Are You Brand Loyal?
With the economy in such bad shape, is anyone really brand loyal anymore? Name brand products cost more (on average), but are they better/more effective than generic?
I decided to really think about what we are brand loyal to. There are a few things, though increasingly we are opting for generic.
My family and I are loyal to:
- Diet Coke. Love, love, love it. There are never coupons on it, but it's worth it. I always wait for it to go on sale though. Regular price is over $4, which is crazy. Also like their rewards program.
- Ragu. We've tried other tomato sauces and our family loves this one.
- Stouffer's frozen meals. I've tried Healthy Choice, Smart Ones, Lean Cuisine and many others and Stouffer's is still at the top of the list. I like their rewards program too.
- Purina cat food. My cat Coco will literally vomit up any other brand. And I have tried others, like Iams, but he's not having it.
- Scott toilet paper. We've tried other brands and aren't liking them.
- Ballpark hot dogs and Sugardale hot dogs. These I think are tied in my family. Sugardale is almost always cheaper though, but there usually aren't coupons.
- Green Giant Veggies. We stock up on frozen veggies, great flavor.
- Crystal Light. We love their peach tea and lemonade flavors.
- Amazon.com. Not really a brand, but I love them! Almost always, their prices are cheaper than other stores. Before I buy, I always check there first.
- Kraft and Nestle products. I've always had good experiences with their products. Plus both companies send out lots of coupons and freebies.
I'm sure there are more but that's all I can think of for now...
We're not loyal to:
- Any brand of paper towels. If it can absorb liquid, it works.
- Garbage bags. Usually prefer the Target brand, though Giant Eagle is good. Costco are the best though.
- Name brand drugs. Over the counter drugs from Costco like allergy pills, heartburn medicine, etc. I will never go back to Claritin again. I can get a huge bottle, 300 allergy pills at Costco, for about $10. They last for months.
- Bread. My family will eat almost any type of bread, store brand, etc.
- Cheese. I've tried them all probably. To me, Kraft, Sargento, Heluva Good and the others are about the same in taste and quality. Lately I've been opting to get a big block of cheddar cheese at Costco for only $4, much cheaper than the smaller blocks at the grocery store.
- Cereal. We love Kellogg's, General Mills, generic, you name it. There are so many cereal coupons out there, it's easy to just go with the better deal.
- Baking goods products. Generic flour, sugar, salt, spices, etc. etc. all taste the same
- Eggs. Store brand works for us, though with the recent egg recall, makes me start rethinking that...
- Bottled water. Costco sells a 24 pk case for $4. Good water, good price
- Meat. Typically we get meat at Giant Eagle, though we like Costco's rotissiere chickens. Good value at $4 each.
What brands are you loyal to?