I'm amused every time I hear a story in the news about how more people are choosing to buy generic-- or "store brand"-- products to save money in leaner times.
The way the reporters talk about store brands, you'd think they'd just discovered something new:
- "They often cost significantly less than their brand-name counterparts!"
- "They look almost exactly the same!"
- "They actually taste ok!"
I've been buying generic since before it was "cool"... or slightly more common than it supposedly is now. (I am
such a trend-setter.) I can't take the credit, though. That goes to my store-brand-shopping mother. I was
raised on generic brand-- and I have to say, sometimes the generic tastes even better than the brand name. Now, that's not to say that I
never buy brand names, but most of the time, I'm more than happy with the cheaper store brands. Whether one brand is better than another is often just a matter of what you're used to.
(I haven't been paying close attention... I wonder if these reporters have blown the lid off the fact that there are also generic brands of other products-- toiletries, for instance. When will I see the exposé on shampoo or paper napkins? I'm on the edge of my seat!)
