Another way to save money on your grocery bill is to use a variety of different brands. When I need a certain product (tomato sauce for example) I always look at all the brands available and choose the one with the best value by taking into account the price and size. Here are a few things to keep in mind about brands:
Brand does matter…sometimes - Before all you brand dependent folks start to shake you fists at me, I agree, brand does matter…sometimes!
I must admit there are a few items that I always by name brand. Heinz ketchup for example. Any other ketchup brand will not fly in our house! I’m also quite smitten with Tostitos Multigrain tortilla chips. Other brands don’t make my taste buds quite as happy. 
Maybe you find that Tide is the only laundry detergent that works perfectly for you. Or, a natural laundry detergent is the only one that doesn’t result in a rash. In that case, it’s probably worth it to spend a bit more on something that works for you and keeps your family healthy.
Be Daring, try a new brand - Try the store brand! They don’t look nearly as appealing as their brand name counterparts thanks to some low budget packaging, but they’re most likely pretty tasty! Take tomato sauce again, it’s hard to go wrong when the ingredient list on both brands is tomatoes, salt and spices.
Did you know that some store brand products are even made in the same factory as the name brand?
Buy items because of price, not brand - Let’s say you need to stock up on toothpaste. Until now, you’ve been only buying Crest. You may be able to buy it for $1.00 by combining a sale with a coupon. If, however, you look for the lowest price on any brand of toothpaste, it’s very possible to get some toothpaste for free or even $0.50 after combining the sale with a coupon! Even without a coupon, Crest could still be the more pricier option.
While the savings of $1.00) on the toothpaste might seem insignificant, think about how the savings could add up if you saved $1.00 on 12 different products each week at the grocery store. You’ll see a savings of $48 a month, or$576 a year!
If you’re not a coupon user, brand names are generally more expensive unless they’re on sale, try out the generic brands and you may not even taste the difference while saving some money.
Don’t go crazy stockpiling cheap brands if you’ve never tried them before - Like I said on Wednesday in the Start Building a Stockpile post, stockpiling items that no one in your household likes is a big waste of money. In that case, you’ve just spent more trying to save more because the item will most likely sit on your shelves for years without being used.
So, if you’re buying a new brand due to a good price, I’d recommend only buying a couple to test whether or not you like the brand. If the brand passes the test, you’ll know it’s safe to stock up!
Are you brand dependent on certain items? When stocking up on new-to-you brand, have you ever made a poor purchase decision?
Missed the last posts in the series? Here they are:
- Trim your Grocery Bill – Commit to Make a Change
- Trim your Grocery Bill – Sneaky Ways Grocery Stores get you to Spend More
- Trim your Grocery Bill – You Need a Grocery Budget
- Trim your Grocery Bill – Menu Planning will Save your Budget and your Sanity
- Trim your Grocery Bill – Tips for Successful Menu Planning, Part 1
- Trim your Grocery Bill – Tips for Successful Menu Planning, Part 2
- Trim your Grocery Bill – Start Building a Stockpile
great post. this is advice i try to give my friends and family. i’m only really brand dependent on heinz ketchup and red hot hot dogs
Reply