Compromises in grocery shopping

I always make pasta sauces from scratch too - very much a 'turf it all in and let it cook down', so no real recipe. Is roughly this though:

diced onion
garlic
saute in olive oil
add tin of crushed tomatoes (try to use Italian made ones)
herbs - fresh or dried
tablespoon of tomato paste
dash of balsamic vinegar to bring out tomato flavour more
water (maybe half the tomato tin in quantity)
cook down for at least half an hour, adding a bit more water if necessary, then season

can add diced capsicum / mushrooms etc if you want as well

if you want a creamy sauce, add a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche at the end

a super quick sauce that i also do is just pesto and creme fraiche - very easy, and delicious!

My name is ellen and I'm an ultimate consumer. Is there a self help group I can join?

I won't compromise and am very brand loyal on lots of things and compulsively buy the following:

Lux body wash - has to be Ylang Ylang as I love the smell
Razor blades - DH buys whatever he needs as I was always getting it wrong (man they're expensive!)
Persil washing powder - love the smell
Sanitarium weetbix & cornflakes & ricies
Purex toilet paper
Choysa or Dilmah tea bags
Watties spaghetti & baked beans
Colgate toothpaste
Libra tampons
Jiff (have tried the budget stuff - just not the same)
Maggi gravies and stuff
Nestle cocoa powder
Griffins or Arnotts buscuits & crackers

Always buy Pams tomato sauce (kids prefer it) and whatever's cheapest for (what I perceive perhaps) milk, sugar, flour, butter, cheese, canned tomatoes.

DH has got a real thing for Natures Fresh bread whereas I'll buy the cheaper brands as I only really use it for toast. I've been told Sunny Crust is exactly the same bread but not in DH's mind - go figure?

Or buy an electric one and save even more money.

Thanks Lizzle I'll give the olive oil a go. He is also of mixed breed (a good dose of Lebanese thrown in) so shaves every day as well. Could I get away with a cheap generic brand or does it have to be pure, virgin, branded, highly marketed and expensive olive oil?

Thanks for the tip on the razors! ill have to give that one a try!
Things we wont comprimise on are:
Coke - must be proper coke, no diet no zero, no budget nothing but coke!!!
Watties bakedbeans - Hubby wont eat any others
Maggi 2 min noodles
Surf washing powder
Sanatirim marmite and Rice bubbles
carefree aloe liners
Real coffee beans for the machine - cant do instant
Tegal chargrilled chicken patties
Kellogs cocopops
well thats it i think gee no wonder between the 2 of us we spend 200 a week!
One thing that i will only buy pams of is the ice cream soda and lemonade soda stream syrup tastes so much better than the soda stream brand ones

Edited by shannon