Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Brand Name vs. Generic

For the most part, I don't have a lot of loyalty to any one brand of product. Hubby likes Heinz ketchup. We buy that at Costco in the 10 lb vat. It's too pricey in the bottles, so we get the big ol' vat of it & he funnels it into bottles.

Despite price, what are the things you make it a priority to have even if they cost more?

I do like my contact cleaner (Bausch & Lomb). I tried the generic, and it really irritated my eyes.

I like the Huggies Body Wash for Julia. We're out of it right now, and I'm trying to find coupons for it. That stuff smells sooooo good!

As for other baby products, I usually always choose the cheapest. Diapers I get the day after Thanksgiving, and I try not to pay more than 10 cents each and have absolutely no brand loyalty. I should have enough to get us to this Thanksgiving - that was some pretty good estimation last year. It helped that Julia got the diapers other kids outgrew at daycare. For wipes I try not to pay more than $1 per refill pack. We have a lot of wipes, but I have this compulsion that if I see them for less than $1 that I must buy them. I try to use the oldest first.

As for food, other than Heinz ketchup I don't have brand loyalty. I go by price alone. Being able to be flexible based on price saves money.

6 comments:

Scrapping in Circles said...

I am odd in this way. I must have some brand name products, but others I don't care. For the most part, I don't necessarily purchase these items all the time, so it isn't a budget buster.

Things I require brand name:
Eggo waffles (the generic just don't taste the same)
MUG rootbeer (I can't stand the fancy types and the cheaper ones are too sweet)
Nally's chilli
Pinesol (actually, I do sometimes get other types, but they must have the same smell.)
Johnny's Seasoning Salt

Diapers and wipes I get at Costco because they are cheap and work well. I couldn't buy diapers only once a year. Size alone would make that difficult for me.

April said...

Laundry detergent/fabric softener are always Gain. Shampoo is John Frieda. Diapers are Pampers Cruisers. Canned chicken noodle soup is Campbell's. Pickles are Claussen. Feminine products are Always.

Those are the only things I am really picky about! I do tend to stick with name brand all purpose cleaners, tooth paste, lotions and make up, but I am not loyal to any one brand and skip around a lot!

Leigh Ann said...

Must have Kraft mac and cheese. Peanut butter must be Peter Pan. Just in the last couple of months, I have developed a love of Tide but am not completely brand loyal to it yet. I also must use Optifree Express contact lens solution. And it must be the "express" one. Not the other one, I think it's Optifree Refresh? It does not make my contacts last as long as the Express one does. I can stretch a pair of contact lenses out like nobody's business with that solution(even though I know you're not supposed to).
Other than that, I buy generic when I can or buy whatever brand I have a coupon for.
My husband was Mr. Brand Name Man when I met him. After 15 years of living with Mrs. Generic Coupon Queen, he has given in to my thrifty ways. Mwa Ha Ha Ha Haaaa
(Fun blog Beth!)

Wendy said...

Hmmm. Heinz ketchup is really different than other ketchups? Is it because it's not spelled "catsup"?

I have brand loyalty.

Dish soap must be Seventh Generation
Laundry detergent must be All Free and Clear
Cleanser must be Cetaphil
Diapers must be Pampers Cruisers for daytime, Huggies overnights for nighttime
Bean and Bacon soup must be Campbells
Chicken stock must be Swanson's (if I don't stew it myself)

I'm sure I could go on forever.

B said...

April, my Procter & Gamble stock ♥s you and everyone who buy brand name cleaning products and toiletries. I feel like such a traitor when I reach for the generic myself.

Wendy's loyal to brands. Never would have thunk it. :)

N, the things you buy brand name you can sometimes find cheaper than the generics when they're on sale. For instance, Winco almost always has Nalley chili for 68 cents a can.

LA, I was raised on Peter Pan peanut butter, but when I found Jif, I wouldn't go back to Peter. Not that I'm supposed to eat peanut butter anymore so shhhhhhh...

Scrapping in Circles said...

Okay, I only use Always as well. I didn't think to mention that one. We don't have a Winco around here, Beth, but thanks for letting me know. (=