How to Eat Healthy on a Budget #3: Buy generic

We all have our favorite brands of food. For some of us, it is about taste or value of the product. For others, there is a sense of nostalgia around eating a certain brand - Mom serving us Quaker Oatmeal when we were little, drinking Coca-Cola at summer barbecues, making Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for your child every day because that is all they would eat.

However, buying generic brands can save you a great deal of money in the long-run. Generic store brands often cost significantly less than their more recognizable brand name counterparts and are of comparable, if not equal, quality. In fact, many store brand products are near identical to the brand name product, just under a different label. Check the ingredients of store brands and brand name products and more often than not, the lists will be very similar.

Of course, some products are okay to splurge on the brand name for the better taste, extra kick or higher quality. Follow these guidelines to know which products to buy generic and save money and which to spend a little extra and buy the brand name.

Buy Generic

• Pantry staples: Rice, sugar, salt, etc. These are products where buying high end is only ripping yourself off. You won't be able to notice a difference and these aren't hard products to produce, so paying a premium is paying for a name only. Really it's all about how you prepare and use the products in recipes; a high grade grain of rice isn't going to turn your stir fry into a smash hit. Buy in bulk, too, to save even more money.
• Milk: Manufacturers bid for store brands to sell the most product possible and average out their profits over low-profit store brands and high-profit name brands. The generic brand milk you buy at the grocery store is the same milk you will be getting from a brand name, just at a much lower cost.
• Frozen vegetables and fruits: For quick, healthy meals during the week, many people use frozen produce. Buy these generic as they are just as delicious and have just as much nutritional value as their brand name counterparts.
• Over-the-counter drugs: Basic, over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, cough medicine and allergy medicine, are often comparable to brand name drugs in effectiveness, but cost a lot less money. That being said, they don't work for everybody, so give them a try and see what works best for you.
• Bottled Water: The minerals and purification is all the same for bottled water, whether it is of a brand name or not. Generic brands are significantly cheaper, so make sure to pick those up instead.

Buy Brand Name

• Olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette: With these kinds of oils, you get what you pay for. Stick with your favorite brand for cooking oil and creating salad dressings.
• Toilet Paper: While this is not a food item, it is another case of "you get what you pay for." This is one case where manufacturers do not just slap different packaging on the same product. Toilet paper in general isn't too expensive, so it is worth spending a couple extra bucks and getting something that will hold together.
• Sports Drinks: Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade taste quite a bit better than the generic drinks, which are basically just water with food coloring. Treat your body after a hard workout to a trusted name brand with the proper nutrients and flavoring.
• Coffee: Most people have a very particular preference as to what their coffee should taste like, so it is worth spending more and getting your favorite brand. No one likes to start their day off on the wrong note with a bad cup of coffee.

Do you buy generic brands? What has been your experience with buying them - have you notice a difference in your weekly grocery bill?