September 14, 2010

Name Brand vs. Store Brand

I know many people are extremely brand loyal, and that often makes it harder to use coupons.  I'm always willing to try the store brand if it will save me money, but I've found that if I watch for sales and use coupons, I can buy the name brand for close to the same price.

So, what do you think?  What are the name brands that you can't live without? 

What are some good store brand items that you use? 

I'll answer my own questions. 

  • We use a lot of Fastco (Fareway store brand) products.  Their dairy products seem to be very good and we actually prefer their string cheese, though we'll only use Anderson Erickson cottage cheese and sour cream.
  •  At Target, we have been pleasantly surprised by a lot of the Up & Up brand products.  Their drawstring garbage bags are actually much tougher than either Glad or Hefty.  Target occasionally has coupons for their products in their printable coupon section, so you can save a lot of money with their store brands.
  • Tide for us is non-negotiable, but I am able to pair Target coupons with manufacturer's coupons, and I only buy when they are also offering the $5 gift cards with purchase.  The biggest thing for me is to make sure to buy when there are coupons and sales and keep a couple of jugs ahead of our usage.  
So, let's hear your answers.  Can I help you find the good deals?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like Up&Up cleaning products a lot, especially the hand soap in refill sizes.

I think the method soaps and detergents smell really nice, but usually can't justify the extra cost.

We generally use Tide laundry detergent and Cascade dish detergent. Are there any store brands that work as well with the hard water here?

- Sarah

PS. Thanks for the Target school supply clearance tips. E got a Dora binder and folders for $2.48.

Amy said...

The only other suggestion I have for really hard water is to use vinegar in every load. It really seems to help keep things from getting stained by all the minerals.

It also lets you skip the rinse aid and the fabric softener, so it's almost a bargain.