Buy Generic Groceries
August 28th, 2006 | by Brian Carr |Every Sunday morning, without fail, I wake up, make my grocery list for the week and then head out to do my food shopping. However, this week I tried something a little different - this time I brought my notebook and jotted down the price difference between the generic and name brand items that I bought.
I was really surprised by how many items had a difference of $1 or more - and was even more shocked by the amount of money I saved by buying generic items as opposed to their name brand counterparts.
Below is a list of the items I bought, along with the corresponding price for the name brand and generic product, as well as the corresponding price difference:
| Item |
Name Brand Price |
Generic Price |
Difference |
| Cinnamon Rolls | $ 2.39 | $ 1.39 | $ 1.00 |
| OJ - 1 Gallon | $ 4.59 | $ 3.19 | $ 1.40 |
| Cheese Slices | $ 3.49 | $ 2.79 | $ 0.70 |
| Spaghetti | $ 1.15 | $ 0.75 | $ 0.40 |
| Mac & Cheese | $ 0.95 | $ 0.75 | $ 0.20 |
| Canned Green Beans | $ 0.99 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.20 |
| Oatmeal | $ 3.59 | $ 3.19 | $ 0.40 |
| Granola Bars | $ 3.19 | $ 2.19 | $ 1.00 |
| Cereal | $ 3.19 | $ 2.59 | $ 0.60 |
| Salsa | $ 2.69 | $ 1.79 | $ 0.90 |
| Hot Dog Rolls | $ 2.39 | $ 1.49 | $ 0.90 |
| Tea Bags | $ 2.89 | $ 1.29 | $ 1.60 |
| Soft Drink - 12 Pack | $ 4.49 | $ 2.79 | $ 1.70 |
| Trash Bags | $ 9.79 | $ 5.99 | $ 3.80 |
| Dish Soap | $ 2.99 | $ 2.29 | $ 0.70 |
| Sponges | $ 1.29 | $ 0.99 | $ 0.30 |
| Total |
$ 50.06 | $ 34.26 | $ 15.80 |
By buying generic, I saved over 30% on these items. And the best part is, I won’t even taste a difference.
Granted, you’re not going to buy the generic form of every item you get from the supermarket, and I’m not entirely suggesting that you should. But, if it helps you save 30% per item, you should probably think about tossing name brand loyalty out the window.
If you were able to save just $25.00 per week by purchasing generic food items (which is probably on the low side, especially if you’re buying for a family), you would save $1,300 per year on your groceries. That’s a lot of money!
Considering most generic groceries are made from the same ingredients as their name brand counterparts (often they are made in the same locations/factories), it makes a lot of sense to make the switch.
2 Responses to “Buy Generic Groceries”
By wedding cakes on Apr 12, 2007 | Reply
I just saw your articles on topgrubs and I have to say I’ve really enjoyed reading the rest of your blog.