Things I pay less for

Hi all,

A little while ago I wrote about things that I thought were worth paying more for, going by the old saying 'you get what you paid for'. There are however many things that I believe it's ok to save money on and I don't think you'll notice the difference so much.

These are just my opinions and some of the things that I pay a little less for since taking up this lifestyle.

So here they are:

Plain Natural Yogurt 

Most supermarkets will do their own basic version and I have started using this rather than the branded yogurt I used to use, I probably save myself about 70p-£1 each week on this, it doesn't sound a lot but over the course of the year it really mounts up!

Frozen mixed veg

I have started buying Tesco's own brand of this, the pieces are really small and I like this to have in, its so quick to cook but usually I add it to cottage pie, soups and risottos, even mac and cheese.

Rice  

There are so many different types and brands, ranging from cheap to over priced (black rice), I usually go for brown, but I do also like white and basmati rice's. You can get the KG of everyday value rice at Tesco for 45p and if your trying to spend less this will definitely make a big difference

Pasta 

Again, from the supermarket own brands you can pick up no frills pasta and lasagna sheets quite cheaply, suprisingly enough, spaghetti is cheapest of all making carbonara and spag bol cheap and cheerful meal options.

Tinned Tomatoes & Pulses

I have started using own brand chopped tomatoes (about 34p per tin) and to be honest I dont know why I didnt do this earlier, the same goes for pulses and beans such as chickpeas and borlotti beans. If you take the time to compare the expensive, mid range and cheap tin you will find there is usually no real difference content wise.

Fabric Softner

I have stopped using branded fabric softner and opted for a store branded on which is targeted towards baby clothes, if it's good enough for making their clothes nice and sift without irritation, then it's good enough for me,

Fresh Vegetables

I always go for the cheapest of the cheap when it comes to carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and that sort of thing. I do have the obvious rule, that it has to be good enough to eat, so as long as its fresh and will last then I am happy to buy it. I am not a huge believer in buying organic, purely because it's so much more expensive and we all did just fine before every item on the shopping list had an organic alternative on offer.

Frozen Chips

Another Tesco everyday value item I buy is there freezer 3 way cook chips, I use these when I am not feeling very adventurous or when I can be bothered making my own, How bad can they be? They are 75p for KG, surely they're just chopped (perhaps pre fried) potatoes that have been frozen, 

I use these in my airfryer and it cooks them a treat in less than 20 minutes, these are a great mid week cheat.

Oats & Flour

I used to buy the expensive oats and flour and again I have seen the light, I mainly use these in baking and cheap and cheerful alternatives do the trick just as well. You can pick up a Kilo of oats from Tesco for just 75p, this is also a really healthy and satisfying breakfast when teamed up with some milk and a little honey or jam!

Same goes with the flour, once baked in a cake or whisked into yorkshire puddings I really haven't been able to tell the difference

Refuse Sacks 

I buy 40 (58L) refuse sacks for 97p from tesco and they dont fall apart so I am happy to save money on these, rather than using more heavy duty and more expensive ones.

Just to let you know I am in no way sponsored by tesco, I just happen to live in a place with very limited supermarket choice!

Dishwasher Tablets

£1.60 for 30, as opposed to £12 for finish dishwasher tablets,I haven't noticed a great difference since switching, and as the price difference is so much I was convinced there would be a huge difference, but to be perfectly honest.. there really isn't!

Washing up liquid

Again I opt for the Tesco everyday value version, this retails at 33p for 500ml, and as most of the dishes are done in the dishwasher and just rinsed prior to that I dont really feel the need to splash out on expensive washing up liquid, I think with this you do need to use a little more than you would of say a better quality brand, but I dont use it often so it's not worth splashing out.

Just with the above savings you will really notice a change in your weekly/monthly grocery bill!

Cookie x