Store Brands: Great Value or Low Quality Imitations?

When you want to lower your grocery bill, there are a couple of different approaches you can take. Some people believe the best way to lower their grocery bill is to cut certain things out, mainly snacks and alcohol. Other people believe they can still enjoy all the name brand products they love and still lower their grocery bill by clipping coupons. Personally I have always been under the impression that a combination of buying items that are on sale and using coupons is the best way to go. More and more, though, I have heard that the best way to save money on groceries is to keep buying the same type of items you love, but to just to simply buy the generic or store brand.

I always avoided buying store brands in the past. The main reason is because my mother raised me believing that things cost more for a reason and that you have to pay more for quality. However, being a marketing major in college made me realize that sometimes certain items in a grocery store don't cost more because of the quality of the product. I am thankful that my mom always insisted on buying name brand and high quality products for our family, but at the same time I think she did not give generic brands a fair chance. Part of the reason why certain generic brands cost less is because they do not get advertised. Some companies spend millions of dollars advertising their brand and that cost gets built into the price of their product. Just something to think about if you have a negative attitude towards generic products. The lower price does not necessarily mean that the product is low quality.

Incorporating a few generic or store brand items into the mix of groceries you normally buy can really help lower your grocery bill—especially for items you cannot find coupons for. It really depends on your family's preferences. In my household for example, my family could care less what brand milk I buy, but Hellmann's mayonnaise and certain brands of snacks are things that can not be substituted by similar store brand items. To start taking advantage of lower priced store brand items, figure out which brand name items are an absolute must for your family. If they are indifferent towards some items, try buying a similar store brand item and see how they like it. Remember that most stores have a quality guarantee on their store brands. If you try a store brand item and don't like it, don't be shy—take the store up on their money back guarantee! Just be sure to keep your receipt.

Do you buy store brands on a regular basis? Any store brands that you recommend buying or not buying?