I buy store brand everything except toilet paper and ketchup. I know it's probably the same stuff but some things just feel wrong when they're not the "real" version. What brand loyalty do you maintain despite knowing it costs more? Where do you draw the line on going generic? I know it sounds wrong when I say it out loud but I just cant help the thought of the items not being what I “know” they should be.
What products are you absolutely not willing to buy generic even though you know it's wasteful?
byu/Beastwood5 inFrugal
Posted by Beastwood5
34 Comments
Fairy Washing Up Liquid. One bottle really does last for so long, far longer than generic ones.
If it’s actually the same quality, there’s nothing I buy merely for it’s name
Aluminum foil. I bought the store brand version a year ago…it doesn’t hold squat. Put two slices of leftover pizza in the oven to heat, and ended up with pizza splattered on the bottom of the oven and a long cleanup afterwards. And no pizza.
Band-Aids. I bought generic for years but they’re hot garbage and fall off when you look at them the wrong way.
Yorkshire tea bags. I’d rather drink a muddy puddle than any other (branded or unbranded) tea
I’m with you on Ketchup. There is only Heinz. Aside from that, only a handful of NB’s I buy that don’t have generic equivalents. S/F Canada Dry is one.
As a side note, I worked in the CPG industry for several manufacturers for decades. When it comes to generics for things like OTC meds, personal care products, and cleaning products, I can guarantee you are getting the same quality. In some cases, we packaged the NB for them using our formulas. So there was literally no difference but the package.
Duke’s Mayo & Heinz ketchup can’t use any other kind 😅
Everything else we go with what’s cheapest!
Dawn dish soap, Cascade dishwasher packs, and Scrubbing Bubbles cleaning foam.
Also cat food (Fancy Feast, Tiki Cats and Dr. Else’s dry), Churu and litter (Okocats).
I can manage alot of other things, but I will go down to my very last before I go store brand on any of the above. 🤣
You gotta start doing a trial of one item at a time. Ask your friends if you can try their store brand stuff sometimes. I worked at a factory making otc medicine and we would just take the exact same pills and put them into different bottles with different labels. Some items are actually different but I can’t tell a huge difference so I’d rather save the money. I’m loyal to miracle whip, Mt Olive pickles, kind bars, cheeze it’s, and Tostitos cheese sauce. I’m sure there are others but those are the ones that come to mind. It’s because I’ve tried the store brand and I can tell the difference
Cascade dishwasher detergent.
The store brands don’t work as well.
Dish soap. I won’t give up Dawn
Zipper lock bags. I do a fair amount of Sous Vide (once or twice a month) and I just can’t use the off name freezer bags. I’m saving up for a good vacuum sealer right now, but in the mean time it’s Ziploc all the way.
I got GV ketchup as a sub awhile back with a grocery order and I swear it’s Heinz.
I was with you on the toilet paper until I tried Costco brand (Kirkland). It’s actually really great quality.
I have liked everything generic I’ve ever tried with one exception:
Generic cheez-its are dis.GUS.ting. I don’t know how the product was ever released. I got them from Walmart and tasted like butter flavored cardboard. Yuck.
Q-Tips! Generic ones are always too flimsy and the cotton is too loose.
Shampoo and skincare because the more expensive option is usually better and the quality is way better as well.
If it’s name brand and worth the cost to me, then that is not wasteful to me.
I will not buy generic toothpaste. I can get colgate or crest for 0.85-0.99 cents per tube for the 2.2 ounce, and those tubes last quite a while.
Even if the generic tubes have the same ingredients, lots of them have a weird after taste and my teeth just don’t feel as clean to me with generic. Some generic toothpaste costs more for a bigger tube than the small tube name brand.
Tide
Plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
Laundry detergent – I will only use Tide liquid.
TP. It’s not wasteful as I can use a lot less of the decent stuff.
Q tips!! And back in the day tampons but i use a cup now.
Dish soap. I buy Fairy liquid as it last so much longer. I think in the US it’s called dawn
Dish soap (Palmolive)
Laundry detergent (Ecos or All Free & Clear)
Hand lotion (Vaseline or Jergen’s are the *only* good ones for my sensitive skin.) Cheaper ones are just like using water.
And, I’ve started getting Glad cling wrap from Costco because the Aldi brand just doesn’t seem to stick anymore.
Batteries
Teddies peanut butter. Iykyk.
Dawn dish soap and Dole pineapple
Tampons. There are also certain things like dishwashing liquid I buy nane brand because at my local grocery there is no generic (they only have pods and they don’t always dissolve in my dishwasher).
Kerry gold butter…butter is just too vital in cooking.
Hershey’s dark chocolate syrup. I can’t find a store brand that has that same taste.
I don’t buy them very often but Poptarts. The store brand just destroys me, I don’t know what it is but it instantly and violently triggers my acid reflux. Something in the chocolate they use. Because the store brand muffins also do this.
It’s a shame because they both taste better lol.
Coca-cola
Heinz Ketchup
Body wash
Shaving cream/razers
Cheese
Meat
Toothpaste
Hellmans mayo
i’ve learned my lesson. Qtips, Clorox wand refills, and housepaint.
And that’s about it.