Talk to Me Tuesday: Best Generic Bargains
Tue, Apr 14, 2009
Don’t you just love it when you find a great generic product that saves you cash? It’s like having a sale price available every time you go to the store. Earlier this year, I realized I was spending way too much on diapers. So I decided to take a gamble and try a few generic brands. I was nervous because diapers are expensive – even generic ones – so I was really keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t end up with a leaky mess.
First, I tried the WalMart brand, White Cloud. They were significantly cheaper than the name brand diapers and it showed. They were thin and loose and a total waste twelve bucks. I ended up selling the rest of the pack at a garage sale for $1. Next, I tried the Sams Club brand, Strollers. Much to my surprise, they were awesome. They were just as durable as the name-brand version and never leaked. Plus, by opting for the generic diapers instead of the Huggies I usually buy, I save almost $300 per year. I just wish it hadn’t taken me four kids to figure it out! It’s painful to think how much money I could have saved.
So for today’s Talk to Me Tuesday post, I’m asking for your best (and worst) generic brand finds. What products have you found that are just as good as the name-brand alternative? On the flip side, what generic brands have you tried that didn’t stack up to your expectations? Or, what name-brand products do you use that are worth the extra cash? We’re all trying to budget a little more carefully these days so do your fellow MeckMom readers (and me) a favor by taking a minute to share your best money-saving finds in the comments area below. As always, to those of you who comment, thanks in advance for passing it on.
Tags: brand-name, diapers, generic, money, Saving $, tip
April 14th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I buy kroger comforts, walmart’s parents choice and publix premium diapers. They are always a great price and I have never had a problem with them leaking.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Target brand baby wipes are great! Not a fan of Sam’s Club wipes though.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
This is unrelated to baby products…I try to purchase organic and natural products for our family. Clearly Organic is a generic brand that is great and relatively cheaper than other expensive organic brands.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I really like the three pack of antibacterial wipes from Costco. I like them better than clorox wipes and the price is EXCELLENT!
April 14th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I buy the generic “puffs” at Walmart and Target. They are $1 less a container then Gerber brand and my baby doesn’t know the difference. She loves them all!
April 14th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I love the Sam’s Club paper towels. I think they’re in your picture. They’re just as good as Bounty, but cost much less.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I HATED the target brand diapers when Seth was born. Maybe they’re better now, but back then they wouldn’t even stay together. And I really liked the Costco baby formula. It’s not quite as “pretty” as Enfamil, but so much cheaper.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I tried the Equate brand dental whitening strips, and was incredibly disappointed with them–they were so gross! I couldn’t even use the whole package because they would foam up and leave a gross taste in my mouth. In this case, I would say it’s worth it to spend a little more money for the Crest brand!
April 14th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
This is related because it is about nappies. I don’t use disposables, i am using cloth nappies, that are made like a disposable – does that make sense? lol They don’t leak, they are either velcro or clip, and they are shaped like a disposable. The ones i use are fitting my newborn, and will do him until he is about 15kgs. The initial outlay was expensive (about $500AU), but when you look at how much disposables cost over the space of 2 – 3 years, not just for one child – it is certainly a huge money saver. It will save me about $3000.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Well, I’m way past diapers, but recently we ran out of Kirkland toilet tissue and bought another brand. I was SO disappointed in it. The rolls were lots smaller, and I felt like we needed to use twice as much tp to get the job done! We went back to Costco and got ourselves more Kirkland tp FAST!
April 15th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Target brand wipes are the only ones I use for my kids–I like them better than name brand, and they’re always cheaper. Also, Walmart has the best boxed mac and cheese (thick and creamy style). Its better than Kraft, for something like half as much.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:44 am
It’s an old product that’s been around for a while. Garden Club jams, jellies and preserves are a good tasting products at a bargin price. I get them at Walmart and some Price Choppers. They come in jars that are glasses. After they are empty,I use the glasses as vases or candle holders to share with friends. Sharing and saving, it makes me happy.
April 16th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Here’s my list of recommendations: Costco has great wipes (the Kirkland brand) which are soft and strong. I’m a wipe snob and don’t like most other wipes unless they are the sensitive kind. Walmart makes a good sensitive brand wipe under the Parent’s Choice brand. I don’t like knock off brands of mayo or salad dressing, but I use the store brand of margarine (for cooking) and I can’t tell the difference. Probably my favorite money-saving tip would be Suave’s healthy curls scrunching mousse. I have curly hair and have tried dozens of mousses to calm my natural curls and get rid of the frizzy look. This one works as well or better than even salon brands that I’ve tried and it’s by far the cheapest brand ever. It’s wonderful! I totally recommend it! One last recommendation: I used to use Neutrogena and Clinique face soaps for my face each night. My dad (who is a scientist by trade) told me about 9 years ago that they weren’t doing me any good and that I was wasting my money. He said my face would be just as healthy (if not more so) by using just plain water to clean it off at night. So I tried it and he was right. Now I just rinse my face off with water and my face does just great. I should note, though, that I don’t wear a lot of make-up. But I would definitely recommend trying it out. It’s save me a lot of money.
April 18th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I really love Costco’s Kirkland brand for diapers and formula! I think the diapers might be better than Huggies, and my kids never had a problem with the formula. However, I really hate their toilet paper. I’m cheap for a lot of things, but tp is NOT one of them. So I look for coupons for Charmin because it’s the only way I’ll go. My friend also told me about the Walmart brand of Dove and has loved it. Another money saver is going to the bread store rather than the grocery store for your bakery needs. If your family is not picky than I would go there. The bread is SO much cheaper than even at Walmart. Hope this helps!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I finally thought of one. We love Crystal light drink mix but it is expensive. Walmart’s generic is just as good and only $1.67 a six pack. (each pack makes 1 pitcher) We love it. They also make generic drink mix for water bottles. We like those too.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:27 pm
i just had a baby and tried pampers swaddlers, loved them… huggies supreme, loved them… cvs brand, waaay too many leaks!!
May 15th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
i love the parent’s choice premium wipes, they are soft and cloth-like just like pampers wipes but MUCH cheaper. and i am a huge luvs fan, i have tried every name-brand diaper and i always come back to luvs…but i have realized that sometimes your baby’s shape has a lot to do with how well certain diapers work!
i use cheer laundry detergent, it gets my laundry clean and keeps my colors from fading as well as tide but for a lot less money. oxi-clean is my best friend, it will take out almost any stain!
one food item that i have to have name-brand is cheerios. i don’t really know why, but the generics just don’t taste the same.
October 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
The one item I refuse to live without is Shout Catchers, they are great I throw one in every load of laundry excluding the towels. The grab all the “extra dyes” from your clothing and “catch” them. It has saved me money time and time again. When my local Walmart was out of the shout brand I tried the Stain Be Gone Color Catchers they work just as well and are about half the price.
I also recently tried the St.Ives intensive therapy hand and body lotion with pump, because I couldn’t handle the smell or stickiness of the Equate Intensive Therapy (Nivea knock off) lotion. Did I mention that I love the St. Ives lotion, Love IT!!! Half the price, natural, and my skin loves the rich creamy texture, goes on alot smoother and keeps skin moisterized for the full 24 hours as promised.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:44 am
HEY, Maria,
this is not baby related, but your generic dry-erase board pens are MUCH better than your name brand pens at Walmart (or other stores). Try it. I do believe you will agree.
See you in church!
Becky
January 19th, 2010 at 11:44 am
OOOPS! I forgot to mention that you find the generic dry-erase pens at the dollar stores.