We are the products of our advertising environment. The seductive lure of popular name brands incessantly calls us. So seductive the lure that the attraction to name brands seems impossible to break, even in today’s tough economic times.
And who could blame us, we’ve been inundated with marketing messages since birth.
In fact, in one study it was found that kids as young as five years old preferred food wrapped in McDonald’s packing over the same identical food wrapped in packaging without the McDonald’s logo.
So its no wonder that many of us have not broken the chains of brand loyalty when it comes to the foods we buy. Instead of trying store brands, trip after trip, we continually reach for the more expensive name brands.
Part of the allure of brand names is that purchasing the same product year after year creates a comfort zone. When we buy that box of Ragu spaghetti sauce we know exactly what to expect. We know what it looks like, what it smells like, how long to cook it, and more importantly we know exactly how it will taste.
So what can you do to smash brand loyalty in order to buy store brands and save your family’s hard earned money?
Start small with the basics.
Venture out of your comfort zone by beginning with the basic staples. Instead of jumping right in the pool and purchasing store brand spaghetti sauce, test the water. Stick your big toe in and purchase items like sugar, flour, bread, salt, and butter.
These are items for which you may not have built up as strong a brand loyalty and for which there is likely not to be a huge difference between the taste and quality of the name brand and store brand.
This one small change in shopping behavior alone could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
After successfully replacing some of your basic staples with store brands, try switching from name brand to store brand when it comes to more complex food products such as peanut butter, cereal, and ice cream.
Realize its OK to fail.
Many people are reluctant to try store brands because they’re afraid that they’ll buy a product that their family will just not like. Some are bothered with the thought of failure. Others are concerned with money wasted on something their family doesn’t like.
Well quite simply there will be store brand products that your family will not like or refuse to eat. That store brand strawberry jelly may just not be to their liking.
Once you accept this simple fact you’re in a much better position to dive into the world of store brands. You will buy some duds. This is just the price you’ll pay for discovering great store brands that will save you money week after week, year after year.
The hundreds of dollars you save each year from finding replacement store brand products will far outweigh the few dollars you spend on store brand products your family doesn’t like.
Discovering one store brand that saves you just 75 cents a week will save your family $39 a year. Discover 10 such store brands and your family can save $390 a year!
And more importantly, you don’t even have to pay for your failures.
Yes you’ll find a dud store brand product that your family will not like but the best thing is that most grocery stores offer a money back guarantee on all of their store brand products. If you don’t like the item just bring it back for a full refund.
This simple guarantee allows you to try store brand items virtually risk free. Check with your store’s customer service desk to find out about their particular policy.
Taking a step away from our comfortable name brands and trying store brands can be an emotionally trying task. But the savings are undeniable.
Have you taken the plunge and tried store brands? How did you do it? How’d your family react? Leave a comment and share your experiences below.
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Great article. Just wanted to add that stores like Aldi offer a double money back guarantee if you don’t like their brand. I guess you would just take it back to the store for a refund….Nothing to lose then. Keep up the great work!
I’m a big fan of store brands because I usually spice up what ever I’m cooking with any way (from boxed dinners to canned spaghetti sauce). I will confess that there are certain items (toilet paper and facial tissue) that the store brands do NOT compare and I can’t fix with a few extra spices.
Oh – Cereal is a HUGE place to save by choosing store brands. And some of them actually taste better than the name brands.
Kathryn,
I agree with you completely. Its amazing how a few spices here or there can completely change the taste of a meal.
Some of the things I won’t buy store brand include peanut butter, dish detergent, and oreo type cookies (the hydrox cookies are just nasty in my opinion).