Small Win: Swap One Branded Item This Week….

I’m really enjoying this Small Wins series because it’s all about the tiny little habits that make life feel a bit easier without adding anything overwhelming to your week.

Each small win only takes a few minutes but can save money, reduce waste or help things run more smoothly — which is exactly what most of us need at this time of year. 😀

This week’s small win is really simple. Next time you do your food shop, swap just one branded item for something cheaper.

Most supermarkets now have three levels of the same product:

• the well-known branded version

• the supermarket’s own brand

• and the budget or saver version

You don’t need to go straight to the cheapest unless you want to — just choose the option that fits your budget and your preferences. Even dropping one level can save a surprising amount over a year.

You might already buy some own brand ingredients which is amazing – you’re already saving but I bet there’s something else in your trolley that you can swap out. Or swap something from own brand to the saver version to see if you notice a difference. 

I often mix it up trying a supermarket own brand and over the years, some swaps have definitely gone down better than others. When I tried switching branded mayo (Hellmans) and ketchup (Heinz), there was an absolute mutiny in our house. No one was having it and I had to switch back pretty quick. 😂

But when I swapped pasta, rice and cous cous, not one person noticed – maybe because I always decant them into jars to look pretty on my shelf so there was no evidence that I had done a swap!  Tinned tomatoes are another thing I always buy as an own brand because I add plenty of flavour myself anyway, so I genuinely can’t tell the difference.

This week I’m actually trying a new swap — bleach. I’ve used Domestos most of my adult life purely because my mum always told me that bleach was one thing she would never buy a cheaper version of, but I’m giving a cheaper brand a go to see how it compares as it’s been a few years since she told me that and I suspect that lots of brands have ‘caught up’ with good old Domestos. I’m hoping the own brand does just as good a job cleaning as my trusty Domestos does!  

The idea of this week’s small win isn’t to overhaul your entire shop. It’s just to try one swap at a time and see how you get on. If you don’t like it, you can always switch back. But if you find one that works for you, that’s money saved every single week without feeling like you’ve made any real change at all.

I tend to save on everyday basics so I can redirect that money towards things that matter more to me — like organic fruit and veg from the farm shop or good quality meat. Everyone’s circumstances are different and we all save for our own reasons, but for me it’s about choosing where my money goes and being more intentional. 

Let me know if you try a swap this week and how it goes — you might be surprised at what no one notices. 😀

Join me next week for the next Small Win in the series, which is another quick, easy little change that could save you money without much effort at all.

I’d love you follow me on Twitter and it would be amazing to see you over on my Facebook page and on Instagram. If you’re interested, you can find out more about me here and while I’ve got your attention, if you’re wondering why some of my posts lately are a little bit less frugal then have a read of this post. 😉