Recession Busting Tip - Buy Generic

[Thomas Rogers]

Less expensive and often better quality than the name brand...

 

[Mark K 2]

Name-brand dishwasher and laundry detergent are expensive. I've been a loyal Cascade and Tide user until recently. I switched to the Walmart store brand (Great Buy) and found they clean just as well. For liquid detergent, I'm sticking with Dawn. Nothing beats it for cutting grease.

 

[Richard L]

I am diabetic and use Sweet & Low or Equal in my coffee instead of sugar. I recently tried a cheaper store brand artificial sweetener and was not happy with it. The taste was the same so the quality of the product was fine. The problem was that they did not put as much sweetener in each packet and I found myself having to use two packets of the store brand sweetener where I only need one Equal or Sweet & Low. Since the store brand sweetener was only about 25% cheaper than the brand name products, it was costing my more to buy the cheaper stuff because I had to use twice as much.



Only minor differences in food products between name brand and generic store brands. I found canned tomatoes are about the same accept the generic brands are prone to occasionally have a piece of stem in the can. Also the brand name veggies may all be of the same size and color while the generic may have items like peas with size or color variations in each can.



I think brand name and generic cleaning supplies are pretty much about the same.



...Rich

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Richard L,



I've controlled my type 2 diabetis (hey...no meds), and as part of it I switched completely to black coffee. Before that I would drink black coffee at home, sometimes with a little sugar, and have cream and sugar when out...not sure why, probably because coffee out can be hit or miss and the sweetner and cream makes it safer.



But now, I drink black all the time.



It doesn't take that long to get used to, AND, I find that I actually enjoy good coffee more.



There is one generic I won't do, however. I only like Heinz Ketchup....no generic will do.



TJR

 

[Mark K 2]

I've found that canned goods and dry goods from Aldi to be of quality equal to those with brand names. Their cheese and meats are impressive. Their produce sucks majorly. I haven't purchased the processed junk-food frozen items (like their versions of Hot Pockets and so on), so I can't say one way or the other, but their frozen vegies are top notch.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Mark K,



Aldi's has pork spare ribs racks (unfrozen) that are pretty darn impressive. Feeds our entire family of 5 for about $10. On the grill, low, with a dry rub...mmm, mmm, good!



TJR

 

[Jim parnell]

somebody has to make/can/package the generic brands for the store, usually its one of the larger manufacturers/producers who name you easily recognize. WM can't have all of those canning facilties, bottling facilities, etc., or any of the other regional stores. Some times the quality is better, sometimes not, but you can get a bad can of xxxxx no matter who made it.

 

[Brandon Poorman]

I work for large manufacturer of pasta products and my father worked for pillsbury before he also starting managing the same pasta production facility. I will say one thing, Walmart is the pickiest customer out of any. They hold any manufacturer to the highest quality assurance and will send anything back for the smallest insignificant little thing. A good family friend also works for Conoco at a bottling facility and says all the oils are almost identical just being packaged in a different bottle. Generic most often is the exact same thing as the name brand, just cheaper.