We usually do our shopping at wal-mart and their brand is usually cheaper so its what i reach for, with only a few exceptions where i buy name brand, such as, diapers, cleaning products, and fabric softener.
I have to agree, there are so many things to choose from, not always will the name brands vs store brands be better...like with certain foods I will get name brands...but when it comes to certain cereals...like apple jacks, fruit loops & golden grams or honey bunches of oats...i fount those tasted exactly like the store brand only for 1/2 the price...so why pay 4.99 if i can pay 1.99 for the same 500grams in a zipped bag rather then a box?! same with other products like garbage bags...I didnt see the big difference with the gallon garbage bags...so hell why pay 8.99 for 20 large bags if I can get a pack of 1000 (in costco) no name brand still did the same job. i guess you have to try things out and then compare...because when it really came to making bread crumbs I found that the seasoned ones still lacked my taste so rather spend a fortune on the flavored ones I kind of made my own (using the Jason's flavored one - blue container, and i got a box of the cheapest corn flakes, crush it till its small...mix it into the flavored Jason's one add some mid eastern spices to it & some crushed chili flakes & there ya go...) :P on ice cream...nothing tops haagen dazs...:P
It usually depends on the product for me. In some cases, I've found that using the cheaper thing isn't always the best route to take. I do not have tons of cash to throw around, though. So, like Colleen, I often stand in the aisle and compare products. If the products work the same or are very similar, I have no problem going with the no-name stuff. There's nothing horrible about wanting to save a buck.
If I try a no-name product and it actually isn't as great as I thought it'd be, I'd take it as a learning experience for my next shopping trip. No harm done in that.
Store brands. Always. Unless it is something that can't be replicated and are iconic like Hagen Daz, M&M's, Hershey's products, oreos (junk food in my mind) or things that by previous testing have proven itself to be more effective for my needs. Like for example, Tide detergent and Cascade work better than cheaper or store brands. But things like motor oil or toilet paper, trash bags, milk, bread, vegetable's, hand soap, shower gel, cooking oil, tuna etc. always store brand unless name brand is on special or clearance.
For the most part I buy off brands and shop at the dollar store a lot. But there are somethings, especially cleaners it seems, where it pays to buy the name brands. I picked up some Cascade dishwasher detergent at the dollar store once, thinking it should be the same as the stuff from any other store. Nope it was really water and did crap to get my dishes clean.
On the whole I have to agree with Colleen's post, however I wanted to add that if there aren't a lot of products you may want to check out the manufacturers. Once I checked stain removers and found one that had been made in the same place as Spray & Wash by the same people, but they were selling it for $2 less. It worked great and was an amazing find.
I'm actually an analytical shopper. I have no shame in standing in the aisle, weighing the pros and cons of brand name vs store brand. In many cases, the no-name product is just as good or better than the brand name, but sometimes, you're better off with the more expensive product (like dish washing detergent - no name brands suck!)
always named: asda smart price except bread i like warburtons. the one thats in the blue pack and its very small. there are other stuff like teabags, ill only buy PG tips. coffee, nescafe gold blend and i wont buy cheap crisps. ill only buy princes tuna
Depends on the product, for example when I still used to drink milk I would only buy a specific brand, because the rest tasted really bad to me. Other than that general necessities I'll buy those of the store, they are cheaper and they do work the same.
I never buy store brand motor oil or coolant. They skip a lot of the additives that help your maintain your motor. I always figure its better to spend $10 more for the 5qts of oil, but have your motor run longer.
i go with whats cheapest. gets the job done thats all i care about, plus its all i can really afford
GREAT VALUE BABY!!! It just depends....
