32 Products You Should Always Buy Generic

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Shopper comparing products at a grocery store
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Loyalty usually is a great quality, but it can be costly when you shop. Sticking to just one brand rarely makes sense when the only meaningful difference between a national brand product and its generic version is the price.

Sometimes, brand-name products offer something unique. More often, though, they don’t. Here are a bunch of generics we consider worthwhile. All can save you big bucks over their brand-name counterparts.

1. Cleaning products

Spring cleaning
Vitaliipixels / Shutterstock.com

Many people use generic or brand-name cleaning products interchangeably, depending on the availability of coupons and sales. Unless you’ve got a favorite cleaner that you believe outperforms all others, you’ll get the job done and save money with generics.

You can save even more with the DIY approach. Case in point: “Stop Buying These 9 Overpriced Cleaning Products.”

2. Prescription drugs

Gligatron / Shutterstock.com

Buying generic drugs can be a great way to save on medications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that generic and brand-name medications all conform to safety standards.

Do you know these “5 Websites You Should Check Before Buying Prescriptions“?

3. Sunscreen

Sunny Studio / Shutterstock.com
Sunny Studio / Shutterstock.com

Like medications and infant formula, the FDA regulates sunscreens.

Look for an SPF (sun protection factor) rating of 30 or more and protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Look for sunscreens with the phrase “broad spectrum SPF” followed by an SPF number on the front of the product.

Under federal law, manufacturers can use that phrase only on products that pass a broad-spectrum testing procedure.

4. Food storage bags and containers

bagged lunch
Hannamariah / Shutterstock.com

Many people just call these “Ziplock bags,” after the brand-name products your grocery store probably stocks on its shelves.

As we point out in “9 Things I Won’t Buy at Costco,” Walmart’s Great Value brand sandwich bags and storage bags can be an excellent substitute for TV-advertised brands — at a lower cost.

Generic trash bags vary in quality. Aldi is one good place to find durable, nonbrand trash bags at a lower price.

You’ll find good prices on plastic food containers at dollar stores.

5. Chocolate

photowind / Shutterstock.com

Some brand-name products are the result of generations of research and trial and error, and imitators can’t always knock off something that’s truly perfect. Melt-in-your-mouth Hershey’s kisses are an example of one such product.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some research to learn which generics work for you. Try buying generic chocolate bars, no-name chocolate chips and bulk chunks of chocolate for baking, and find out for yourself which are as good as the original — or at least good enough for you.

And, speaking of Aldi, it’s a good place to start your research into lower-priced but delicious chocolate.

6. Gift wrap and gift bags

Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

Why pay two or three times more for brand-name gift bags, boxes and wrapping paper? It’s likely to be thrown away in an instant. Buying generic wrapping paper instead is a great way to save.

A bulk supply of printed “craft “paper is another approach that can keep you in gift wrap for years. Or buy gift wrap at the dollar store the next time you’re there.

7. Organizing products

Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com

There’s no need to spend a fortune shopping at specialty stores for brand-name boxes, totes and storage containers for the kitchen, bathroom and closets.

You’ll save massively by shopping for generic storage and organizing products at big-box stores, dollar stores and even some grocery stores.

8. Coffee and coffee filters

Woman drinking coffee
Uber Images / Shutterstock.com

Even if you think you’re addicted to specialty roast coffee, here’s another area where conducting your own taste test may surprise you.

Do a blind taste test in which you try a cup with half of your more-expensive coffee with half generic. What’s at stake? Big bucks, if you’re paying for high-priced, brand-advertised coffee.

In addition, generic coffee filters do the job just fine, and at a better price.

9. Over-the-counter medications

fizkeys / Shutterstock.com

It’s good to know that the FDA requires medications — even those sold over the counter — to conform to safety standards. So reaching for the generic pain reliever or cough medicine could save you a bundle while doing the job just as well.

10. Meat

Dmitry Kolinovsky / Shutterstock.com
Dmitry Kolinovsky / Shutterstock.com

Depending on the product and the source, store-brand meats can be just as good as heavily advertised brands. As always, read labels to confirm ingredients and the source of the product.

If you want to save even more, consider buying meat at a wholesale club.

11. Baking mixes

Evgeny Atamanenko / Shutterstock.com

Cornbread, cakes, biscuits, muffins, cookies and pizza dough: If you shop around, you’re sure to find generic versions of these mixes that you like as much as your familiar favorites.

We include baking mixes among “19 Things You Should Never Buy at the Grocery Store“:

“These things aren’t that hard to make from scratch. By skipping the mixes, you’ll save money and possibly be a little healthier too.”

12. Canned seafood

Canned fish and seafood
Dulce Rubia / Shutterstock.com

Staple products in many American households include canned tuna, salmon, clams, oysters, anchovies and sardines.

You’ll like some of the generics more than others, so do shop around. The potential savings makes it worth a try.

13. Reading glasses

An older man in glasses works on finances at a laptop computer in his kitchen
oliveromg / Shutterstock.com

The range of prices for off-the-shelf reading glasses — fondly known as “cheaters” — is surprisingly big.

On one end of the spectrum are the celebrity-branded readers found hanging from attractive displays at drugstores and other retailers. At the other end: no-packaging, no-frills readers from the dollar store that do the job for a rock-bottom price.

Check big-box stores, dollar stores and even hardware stores for low-priced cheaters. Just be sure that the magnifying power on the glasses is correct for you.

14. Personal care products

Robert Kneschke / Shutterstock.com
Robert Kneschke / Shutterstock.com

Some store brands of personal care products have the same active ingredients as name brands and work equally well.

Every expensive name-brand product you can drop from your routine — substituting a less expensive generic version — adds to your bottom line. Try generic or low-cost products, especially soaps, hand and face creams and moisturizers, facial cleansers, bubble bath and hair products.

15. Gasoline

Man pumping gas
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

AAA has found it’s worth paying a bit extra for Top Tier gas, which contains more detergent additives than federal standards require. But that doesn’t mean you also have to pay extra for brand-name gas, too.

There are both brand names and house brands that offer Top Tier gas. Even Costco’s house brand, Kirkland Signature, offers it. You can find the full list of all brands, name and generic, on the Top Tier website.

16. Frozen fruits and vegetables

Oleksii Khmyz / Shutterstock.com
Oleksii Khmyz / Shutterstock.com

Especially when cooking, baking and making smoothies, it’s unlikely you’ll notice a difference between store-brand and nationally advertised frozen fruits and vegetables.

17. Canned vegetables and beans

HandmadePictures / Shutterstock.com
HandmadePictures / Shutterstock.com

You can routinely save on groceries by buying your grocery chain’s canned beans, vegetables and fruits. If you are wondering about the generic version of a particular item — canned tomatoes, for example, can vary widely in flavor — try a can of each and compare.

18. Plastic wrap and aluminum foil

Sergiy Kuzmin / Shutterstock.com
Sergiy Kuzmin / Shutterstock.com

Some of these kitchen aids are as good as their brand-name cousins; others are not. But experiment with generics because good generic foil and plastic wrap will save you a bundle.

19. Baking and cooking supplies

Man cooking at home
Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

The researchers who wrote the famed “Do Pharmacists Buy Bayer?” study also looked at the shopping patterns of chefs and other food professionals. The pros, they found, use store brands more often than the average grocery shopper. (NPR made a chart from the research showing how likely chefs were to purchase certain foods in either generic or brand-name form.)

The top 10 baking products that professionals most frequently preferred in generic brands include:

  • Baking mixes
  • Baking soda
  • Powdered sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Baking supplies

If these generics are good enough for professional chefs, consider that they’re probably good enough for you too.

20. Snack foods

ariwasabi / Shutterstock.com
ariwasabi / Shutterstock.com

Who doesn’t love frozen pizza, chips and other snacks?

In many cases, you can save money with store brands. Professional chefs in the “Do Pharmacists Buy Bayer?” study favored multiple types of generic snacks over branded products. In addition to frozen pizza and snacks, they included:

  • Spreads and dips
  • Dried fruit
  • Pickles and olives
  • Nuts
  • Cookies

21. Fresh produce

Woman shopping for produce
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

Prices for fresh produce vary enormously. Local, no-brand fruits and vegetables may be your best bet. They don’t have to travel as far to reach your table, so they are likely to be fresher and more flavorful. Look for them at farmers markets, independent grocers and farm stands.

Generic produce found at Trader Joe’s and in big-box stores like Costco is often an excellent deal too.

22. Cereal

nenetus / Shutterstock.com
nenetus / Shutterstock.com

Try out generic versions of your favorite cereal — be it flakes, loops or nuggets.

The chances are good you’ll find that store brands and off-brands have the same look and taste for as much as $1 less a box. What’s not to like?

23. Diapers

Alena Ozerova / Shutterstock.com
Alena Ozerova / Shutterstock.com

Many generic diapers do the job as well as brand-name ones but at a huge savings. Of course, not all generic diapers are created equal.

Test the off-brands for yourself, buying a small package before investing in bulk purchases.

24. Soda pop

Steve Cukrov / Shutterstock.com
Steve Cukrov / Shutterstock.com

Does brand-name soda really taste better? The answer, it turns out, is quite complicated.

We are not suggesting that all generic cola is as good as its brand-name equivalents. But consider this: Repeatedly in taste tests, subjects tell researchers they prefer what they think is a brand-name drink when it’s really a generic.

Of one study, HuffPost wrote:

“Interestingly, when the scientists scanned the subjects’ brains using MRI technology, drinking what they thought was name brand soda created activity in the reward center of their brains. But drinking what they thought was generic soda triggered activity in … the part of the brain used to make value judgments.

Scientists believe that when we use ‘brand name’ products, we already assume that they’re of good quality, so the part of our brain used to assess whether something is worthy of appreciation shuts off, so we take more pleasure in the experience.”

If you ignore the common prejudice that leads people to choose famous national soda brands, could you enjoy a generic soda as much as your favorite brand? Why not give it a shot? You’ll certainly save money.

25. Sparkling water

Plastic bottle
Yevhen Vitte / Shutterstock.com

The popularity of brand-name sparkling water products means there are many sparkling waters on your grocer’s shelves to choose from. Not all are as costly as the advertised brands.

26. Bath products

Natural soap, lavender, salt
Irina Burakova / Shutterstock.com

Do you love bath bombs, bubble bath, bar and liquid soap, and fragrant bath salts and shower gel?

Home goods stores, food co-ops, membership chains and lower-priced retailers like Trader Joe’s and Aldi are giving the brand names a run for their money in the expensive category of bath products.

27. Candles

Shtarev Alexey / Shutterstock.com

Candles set a romantic scene, cast a dinner table in a warm glow and banish the darkness on a winter’s night. They can also burn a big hole in your budget.

Save money on dinner table tapers, pillars and votives by choosing no-name candles. Place them in attractive candle holders or on a tray or stand. Once you remove the wrapping from name-brand candles, any difference will be invisible.

28. Greeting cards

G-Stock Studio / Shutterstock.com

Buying a handful of cards can cost a bundle. And prices keep rising.

You’ll get your sentiments across just as well by shopping for generic greeting cards at much-reduced prices. Dollar stores are an excellent place for stocking up on greeting cards.

And, when you’re at Trader Joe’s, investigate that store’s super-low-priced greeting card options.

29. Milk

anucha maneechote / Shutterstock.com

The more local your dairy, the fresher your milk will be. Read labels on milk cartons and bottles to see where the milk originates. Often, a store-brand product comes from the same dairy as a costlier brand-name product.

30. Seasonings and spices

Krzysztof Slusarczyk / Shutterstock.com
Krzysztof Slusarczyk / Shutterstock.com

Freshness is what counts when buying herbs and spices. Brand names do not necessarily guarantee freshness. Try your store’s generics and see what you think. Or check stores like food cooperatives that sell herbs and spices in bulk at excellent prices.

31. Baby formula

Flashon Media / Shutterstock.com
Flashon Media / Shutterstock.com

The FDA regulates baby formula and holds generics to the same quality and safety standards as brand-name products.

So, this is another opportunity to save money and still have peace of mind that you are safe with a generic product.

32. Water

nenetus / Shutterstock.com

If you must buy bottled water, choose store brands and save money. However, if you want to rack up serious savings, forget bottled water entirely and drink tap water — the quintessential generic. If you’re still unsure, get a good filter and run your tap water through it.

U.S. water systems are among the safest in the world, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What’s more, more than half of the bottled water we consume comes from a tap, according to Food & Water Watch.

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