The Frugal Family: When Brand Name is Better

Most of the household items I buy are generic or store brands. Whether it's medication or milk, laundry detergent or toilet paper (as long as it's two-ply), I'm going the cheapest route possible. With that said, there are some items I just can't bring myself to cheap out on--mostly due to quality issues that seem to be universally present in certain low-cost products. I don't think I'm alone in my desire for quality products that also offer savings; if that were the case, coupons would be a lot less popular!

The first and foremost items I buy brand name are aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Cheap (or even the recycled types I've tried) aluminum foil that is heated in the oven tends to stick to food. After dinner was ruined one night when I couldn't separate the food from the foil, I vowed to never buy generic foil again. Plastic wrap has the opposite issue: the cheap stuff tends to not even stick to itself! Spending money on generic for these two items is like throwing it away, in my opinion.

I aim for brand name dishwasher detergents religiously these days. This may be something that pops up only for those of us living in rentals but I can't seem to get the cheap stuff to clean my dishes unless I pre-wash...which kind of defeats the purpose of a dishwasher, no? It took me a long time to admit that brand name was the only way to go. In fact, I keep half-full containers of failed generics around as a warning to myself lest I try to tread that path again.

One too many times I've had the bargain clear packing tape peal and split length-wise in little strips. As I cursed it, I swore to never purchase it again. Unlike with dishwasher detergent, I did finish the entire roll before moving on, though.

While I don't exactly buy name brand paper towels, I don't buy the cheapest thing, either. I've had problems getting the start of the roll unstuck from the rest; perhaps this is a cheap glue problem? I can usually get a decent price on bulk paper towels, thankfully.

The last item on my list is batteries. Sometimes I've put up with a shorter lifespan on the generics, but after purchasing a dead set more than once, I now know better!

What generic items do you steer clear of? When is saving money not worth it?

Crystal Ritchie lives and blogs in San Francisco with her preschooler son Jack and her partner in crime/fiance David. She loves to share stories, tips, and tricks related to the parenting gig on her personal blog, Ewokmama.com.