That was until years later when I found myself taking an advertising class in college as part of my graphic design degree and I learned that not only in most cases are the store brand and generic brand the same exact thing but in some cases they are made and distributed by the same exact company! So why do we pay so much for the name brand products? Well exactly for that....the name brand! You are paying for the fancy logo and pretty and colorful package, the TV ads, the web banners, and the little ad you see in between the makeup section and embarrassing stories in Cosmo! We are paying for the advertising that gets us out there to buy the products so they can do what? Advertise it some more so we can buy some more! Yep, kind of an oxymoron!
So now not only do I owe my mom a huge apology for making her feel like a terrible cheap skate but I also am 100% guilty myself of trying to save a few extra cents and maybe even one day embarrass my son in front of his friends when they have a belly ache and I pull out my Big Lots brand, Pink Bismouth instead of Pepto Bismal! I mean think about it..most insurance companies will ONLY cover generic brand prescriptions and no one seems to complain about that!
Now that we know this about these products the question is, is that always the case that the store brand is just as good as the name brand and my answer is it depends! Honestly it is up to you to find out ! I've tried the store brand and name brand of many products and I found that in most cases they are just as good so it really depends on the item you are buying. For instance and this is a weird thing to pick but I don't find the store brand Tampons to be as good as Playtex but that's a matter of preference. I also like Playtex over Tampax so maybe the store brand is competing with the Tampax brand and that's why I don't like them! I've also tried this in the supermarket, the store brand frozen spinach or broccoli to me is just as good as any name brand. I really like Stop and Shops ice cream but wasn't crazy about Archer farms the target brands ice cream. Something's however cannot be replaced, like Hershey's chocolate syrup will always beat the store brand and no one out there seems to be able to recreat the Swiffer or Mr. clean Sponge!
All in all it is up to us to decide what we prefer. In some cases I found things that I thought were just as good if not better than the name brand. Targets Up & Up brand is one that sticks out to me. I recently purchased their shave gel over the Skintimate brand because it was a bit cheaper. I really like it better and think I will continue to purchase it from here on out. Not only do you get more product but I liked the scent better and thought it lathered up thicker and richer than many of the name brands I have used! Also their makeup brushes are good quality and much much cheaper than the Sonia Kashuk ones that go for $10 and up a pop. When it comes to tools and utensils I find that cotton balls, Q-tips, nail polish removers and things of that nature are just as good in the store brand. I also only buy the store brand contact solution. Wal-marts brand Equate makes great beauty cleansing cloths that are a staple in my everyday routine!
So all in all this is just some food for thought next time you are out shopping. If your running low on cash and just want to save a few bucks on your next personal care haul try out one of the store brand items and don't feel cheap and ashamed when you get to the register but instead feel smarter and informed!
The story about your mom buying kmart Tylenol reminds of how embarrassed I always was when my friends saw we buy pathmark potato chips! They were whipped out at every sleepover! Yet...you get older pop out a kid or two and BOOM you're your mom. My younger bratty self would be devastated!
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