I'm always on the lookout for a bargain, but as a general rule I tend to buy branded paints because I've had experiences in the past where I've ended up using twice as much paint and twice as much time to cover an area that branded paint would have dealt with in no time. This means you don't actually end up making a saving and have a lot more hassle.

I bought a large container of B&Q value matt emulsion because my partner and I are renovating a house and we always need white paint for ceilings, undercoats etc. I compared this product to the branded varieties and it was about £5 - £10 cheaper than the branded ones (it cost £10 for a huge tub compared to £10 - £15 for the branded varieties). At the time I made the mistake of thinking you can't really go wrong with white matt emulsion, so thought I'd save myself a few pennies by buying this one.

I got it home and the first job was to finish painting the ceiling in the hall. This was when I realised I had made a big mistake buying this paint. I had started the ceiling hall with a branded paint (Crown I think), and as soon as I continued with the B&Q paint you could tell the difference in quality. The B&Q paint was thin and watery, and I had to cover our newly sanded and varnished floor from inch to inch to make sure none dripped onto the floorboards. It was messy, and as soon as it was on the ceiling it just sunk right in so you could hardly tell it had been painted.

My heart sank as I realised that instead of one coat I would be doing at least two, if not three with this paint. It does cover eventually, but if you've got a lot of wall/area to cover you really will thank yourself for spending a little more on the branded stuff.

The one use I have found for this paint is after we've had rooms plastered and they need 'sealing' or whatever the term is. You are supposed to use a watered down white emulsion for this, so the B&Q paint did save us money for this job. As a paint for proper rooms though, I will remember this heart-sinking experience and will not purchase it again.