When someone finds out that I teach classes about saving money with coupons, I always get asked, “Can’t you just buy generic brands and save more?” Customers assume the Store brands are always less money. That’s not the case. Especially to an avid coupon user.
Coupons are the top brand name’s way of allowing their price to be less than the store brand. Many times I can pick up dairy products, canned goods, and snack foods for less than the store brand.
Here’s an example: Mario Olives were on sale about 4 weeks ago. The sale price was $1.25, the store brand price was $1.09. I had a coupon for $.50 on 1 to redeem. My final was $.75 saving me $.34 over the store brand. This is a simple case of saving on the top brand over the Store brand.
Sometimes the store brand is much less expensive. That’s where using your VALUE system comes into play. I often purchase County Market Store bread. My kids eat peanut butter sandwiches for snacks and often my 6 year old will leave the bread tie off the bag. It becomes an automatic that by the time we’re at the end of the bag, it’s been exposed to air and needs to be tossed.
So I choose to purchase a less expensive bread over the Sara Lee Honey baked bread, even though I personally love the honey wheat!
You may find that some of the store brands taste exactly the same as top name brands, and you may make a decision that the store brand is not up to your VALUE standards. Keep track! Put a note in your price book inside your coupon organizer. If you actively track your preferences you’ll feel better about making the decision when the time comes.
We have a Facebook contest going on this week where customers are entered to win $25 if they share what their favorite Store Brand value is on our wall. The entires are varied. But the one that keeps coming up as a good VALUE and tastes great-County Market Milk.
