What started my thinking about this topic was WalMart this weekend. Yall know I live in a college town and I have to plan my grocery shopping as strategically as an Army General. You want to miss the crowd (Friday night = bad because they drop off BUSLOADS of students to shop) BUT still hit it when there are products on the shelf. Saturday afternoon = equally bad because our local WalMart looks like a herd of locusts hit it. Try to find Velveeta Shells n Cheese, Rotel, or hot dogs on Saturday afternoon, I dare you. I haven't been able to get these products for at least a month. But I digress. When I went to the store this weekend, they were all out of Cascade gel. I mean, there was not ONE container on the shelf in ANY size. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. I was so mad. I really did not want to come back...and there WERE generic bottles on the shelf, at a significant price reduction. SO. I picked one up.
And it seems to be working just fine. So let me ask you this. What are the acceptable, tasty generic foods? I use generic noodles, the WalMart brand milk, cheese (but only the block cheese, never the cheese slices)...but I have never used generic cleaning products or canned goods or juice. I just don't know. Admittedly, I am somewhat of a food snob. My Dad was in the Army, so we always shopped at the Commissary (where things are incredibly cheap. Helen still shops there rather than WalMart because it is so much cheaper than even WalMart). My indoctrination into the real world of food prices began in college where I found out that things are very expensive in the civilian world. Goodness.
Now, feeding a family of five, which includes 2 teenage boys and the hub (and well, keeping me in creme pies...) it is EXPENSIVE. So let me know what you think, I'm very interested in your opinions. Generic chips? Ok or no? Canned vegetables? Yes or no? Juice, cheese slices, ketchup? What say you, moms, cooks and couponers?? Let me know!
Yall take care and have a great Labor Day!! It's gonna rain here, I think. Tropical Storm Lee. But that's okay, is there anything better than a book on a rainy day??
Helen, here. Could you just refer to me as mom? Helen, ugh. Anyway....just because I'm stuck on what I use does not mean that I haven't tried those generic brands and let me tell you penny for penny, I've gotten better results with brand and, in the long run, they turn out to be the better bargain because I don't have to use twice as much to do the same job. I have also found that not overfilling or cutting down on some things such as laundry detergent so I don't have the massive explosion of soap bubbles still in the rinse cycle works, too. That's also because I now do smaller loads of laundry. And, with fewer people and fewer meals to get, we use less water and run the dishwasher less. I guess the fact that the shelves were empty except for the generic products may be the biggest clue you have. Who knows, you may have just picked out a winner. By the way, since I had to be at Walmart for something I picked up some generic drinking straws since that was all they carry and the things are made in China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had the strongest urge to trash them and hit the commissary for different ones.....guess I can give the Chinese straws to some group to use for Arts and Crafts. Desperation caused me to forget to read the label. I think I should have just done without. I don't know if this diatribe is helpful or just a venting, but you now have one very definite opinion.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see if I am able to post this comment...I have found that if you get to the store by 8 a.m. on a Saturday....blasphemy, I know...but you don't have great crowds, and depending on your store, some places in the cities, restock around midnight. Uncle Pat used to get up early and shop around 7 a.m. in Denver...I have even found here in my small grocery store that the shelves are all restocked by the time I get there between 8 and 8:30....generics...I don't like generic liquid antibacterial soap...dries out my hands horribly. When I was in college, we used to eat the store brand condensed soups. Anything else, I couldn't tell you...and I shop Costco!!! Aunt Abbie
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great info, girls! @AuntAbbie: I know I need to get up and get moving, and have even set my alarm but I have TERRIBLE motivational issues on Saturday mornings! (Any morning, actually). @Mom: I know what you mean. I refuse to use store brand papertowels because I believe Bounty is so much nicer. That being said, I use store brand TP and ziploc bags, but not napkins. :/
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