Making the switch to store brands

photo by abductos
When asked what items they won’t compromise for the sake of frugality, many of my readers state their brand loyalty to certain products. They are willing to pay more, yet many have not even tried the lower-cost store-brand counterparts available to them. Granted, some have tried store brands and consider their favorite name brands to be superior, but at what cost? When pressed for more information, the primary shopper admits that the pressure of other family members tends to enforce the decision to buy name-brand products. So how much more are folks willing to pay? $1? $2? $5?

Is there still a stigma attached to store brands? Let’s face it: Many vary only slightly to similar name-brand products, and many are manufactured by the same companies. Read the ingredients of both choices. Some are identical, and others are only slightly different. They simply cost less because of marketing. Read: It costs more to convince you it’s better. Stores are aware that they need to have quality products to compete. Many offer money-back guarantees, too.

If you’re trying to save money, this is an area to take into consideration. Store brands aren’t the same as they were years ago. Have you looked lately? The black-and-white labels of yesterday are long gone. Often, they are premium quality and some are even better than the major manufacturer’s brand. Ask yourself why you aren’t buying more store brands.

SNEAKING IT IN: Many of my readers confess that they’ve been using store-brand products for years and have been refilling name-brand product containers such as shampoo bottles, liquid soap, laundry detergent, juice, salad dressings, sugar and cereal, to name a few, with less expensive alternatives. If there isn’t a noticeable difference, continue to try more low-cost options.

MAKE A LIST: Make a list of items that you typically purchase as name brands. Consider items such as water, milk, cereals, frozen food, ice cream, canned food and cleaning products. Test them at home. Don’t overwhelm your family by introducing the private labels all in one week. Try them one or two at a time. You can make it fun by creating a game similar to the Pepsi challenge. You could very well be happy with what you discover. Once you have a list of items you’re willing to switch, add up your potential savings per year.

SHOP SALES: Maybe you’re not entirely convinced about purchasing store brands. You can try shopping for the best value or by sales. I will sometimes purchase a name brand if its price is comparable or less than the store brands I enjoy. This includes using manufacturer’s coupons if I have them available.

STICK WITH WHAT YOU LIKE: By all means, stick with the products you actually like. It’s senseless to try to save money if you truly don’t like a product. You’re only wasting money if you are unhappy. Even I have some name-brand products that I prefer and refuse to buy any another brands. I won’t mention product names, but toilet paper comes to mind. Just keep in mind that not everything is “you get what you pay for.” Often, it’s more about “why pay more?”

Posted by Sara Noel on September 20 2008. Filed under Home & family.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with United Media. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook.