Can You Tell the difference?

On my $50 a week for food budget I have to consider store brands Rosie. I am not allowed to buy anything but Heinz tomato soup or baked beans, but everything else is up for grabs. I have to say that some store stuff, especially canned goods, are very good, better than some brand names in fact. The same goes for dried pasta. I have started doing more shopping at Lidl (I think that you have them there). I will not eat chicken that is not at least free range. Lidl's free range chicken is at least $1 cheaper than all the other supermarkets. Eggs I buy direct from the farm so they are usually about half price. If truth be known, we have never quite managed $50, more like $65, but that is still a $100 a week less than we used to spend.

I usually go for the store brand. When we lived in Ohio, I thought Kroger coffee was better than most name-brand coffees. I also liked their colas better than Coke or Pepsi. And I like Aldi's nacho flavored chips. Now I'm hungry.

I bought store brands on and off before prices started going up is just me and the way I was brought up. It all taste the same because I am always adding flavoring to water ever comes out of the can rather it be a name brand or store. When I lived in California in the area I lived in they had a Real fresh Company that canned/packed food name brands and store brands. We took kids here for a field trip and well name brand and store brands all come from the same place nothing less added to either.

In my experience supermarket own brands are often just as good as the "name" brands - possibly even made in the same factory. You just have to take it on a case by case basis. Also, I'm an ace at spotting the loss leaders, two for the price of one offers etc and snapping them up.

I don't like the store brands, the taste and textures are different. And cleaning products usually take more so your not really saving any money if you use more, or if it tastes so bad you can't eat it.

I buy cheaper products but not all the time. It depends on what it is I buy. But why not?

My wife and I are now buying bulk food at Sams Club a lot more than we ever have due to the high prices recently. we are also shopping at Aldis buying generic foods as well. Some items are not that good tasting so we buy a new one and if it isn't good we get the regular brand. It's nit picking at times but we need to save as much as possible when it comes to food. I even built a bigger garden this spring for more veggies so we don' have to buy those at stores. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~

Hmmm...can't help wondering if that is some sort of mind suggestion thing going for you. The reason I say that is that I know an inside tip I was told once. This is true for just about any company and manufacturer of any product. Say it's a Sony TV..they will make x-amount of TVs and stick the Sony label on it and charge a small fortune...they make x-amount of TVs and it's IDENTICAL to the ones with the Sony label, but instead put a cheaper brand name on it..like a store brand. The same exact thing goes for food....Say it's a food made by Kraft..say salad dressing...they make X-amount and put their label and X-amount and put the generic store label on it...but it's the same thing--now I pride myself with sensitive taste buds...and really I can't tell the difference at all..so yes, I usually opt for the cheaper store brand rather than the top brand items of food

Some of the cheaper brands are really good.A couple of days ago I went to buy face wash, and it seems to get dearer everytime i nned and I noticed a store brand one.I'd never seen before, I found it was reallly good and it"s about half the price.

I have not noticed the price of groceries going up here yet. Milk actually went down 40 cents per gallon recently. I can tell the difference between name brand and store brand in a lot of things. Some I can't really tell. Some it is not enough of a difference for me to pay more for name brand. I have noticed lately at the stores I shop at that name brand is on sale for cheaper than store brand.

Hi Rosekitty, I understand what you mean about the prices increasing. The price of a loaf of bread even is ridiculous but that is one item where I have to buy a decent loaf as I find the stor brands go off very quickly and don't taste as good. With tinned products I usually get the store brand for example plum tomatos as these will be used within cooking a dish at home anyway. So I buy a real mix really. I'm fussy with my fruit and veg but frozen products store brand is okay. I'm fussy with fresh meat too. My son luckily for me prefers storebrand meatballs to labelled and also storbrand hotdogs to labelled. I will also buy stroebrand soup unless it is tomato and then it has to be Heinz. I don't think I would be able to budget if I didn't buy the cheaper brand products on a lot of items. Ellie :D

Price does affect some of my purchasing. However, if it tastes bad and I throw it away I just wasted money. I am still going to look at quality also. I'm trying to take better care of myself. Buying better foods for a few more cents will save me a lot of issues later with my health and well being. I've also found that I can buy a lot more at the dollar store. Band aids are band aids. Even some of the lean cuisine dinners are available at one of them. And, it's right next door to the store I do most of my shopping from so it's worth it to walk over there.

With some items, like pasta sauce, soda and mayo, I won't go with the store brands but, with some other things I will. I have always tried to buy store brands over name brands because I want to keep as much of my money as possible while still feeding my family.

yeah, it's different. I like the brand thing. No brand food, let me think of not safe or don't tasty.

I have changed my shopping trips, as am cooking and baking more often. I'll never buy generic yeast every again, as the bread didn't rise. It was a huge waste of money. All of my baking ingredients I'm willing to spend more, as I still will save a lot of money.

Yes I have changed the way I buy groceries we have a store here called Aldie's, my daughter says their stuff is not good, because it an off brand. Well I went there there can good is way cheaper, and t tell the truth a can of corn is a can of corn, you open it put butter, seasoning in it, it all the same, and cost 30+cent cheaper. You have to sack your own groceries, that is hard on me as I am disabled, but for the savings I can do it, their milk is $2.45, big name stores are selling it for $4. a gallon, it does not matter whether times are hard why should we have them $4, for something that sells for $2.45. Don't you ever get tired of making everyone else but you rich. As for what to get I am tired of eating hamburger, pork chops, ribs, a chicken is $7.95 cents in some of the stores. What did chicken go on strike or something. It is getting to be way out of hand. Yes I too believe there are a few things that are not as good as the name brands, I bought 3 large self rising pizzas the other day that was store brand and they are discusting, but usually the store brands are what I buy and with the price of groceries going up before our eyes, will be buying a lot more of the store brands if we expect to eat I guess.

There are a few products that I am picky about. Miracle Whip, Open Pit BBQ sauce, Kraft sliced cheese and Heinz ketchup are important ones. I don't care about my laundry soap as long as it is the Free and Clear kind. My daughter has sensitive itchy skin. I like to buy the store brand cereals. Most of the time I prefer them over the name brand ones anyway! My parents buy expensive super soft and yummy bread. I almost want to take a nap with it instead of eat it! I buy the cheapest bread I can find.

I still tend to stick to brand names for food but have switched to store brands for all my paper goods like paper towels and toilet tisse and kleenex. some of my favorite brands are so much better than the store brands 'I hesitate to switch.

Because price is seemingly increasing, I get to buy cheaper things but I am over the quality also.

I'll try a store-brand once. If it's not terrible then I'll get it again. The great part about getting most of your stuff as store-brands is that when you (or your pocketbook whichever comes first) decides to treat yourself and you spend the money for the name brand then you'll really enjoy it.