which rules out the rather yukky imported stuff from the US that we get bombarded with during winter. (It feels wrong to be eating peaches in winter to me, and they're pretty tasteless anyhow.)

I use Persil, as it's the only laundry powder suitable for front loading machines that hasn't made my skin react, but I don't bother with soft rinse. I also use EcoStore cleaning products, which I buy in bulk 5litre bottles, and then decant into normal sized bottles for use. It's far cheaper this way.

I won't buy cheap moisturiser - I have terrible skin, and having finally sorted it, I am sticking to the one that has helped. I do use a cheap cleanser though, so that sort of balances out. I've been buying cheaper make-up too recently, Maybelline and CoverGirl rather than Mac and Chanel. ?

What ONE said. There's nothing I wouldn't compromise on if push came to shove and I had to.

As it is, I've gone down a brand for most things now, so am using own brand stuff rather than branded. I do like my Bold washing liquid tabs and yorkshire tea though ?

Loo roll

Heinz Ketchup (although that Sainsburys ad is tempting me!)

Heinz beans/soup

Eggs/Meat

Toiletries

Sky+

Make up (I have bad skin otherwise I might try a cheaper brand)

Well obviously. I've lived on baked potatoes and marg for weeks on end when utterly on my uppers, but that's not economising to me. That's surviving. I'd move onto water rather than tea, etc....

One thing's changed though - I'd rather give up eating eggs/meat altogether than buy budget of the same. That's quite a difference given than previously they were the norm.

Tis weird, none of the supermarkets make a good alternative to Roses's lime cordial. The lime squashes are all much weaker and sugary and not the same at all!

Happy meat, or at least reasonably cheerful, and it has to be British as well. Our neighbours have a smallholding, so I usually buy my sausages from them - £2.65 for 16 chipolatas which couldn't be more local if they tried. I also won't compromise on free range eggs, but as I can buy them from a local farm at £1.40 for a dozen large, what's the point? I bought a free range chicken from her today, £7.50 - and it looks like a good size. It'll do us a couple of meals, plus I'm determined to make soup with the carcass.

Other than that, Heinz ketchup and beans (I'd do cheaper, but Mr G must have Heinz), that's about it.

Oh, you're all making me feel bad about the lime cordial now ? I'll maybe relent and go back to the Roses for him once the current bottle of Morrisons own brand is done ?

The one the Co Op do isn't bad, though it is lemon and lime as opposed to just lime

Tampax - I hate own brand ones and I haven't been able to convince myself on a mooncup as yet.

H has always been more brand loyal than me. The agreement we have is that he will try own brand things (without me telling him they are own brand) and if he likes them, we stick with that. If he can tell immediately, we go with the branded item. So far it has been Weetabix, Heinz tomato ketchup, Andrex.

We do try and bulk buy (Costco) or get things when on offer where possible.