Any Brit can agree that, right now, the cost of living crisis is getting out of hand. So many household staples that we once bought without a second thought are now becoming really quite expensive, and it’s driving us crazy! Let’s all take a moment to vent out of frustration with this, going through some classic supermarket staples that some people now refuse to buy as they’re just way too expensive.
Branded Cereals
Back in the old days, cereals, even those from popular brands, were a highly affordable breakfast food that just about every British family had in their cupboards. Sure, cereal is still very popular, but shoppers are now switching to supermarket own-brand cereals due to rising prices and comparable quality. Frankly, the shop-brand stuff is often healthier, too, so combined with the price, most of us are saying goodbye to the big brands.
Pre-Packaged Sandwiches
Remember when a meal deal only cost £3 or less? It was such a convenient lunchtime treat to grab for work or a family day out, but now, they’re getting really expensive. With basic ingredients often costing a fraction of the price, it’s far more affordable to just make our own, which is sad because meal deals were rather convenient.
Bagged Salad
Everyone can agree that fresh salad is always better, but it’s not always convenient when you just need a little for a side dish. Frustratingly, though, bagged salad now has a very high cost relative to its short shelf life, and for some reason, it always seems to go off too fast. As a result, purchasing whole produce is now widely acknowledged as a cheaper alternative, with the added benefit of staying fresh longer.
Premium Coffee Pods
For those who aren’t into instant coffee, coffee pods briefly seemed like an affordable way to get a luxury taste. That’s definitely not the case these days, though; now, coffee pods are increasingly seen as a luxury item, with reusable or traditional brewing methods gaining popularity once again due to their cost-effectiveness. Coffee lovers still enjoy a high-quality brew, but coffee pods (and their compatible coffee machines) are getting thrown out the window.
Branded Cleaning Products
Some people still purchase branded cleaning products, but rising costs have prompted most of us to explore alternatives, such as supermarket-brand options. Frankly, they all contain the same stuff anyway, so if you’re still wasting money on the big brands, it might be financially savvy to make the switch.
Bottled Water
Environmental concerns and rising costs are driving more Brits toward reusable bottles and tap water–like, when was the last time you paid for a bottle? The tap water here in the UK is of outstanding quality, especially up north, and this, combined with water filters and reusable water bottles, makes bottled water seem like a complete rip-off.
Pre-Grated Cheese
The cost disparity between pre-grated and block cheese is huge these days, and therefore, many UK consumers just grate their own to save money. What’s more, pre-grated cheese comes with a ton of gross additives, so even though blocks of cheese are still expensive, they’re definitely worth the few quid over the minimal and synthetic stuff you get in pre-grated packages.
Name-Brand Biscuits
One of the saddest items to see disappearing from British cupboards is name-brand biscuits, which were once an iconic staple of our country. Ultimately, though, they’ve simply become too expensive, leading many of us to stick to the supermarket brands, which often don’t taste any different.
Pre-Chopped Fruit and Vegetables
Just as with bagged salad, pre-chopped fruit and vegetables are a waste of our hard-earned pounds in this day and age. Yes, they can be convenient, and sometimes, we only need a small amount of them, especially for a lunchtime snack. For this reason, we used to grab a bag of it once in a while, but due to inflation, it’s just not justifiable anymore.
Branded Toothpaste
You’ll always still find that one box of branded toothpaste in the shops for £1, but for more speciality toothpaste, they’re sometimes reaching up to £5, which is just insane! Therefore, it’s unsurprising that many Brits are sticking to off-brand items, which still give our mouths that same minty fresh feeling.
Ready Meals
We all know that ready meals aren’t the healthiest, but at one point, they offered an affordable alternative to cooking that was quite convenient for low-income families. Not anymore, though; batch cooking has taken over because buying many different ingredients for a batch cooking session is cheaper than buying a single ready meal–at least those that offer any form of genuine substance.
Branded Baby Products
It’s pretty outrageous how expensive branded baby products have become in the UK–it feels like profiteering! There’s not much we can do about this, though, so parents are now switching to supermarket brands for essentials like nappies and wipes. Thankfully, they’re finding little difference in quality, so unless brands lower their prices again, we can’t see this trend reversing.
Luxury Chocolate
British sales data confirm a shift toward cheaper chocolate options throughout the country, with premium brands viewed as just an occasional indulgence. It’s sad to see, as the UK is iconic for its wonderful chocolate brands, but it’s difficult to justify brand loyalty when they keep upping their prices so much.
Alcohol
Enter a budget supermarket today, and you’ll see the shelves stacked with off-brand alcohol, including beer, ale, wine, and spirits. It’s easy to see why supermarkets are stocking so much of this, as the original brands are getting absurdly pricey. At the end of the day, it all tastes the same to us, hence why we’re quite willing to make the switch.
Name-Brand Pasta
Who even buys name-brand pasta in the UK anymore? Budget supermarkets have fantastic prices on off-brand pasta, regardless of which variety you’re looking for. The price difference is really quite huge, with a big bag of off-brand sometimes costing just 50p, with the branded equivalent costing perhaps £3!
Branded Crisps
As with many items on this list, British families just aren’t staying loyal to branded crisps anymore. Yes, we’ll still enjoy a classic from time to time, most commonly as part of a meal deal, but when it comes to multi-packs, the branded versions are often two or three times more expensive! Bizarrely, the off-brand alternatives often taste better anyway, so the transition hasn’t exactly been difficult.
Organic Produce
At one point, we Brits loved heading to the local market to grab organic items, which gave us so much more quality for our spending. Tragically, that’s no longer the case, with organic products of any kind being priced higher and higher as the years go by for all sorts of reasons. Yes, we want to eat healthily and support the environment, but that’s not exactly easy when regular fruit, veg, and other food products are so much cheaper.
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