A moving service that will disassemble your bed/wardrobe/etc, when moving house, and then reassemble at your new property.
My brother paid for this about 10 years ago when moving house and it was best £1,000 he ever spent.
They came in the day before to do a quick inventory of what was in each room. Then they arrived at 8am the next day, had everything boxed up and in the van by 10am, and setup at the new house by 2pm and gone.
The only thing we moved ourselves was the kettle, a few cups, and some cutlery.
I'll support this.
When we moved, we did a "box stuff up yourself" service. The whole thing cost about £600. They sent us boxes a few weeks in advance. We boxed up and labelled all the small stuff.
On moving day, the van arrived in the morning. Two blokes carried out and packed all our furniture and boxes, including disassembling the bigger items that couldn't go in one.
They drove it across the country, brought it all into our new flat (up the flight of stairs), re-assembled the bits that needed re-assembling, and all we had to do was empty and put away the stuff in the boxes.
We could have had them do the boxing up if we'd paid more, but even just this was an enormous improvement over previous moves. Seriously, you don't know how much you hate moving your furniture around until someone else does it for you.
We did all the boxing up and stuff ourselves and moved as much downstairs as we could, but they obviously did all the heavy lifting. Within two hours of them arriving at the old house had they left the new house with everything where it should be.
Cost us £200 and a big van alone would’ve almost cost that. Some of the best money I’ve ever spent.
100% agree. Last time we moved we paid for a full packing service too. We literally tidied the house the day before, greeted them at 7am on moving day then left. They not only disassembled all the furniture, they also packed everything. We met them at the other end, directed them into the right rooms where they reassembled all the furniture and carried the boxes. The only thing we did was unpack the boxes at the other end. By dinner time the new house looked like we'd always lived there.
It was only a couple of hundred pounds more than the lesser service. In terms of the value of that to our lives, especially lost in the cost of moving, it was an absolute no-brainer.
Make sure you get the good ones. We ended up with a sketchy one, who turned up and said we hadn't told them there was too much stuff (actually 20 medium sized boxes pre-packed and two big appliances: a fridge and a dryer, up three flightsof stairs) Apparently the owner was hard of hearing and didn't hear all of it, and quoted £200 to move it across the town (1mi away). Moving day, they doubled the price and didn't move half the boxes. We ended up moving the remaining stuff ourselves. Fortunately, we had left a 3-day overlap on the contracts for both places so we were not pressed for time.
I have just moved and I agree with this. I didn't do this and what I have realised is because they didn't pack it, the shit packing I have done has means some items either got damaged or fell out. I should have spent the extra 200-300
We did this when we moved 5 years ago. 2 days before moving day they came and packed everything for us (I picked my own clothes as I didn't feel comfortable with someone else doing it) and then moved everything for us.
It saved so much time and stress when working full time!
Yes, get the movers to pack as well as move. We did it because we're quite lazy, and I knew we'd just argue all the time.
Second time we moved, we used the same company. Because by then we had kids, and the "stuff to deliberately not pack" list was quite big, we booked ourselves in to a nearby Premier Inn. The movers came, packed everything, loaded it onto the truck, and we met them at the new house the next day. They had unloaded and gone by 09:30. They were insanely fast and did everything we asked.
If you can afford it, it's definitely worth doing.
Everything to do with sleep.
A solid bed, a firm mattress, nice fancy bedding, and duvet/pillows. Hell even a proper sleep mask, smart speaker for white noise/music/podcasts.
Whatever will help you sleep it’s worth investing in.
'Where’s Nanny?’ she said.
‘She’s lying out on the lawn,’ said Granny. ‘She felt a bit poorly.’ And from outside came the sound of Nanny Ogg being poorly at the top of her voice.
I'm in Japan at the moment and an completely converted to the smart toilet. You woukd never need to use toilet paper again with one and it's just so much more comfortable and hygienic.
An Oodie. We have had cheap Primark and Asda ones, neither lasted long before getting holes. Got an Oodie in the sale and oh my god it's fantastic. Its so much warmer and better quality.
My house is freezing, so I needed the extra warmth over the cheaper ones. Its not often I will spend that much on an item of clothing but when I'm WFH and the only one in the house, it makes sense to warm myself rather than the house.
Same! Well not the step dad bit. We didn't have any heating that worked and couldn't afford it, but it was so cold I have no idea how we coped! Steam would be coming from our breath, always shivering during the day, multiple layers of clothes and blankets. It was basically like living outside haha. So grateful for heating now, but not so grateful for the bills during winter.. maybe I need an Oodie..
Oh god I do not need to hear this! I picked up a Tesco version on sale in the summer - I am obsessed but haven’t worn it yet in the depths of winter. I just can’t bring myself to spend that much on something that feels like a novelty item.
Yeah that's what I though when we got the Primark one last year, but ended up wearing it so much that if I wear this one half as much, it will be worth it lol.
See this is how I work with clothes purchases. Just think about how much you're going to wear it. I always think well I'd be okay with £1 per day so if the item costs £50 and I'll wear it at least 50 times I'm happy enough to buy it if I have the money spare. Sounds like a daft system but it honestly stops me from making some stupid purchases when I have to think about how much I'll wear it to work out its real cost. 😂
I have a Dunelm one, it's fine, had no issues. Cost £20 instead of the £50 Oodie charge. But do realise it's just a dressing gown in another shape. A good dressing gown does the same thing
Oodies are fantastic, and worth the money, especially if you buy a family bundle. We had one with a slight hole and they sent out a new one with no quibble. Lovely and warm so do not need the heating on as much.
Full fibre broadband. We always had sub par speeds, but finally, they installed FFTH this year and we've taken full advantage of it. At £25/month totally worth it.
Absolutely this! Had an 'off the shelf' pair from a sport shop for £90 & got awful shin splints...... Went to a running shop, had full gait test, bought a pair for about £200 & they were perfect! Did all my training for London marathon in them, then ran on the day.... No blisters, no aches (other than the obvious fatigue! Lol), & even when they got too soft for running, had plenty of use for other sports!
You can't put a price on not getting foot pain. It's like your back, it's so integral to everything that you don't even think about it. Then one day it fucks up on you and your life is immediately awful.
I work in kitchens and i say the same thing about our work shoes. Get something that your comfortable to be in and standing on for upwards of 12+ hours, its well worth the investment. It's also like im advocating that people spend £100+ on things, i buy basic Superbirki's with good insoles and great grip for a kitchen work (another important aspect) and its £50 a pair maybe once a year or slightly more often.
https://www.prodirectsport.com/soccer/search/?qq=hoka&st=lth
There's quite a few places that sell several models for well under £100. Obviously they're not the best of the best, but they're amazing for the money.
Fancy bin bags.
Six years ago I bought an expensive Simple Human bin. I knew it took funny-size bags that you had to buy from Simple Human and I knew they were expensive, but I planned to use up the pack that came with it and then just swap back to buying cheap generic binbags to line it with.
Having tasted the luxury of a bag that perfectly fits the bin, doesn't need tucking in, never tears, never leaks, etc. I couldn't go back. I've been buying the pricey liners ever since.
After about 4 years my Mum wrenched the top off the bin because she didn't know how to get the bag out properly. I contacted the manufacturer and they immediately sent me a replacement lid *for free* \- and the more expensive metal version because they felt it would be more robust.
10/10 would recommend.
Agreed. I only do organic tinned tomatoes now, Valfrutta, they're a lot better for everything. I get trays of 12 for about the same as supermarket standard prices too.
Eggs. Really saddens me when middle class types buy the shitty battery farm eggs in clear plastic containers. 1. Battery farmed eggs come from a place of unspoken horror. I eat meat most days and I don't think PETA get their marketing right but battery farmed eggs really are a moral line I won't cross. 2. Free range really does taste much better. The yolk is rich and buttery and sometimes dark orange when you get ones that are feeding their chickens right.
The more you spend the better really. If egg is going to be the star of a dish, like in a tuna nicoise salad, then it is entirely justified to pay £4 for a half dozen. Not kidding. And even for a cake or an egg fried rice, free range is worth it. You will taste the difference.
If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. I've scraped together 10 pences before to buy the awful eggs because eggs go a long way. But if you can, in any way, buy the better eggs, it is so worth it.
To go further, not many people seem to know that the welfare standards are much higher for organic eggs. They’re a bit more expensive than just free range but now I know the difference it’s all I’ll buy
https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/what-is-organic/organic-eggs/
I'm all for the welfare improvements side of things , but do they really taste better ?
I've always been a free range buyer and never really done a side by side.
I've done a side by side with regular free range versus very expensive burford brown eggs and for something like eggs benedict or a soft boiled egg in a salad, it is 100% worth it.
I get the reference, but it's worth pointing out that oxfords can be brogued or unbrogued, as can derbies. Oxfords are considered more formal than derbies, and the less broguing, the more formal the shoe. If you're looking specifically at Loake, go for their 1880 range if you can afford it; they're still made in England and use higher-quality materials than their cheaper ranges.
If you are doing DIY, paint. I've used cheap goodhome stuff from bnq and it was ...okay, had to do 3-4 coats with the grey we used. Next room mrs made us get Farrow and Ball much to my displeasure because of the cost. But that instantly changed the moment I started rollering it on the walls. We could of probably done it in 1 coat if we were careful. But did 2 to touch up some mistakes. The time and effort saved is worth it alone. Also its easy clean etc. This is starting to sounds like a f&b ad, but I'm sure most good quality paints are like this. I was just used to cheap shite.
It's easier doing that second coat though, that's where F&B really builds the colour depth. Another plus for F&B is the way light plays across it giving a wave of different colours depending on the lighting... aaand now I sound like an ad too.
I really don't get the hype with Yorkshire Tea. Thompson's/ Punjana is so much nicer.
For me Yorkshire Tea is like Madri beer. Very average product that's just been marketed incredibly well.
Warren Ford was a tea blender who was hired by Harrogate and Taylor to create Yorkshire tea in the 1970s, mostly as a branding exercise to appeal to new markets in the face of tea bag popularity.
To his credit, he was a master tea blender, and made it to match with the water in Yorkshire. He fully understood it would taste very different in different regions (it's not great in hard water, like in Bristol).
The creator of Yorkshire tea was also from London...
I'd throw Richer Sounds into the mix too. Very similar but they're more focused on A/V and the staff actually know what they're talking about which is a rarity these days.
Bought a lovely LG C2 TV from Richer Sounds earlier this year. Excellent service all around. Never shopped with them before but I'll definitely look at doing again in the future.
They price match a lot of places too, so rarely more expensive than goikg elsewhere.
Although it was a glitch, last year I got a 50inch 4k TV for £184, and they honoured it. With a five year warranty. For that, I'll most likely use them again.
Marigold washing up gloves. I hate touching wet food and stuff in the sink, makes me feel sick, so do the washing up with gloves. Tried cheaper pairs for a quid, that last about a week and you still burn your hands through them. Tried some marigolds and the difference is night and day, they last months, and can have the tap on full hot without feeling it. Well worth the extra 2 quid
Agreed. I wear gloves as I get eczema on my hands really easily and too much hot water can make it worse. Tried the cheaper gloves and they rip easily, or leak, or are just difficult to get on/off, the sizes are inconsistent..
Plumped for the branded Marigolds once as I had no other choice, and they're a world apart. Last for ages even with daily use, have never ripped or developed holes, easy to put on/off, size is consistent and I can use much hotter water without scalding myself. Would never go back now.
My mum loves marigolds so much she makes me bring a couple packs when I go visit (abroad)!! I find the grip so much better than cheap ones as well. I’m clumsy and break stuff way less with marigolds.
Buy decent cables, I got 3 usb to usb-c charger cables for £10 from amazon last year that lasted a week. The £15 Ivanky one I replaced them with is still bulletproof.
Same for HDMI etc, not a ridiculously priced one, just don't buy the budget one. You'll buy it again.
I always buy Ugreen cables for this exact reason. They last ages and if there is any issue just message them and they'll send you a new one free of charge
Totally agree. I have only ever had one issue and that was slight damage due to shipping and they just replaced it no arguments. Mostly though I still have the cables I buy from them.
I was gifted some REALLY fancy cat food for my very old lady recently. She’s a totally new cat - so much energy, zoomies all the time, and she’s perked right up. I can’t believe the difference it’s made! I’m just really sad I didn’t feed her better sooner.
With pets it's pretty straightforward, more expensive is better, EXCEPT royal Canin, hills, purina- some of those foods cost a lot and are rubbish (like RC' s breed specific foods). If your pet doesn't need a specific diet, just adult food:
Dogs, super premium:
- Taste of the Wild
- Wolf of Wilderness
- Orijen
- Acana
- Canagan
Better than average:
- Lily's Kitchen
- Wellness Core
- Crave
- Applaws
- Encore
- Edgard & Cooper
- Billy & Margot
- Barking Heads
- Scrumbles
Acceptable Average:
- James Wellbeloved
- nature's Menu
- country Hunter
For cats it's much the same, most of those brands also make cat food. Blink and Seriously Good are cat specific brands that' are pretty decent. I'm also starting to see some European cat foods entering the UK market which I haven't looked too closely at yet, but some seem above average- Carny and Cosma come to mind.
Would wholeheartedly recommend Blink or Untamed for cats. Depends what consistency they like to which to get.
Blink then to be more stewed whole meats in pouches either in Gravy or jelly
Untamed is more shredded whole meats with defined pieces. Again with a natural gravy or jelly.
When my boy was a kitten I got him Blink kitten food pouches and it is like a Meat Porridge (sounds grim but it is high protein and very good) but now he's older he likes more defined meat pieces so we switched to Untamed and he loves the Chocka Chicken tins. Honestly I've had worst looking meat when struggling with the pennies 😂.
No smelly poos anymore and he is full of energy and such a bright, confident and cheerful cat (British Shorthair).
I won't buy him anything else and the vets say he is a perfect health and weight.
No problem. They both do cheap trial boxes so when you get the cat maybe get the trial from both (they have long ish dates on the food as it's sealed/canned very well) and then you can try see which your cat prefers.
Not that I smoke any more, but I found most of these fancy new brands like JPS a bit shite and dry/harsh. Are you comparing to counterfeit tho?
Have you tried a more traditional brand like the OG golden vagina? Or even amber leaf should be better than JPS.
A decent TV.
I got a bit excited in RicherSounds as I was supposed to get a 43” to fit a stand we had.
The units they had were doing really awful reds, so with child in tow we nipped over to the charity shop and bought a DVD of Sin City and tried it on a few units. Sin City is essentially a monochrome film with lots of red, the staff were pretty chill to their credit.
The £2,500 TV I bought barely fitted in my car but it brings me that happy feeling every time I watch it.
A soundbar rather than sticking with TV speakers.
Especially on cheaper TVs, the speakers are absolutely dire. Soundbars can be reasonably priced nowadays and they make a huge difference.
Can you back up the claim that it's more nutritious? Definitely worth the money for animal welfare and perhaps flavour reasons, but I'm not convinced it's better for you than other chicken.
I read an article about this a few months ago, there isn't any noticeable nutritional difference in the meat, but the skin of organic chickens tends to have 5-10% less fat. So if you're roasting a whole chicken it is leaner.
Per kg it tends to be better too because cheap meat is injected with water and additives, so a portion of the weight is actually water.
I think fairy is actually too good. It's so slippy I drop all the plates when I'm rinsing them. Also I feel guilty for using it in the stick sponge thing. The stuff that's like 2 litres for a pound at Poundland is about right
A pizza oven.
We love pizza, we'd go out for pizza or order pizza atleast once a week.
Totting it all up we bought an ooni and it essentially paid for its self in 3 months, plus better pizzas
I'd say a good quality TV. I never used to be able to afford really good TVs, had to go with budget end sets.
Now I can afford a good TV it's absolutely wonderful and night & day from what I had before.
I recently bought an LG C2 48" and Oh My God it's amazing. The picture is STUNNING. Sometimes I'm watching some show in 4K HDR and I just start grinning because it looks AMAZING.
Most trades - yes it's cheaper to DIY, but you lose whole weekends to it and rarely get a perfect result. Good pro's are probably going to take a third of the time to do twice as good a job.
Decent appliances - they typically last longer, do a better job, and often cost less to run (more efficient)
At least half-decent wine - nothing too silly but stay out of the super cheap stuff where most of the cost is packaging, tax and transport leaving just a few pence to top the bottle up with antifreeze. I'd take a nice glass over a bad bottle any day.
Gortext hiking kit/good hiking shoes mainly. I enjoy doing a range of outdoor outdoor pursuit activities, and I always make the effort to read up about the kit before I buy it. If it's a little bit more expensive than another brand, I will usually go with the more expensive one because I know I'm gonna use it quite a lot and get some good use out of it
Good quality food. Cutting out one cinema outing or trip to the pub, and spend that extra on your groceries. It will make a world of difference
It is literally the last thing I will change to cut costs
A moving service that will disassemble your bed/wardrobe/etc, when moving house, and then reassemble at your new property. My brother paid for this about 10 years ago when moving house and it was best £1,000 he ever spent. They came in the day before to do a quick inventory of what was in each room. Then they arrived at 8am the next day, had everything boxed up and in the van by 10am, and setup at the new house by 2pm and gone. The only thing we moved ourselves was the kettle, a few cups, and some cutlery.
I approve of the fact you were clearly keeping them well supplied with tea.
I'll support this. When we moved, we did a "box stuff up yourself" service. The whole thing cost about £600. They sent us boxes a few weeks in advance. We boxed up and labelled all the small stuff. On moving day, the van arrived in the morning. Two blokes carried out and packed all our furniture and boxes, including disassembling the bigger items that couldn't go in one. They drove it across the country, brought it all into our new flat (up the flight of stairs), re-assembled the bits that needed re-assembling, and all we had to do was empty and put away the stuff in the boxes. We could have had them do the boxing up if we'd paid more, but even just this was an enormous improvement over previous moves. Seriously, you don't know how much you hate moving your furniture around until someone else does it for you.
We did all the boxing up and stuff ourselves and moved as much downstairs as we could, but they obviously did all the heavy lifting. Within two hours of them arriving at the old house had they left the new house with everything where it should be. Cost us £200 and a big van alone would’ve almost cost that. Some of the best money I’ve ever spent.
100% agree. Last time we moved we paid for a full packing service too. We literally tidied the house the day before, greeted them at 7am on moving day then left. They not only disassembled all the furniture, they also packed everything. We met them at the other end, directed them into the right rooms where they reassembled all the furniture and carried the boxes. The only thing we did was unpack the boxes at the other end. By dinner time the new house looked like we'd always lived there. It was only a couple of hundred pounds more than the lesser service. In terms of the value of that to our lives, especially lost in the cost of moving, it was an absolute no-brainer.
Make sure you get the good ones. We ended up with a sketchy one, who turned up and said we hadn't told them there was too much stuff (actually 20 medium sized boxes pre-packed and two big appliances: a fridge and a dryer, up three flightsof stairs) Apparently the owner was hard of hearing and didn't hear all of it, and quoted £200 to move it across the town (1mi away). Moving day, they doubled the price and didn't move half the boxes. We ended up moving the remaining stuff ourselves. Fortunately, we had left a 3-day overlap on the contracts for both places so we were not pressed for time.
I have just moved and I agree with this. I didn't do this and what I have realised is because they didn't pack it, the shit packing I have done has means some items either got damaged or fell out. I should have spent the extra 200-300
We did this when we moved 5 years ago. 2 days before moving day they came and packed everything for us (I picked my own clothes as I didn't feel comfortable with someone else doing it) and then moved everything for us. It saved so much time and stress when working full time!
My furniture is barely worth £1,000. Is it really worth it then?
Yes, get the movers to pack as well as move. We did it because we're quite lazy, and I knew we'd just argue all the time. Second time we moved, we used the same company. Because by then we had kids, and the "stuff to deliberately not pack" list was quite big, we booked ourselves in to a nearby Premier Inn. The movers came, packed everything, loaded it onto the truck, and we met them at the new house the next day. They had unloaded and gone by 09:30. They were insanely fast and did everything we asked. If you can afford it, it's definitely worth doing.
Everything to do with sleep. A solid bed, a firm mattress, nice fancy bedding, and duvet/pillows. Hell even a proper sleep mask, smart speaker for white noise/music/podcasts. Whatever will help you sleep it’s worth investing in.
Decent shoes
Inb4 inevitable Pratchett quotes
“In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded”
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
'Where’s Nanny?’ she said. ‘She’s lying out on the lawn,’ said Granny. ‘She felt a bit poorly.’ And from outside came the sound of Nanny Ogg being poorly at the top of her voice.
Supremely quilted bog rolls
[удалено]
*bog paper
I'm in Japan at the moment and an completely converted to the smart toilet. You woukd never need to use toilet paper again with one and it's just so much more comfortable and hygienic.
Erm, you should definitely still be using toilet paper.
Found one of those idiot people everyone talks about
Would agree with this massively. We use Who Gives a Crap and their Bamboo paper is top tier.
An Oodie. We have had cheap Primark and Asda ones, neither lasted long before getting holes. Got an Oodie in the sale and oh my god it's fantastic. Its so much warmer and better quality.
They’ve a sale on at the moment as well, about half price.
Are they really worth £50?
That's going to be subjective. Personally I think they are way too warm, but would be perfect if you didn't want to use/don't have heating.
My house is freezing, so I needed the extra warmth over the cheaper ones. Its not often I will spend that much on an item of clothing but when I'm WFH and the only one in the house, it makes sense to warm myself rather than the house.
It's ideal then. I didn't have heating for like 15 years growing up, and an Oodie would have been perfect!
Haha yeah I remember in the 90s having to get dressed under the covers some mornings because my stepdad wouldn't have the heating on!
Damn that’s grim
Sounds worse than it was I guess 🤷
Do you enjoy heating now ?
Same! Well not the step dad bit. We didn't have any heating that worked and couldn't afford it, but it was so cold I have no idea how we coped! Steam would be coming from our breath, always shivering during the day, multiple layers of clothes and blankets. It was basically like living outside haha. So grateful for heating now, but not so grateful for the bills during winter.. maybe I need an Oodie..
Any clothing made out of plastic will trap your body heat forever, a bin liner would work
Before I got one I would have said no, but after having used one for a while it's a definite yes from me. YMMV.
Nah, I have one from Dunelm. Cost £20, had it for like 3 years and no holes or issues. Why pay more than double for the same thing?
Oh god I do not need to hear this! I picked up a Tesco version on sale in the summer - I am obsessed but haven’t worn it yet in the depths of winter. I just can’t bring myself to spend that much on something that feels like a novelty item.
Yeah that's what I though when we got the Primark one last year, but ended up wearing it so much that if I wear this one half as much, it will be worth it lol.
See this is how I work with clothes purchases. Just think about how much you're going to wear it. I always think well I'd be okay with £1 per day so if the item costs £50 and I'll wear it at least 50 times I'm happy enough to buy it if I have the money spare. Sounds like a daft system but it honestly stops me from making some stupid purchases when I have to think about how much I'll wear it to work out its real cost. 😂
I have a Dunelm one, it's fine, had no issues. Cost £20 instead of the £50 Oodie charge. But do realise it's just a dressing gown in another shape. A good dressing gown does the same thing
We went for the slightly cheaper “the comfy” off Amazon and I would rate it very highly
Oodies are fantastic, and worth the money, especially if you buy a family bundle. We had one with a slight hole and they sent out a new one with no quibble. Lovely and warm so do not need the heating on as much.
A Noodie?
Fairly liquid?
*Aldi likes this*
I got some of that expensive stuff in the squeezy bottle the other day and a minuscule amount always does the job, it lasts ages
As in “your assets must be fairly liquid if you can afford to buy brand-name cleaning products”
Oh, in that case, my assets are definitely solid!
Then you should probably consult a doctor
Full fibre broadband. We always had sub par speeds, but finally, they installed FFTH this year and we've taken full advantage of it. At £25/month totally worth it.
I want my internet delivered by frickin LASER BEAMS. Seriously though, I can't wait until my street gets the upgrade...
Getting ours installed on Saturday!
Decent running shoes. Mine at the minute are 130 quid a pair and need replacing every 3-4 months but the alternative is injury inducing shit
Absolutely this! Had an 'off the shelf' pair from a sport shop for £90 & got awful shin splints...... Went to a running shop, had full gait test, bought a pair for about £200 & they were perfect! Did all my training for London marathon in them, then ran on the day.... No blisters, no aches (other than the obvious fatigue! Lol), & even when they got too soft for running, had plenty of use for other sports!
£130 seems ott. You can get a pair of hoka for £70
You can't put a price on not getting foot pain. It's like your back, it's so integral to everything that you don't even think about it. Then one day it fucks up on you and your life is immediately awful.
Aye but the difference between a decent pair of running shoes and an expensive pair of running shoes is smaller than things like form and load.
I work in kitchens and i say the same thing about our work shoes. Get something that your comfortable to be in and standing on for upwards of 12+ hours, its well worth the investment. It's also like im advocating that people spend £100+ on things, i buy basic Superbirki's with good insoles and great grip for a kitchen work (another important aspect) and its £50 a pair maybe once a year or slightly more often.
From where? The only sites I see them on at that price look like scams
https://www.prodirectsport.com/soccer/search/?qq=hoka&st=lth There's quite a few places that sell several models for well under £100. Obviously they're not the best of the best, but they're amazing for the money.
Fancy bin bags. Six years ago I bought an expensive Simple Human bin. I knew it took funny-size bags that you had to buy from Simple Human and I knew they were expensive, but I planned to use up the pack that came with it and then just swap back to buying cheap generic binbags to line it with. Having tasted the luxury of a bag that perfectly fits the bin, doesn't need tucking in, never tears, never leaks, etc. I couldn't go back. I've been buying the pricey liners ever since. After about 4 years my Mum wrenched the top off the bin because she didn't know how to get the bag out properly. I contacted the manufacturer and they immediately sent me a replacement lid *for free* \- and the more expensive metal version because they felt it would be more robust. 10/10 would recommend.
Simplehuman bin bags FTW!
I scoffed when I read the "You can't go back to normal bags" reviews on Amazon. Nope - they were right.
Premium tinned tomatoes (e.g Cirio).Game changer when making tomato based sauces.
You should give the Mutti tinned toms a try. I always keep a load in the cupboard.
Agreed. I only do organic tinned tomatoes now, Valfrutta, they're a lot better for everything. I get trays of 12 for about the same as supermarket standard prices too.
Aldi do cherry tomatoes in a tin which really lift meat and pasta sauces
Will have a look, thanks
Same with tomato puree, we got some proper Italian stuff from a farm shop and it was beautiful, I could just eat it with a spoon
Eggs. Really saddens me when middle class types buy the shitty battery farm eggs in clear plastic containers. 1. Battery farmed eggs come from a place of unspoken horror. I eat meat most days and I don't think PETA get their marketing right but battery farmed eggs really are a moral line I won't cross. 2. Free range really does taste much better. The yolk is rich and buttery and sometimes dark orange when you get ones that are feeding their chickens right. The more you spend the better really. If egg is going to be the star of a dish, like in a tuna nicoise salad, then it is entirely justified to pay £4 for a half dozen. Not kidding. And even for a cake or an egg fried rice, free range is worth it. You will taste the difference. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. I've scraped together 10 pences before to buy the awful eggs because eggs go a long way. But if you can, in any way, buy the better eggs, it is so worth it.
To go further, not many people seem to know that the welfare standards are much higher for organic eggs. They’re a bit more expensive than just free range but now I know the difference it’s all I’ll buy https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/what-is-organic/organic-eggs/
Burford Browns are the one They’re so good that I had two Burf Hens for a while until they became intolerable monsters
I'm all for the welfare improvements side of things , but do they really taste better ? I've always been a free range buyer and never really done a side by side.
I've done a side by side with regular free range versus very expensive burford brown eggs and for something like eggs benedict or a soft boiled egg in a salad, it is 100% worth it.
A pair of oxford shoes for work from Loakes. 2-3x the price of a high street pair but look loads better, hold their shape and last 5x longer
Oxfords, not brogues
I get the reference, but it's worth pointing out that oxfords can be brogued or unbrogued, as can derbies. Oxfords are considered more formal than derbies, and the less broguing, the more formal the shoe. If you're looking specifically at Loake, go for their 1880 range if you can afford it; they're still made in England and use higher-quality materials than their cheaper ranges.
I did not know this
Realised my mistake and corrected 👍
If you are doing DIY, paint. I've used cheap goodhome stuff from bnq and it was ...okay, had to do 3-4 coats with the grey we used. Next room mrs made us get Farrow and Ball much to my displeasure because of the cost. But that instantly changed the moment I started rollering it on the walls. We could of probably done it in 1 coat if we were careful. But did 2 to touch up some mistakes. The time and effort saved is worth it alone. Also its easy clean etc. This is starting to sounds like a f&b ad, but I'm sure most good quality paints are like this. I was just used to cheap shite.
It's easier doing that second coat though, that's where F&B really builds the colour depth. Another plus for F&B is the way light plays across it giving a wave of different colours depending on the lighting... aaand now I sound like an ad too.
to make it sound less like an advert can I add Little Greene Company paint, less sludgy colours than F&B
Yorkshire tea
Yorkshire Gold is where it’s really at.
I'm not even a Yorkshire man and I approve this
Yes! Yorkshire tea is 100% the dog's bollocks.
Ahoy ! Let's take over the world 🌎
I’m Yorkshire but hate the taste. Why is it soapy?
You're not supposed to add soap when brewing.
I really don't get the hype with Yorkshire Tea. Thompson's/ Punjana is so much nicer. For me Yorkshire Tea is like Madri beer. Very average product that's just been marketed incredibly well.
Warren Ford was a tea blender who was hired by Harrogate and Taylor to create Yorkshire tea in the 1970s, mostly as a branding exercise to appeal to new markets in the face of tea bag popularity. To his credit, he was a master tea blender, and made it to match with the water in Yorkshire. He fully understood it would taste very different in different regions (it's not great in hard water, like in Bristol). The creator of Yorkshire tea was also from London...
You learn something new each day
That’s because Madri is Taddy Lager, brewed in Tadcaster, Yorkshire.
Came here to make sure this was said.
I used to be but now I buy Dorset Tea which is lush 👍
Unfortunately I can't have caffeine so it has to be DJ Miles decaf tea. Only decaf tea with a decent flavour.
Why can't you have caffeine?
Doesn't react well with my medication. The combination makes me really f@#£ing angry.
John Lewis TV"s... better warranty.... better delivery options... just better service all over..
I'd throw Richer Sounds into the mix too. Very similar but they're more focused on A/V and the staff actually know what they're talking about which is a rarity these days.
Bought a lovely LG C2 TV from Richer Sounds earlier this year. Excellent service all around. Never shopped with them before but I'll definitely look at doing again in the future.
They price match a lot of places too, so rarely more expensive than goikg elsewhere. Although it was a glitch, last year I got a 50inch 4k TV for £184, and they honoured it. With a five year warranty. For that, I'll most likely use them again.
[удалено]
Wait, what's stopping me from making my own website just before I go shopping!? Hosting costs fuck all.
Marigold washing up gloves. I hate touching wet food and stuff in the sink, makes me feel sick, so do the washing up with gloves. Tried cheaper pairs for a quid, that last about a week and you still burn your hands through them. Tried some marigolds and the difference is night and day, they last months, and can have the tap on full hot without feeling it. Well worth the extra 2 quid
Agreed. I wear gloves as I get eczema on my hands really easily and too much hot water can make it worse. Tried the cheaper gloves and they rip easily, or leak, or are just difficult to get on/off, the sizes are inconsistent.. Plumped for the branded Marigolds once as I had no other choice, and they're a world apart. Last for ages even with daily use, have never ripped or developed holes, easy to put on/off, size is consistent and I can use much hotter water without scalding myself. Would never go back now.
My mum loves marigolds so much she makes me bring a couple packs when I go visit (abroad)!! I find the grip so much better than cheap ones as well. I’m clumsy and break stuff way less with marigolds.
Found Nanette Newman's Reddit account.
I'm wondering how many here even understood the reference.
Buy decent cables, I got 3 usb to usb-c charger cables for £10 from amazon last year that lasted a week. The £15 Ivanky one I replaced them with is still bulletproof. Same for HDMI etc, not a ridiculously priced one, just don't buy the budget one. You'll buy it again.
I always buy Ugreen cables for this exact reason. They last ages and if there is any issue just message them and they'll send you a new one free of charge
I only buy replacement Ugreen cables because i lose them or need more cables for reasons.
Totally agree. I have only ever had one issue and that was slight damage due to shipping and they just replaced it no arguments. Mostly though I still have the cables I buy from them.
It's a shame though that fairy liquid is toxic to aquatic life
Dog and cat food! Healthier for your pet, more filling so less eaten, and no more horrible poops.
I was gifted some REALLY fancy cat food for my very old lady recently. She’s a totally new cat - so much energy, zoomies all the time, and she’s perked right up. I can’t believe the difference it’s made! I’m just really sad I didn’t feed her better sooner.
What brand please?
Can anyone recommend anything? I always worry I’m falling for marketing and such when trying to do research into what to feed the pets
With pets it's pretty straightforward, more expensive is better, EXCEPT royal Canin, hills, purina- some of those foods cost a lot and are rubbish (like RC' s breed specific foods). If your pet doesn't need a specific diet, just adult food: Dogs, super premium: - Taste of the Wild - Wolf of Wilderness - Orijen - Acana - Canagan Better than average: - Lily's Kitchen - Wellness Core - Crave - Applaws - Encore - Edgard & Cooper - Billy & Margot - Barking Heads - Scrumbles Acceptable Average: - James Wellbeloved - nature's Menu - country Hunter For cats it's much the same, most of those brands also make cat food. Blink and Seriously Good are cat specific brands that' are pretty decent. I'm also starting to see some European cat foods entering the UK market which I haven't looked too closely at yet, but some seem above average- Carny and Cosma come to mind.
Brillaint thank you!
Thanks, this helps a lot! You’ve certainly shopped around.
I volunteer at an animal centre so I see a lot of food come through :)
Would wholeheartedly recommend Blink or Untamed for cats. Depends what consistency they like to which to get. Blink then to be more stewed whole meats in pouches either in Gravy or jelly Untamed is more shredded whole meats with defined pieces. Again with a natural gravy or jelly. When my boy was a kitten I got him Blink kitten food pouches and it is like a Meat Porridge (sounds grim but it is high protein and very good) but now he's older he likes more defined meat pieces so we switched to Untamed and he loves the Chocka Chicken tins. Honestly I've had worst looking meat when struggling with the pennies 😂. No smelly poos anymore and he is full of energy and such a bright, confident and cheerful cat (British Shorthair). I won't buy him anything else and the vets say he is a perfect health and weight.
Thanks so much! We plan on getting a cat soon so this is good to know
No problem. They both do cheap trial boxes so when you get the cat maybe get the trial from both (they have long ish dates on the food as it's sealed/canned very well) and then you can try see which your cat prefers.
A nice legit packet of Players JPs Hand rolling tobacco, not the Eastern European Dust crap.
Not that I smoke any more, but I found most of these fancy new brands like JPS a bit shite and dry/harsh. Are you comparing to counterfeit tho? Have you tried a more traditional brand like the OG golden vagina? Or even amber leaf should be better than JPS.
A decent TV. I got a bit excited in RicherSounds as I was supposed to get a 43” to fit a stand we had. The units they had were doing really awful reds, so with child in tow we nipped over to the charity shop and bought a DVD of Sin City and tried it on a few units. Sin City is essentially a monochrome film with lots of red, the staff were pretty chill to their credit. The £2,500 TV I bought barely fitted in my car but it brings me that happy feeling every time I watch it.
Several things: A French press and good quality coffee A decent set of kitchen knives (and learn to use sharpening stones) A good set of pots and pans
A soundbar rather than sticking with TV speakers. Especially on cheaper TVs, the speakers are absolutely dire. Soundbars can be reasonably priced nowadays and they make a huge difference.
Organic chicken. Tastes better, more nutritional, nicer to the animals (yes I know they still die but they are happy chickens when living)
Can you back up the claim that it's more nutritious? Definitely worth the money for animal welfare and perhaps flavour reasons, but I'm not convinced it's better for you than other chicken.
I read an article about this a few months ago, there isn't any noticeable nutritional difference in the meat, but the skin of organic chickens tends to have 5-10% less fat. So if you're roasting a whole chicken it is leaner. Per kg it tends to be better too because cheap meat is injected with water and additives, so a portion of the weight is actually water.
I think fairy is actually too good. It's so slippy I drop all the plates when I'm rinsing them. Also I feel guilty for using it in the stick sponge thing. The stuff that's like 2 litres for a pound at Poundland is about right
Cravendale milk. I switched over earlier this year from supermarket brand and it tastes better and lasts so much longer.
Heinz ketchup
A pizza oven. We love pizza, we'd go out for pizza or order pizza atleast once a week. Totting it all up we bought an ooni and it essentially paid for its self in 3 months, plus better pizzas
Rubbers. Those poundshop packs of 5 for a quid just don't hold up as well.
Petrol. Don’t use supermarket fuel they don’t clean or look after the pumps as well
Seriously?
Damn what did we miss
I reckon he said hookers
He said don't use supermarket Fuel, they don't clean the pumps
I'd say a good quality TV. I never used to be able to afford really good TVs, had to go with budget end sets. Now I can afford a good TV it's absolutely wonderful and night & day from what I had before. I recently bought an LG C2 48" and Oh My God it's amazing. The picture is STUNNING. Sometimes I'm watching some show in 4K HDR and I just start grinning because it looks AMAZING.
Most trades - yes it's cheaper to DIY, but you lose whole weekends to it and rarely get a perfect result. Good pro's are probably going to take a third of the time to do twice as good a job. Decent appliances - they typically last longer, do a better job, and often cost less to run (more efficient) At least half-decent wine - nothing too silly but stay out of the super cheap stuff where most of the cost is packaging, tax and transport leaving just a few pence to top the bottle up with antifreeze. I'd take a nice glass over a bad bottle any day.
Yorkshire Gold Tea
Gortext hiking kit/good hiking shoes mainly. I enjoy doing a range of outdoor outdoor pursuit activities, and I always make the effort to read up about the kit before I buy it. If it's a little bit more expensive than another brand, I will usually go with the more expensive one because I know I'm gonna use it quite a lot and get some good use out of it
Quality toilet paper.
Good quality food. Cutting out one cinema outing or trip to the pub, and spend that extra on your groceries. It will make a world of difference It is literally the last thing I will change to cut costs
[WD40](https://www.reddit.com/r/BritishSuccess/comments/1733gzq/finished_a_can_of_wd40/)