Switching to store brands and private labels can save money, no doubt - but some products, including ketchup, toothpaste, and soda, people remain fiercely brand loyal to.

Are you someone who has given up brand loyalty altogether to save money? What was the hardest thing to give up your brand loyalty to? Is there still one thing you won't give up on a name brand?

ETA: I am trying to find some research on which products engender the most brand loyalty, but am coming up short. Can anyone find an article or link?

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It depends on the item - some things, only one brand will do - like our pets' food.

Other things, I will use whatever brand is cheapest that fits my criteria for acceptability. For example, I like natural toothpaste, and my favorite brand is Tom's of Maine, but if there is another cheaper natural toothpaste, I'll use it instead.

I will only buy rBGH-free milk, which limits the brands from which I can choose. I go with the local small dairy, even though they're more expensive.

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Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.
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The only thing I can think of right now that we haven't given up or switched to the store brand is pop and cleaning products. I love Diet Coke! It's my weakness! Is there a store brand that tastes similar to it? Or any pop for that matter? I like taking a can to work and have one every now and then at home, so we don't drink a lot of pop, maybe a 6-8 cans a week between DH and I. And I love Tide--I've tried other detergents, and I keep coming back to it. Is there something better out there besides Tide that anyone has tried?

Otherwise, we will buy whatever is cheaper, whether it's store brand or name brand.

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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.....

I buy Tide too, and will only buy Diet Coke. Tide does have more active cleaning ingredients than its competitors, so I feel like it's money well spent (plus it smells great). I've tried the store brand sodas and they don't seem as carbonated as Diet Coke (although I have given up buying soda for home completely).

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I like 7th Generation detergent, but I will also buy 365 (Whole Foods' store brand) or Bio-Cleen if they're on sale - Tide isn't exactly environmentally friendly. The eco-friendly brands clean just as well.

__________________
When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
Any time God closes one door, She always opens another, even though sometimes it's Hell in the hallway.
Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die. (Klingon proverb)
Don't point. You'll poke holes in the air and all the faeries will escape.
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

For me the biggest thing has been my toothpaste... It makes me kind of sad actually!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mentadent (I don't know why... it's the taste it leaves in my mouth I guess!) BUT Since it almost never goes on sale and I almost NEVER have a coupon for it I gave up buying it last year when I decided to get serious about couponing. It just didn't make sense to me to pay $4 for toothpaste when I can get Crest or Colgate for free (By combining a sale w/ a coupon.) I dread brushing my teeth every time now because I just can't stand the taste that the "free" stuff leaves in my mouth. I know that probably sounds silly....

Everything else we will switch back & forth between brands because of cost (depending on what's on sale & what we have coupons for.)

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The 2 things which I switched recently were -
1) I bought the CVS brand disinfectant wipes - they were BOGO. I typically use Clorox wipes and for cleaning the toilets I thought it would be wiser to use the store brand( Yeah, wipes are not env friendly, but trying to potty train DD I really need them).
2) Kroger brand salt. This was the first time I bought them. Not a huge saving, but I overcame my mental block of not buying store brand stuff.

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And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil:4:7

Things I have not changed, yet: Tide, Pace picante sauce, Dt. Mt. Dew, Sara Lee bread

Things I have changed to buy store brand or on sale: spaghetti sauce, seasonings, lunch meat, rice and pasta (ex. rice a roni, pasta roni), diapers, peanut butter

Cereal--I buy the store brand or maltomeal for the boys and I, but dh still has to have his Honey Bunches of Oats

Frozen Juice concentrate--I prefer the white grape juice, so I do buy that in Welch's, all other flavors I buy whichever is cheapest

The things I have not changed yet are: Miracle Whip(the store brands I have tried do NOT taste the same!), Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, diet cokes for dh, and laundry detergents.

I have started trying pretty much everything else store brand/generic, or trying to make it at home from scratch to save money.

I buy a lot of store brands or whatever I can get cheapest w/ coupons. DH will only use Crest toothpaste, but he is so frugal in the amount he uses I rarely have to buy it. I just made my own laundry detergent and it's working out well so no loyalty to brands there. I also just got DH to switch to store brand OJ--I try to buy name brand when it's on sale b/c it is better.

I do try to stock up on name brand PB and Mac and Cheese when it's on sale b/c we just like it better. But unless the sale price is "acceptable" to me, I still don't buy it b/c the store brand still gets eaten!

We are fairly loyal to each of our deodorant brands. I have two brands that I go between and DH really prefers Right Guard, which I can usually get for FREE with coupons.

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