I can remember growing up and opening up cupboards to a wonderful display of color, as long as it was black and white only (there was the occasional blue or green as I recall also, but mostly black).

There would be the occasion issue come up where quality was lacking, so she would just move up to the next lowest cost brand for that item, say French-style green beans.

When my partner and I started grocery shopping together it was power struggle of epic proportions at times at I was used to generic and store brand and she was very brand loyal. When you have a budget to keep for groceries, buying brand name isn’t all that important anymore as long as the quality is still there. Over time, I have changed her mind, either that or just worn her down with my constant comment, ‘œBut it’s cheaper and if it tastes bad we will buy what you want.’

Here are some things I have learned from buying generic/store brands:

1. Pantry staples – Single-ingredient items such as flour, salt and sugar are held to government regulations for production, packaging and storage. In other words, sugar is sugar, regardless of its label. Cheaper is better in this case.

2. Canned fruits and vegetables – Open up a can of Del Monte sweet corn and a similar can of the store brand, and you’re not likely to notice much difference. One disadvantage: When it comes to mixes, the name brand may have a slightly higher count of prized ingredients, say, cherries in fruit cocktail.

3. Over-the-counter medications – Don’t dismiss the store brand over-the-counter medications. According to rules set by the Food and Drug Administration, any products with the same active ingredient must meet efficacy standards. In laymen’s terms that means your drug-store aspirin must be just as effective as its brand-name counterpart, Bayer. The price difference can be as much as 50%.

4. Coupon-scarce goods – A good coupon, especially one that’s doubled by the supermarket, can make a brand-name product the better deal. But some branded items rarely, if ever, get discounted. This includes butter, dry beans, spices and seasonings. So you might as well go generic and consistently save.

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Dawn C. is site owner of FrugalforLife.com where this is a repost from: Buying Generic to Save Costs. Dawn resides in Colorado with her spouse, Teri, of 12 years. You can follow her on Twitter – It’s like a party line for instant messaging.

Photo credit: FrugalforLife.com.