Frugal Tip: Buy Generic Store Brand Products
Thursday, March 13th, 2008In the past, I was a brand conscious person. I would naturally reach for brand name as opposed to the cheaper generic store brand products. But a marriage and a baby put a stop to that now that we have to watch our expenses a little closer. However, it takes time to learn how generic store brand compares to the real thing. Also the quality of generic products can vary greatly from store to store. It’s a trial and error exercise, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run.
Here are some of the generics that I have tried recently:
- Medicines – Just read the active ingredients and try out the smallest size first. Since medicines are controlled by the FDA, the quality doesn’t vary too widely.
- Cleaning products – This should be an easy one to substitute. You could also go a step further and create your own cleaning products — ingredients usually include vinegar, baking soda, and bleach.
- Personal hygiene products – So far, I have tried Target equivalent of Listerine Whitening — possibly the best mouthwash ever.
- Baby diapers – My wife didn’t like the CVS diapers I bought because it’s not as soft as Pampers Swaddlers.
- Baby wipes –The ones from CVS weren’t that good, but the ones from Costco were great.
- CD-R and DVD-R – I have some good, and some bad experience with these.
Do you use generic store brand products? If you found something that works well for you, please share with us.
Written by Pinyo of Moolanomy