The 3 own-brand switches that cut my weekly food bill—I’ll never go back to branded (Image: Getty)
It can be tempting to stick to the brands you know and love, thinking that they’re better. But I’ve trialled out a number of supermarket own-branded products in recent months in a bid to cut down food shop bills, including baked beans and ketchups, and I’ve been very surprised.
These tests have resulted in me now only eating and using certain own-branded items, including olive oil, baked beans and dishwasher tablets. Switching to supermarket versions has saved me money without sacrificing quality, and in some cases, I even preferred them. It’s made me realise that brand loyalty doesn’t always mean better; sometimes it just means paying more.
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Baked beans
I made the switch to own-brand baked beans last year, and I honestly can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner.
After years of automatically picking up Heinz, I decided to try Asda’s version, and it’s become my new favourite.
Not only are they much cheaper, which makes a real difference on the weekly shop, but I actually prefer the taste. The sauce is rich and well-balanced, and the beans have a great texture.
For a 410g tin, Asda charges just 42p compared to the £1.45 Tesco is charging for Heinz. I also quite enjoy Sainsbury’s own-brand baked beans, but if I lived closer to an Asda, they’d be my go-to.
Olive oil
I’ve also done the exact same with olive oil. I used to buy Filippo Berio because I thought it was the best, and I didn’t consider anything else after years of being drawn to big brands.
Recently, I switched to Sainsbury’s own-brand olive oil, and I genuinely love it. It’s noticeably more affordable, which is a big plus, but it also works the same.
I’ll never go back to branded baked beans (Image: Getty)Baked beans
I made the switch to own-brand baked beans last year, and I honestly can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner.
After years of automatically picking up Heinz, I decided to try Asda’s version, and it’s become my new favourite.
Not only are they much cheaper, which makes a real difference on the weekly shop, but I actually prefer the taste.
The sauce is rich and well-balanced, and the beans have a great texture.
For a 410g tin, Asda charges just 42p compared to the £1.45 Tesco is charging for Heinz.
I also quite enjoy Sainsbury’s own-brand baked beans, but if I lived closer to an Asda, they’d be my go-to.
Olive oil
I’ve also done the exact same with olive oil. I used to buy Filippo Berio because I thought it was the best, and I didn’t consider anything else after years of being drawn to big brands.
Recently, I switched to Sainsbury’s own-brand olive oil, and I genuinely love it. It’s noticeably more affordable, which is a big plus, but it also works exactly the same.
Dining and Cooking