Bargains and generics

There are some store brands that I actually prefer over the brand name products. These are not much cheaper than the brand name stuff. The savings is in the fact that they don't spend money on advertising rather than from substandard ingredients. Some cheap tools are not worth owning and will break or fail you in short order. Others are actually good products just not from nationally known companies.

Sadly some products made now are all basically cheap poorly made crud that you are just paying for a well-known name. In this case, you might as well just buy cheap from the start since they are all basically throw away products. The old "You get what you pay for" saying is no longer accurate. All too often the most expensive version of a product is actually a lower quality that the midpriced versions. These are sold to the people that want to be able to brag that they own "the BEST" and they know it is best because they paid a small fortune for it. In many cases, the life expectancy of the top of the line appliances is much less than the cheaper versions. All those extra bells and whistles that nobody ever uses are just more EXPENSIVE things that will go wrong.

I buy store brands at my local grocery except for a few things. I prefer Quaker old fashioned oats because there is less hulls and stalks ( inedible stuff) mixed in. I always have eaten the rolled oats, but recently bought steel cut just to try it out. It takes longer to cook, but I have the time. There are so many benefits to oatmeal, it out weighs the carbohydrates that it contains, in my opinion.

One of my few exceptions is those disinfecting kitchen wipes. I always now buy the name brand. And it is because of the dispenser technology. I will gladly pay significantly more to avoid frustration and be able to reliably pull and separate a wipe from the roll.

food, we shop at the market and buy fresh as far as meats and vegetables.... other things like boxed foods is usually generic, very few things I have to have the name brand for.... same with household goods and cleaning supplies. except bleach, bleach must be Clorox....lol...hand tools and such its harbor freight, any power tools I will get a name brand or at least a decent store brand.... electronics ill go with off brands for the most part..... graphics boards I always go with a name brand and other art supplies I will go with a top brand, there is a difference in these type supplies that is too big to look past. clothing is what ever I find on sale...lol.... not big on being all that fashionable anymore...lol....

From this discussion I have discovered that many of us are tool bearing animals who buy various cleaning products at several price points like oatmeal and sloppy Joe's. Except one of those is a sweatshirt

And now I'm going to address golf equipment
Premium golf balls are $50+ a dozen beecause Tiger & and Phil are paid millions for their endorsements. You can buy AAAA near mint premium balls for $10 -15 / dozen. Only hit once and found out of bounds. Perhaps you played some of mine?
Topline drivers are 4 - $600 and putters $350 on up. Wait a few years and you can find new in the box ones for $150.
Irons are $1000 +++. Similar or better quality can be had for 1/2, from smaller companies that make original designs and built to your specifications. Besides all of these club heads are made in the same foundries in Good Korea and China.
Needless to say the used market is also booming. Someone new to the game can play all topline equipment for under $500.
U only have to pay for advertising and endorsements at the original point of sale

We're fans of many of the house brands at stores like Costco, Trader Joe's and Aldi. (Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by the same company and sell some of the exact same products.) Not uncommon to see house brand products from Costco and TJ top rated or as best buys by "Consumer Reports."

I remember the generic food craze back in the eighties. Talk about no frills packaging/labeling.

Debi said:

It's hard enough to figure out the English between countries!

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I love learning new words and customs. Another thing I love about the forum.

Debi said:

Outside of money considerations, when do you always buy the bargain priced item?
Food, household goods, tools, clothing, entertainment, electronics, gas, car stuff, other thingies....

(Thanks to Paintman for the question today!)

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Car, gun, atv stuff - Factory or at least a well known high quality aftermarket brand.
Food - don't care either way
Clothes - don't care either way
Household appliances - name brand
Tools - Craftsman or Snap On
Electronics - prefer name brand
Gas - don't care either way

Duke said:

We're fans of many of the house brands at stores like Costco, Trader Joe's and Aldi. (Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by the same company and sell some of the exact same products.) Not uncommon to see house brand products from Costco and TJ top rated or as best buys by "Consumer Reports."

I remember the generic food craze back in the eighties. Talk about no frills packaging/labeling.View attachment 22240

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I didn't know Aldi's and Trader Joe's was owned by the same company.

L.S. said:

I didn't know Aldi's and Trader Joe's was owned by the same company.

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Yes, but they don't advertise it. There's another German chain, Lidl, that's similar to Aldi that I liked when I was in the UK. They are already in the US, I think primarily in the East. They were supposed to open a store very near me, across the street from Aldi, but apparently their corporate people decided to slow down their expansion. Still hoping they make it to Ohio.