Buying Generics & Store Brands: Is There a Difference?
One of the simplest money saving tips is to buy the generic or store brand version. From prescriptions to toilet paper or food, the generic version tends to be cheaper and can save you money in the long run. Yet, there’s two schools of though on generic brands.
The first is that these generics are cheap because they’re made cheap and don’t work as well or taste good or whatever. The other point of view is that it’s all the same and you’re only getting charged more for the name brand. Which of these opinions do I follow? Well, a combination of both.
First of all, I don’t automatically buy the store brand assuming that it’s the cheapest. When I shop, I consider all the prices, any coupons or deals, and the ultimate price per ounce or count, and then base my decision upon that. So for things like tin foil, dish soap, or dry pasta, we look for the cheapest option.
Now, there are certain things that I am brand loyal to, and these are usually health related. For example, since I have eczema I have to use hypoallergenic laundry detergent (All) and soaps (Dove). There are also certain brands we just don’t like (usually this is related to food, either being unhealthy or not very tasty). Beyond that, I tend to be open minded about most things.
I will say this: sometimes there is a noticeable difference between the named brand and the generic version of certain things. Sometimes it doesn’t matter but sometimes it does.
Here’s a recent example. I’ve been on this new crusade to use up random things we have around the house. The boyfriend accidentally bought some conditioner (he only uses shampoo) which has been sitting under our sink for over a year. Since I’m the only one in the house who uses conditioner I figured I’d just use it up.
So what we have is Garnier Fructis and Shique Essential Fruits (this is the Aldi brand from before they redesigned and re branded their products). They look almost exactly the same. The name brand is a “Fortifying Cream Conditioner” and the store brand is only a “Fortifying Conditioner” boasting an “Active Fruit Concentrate” while Garnier has “reinforced active fruit concentrate” plus some vitamins. They’re both labeled for “normal hair.” I check the ingredients, the first 17 on both are exactly the same, but the name brand has 22 ingredients and the generic only has 20.
I started out using the Shique. I have thick, frizzy, wavy hair that’s pretty dry so I usually use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. I noticed after a week of the Shique that my hair was really dry, frizzier than normal, had a hard time holding curl, and seemed to get tangled a lot more. I chalked this up to the fact that the conditioner is for “normal hair.”
After awhile, I got sick of the Shique and decided to try out the Garnier. Immediately I noticed a difference. Obviously it still wasn’t as effective as moisturizing conditioner, but my hair was less dry and easier to manage. Even the conditioner itself just looked better and felt creamier.
In this case, the named brand is definitely better and I will never buy the Shique again. This hasn’t turned me off all generics. I’ll still buy the store brand saran wrap and hand soap. Sometimes the savings are worth it and sometimes you just have to wait for a sale on the name brand and stock up.
Have any generics you love or a brand you can’t live without? Let me know in the comments.
Make Money Online: Instant Cash Sweepstakes UPDATE
All right everyone, the first time I posted about Instant Cash Sweepstakes I’d only been a member of the site for about two weeks, and I wasn’t particularly impressed with it at the time. Since I’d only had limited experience with the site, I promised to give it more time and then come back with an update. Well, here it is.
Honestly, I stopped visiting Instant Cash Sweepstakes for the most part a week or so afterward. I racked up coins and lottery tickets, but never earned anymore money. I started to feel like maybe this is was the kind of site where you could only earn money if you convince a lot of people to sign up via your referral link (yes that link above is a referral link). At this point I have no referrals, which isn’t surprising, because I haven’t exactly given the site the most outstanding reviews. With all of the other survey sites and money making sites out there, I could earn actual money, not just sweepstakes entries, in the time I was wasting filling out those little surveys.
So what changes have I noticed since my last visit about two months ago? Not much. The coin store is still sparsely populated with ten high priced items (including that bizarre box of Splenda, which costs more than the 8gb jump drive). Apparently at the beginning of the month they decided to change their sweepstakes format, instead of one big prize each week, they’re doing a daily prize of $50, and if your referral wins it, you win it too.
What are my earnings at this point? Well, I’m still stuck at 75 cents. I have 389 coins, and 154 tickets for the lottery drawing today. Keep in mind I haven’t used the site for like a month and a half, but still, not impressive.
So overall, I think I’m mostly done with Instant Cash Sweepstakes. I think I’ll probably still check in from time to time just to see what’s going on and if they’ve done anything new. They still call themselves “beta” and seem to incorporate the ideas of the users, so it’s possible they’ll transform into a great site yet. I’ll keep you updated if they do, but for now I have other things I’d like to spend my time on.
Make Some Extra Cash: Global Test Market Surveys
Let’s kick off the new week with a new website to make some extra money. Today I’m featuring a survey site called GlobalTestMarket. I’ve been a member of this panel for many years, and it’s been a positive experience. I’ve earned money from this site and have been paid a few times.
It’s pretty basic: you sign up, fill out a few profile surveys, and then you’ll receive email invitation for the surveys. Each email will include how many points the survey is worth. When you complete the survey, the points are instantly credited to your account. If you don’t qualify to complete the survey, then you may receive points (they used to give 5 points if you disqualified, but they seem to have mostly phased that out), sweepstakes entries, or just a thank-you screen.
One of the downsides is that it takes a little while to earn enough points to cash out, simply because the minimum cash-out amount is 1000 points, which equals $50. On the other hand, it’s nice to get such a large check in the mail. My first check was $63, which bought two weeks of groceries for me, so it was worth the wait. You just have to plan to be with the panel for the long term.
Personally, I’ve had no problems with Global Test Market. The surveys are fun and interesting and I’ve always received my credits immediately. Payment does take a few weeks, but the checks always come within the time frame. If you are interested in making money taking online surveys, then I definitely recommend GlobalTestMarket.
This panel is open to members around the world, so even if you’re not from the US you can sign up.
GlobalTestMarket Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Birth date, email, first & last name, address, phone number
Member eligibility requirements: 18 years or older, or 14-17 with parent’s permission
Sign up bonuses: None
How points are earned: Taking surveys
Value of survey: Varies, anywhere between 5-50 points
Earnings for disqualified survey: Points, sweepstakes entries, or nothing (depends on the study)
Redemption options: Check
Fees or rules for redemption: Mi0nimum 1000 MarketPoints ($50)
Time redemption takes: 4-6 weeks if in the US
Cash value of points: 1 MarketPoint = 5 cents
Make Money Online: Instant Cash Sweepstakes
Today I’m posting about a site very different from the other money making sites I’ve blogged about previously.
I’ve been a member of Instant Cash Sweepstakes for about 2 weeks. So far I’m not very impressed with the payout in comparison to the amount of time spent on the site, but it could be far worse.
Basically, how the site works is you answer a series of three questions, these are either user submitted questions or “BIZ” surveys from sponsors (which is how they make the money that the prizes come from). When you submit your answers you win a prize, either cash, lottery tickets for the next drawing, or coins. At a minimum, you will get 1 ticket and 1 coin.
You’re allowed to do five sets of questions every 3 hours. There is an option to sign up for email reminders to let you know when you can play again. Sometimes you’ll get a repeat question set–this is to test whether or not you’re giving honest answers. If you match the answers you originally put, they will triple your winnings (you have to match all 3 answers).
Cash winnings are paid via Paypal. There is a minimum of $2 winnings before you can cash out. The coins were added the day after I signed up. Basically you rack up the points and then you can redeem them in the Bonus Store. This is all very new, so we’ll have to see how it plays out. Currently the prize selection looks like they just picked a bunch of items from around their office (a corkscrew, a box of Splenda…), but slowly they’re adding new items each day. Right now the cheapest item is an 8 GB HP Flash drive, which costs 28,975 coins.
In my two weeks on the site, I have earned $0.75 cents and 182 coins. The 0.75 came from winning cash once. The drawings that the lottery tickets go for happen weekly, and I haven’t won anything from that yet either. Of course, I’ve only been a member for two weeks. I will keep using the site and update on any new winnings and my thoughts after using it for awhile. (You can now read my update here).
So here’s the ICS widget, which you can try out to get a sample of what the questions are like and how the game works. The ICS Stats are below it.
Instant Cash Sweepstakes Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Email, First Name, Initial of Last Name, Birth date, Gender, State, County, Zip, Paypal Email, Statistical questions (education, employment, race, etc)
Member eligibility requirements: Minimum 18 years old, US Resident
Sign up bonuses: None
How money/tickets/coins are earned: Answering 3 questions to win a “prize,” either cash, tickets, or coins. Minimum 1 ticket and 1 coin each time.
Redemption options: Cash is via Paypal only. Coins can be traded in for prizes.
Fees or rules for redemption: No fees. Minimum $2 to cash out.
Time redemption takes: 72 hours to receive Paypal payment after request.
Cash value of coins: Unable to determine at this time
Check out my update post after two months with Instant Cash Sweepstakes.
Service Review: Public Storage Pt 2 Moving Out
I previously posted the first part of my review of Public Storage based on setting up my account and moving in to the facility.
Now that I’ve moved out and closed my account, I want to give a follow up on how that whole process went.
Overall, I am very satisfied with Public Storage and the service I experienced with them, and I continue to recommend them to anyone who needs short-term storage. Luckily, by starting my tenancy in the “off-season” (before the summer months when the rent prices jumped as demand increased) I was able to save a ton of additional money as well.
As far as moving out goes, my only complaint is that Public Storage needs to get it’s policies straight and either have a standard across the entire chain or let each location set their own policies. It was a little confusing as to what I was supposed to do before moving out.
When I set up the account, the location manager told me that on move out day, I’d just need to come into the office once I moved out my stuff and then close the account. Then when I looked at the paper work from my contract, it said I needed to notify Public Storage seven days in advance of my move. On the website, the FAQs state that you just have to remove your lock and tell them you’re out, and no advanced notice is necessary. I called the customer service line seven days in advance just in case to let them know that I was planning to move out. The representative I spoke to told me I had to call the location at least 2-3 days in advance to let them know I was moving out. When I called the manager at the site, he let me know that all I had to do was come see him once I was moved out and no notice was necessary.
That was a little frustrating, but I just made sure I covered all my bases and everything was fine. For future Public Storage tenants, I’d just make sure to go by what your site manager says.
Moving out (besides the actual physical moving) was a breeze. Once everything was out and I removed my lock, I went into the office. The manager closed my account and printed a final invoice for me, and I was done. That took about two minutes. Then I was done. I haven’t had any issues at all.
If you’re looking for a great storage option, you should definitely check out Public Storage. Compare their rates to other companies in your area, and if it’s best deal out there, go for it.
Product Review: DiGiorno Flatbread Melts
A few months ago, Kraft was running a promotion with free coupons for their new DiGiorno Flatbread Melts. It seems interesting, and I’m always up for trying something new–especially for free–so I signed up.
The coupon came in the mail a couple days ago, so when I went to my local Jewel on Friday and grabbed a box (though it took awhile to locate in the frozen food aisle).
When I finally found it, I was surprised to see the price tag. I would have paid $3.45 without the free coupon. A lot of money for a frozen “sandwich.” In my opinion, that’s pretty pricey, so it must be terribly good.
I selected the Italian-Style Meatball & Four Cheese. It seemed “authentic.”
Yesterday I decided to give it a try because I was too lazy to cook something substantial. So I took it out of the box and was actually shocked at how small it was.
I don’t know why I expected more, but it seemed so tiny and insignificant compared to the size of the box. The amount of filling seemed to be lacking as well. Maybe it expands while it cooks? I hope so.
I put the flat bread on it’s cardboard tray–which was broken at one corner–and followed the cooking direction. Three minutes and forty-five seconds later, my microwave presented me with…
Well…it just looked a little pathetic. Basically a lop-sided, melted mess. Once I folded it up, it looked a lot better, though not as enticing as that lovely picture on the box.
Looking at the picture on the box and the actual product in my hand, I’m a little confused as to how they think those are the same thing. There is not that much filling on the flat bread, well unless you squeeze the flat bread after it’s folded so the small amount of sauce and cheese and meat available oozes out the sides…then it will look the same.
The box touts a “Fresh baked Taste in Minutes!” Mostly it reminded me of eating a meatball Hot Pocket. The flavor seemed identical, though it has been years since I’ve dared to eat a nasty Hot Pocket, so my memory is not so fresh. But that’s the first thing I thought of when I took a bite.
I continued eating and got past that first impression. The sauce has a nice flavor–like a generic tomato based spaghetti sauce, and the flatbread isn’t too bad (probably would be better if it wasn’t frozen five minutes earlier). Definitely not the most flavorful thing I’ve eaten. I think they skimped on the “Italian Style Seasonings.”
The back of the box claims it’s “Toasty on the outside, soft and tender on the inside!” The person who wrote that copy, has not tried this product. It was soft everywhere. I’m not sure what they expected to be “tender.” Nothing felt “tender” to me.
It’s really only enough food for a snack and not enough for a meal. So for the price, the quantity and quality of food is absolutely paltry and it just tastes like a Hot Pocket. So if you’re too lazy to make yourself a quality meal, just buy a box of Hot Pockets, it’s probably cheaper and you at least get two of them.
Product Review: Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal
As I’ve posted before, Crest previously offered free samples of their Advanced Seal Whitestrips, and I’ve been lucky enough to get two of those samples. I’ve never tried any type of whitening before, and I’m interested to see how this works, and if these strips are actually effective.
Putting on the strips was easy enough. I just pealed them off the foil, stuck them on the front of my teeth and folded them over.
No ill side effects after application. I just felt like I had plastic over my teeth. After a couple minutes I checked it out in the mirror and there were thousands of tiny bubbles under the strips. No tingling or anything though–it just wasn’t very attractive.
The info that came with the sample listed some things you can do while you whiten with their strips:
-Talk on the phone
-Drink water
-Whistle along with the radio
-Take a shower
-Go about your daily routine.
I didn’t have anyone to call on the phone, so I talked to myself. The strips didn’t seem to impair me in any way. I drank some water and the strips stayed firmly in place. I cannot whistle, and the strip didn’t help me with that, though I don’t think it hindered me either. I’d already showered for the day, but I was able to wander around and do whatever I wanted to while I whitened.
After about 15 minutes some of the edges were starting to peel up just from normal activities, sometimes I thought I could taste the chemicals in my mouth.
After the recommended half hour, I went back to the bathroom to peel them off. It was a little tricky at first, but I pulled off the the strip starting at the back of my teeth, and then it was pretty easy. The strip left behind no sticky residue
Unfortunately the free sample offer is gone for now, but Crest is offering $7 off one box of Crest Whitestrips.
Also, Amazon currently has them on sale for 48% off
Service Review: Public Storage
As I’ve mentioned before, this summer is a little hectic for me in terms of shuffling myself and my stuff around as I move twice. Part of this chaos has included me putting the majority of my possessions in storage for three months. This is not an ideal situation, but it’s temporary so I cope with it, and of course sought the cheapest option possible.
I decided to go with Public Storage, after seeing many television ads and banners touting first month’s rent for just a dollar. I figured that pay $1 for the first month and then only paying full rent for two more months was the cheapest option in my area.
Their website is immensely convenient. I was able to search for all of the locations in my area (in Chicago, there’s a lot to choose from) and see the prices for each location. By browsing a couple locations, I quickly saw I could save about $10-20 a month at a location a little further away from my apartment, and then save $10 more at the location just a block north of that (I have no clue why they have two locations a block apart).
Using the website size guide and storage tips I selected the size unit I needed and reserved it online. The next day I got a call from the manager inviting me to come down and inspect the unit and fill out the paperwork. Easy as pie.
Unfortunately though, $1 is not all you will pay in your first month, and I did not find this out until I went in. The rent is $1, but there is also an administration fee and by law you have to have some sort of insurance. If you move in on any day besides the first of the month, they will pro-rate the rest of that month, and then your $1 rent will begin on the first of the next month. So since I moved in on April 30th, I was prorated for that day, and got May for $1. The administration fee was $22. I picked the cheapest insurance, $2000 coverage for $8mo. In total I paid $36.66. Not bad considering my normal monthly rent is $85.
Overall my experience has been great so far. I’ve had no problems with the facilities and the managers are very helpful. There are three options to pay rent each month: take it to the office, sign up for auto-bill pay, or pay online. I pay online each month, which takes about 1 minute of my time.
I highly recommended checking out Public Storage and of course comparing it to other options in your area to make sure they’re the cheapest option. From my experience their service is great, the facility is clean and well maintained, and customer service is very helpful.
Once I move out at the end of July I’ll post an update on how moving out goes, though I expect the transition out to be as smooth as moving in was. Update: part two of my review, covering my experience moving out and closing the account, is available here.
See Also:
Savings on Packing Supplies
Finding Free Moving Boxes
