Products That You Should Buy Generic: Get the Same Quality Without the Hefty Price Tag

When purchasing various products, there’s the option to choose a generic or a lesser known brand over popular brands. While generic items are generally cheaper than commercially known brands, many people still choose to purchase the latter, because generic brands are perceived to be of low quality.

However, the truth is that generic products usually have the same content, ingredients or materials as branded ones. They are often as effective (some are even more effective) than popular brands. It also can’t be denied that there are several branded products that are of high quality; but here are some of those that you should always purchase generic. As mentioned, they are as effective, but not as expensive.

Over the Counter Medications

Medications are regulated by the FDA, that’s why before they are offered to the public; they have passed the requirements given by the said agency to ensure that they are safe and effective for use. Generic medications that you can purchase over the counter such as cough, fever and pain medicines have the same basic content like those of branded medicines.

This is also true with prescription medicines. However, it’s best to follow the doctor’s prescribed brand as it may have been proven to be more effective. In case you wish to use a generic brand, let your physician know about it.

Beverages

Fruits juices and sodas of the same kind also have almost identical content, which is why their tastes are often not too far from each other. However, since people have been used to drinking a specific brand for a long time, they prefer to stay with it, instead of trying a new brand. If you’re open to trying less known or store brand beverages, you’ll see that the difference on taste is not that much.

Cereals

Like beverages, cereals are also made of the same ingredients. If you’re looking for a specific flavor, generic brands also carry them. One of the reasons why branded cereals are popular is because of the brands’ advertising and marketing strategies.

They entice kids with their fun and entertaining advertisements, packaging and characters. Some even come with toys and collectibles, making them very popular to children. You may do a blind test taste on your kids to show them that they taste them or even taste better than their favorite brand. This is also one way of teaching them how to be frugal without sacrificing the quality of the product they wish to purchase.

Gasoline

This is strictly regulated so generic and branded gasoline would work the same on your vehicle or machine. Next time you purchase this, look for a gasoline station that offers it at a cheaper price. Even though the price difference is not that huge, it would add up in the long run and you’ll be surprised on the several dollars that you’ll save after some time.

Make-up

Make-up professionals may need to invest on high quality and branded products since this is their source of living. Clients would prefer popular brands to be used on them. However, if you use make-up in your day to day routine, you would find generic products that also have good quality.

Many beauty gurus also try using drugstore bought make-up and give them a review, which they share to their followers. You’ll see several of these on YouTube. Check them out if you want to know which generic products are the best. They will help enhance your beauty without breaking the bank.

Cleaning Products

Like cereal commercials, advertisements on cleaning products make people perceive that they are better than other brands. It could be true that they may have other content that may work better than other products. However, this difference is usually not that much because generic cleaning products can also do the job properly.

Staples

Various staples like spices, salt, sugar and flour have the same ingredients, production, as well as storage, as regulated by the FDA. They generally taste the same so it’s practical to go for the generic than their branded counterpart if you wish to cut back on your expenses in every way possible.

These are just some of the products that you could buy generic. Their quality is almost the same as branded items, without the hefty price tag.

Photo Attribution:

Featured and 1st image by It is self created by myself with a camera [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

2nd image by RelyAbleRelyAble at en.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons