Always Go Generic!

Cleaning Supplies:

Dollar Store. Dollar General. The Dollar Tree.

And no, I'm not kidding.

Let me let you in on a little secret. That $6 bottle of cleaner by that name brand you love? The same exact ingredients are four bucks cheaper two shelves down. In the generic brand. And by generic I mean the "Name Brand" version of a generic! Seriously! Most mainstream companies have the same product, in the same packaging in a slightly different design for about 30% of the cost. Don't believe me? Next time you're shopping for cleaning supplies, check the back. I've often found a "Product of Scrubbing Bubbles" label on a strangely named cleaning product. Sneaky, sneaky marketers!

Drugs are probably the easiest item to feel safe about buying generic. Kind of strange, right? In fact, Walmart has an 88 cent station! It has anything from hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, bandaids, and medicines. While this may be tempting, this isn't always the greatest deal. I bought some Naproxen Sodium (also marketed as Aleve) for 88 cents! What I failed to notice is that there were only 15 tablets in the bottle. Steal? Not quite.

I soon stumbled upon the bottle for 100 tables for around $4. To be fair it was still the Walmart Equate version. Cheaper isn't always better! Don't be silly like I am sometimes and disregard the black and white on the bottle. I learned my lesson.

Mucinex is Guaifenesen.  

Guaifenesen is Mucinex. 

Guaifenesen can be found at the Dollar Store! 

Why pay $10 for Mucinex when all they're doing is jacking up the price of something, giving it awful cartoon characters, and a cute purple and green box? Not fallin' for that one, Sparky!

Gross, right?

Motrin is Ibuprofen.
Cortef is Hydrocortisone.
See?

If your doctor prescribes anything for you, ask them if there is a generic brand of the same product. Especially prescribed medicines. You'll save much more by getting the generic version and it's the exact same!

See this article here: http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-3480_162-6598113.html

Does the "Brand Name" really taste better?

Here's another interesting article on store brand versus name brand:

"A "Good Morning America" audience member named Ron tried both the store brand and the brand name and chose the store brand."

"Want to do the mashed potato? Instant is the way to go. The great value for Wal-Mart had more potato flavor at half the price," said Walker. Consumer Reports found the Betty Crocker brand a little starchy with a dehydrated potato taste."

Interesting.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/brand-names-off-brand-wins/story?id=8483239#.UVb7T1t4ZTs

Habits and Traditions

I am a creature of habit! If I find a delicious cereal, meal, or drink, I stay with it. If I know it's good, why change? Ahh...that's what they want you to do! I'm not necessarily a strictly brand loyal shopper, but I do have my favorites.

What if I'm paying too much for the same thing? What if I'm paying too much for something less fulfilling than generic?

We all have our different tastes.

I grew up in a home loaded with generic brands. Typically, the only time we had the name brand was if it was on sale, had a coupon, or both! Many times the store ended up paying my mom for the items she bought! She was by no means one of those crazy coupon ladies, but she set a goal to always save more than she spent. Publix has great deals. She will often leave spending around $50 but saving $65. So awesome.

Has anyone ever heard of ALDI? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have an ALDI out here! They are the king of generic brands. Their produce is fantastic and dirt cheap.

I just jumped onto their website and LOL'D.  Like for real lawl'd. My husband thinks I'm crazy. Their website, at the very top, states:

"We don't price match 

because that would mean raising our prices."

I love them. Go to their website to find a store near you. I promise you will love them. They are bright, clean, and cheap! They do carry quite a few name brand items, but not a ton.

http://aldi.us

This is the place I found the name brand cleaning items under a generic brand! I love it.

The have what's called a "Double Guarantee" meaning if your watermelon is gross when you bring it home, you can bring it back for a whole new one and get your money back for the item. Their website states: 

"Quality, taste and satisfaction are always DOUBLE guaranteed at ALDI. 

If for any reason, you are not 100% satisfied with any product, we will gladly replace the product AND refund your money."

That's an awesome business if you ask me!

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to make your own cleaning product, laundry detergent, and more!

Do you have any tips to share with us? We'd love to hear from you!