i think if you chose the right things, value brands can be ok. For example, 10p shower gel from tesco is (in my opinion) just as good as say, sanex, which costs 30 times more. It has mainly the same ingredients in. Value mince is just as good, because although higher in fat, you simply brown and then drain the fat off, leaving it with the same amount of fat as the more expensive ones. i also use the value bog roll because although you may need to use more, it's £1.20 for 12 rolls, so in my opinion good value compared to others ie andrex. Also things that are going in other things (like for example kidney beans) you cant taste any difference anyway!