False ecomomy - What do you refuse to buy budget versions of?

Batteries - Duracell, none of that cheap crap from the Euro shops 30 batteries for €2 my arse.
Tea Bags - Barrys Classic Blend.

magicmushroom wrote: »

Ketchup and Baked Beans - has to be Heinz
Mayonnaise - Has to be Hellmans
Toothpaste - not too fussy but I wouldn't by a supermarkets own brand, it would have to be Colgate or something like that
Teabags - Lyons, PG Tips or Bewleys - I would have to be pretty broke to resort to buying a supermarket brand, they are just never as good

That's all I can think of for now

Have you tried Heinz mayonnaise? It makes Hellmans' taste like wallpaper paste, imo.

Don't buy them often, but when I do I wouldn't buy cheap sausages. Other than that:

Razors
Diet Coke
Runners (I don't care if it's just casual wear, but for exercise I need decent ones)
Orange juice. Cannot stand stuff made from concentrate, bleugh.
Tyres
Hair straighteners- HAS to be a GHD. I've tried dozens, but they're the only ones that really work.

Other than that I don't care. Even tea, which I love, the brand itself doesn't bother me so long as the tea isn't weak and watery.

All that comes to mind is shoes and razor blades. The cheap ones become unuseable way too quickly.

Tarzana2 wrote: »

It's not condescending - we are ALL susceptible to influence by marketing and advertising.

Bit of a stretch to argue that people who prefer the brand version only do so because they've fallen victim to marketing though.

Username exists wrote: »

Batteries - Duracell, none of that cheap crap from the Euro shops 30 batteries for €2 my arse.
Tea Bags - Barrys Classic Blend.

Someone who worked in a shop once told me that SuperValue Goldblend is made by Barrys. I've no way to verify that though but the SV goldblend is tasty.

Wurly wrote: »

It kinda can....

A lot of the products mentioned are loaded with sugar and harmful chemicals. Marketing works so that we don't see the ugly side. We see the glossy, luxurious side.

If you're not looking at convenience food in terms of chemicals or sugar, then marketing has won!

But that applies to both branded and unbranded stuff, budget or gourmet alike.

Also, it possibly is more of a life choice sort of question, rather than marketing. If I choose convenience over organic, it's not necessarily that I have been taken in by marketing, maybe it is simply that I choose to overlook the chemicals and sugar when it suits me.

For example when I drink Coke, or when I eat a packet of sauce/salt/chemical loaded dried pasta, I am aware of what I'm consuming, I just might fancy that at that particular time.

Like I fancy Pringles, yum, salty chemical goodness

Or would I rather a gorgeous juicy avocado for my lunch ?

I do both, at different times, regardless of how they're marketed.

Toiletries are the main thing but I do stock up on them when there's special offers going (Boots 3 for 2, Gillette 25 razor blade packs they do at christmas etc..).
La Roche Posay is an expensive face-wash but it lasts me forever and I use my boots points to knock about a tenner of the 17euro price tag.

Meat from the Butchers is better quality but sometimes it also works out a lot cheaper too.

Larianne wrote: »

Tomato Ketchup or Mayonaise. Has to be Heinz and Hellman's.

Ugh.... Heinz anything is gross....:cool:

Chef ketchup all the way.

Coke Zero and Irish Pride slimster bread are the only brand names I'd really go out of my way to buy. I find most other budget brands are just as good as the main brands.

Although, there is a ketchup they sell in Tesco call The Ketchup Company and it's divine. It's quite dear, but they often have it on special for €1 and I always stock up on it when I see it at that price. Beats Heinz and Chef hands down.

As for tyres, I simply can't afford the more expensive brands. We live on a fairly tight budget, drive a budget car and have to make do with part worn tyres (we have to buy them a tyre a week when we do). Not everyone can afford such a large outlay on tyres in one go. When you live week to week, you just make do. I've never failed an NCT yet, either, so unless the testers are incompetent at their jobs, I'm not at any risk of killing other road users just because I haven't bought Michelin or Goodyear tyres.

mikemac1 wrote: »

Pepsi Max is nicer and cheaper

My oh would agree, but Pepsi to me, is rank! Can't beat the real thing

pablo128 wrote: »

The thread is about budget brands. If you have a good brand of tyre with good tread, that's fine. If you have a budget brand, IMO they are not cost effective.

Leaving aside the part worns, for me the difference between a budget brand and a brand name tyre is roughly 30 euro per corner. So 120 euro extra for the car. The slightest accident would cost more than that.

I had a bad accident years ago where I completely lost control of a car in the rain with 4 brand new tyres but they were cheap chinese sh1te. I nearly killed myself and my passengers. Never again.

If I could afford the more expensive brands, I would buy them over other brands or part worn tyres hands down. €120 extra we just don't have, it's honestly as simple as that! As long as the tyres on the car have the proper thread and have been tested and deemed safe, I'm happy enough. Never been in an accident either - touch wood!

We use a family friend as a mechanic, who services the car yearly for less than it would usually cost in a garage and even doing that, we have to cut back drastically on other bills that month. The car is well maintained, we just can't afford to spend extra on a car that costs us a lot of our weekly/monthly budget to run as it is. I do get your point, but for many people that extra €120 adds up to a hell of a lot.
The comment from the mechanic guy earlier in the thread bothered me a bit when he said he sighed at people looking to buy part worn tyres - for some people, they're not doing it just to be cheap, that's all their budget can allow is all. I mean, we have to go into the tyre place and ask them for a tyre a week - that's embarrassing enough without thinking they're judging us for being idiotic cheapskates who don't care about other road users too!

Cat litter. I always buy a brand called Sepi Cat because it tends to be that bit more absorbent and you don't have to be changing it as often as you would if you were using Tesco or Supervalu brand. It's a bit pricey however a local hardware sells 15 kg bags for around 11 or 12 euro and it lasts for ages. OH bought home Tesco value cat litter once. The cat used the tray twice and I ended up having to clean it out because the litter wasn't absorbing anything and the smell was just horrendous!

Buy most meats from the butchers as we get some great deals!!

Beans have to be Heinz. Bathroom products have to be name brand too. Also cleaning products have to be name brand too.