Only offbrand and I saved $20 on my weekly shopping trip

[slowcookerMasterRace]

I cant believe the upcharge for brand name foods and hair products. This week I went only offbrand. I've tried a few of these in the past and was pretty pleased. I've only had to avoid offbrand crackers.

Giving it a trail run this month. Looking to save 1000$ a year!!

[I'm a red panda]

Off brand ketchup is one of the things I can't do (but there are some brands I won't eat either...)  We buy off brand a lot of the times. 
I've started following coupon sites now, and I can often get brands for way less than off brand.  Not so much for food though- very little of the food we buy is packaged anyway.

[HenryDavid]

OK decades ago I worked in a name-brand food company.
Come in at 6 am, start pumping out the product.
8 am, label change. Same product, now with "store brand" label.
Do this 5-6 times daily. Very enlightening.

In many or even almost all cases, the off-brand is THE SAME STUFF.
The brand label is the "sucker price." The off-brand is the "informed shopper price."
Usually you can research this by checking labels or interwebs.

[frugalkristen]

I know I'm dating myself here....but many, many years ago, I was watching Phil Donahue (remember him?  Before Oprah!) and he had an episode about saving money with off brands.  A guest on the show was a mom who brought her kids on to test the cereal.  The kids all liked the off brand better.  Phil asked why and the mom explained that for years, she had been buying off brand cereal and pouring it into an empty box of name brand cereal that she had in the pantry.  For years, the kids had been eating off brand without knowing it!  So that's what they preferred!  I still remember that because that's what made me start going to store brands for most items.  There are a lot of things I like better but it takes a little trial and error to figure it out.

[PJ]

There are plenty of things that I'm happy to buy the off brand/store brand.  For those things that I have a preference for name brands, I just watch for the sales, and learn the sales cycles.  Often the lowest sale price (which comes around often enough) is lower than the store brand.

One example is Kraft Peanut Butter.  Other brands are ok, but I like Kraft best.  Regular price can be over $5 for the 1 kg jar, depending on where you shop.  Often on sale for $3,99.  Occasionally on sale for $2.99.  I've learned to wait for the good sale price :-)

Edited to add: Sorry, I should say that the "Great Value" (Walmart store brand) same size jar is $3.47.

[I'm a red panda]

Milk is the thing I don't understand "name brand" the most.
A gallon of milk from an advertised on TV dairy is $3.70.  A gallon of Market Pantry at Target is $1.00 - minus 5% if you have cartwheel.  Neither is organic; they taste identical, because the ingredient is "milk".

I can taste the difference between many peanut butters (and recently switched from my favorite Jiff because I avoid palm oil)- but not milk.

[Frankies Girl]

I honestly prefer most of the off brand/store brand stuff to brand name. I think the only time I buy brand name is when it's a clearance item and cheaper than the store brand. 99% of everything (including clothing, household goods, cleaning supplies) is generic or store brand stuff.

One of my few exceptions is toothpaste. I use sensitive teeth stuff, but I get extra samples from the dentist because I don't need the toothbrush, so I ask for no toothbrush but 2 little toothpaste tubes of their sensitive teeth stuff. Husband does the same, so I end up with 4 tubes every 6 months. Use the regular toothpaste (also not a generic, but we buy in bulk on sale) several times a week but generally use the sensitive stuff most of the time and have built up a stockpile from the dentist. Haven't bought sensitive toothpaste in years this way.

When I see people buying brand name stuff that is literally the same thing as the store brand with a huge markup... I honestly think they're simple-minded sheep.

And places like Aldi and Kroger have a guarantee that if you try the store brand and just don't like it, you can return the product.

[link_417]

Sorry for the OT but I have to ask:  What's with your username?!

[misshathaway]

We have a local discount grocery called MarketBasket here in Mass. Their store brand full fat Greek yogurt is delicious. I got it once when they were out of Fage and never looked back. I've had most of the full fat brand name Greek yogurts and it does not taste exactly like any of them. Can't figure out what name brand makes it. I care because they run out of it a lot.