Don’t let the term “generic” sway your decision to buy any more. Why? Because there are actually a lot of products that are not only easy on the wallet but work wonderfully and taste great too. And we’re sharing our top choices today.

Name brand just doesn’t mean the same anymore. From Target’s “Up and Up” and “Market Pantry” options to Walgreens’ “Nice!” line, there are a lot of popular spots that are offering up more affordable household staples – from the pantry to the laundry closet. Let’s have a look at 12 generic alternatives to name brand products that don’t suck! Not even a little!

12 Generic Alternatives to Brand Name Products That Don’t Suck

Equate Sunscreen

• Online & In-store: Walmart
• Price: $6.98 for a twin pack

You have to be smart here, but we’ve outsmarted those name brands. When buying sunscreen, make sure you’re hitting a couple of different marks. Firstly, make sure to buy above SPF 15 to prevent sunscreen. Also, make sure the bottle is marked “broad spectrum” to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. This one hits all marks and knocks it out the park.

 

 

Market Pantry Milk

• In-store: Target
• Price: About $1.98 per gallon

Most of the store brand milk is processed at the same plants as name brands. Just go with the generic with this one. A lot of them are quite literally identical to name brands like Darigold or Purity. And you can’t taste the difference!

 

 

Kroger Frosted Toasted Oats with Marshmallows

• In-store: Kroger
• Price: $1.49

If you look really closely you may be able to tell the difference between this one and its Lucky Charms big sister. But, when it comes to taste, it will be hard to notice a true difference. Save yourself a bit with this buy.

 

 

 

Nice! Disinfectant Wipes

• Online & In-store: Walgreens
• Price: $6.99 for a twin pack

These will get the job done for a great price. Actually, you’ll be saving around $2 by going with this generic brand while still killing the flu virus around your home. Go easy on the budget this time around and try these out. The bathroom will be cleaned either way!

 

 

Kroger Extra Strength Pain Reliever

• Online & In-store: Kroger
• Price: $2.48

Medications are already regulated by the FDA and have to follow certain regulations. Grab the name brand that you’re used to taking and then pick up the generic brand – now look at the ingredients. Nine out of ten times you’ll see identical lists of ingredients and you can save a little bundle by going with the store’s option.

Great Value Ice Cream

• In-store: Walmart
• Price: $2.97

Just try some of the flavors. You may go into this binging session with preconceived notions but if they’re satisfying your sweet tooth in the same ways as Purity or Breyers why not save the nearly $2 that you could be with purchase?

 

Market Pantry Mini Twist Pretzels

• Online & In-store: Target
• Price: $1.99

And these will satisfy your salty cravings without missing a beat. It’s hard to mess up pretzels and these are just as crunchy and delicious as our favorite Rold Golds. Grab these for the kid’s snacks or your next game night with friends.

 

 

 

Nice! 100% Pure Honey

• Online & In-store: Walgreens
• Price: $3.99

Real, pure honey can cost a good amount, but at Walgreens, you can get a quality product without splurging too harshly. Baking, in your tea, or drizzled on desserts – the taste is of clear comparison. There’s even a lengthy list of fabulous reviews that provide even further evidence to its great taste along with its accessible price tag.

 

 

Market Pantry Ketchup

• Online & In-store: Target
• Price: $0.89

This is the ketchup I buy and there’s virtually no difference in taste – just the color – which is seemingly more natural than the Heinz we all know and love. Do yourself a favor and buy this from now on.

 

 

 

Up & Up Paper Towels

• Online & In-store: Target
• Price: $0.99 per roll

These paper towels will get the job done just like other brands we love. If you’re super picky, you can stick with your Bounty or Scott. But, you’ll be saving money and still wiping up your messes at home without any trouble.

 

 

 

Great Value Baking Powder

• Online & In-store: WalMart
• Price: $1.00

Grandma may swear by a certain brand but there’s really no difference in a Clabber Girl versus a Great Value. Save the extra budget to use elsewhere on the grocery list – like with your meats (which you should NEVER go generic with). You’ll get an end result that still tastes great.

 

 

 

Kroger Produce

• In-store: Kroger
• Price: Varies

Kroger produce is usually A+, as in the pre-packaged ones. You don’t have to get Dole to get good-for-you and fresh ingredients for the night’s meal. Instead, this store brand offers up really good looking fruit and veg.

 

Why Buy a Product for Life?

We spend a lot of money purchasing products that assist us in our day to day lives. And why not? Products are so accessible these days, why create a collection of items when I can instead buy cheap and use once, and not care if it breaks because I can always buy another later.

In current times where everything you own can be replaceable at the drop of a hat, it begs the question of what is the benefit of buying it for life instead of just buying it for now?

Fortunately, the benefits outweigh the initial cost which can definitely feel like a lot. It’s difficult to part with our hard earned money to buy things we might actually need.

Other times, we end up making repeat purchases of similar items that add up way past the purchase point of a single quality item. Items that are a dime a dozen with a low price point to match are an easy trap to fall into that can cost you a large lump sum in the long run.

Don’t wait for situations to pop up where you think you might need a specific item. Prepare in advance and anticipate your long-term needs by investing now and saving consistently in the years to come.

Cut down on the surprise emergency situations that arise by investing in durable products early that are known for heavy usage.

Repeat Buys Cost Both Time & Money

Think about the process you go through every time you purchase something. There’s the price of the item itself and the time it takes you to make the decision and actually purchase it. Now imagine repeating this several times.

While it may be that buying the same or similar item multiple times will eventually add up to the price of the more ‘quality, expensive item’, this isn’t always the case.

Time to Add Up All the Factors

Take into account the factors that add to the price (energy, time, & money) of buying an item.

On foot: Taking travel into account, that could be potential gas used or public transportation ticket used, and distance traveled going both ways. There’s also the time spent navigating the store and waiting at checkout.

Online: Potential shipping charges and wait times for delivery. Plus the added factor of never knowing if you’ll have to go through the process of a return. We all know what kind of customer service headache that can be.

Bottom line, time is always spent – and time costs energy and money, so why not spend it wisely?

Peace of Mind Can Be Bought

It’s not just about buying products for the long term just for the sake of not having to replace it. It’s about finding items that contribute to a more efficient, comfortable life.

Knowing you’re covered when a problem arises or a situation occurs can bring relief. You can rely on the old faithful to work as well as the day you bought it to get the job done without breaking down.

Environmentally-Friendly

Image Source

Frankly put, It is better for the environment to not create excessive waste. This is no exception.

Quite a bit of natural resources is expended when creating products. These resources are often finite things like water. Then when we’re done with them when they break or outlive their lifespans, we throw them out, creating more waste.

In short, the less we needlessly spend on repeat purchases, the fewer resources are used, and the fewer things end up in landfills polluting the environment.

Lifetime Purpose

Resale Value

Because quality items are meant to last a lifetime, they’ll always have a purpose and therefore a resale value. Knowing this can help the blow to the wallet from buying it in the first place.

This way you’ll always have the option to recoup some of your investment should you need to sell it.

An example of a lifetime product is a Vitamix or a Kitchenaid. These will always have value and are a common hand-me-down through the generations. In fact, many of these items that we buy for life are items that can be handed down to the next generation, further increasing its lifespan.

What You Want, Why You Need It, & Where You Should Get It

The simplest way to figure out where you could start investing in quality items is by looking at your own needs and habits.

A great place to start is where there are current or potential gaps in the future. Time to ask ourselves some more questions to figure out what those gaps in order to fill them.

Ask Yourself What You Need

Are you frequently replacing a particular item? Is anything wearing down or on the verge of breaking? Consider replacing it for the last time.

Is there any moment when using a product that you’ve thought to yourself how frustrating it was to use? Or maybe the product wasn’t as effective at solving that particular problem? Consider upgrading to a buy it for life product.

How to Find Items Worth Buying

First and foremost, research. Research the best quality item within its niche, whether its an appliance, a tool, or what have you. Start narrowing down the item by how it best fits your needs by researching items to see what exists and what’s available (or accessible).

Once you’ve found your selections for potential purchase, where do you go from there? Time to check to see if the item lives up to the hype and comes from a reputable seller.

Make Sure You Know Where You’re Buying It From

Be sure to thoroughly vet a product and its manufacturer for these things:

• Reputation – Is this company well known for its product? Is this a company that’s been in existence for a sizable amount of time to have built a reputation for quality products?
• Reviews – Are the reviews from reputable sources and are verified (bought by real paying customers) purchases?
• Business specialty – Does the company specialize in this product? Companies specializing in a particular product will often take more care to create a more durable, quality product.
• Materials – What is the quality of the materials the product is made with? Where is it sourced?
• Return policy – What is the return policy and its process for returns? Is there an extra charge?
• Warranty – Always check what kind of warranty the product may or may not have. Account for lifetime guarantees, limited warranty conditions, and any fine print.
• Customer Service – Many companies will have a customer service reputation, finding out what kind of service you can expect will help you down the line should you need to contact them for assistance.

Note: For second-hand merchants such as Craigslist, Kijiji, Letgo, Offerup, and yard sales, things can get a little bit more tricky as a lot of information about the product isn’t as readily accessible for you to confirm the quality of the product. Be careful, be mindful, and take care to purchase wisely.

Proper Care Can Last Forever

One of the most important reasons why a lot of these items last so long is because of proper care and maintenance keeping them fresh and in proper working order.

Don’t worry, though! That doesn’t mean you have to spend an inordinate amount of time caring for your things. Most items require either minimal maintenance, spot checks, or need to be thoroughly cleaned on a cycle potentially spanning a month to a year. This information can be found in most manuals, if not from a quick Google search.

Don’t neglect the working state of your products, and they won’t let you down when it’s time to get up and working.

Everyday Items You Can Buy For Life

Jump start your buy it for life journey with a couple of ideas on items worth considering as an investment. Below you’ll find our list of product basics to start off with that are commonly used in our households or by our own person.

Kitchenware & House Appliances

Image Source

• Blenders
• Can Opener
• Food Processor & Stand Mixers
• Coffee Brewer
• Cast Iron Skillet
• Knives
• Utensils
• Vacuums

Clothing & Accessories

Image Source

• Jeans
• Shoes/Boots
• Backpack, Purses, & Bags
• Wallet
• Eyeglasses
• Socks

Tools & Equipment

Image Source

• Phillips Head Screwdriver
• Wrench
• Maglite
• Zippo
• Hammer
• Tape Measure
• LED Flashlight
• Pliers
• Drill/Driver
• Multitool

If that’s not enough, check out this insanely extensive list of 106 items to buy for forever.

Closing Words of Advice

Don’t ever feel pressured to suddenly start replacing everything you own or adding in new additions for the long haul. We don’t need to absolutely buy everything we own for life, especially not right at this moment. In fact, I advise against it.

Buying multiple quality items upfront can seem like a good idea, but not always cost-effective in our day to day lives where we have many expenses to account for.

Remember:

• Spend less, not more. This applies to both time and money.
• Shop smart to buy items that will make your life easier.
• Gradually lessen the burden by switching things out as you absolutely need them.

Buying for life is a long-term investment for a reason. It’s not an investment anymore if you’re left with a financial burden. Most importantly, always do what is best for your individual everyday needs, first and foremost.

At this very moment, do you know how much money you spend on food a month? A week? Today alone? If you’re unsure like I once was, now is the opportunity to turn grocery shopping into a manageable expense and get the most value, both monetary and nutritional, out of your grocery shopping.

The better the plan the more time you can have to accomplish other things. You might even find out you’re spending more on food than you needed to, allowing you the option of diverting those savings into another investment.

According to studies done on income spent on food by the United States Department of Agriculture, households are spending anywhere between 10% and 25% of their income on food.

Budgeting is Your Friend, We Promise

Creating a budget doesn’t mean limiting your options. In fact, I argue it means the opposite. Buying and preparing your own dishes allows for limitless variations from changes in spices to secondary ingredients used.

Overall, it will help reduce expenditures while still allowing you to achieve a well-balanced lifestyle that is both healthy and affordable.

Buying for the home increases overall health benefits over the long term.

Building a foundation of plans in how you purchase, store, and prepare your food will open up more time in your days for other things and increase your productivity.

The only con I see here is that it can seem daunting at first because it seems like a lifestyle change. That’s why we’re here and you’re here with us. We’re going to walk through this process with you, from home to the checkout line.

Here is an easy to use a grocery budgeting calculator to get an estimate based on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Low-Cost Food Plan. Once you calculate the average budget spent on food for your household size, you’ll be able to create a low-cost plan that also meets your dietary needs as a healthy human being.

A Note for Those Shopping for One

Shopping for one can be tricky. Keeping track of your inventory and purchases becomes more important because if you’re not eating it, nobody is and it’s going to waste.

Proper portioning out and freezing as much as you can is key here. Anything not being consumed within a few days should be stored for quality preservation.

Try buying in bulk and prioritizing loose items rather than individual packaging. Smaller portions are always more expensive because they’re based on convenient packaging and portability.

Developing a Plan to Go Grocery Shopping

image source

There are things you need to know in order to budget like a pro. Or rather, before you start.

This part is crucial because it dictates how effective and affordable the rest of the budget is planned.

Preferably in this order.

Make an Inventory of the Fridge & Pantry

Knowing what you have and planning ahead saves you the most money. You’ll be able to plan around your current inventory items and buy only what you need.

Develop a Budget that Works for You

Let’s be honest, we like to eat what we like to eat a lot of the time. Having a variety in food choices can help keep us from impulse buying.

Identify your favorite foods, and find or create budget-friendly versions of them or variations on the dishes using spices and side ingredients.

What Factors Might Go Into Your Budget?

Overall Expenses

This is the biggest one. Before you can make your tailored budget specific to grocery shopping and everything food, you need to sort out the breakdown of your overall expenses to see what’s available to you.

After you calculate your potential budget, we can begin to maximize how much we can get out of that budget and how we can change it to fit our nutritional needs.

Your Food Content

Identifying what kind of food preferences you have will help you budget more effectively

Not all two foods are alike. Food of the same name can have different nutritional values based on type. Which ones are you eating?

An example of this is: are you a white flour and white rice kind of person? Or do you eat whole wheat and brown rice? White flour based items and white rice might be more inexpensive, but also have less nutritional value than their whole wheat and grain counterpart.

Another example is iceberg lettuce versus romaine lettuce. Iceberg lettuce is known for having very little nutrients in comparison to romaine. Little price differences for a much larger nutritional gain can be worth the change.

Sweet & Salty Tooth

Are you susceptible to purchasing extra snacks, drinks, and more outside of your budget? The bad news is that in a lot of budgeting, this can be a dangerous game to play as sometimes it can become hard not to replace healthy, hearty items with more junky counterparts.

The good news is with a steady plan and budget laid out, the potential to sneak some of life’s guilty pleasures into the rotation becomes a favorable one.

Overall, If you’re flexible to switch to a different brand or are open to a more nutritional alternative, it can affect your budget.

Choosing the Right Grocery Store

image source

Prices can vary from store to store and depending on where you live and what’s accessible, can affect your budget.

Compare your shopping choices. Take note of various options in your surrounding area and their food offerings. Certain necessities might be expensive in one place, but could be more affordable in another. This is also true of in-store options.

Take advantage of region-based food items too. Some items will be more inexpensive and more accessible the closer you are to its source. If you live on the west coast or in California, avocados are inexpensive because their place of origin (Mexico) is right across the border.

What Are My Grocery Store Options?

This one might be a no-brainer, but it’s amazing the number of options we have at our disposals without even realizing it. We’ve laid out the majority, if not all, grocery shopping options available to you.

• Check for chain stores
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Shoprite
  • Aldi’s
• Grocery stores within places like
  • Target
  • Walmart
• Wholesale warehouses
  • Costco
  • BJ’s
• Local grocery stores
• Butcher
• Deli
• Farmer’s markets (seasonal & year-round)
• Drug stores
• Convenient stores

Avoid Overspending or Unnecessary Purchases

In order to keep track of and develop better habits for both spending money on and consuming food, it’s important not to deviate from the budget when possible.

• Don’t go into the grocery shop feeling hungry to minimize impulse buying
• Avoid going to store outside of planned shopping (no more than once a week)
• Think of home as the first and last option for food to avoid takeout and deliveries
• Always use what you have on hand from your inventory to make a full meal
• Create a meal plan for the week or pick days with specific meals, like meal events (e.g. Taco Tuesday).

Be Mindful of Food Quality

Expiration Dates

Be sure to check table-shelf life (perishable/non-perishable) for everything.

• Some items come with extra dates that tell you to eat or freeze by then.

Versatility

Great value can translate into the potential for more food options. Eating the same dish can get monotonous and can cause impulse buying to satisfy a taste for something different.

Ask yourself some questions to figure out your options for new dishes.

• How many dishes can I incorporate this into?
• Is this portable?
• Can I switch up the spices? Toppings? Side ingredients?

Nutritional Value

What are the nutritional percentages?

Ingredients are listed in order from most to least amounts. Shorter ingredient lists are generally better options with less filler.

Discounts & Sales

Be careful of overspending here, just because something is good deal doesn’t mean it’s a necessity. Buying something on sale for the sake of the sale is still spending money.

Look for discount items that are about to expire in a few days. A lot of these can be frozen when brought home and taken out to be used when necessary.

Not Eating It? Freeze It!

The general rule in preserving food for the long haul and getting the most out of your budget is if it can be frozen, freeze it. It allows you to save in bulk for perishable items when you need it.

Same goes for buying frozen items. Vegetables are flash froze at their peak for maximum nutrients.

Common Items for The Freezer

• Bread and baked goods
• Vegetables
• Poultry, meat, and seafood
• Meal preps of your own creation

Buying Items in Bulk

For these selections of non-perishables/perishables, consider buying in bulk. Bulk items are already good value, so when you find a good sale it’s beyond worth the investment. Avoid spending extra pennies on wasteful individual packaging, as tempting as the convenience of it is.

Bulk Shiz

• Less Convenience More Product
• Choose whole coffee beans and grind them yourself or in store
• Choose loose tea over individually bagged tea

Food Basics to Have in Your Grocery Lineup

Non-Perishable Food

Dry foods and preserved items that last long periods of time are the perfect investment to get your foundation started. There’s also the added benefit of being an emergency backup in the event something happens, such as your refrigerator breaking down leading to spoiled food.

If you have very little of these to start, it will be an initial hit to the budget, but it will be a temporary one because the more of these you have, the less you’ll need to purchase them in the future ultimately cutting down on long-term costs.

• Rice
• Legumes
  • Chickpeas
  • Beans
  • Lentils
• Spices & Seasoning
  • Mixed seasoning
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Coriander Seed
  • Cumin
  • Salt (Kosher, any salt with iodine)
• Powdered
  • Protein
  • Greens
  • Milk
• Whole Grains
  • Oats
  • Quinoa
• Peanut Butter
• Flour
• Pasta
• Canned foods

Perishable Food

Here’s the tricky thing with perishables. It’s important to be aware of the expiration dates and either prepare to use early for a dish (plan it) or freeze it. Also, properly picking out portions when both purchasing and preparing a meal is essential so there’s no waste. Always make leftovers where possible.

• Eggs
• Cheese
• Garlic
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Fish (Salmon, Tilapia, Mackerel)
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken (Breasts, thighs)
• Ground Beef
• Meats
• Cold Cuts (better to buy whole)