I hate GENERICS!!

[eliza61]

Well not all generics but....
Generally I'm a loyal Tide detergent users but since I've been thinking of ways to lower all my spending, I decided to purchase a generic brand of soap powder.

What a waste. First, I had to use almost twice as much on each load. Next, it still didn't clean as well. My youngest son plays HS football and the tide would get out dirt stains on the first wash. I'm currently washing his uniform for the 3rd time because it still looks dingy. I couldn't possibly be that horrid at washing clothes could I? I mean after 40 years....

Oh well, I'm just venting. lesson learned. some things I just can't go generic.
Next up... generic bread, peanut butter & jelly. Wish me luck.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

Don't try Walmart brand dishwasher detergent. I got the individually wrapped little packets that you put in the dishwasher......AWFUL!!! I just used up my last one yesterday (because I was too cheap to toss them out )and I'm so excited to go back to Cascade! Totally worth the extra $1 it'll cost me to get Cascade.

 

[java]

Don't do the bread! That was a disaster for us- maybe your store brand will be better but the shoprite stuff was horrible. It fell apart. Waste of money.

You know making detergent is SUPER easy. And way cheaper. I think it works great. (and I was a tide girl)

One easy switch was the Store Brand Instant Oatmeal. Oatmeal is oatmeal.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Don't do the bread! That was a disaster for us- maybe your store brand will be better but the shoprite stuff was horrible. It fell apart. Waste of money.

You know making detergent is SUPER easy. And way cheaper. I think it works great. (and I was a tide girl)

One easy switch was the Store Brand Instant Oatmeal. Oatmeal is oatmeal.

I'd love to know your detergent "recipe"
More looking to get away from chemicals than saving...but that'd be a PERK!

 

[patsal]

Steer clear of the peanut butter as well. I found that the store brand of the bread is usually fine, store brand jam is good as well, peanut butter varies by store brand and dish detergent, diswasher detergent, and tide are things I cannot get generic to do just as well with. Like you though, I try the off brand a tiny bit (one or two things per shopping trip) so that I can give it a try. FYI many stores have a satisfaction guarantee on their own brands hold the store to them. It is less risky that way and you are nto out anythign if the product is not good.

 

[java]

courtesy of the Duggars!

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

I found the Washing soda in the detergent Aisle of my grocery store same with the Borax. The Fels Naptha is also in that aisle- $1 a bar.
I have a very skin sensitive child and that was my main reason for trying it- and it worked great. It doesn't have any "smell" though.And if you do this you will feel rather Laura Ingallish. I used a paint stirrer to mix it all up.

 

[SandrA9810]

I love Publix and I love using a lot of their brand stuff. I grew up eating publix bread, and the other stuff tastes just the same.

Every month or so, Publix does a promo on certain products... buy their's, try our's for free. They do it on all sorts of items foods, drinks, cleaning products. It's a free way to try it, so you're not loosing any money, and you can compare back to back to see if there is any significant difference.

But I do avoid buying anything Great Value. I hate shopping at WM... so the less of my money they get the better.

 

[java]

I love Publix and I love using a lot of their brand stuff. I grew up eating publix bread, and the other stuff tastes just the same.

Every month or so, Publix does a promo on certain products... buy their's, try our's for free. They do it on all sorts of items foods, drinks, cleaning products. It's a free way to try it, so you're not loosing any money, and you can compare back to back to see if there is any significant difference.

But I do avoid buying anything Great Value. I hate shopping at WM... so the less of my money they get the better.

Yes I heard that Publix is GREAT! I loved the Publix OJ when we were in Florida. Shoprite not so great.

 

[pixiewings71]

We use "generic" bread all the time, works great and it's a lot cheaper! We also use generic jam, honey, ziploc baggies.....and many more. I agree with the Tide consensus, I'm using something else currently but man I love Tide!!

 

[britfish]

totally agree about the walmart dishwasher detergent. Their powder used to be good so I decided to try the little gel packs. yuck, I coulnd't even finish the bag of them, they were horrible.

 

[plummer925]

Here is another handmade laundry soap recipe (I think it costs me about 4c per load)

1 box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
4 pounds of Baking Soda (brand does not matter but I use Arm & Hammer because i buy the big bags at Sam's Club)
1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated finely

Mix all together. Use 1/8 of a cup per load for normal wash - increase to 1/4 of a cup if heavily soiled.

This will have no smell and will NOT bubble (you may have a few stray bubbles at the top, but no foamy bubbles).

I just LOVE it - costs pennies per load, is allergen free and has no icky fake smells!

I THINK I got the recipe from either Living More with Less (part 2 of the More With Less Cookbook - phenominal book!) or the Tightwad Gazette.

 

[Cjmuma]

If you live in nw pa or NE ohio, there is a wonderful thing called the schwebels bakery outlet, and there may be others that I don't know about, but it is the exact same bread, maybe day old, sometimes with 4-5 days left before expiration, but it is usually 59-89 cents a loaf compared to the 1.89 minimum that the store charges... I love it and it has saved me a fortune over the years!!!
Cj

 

[JoiseyMom]

I buy the Kirkland (costco) or Costco brand of dishwashing detergent and the kirkland detergent for clothes, and have had no issues. Oh, also the fabric softener from Costco.

I buy store brand organic Wegman's peanut butter and it is awesome!! I have been using more and more generics.

Somethings I will never change...Heniz Ketchup, Helloman's Mayo and Bumble Bee tuna..and maybe a few others .

 

[MSSANDRA]

Tide is the 1 thing I will not give up. Tried and hated it as well.

 

[mum4jenn]

Walmart peanut butter is made at the Peter Pan factory.

We use the Members Mark (Sams)brand of laundry detergent. It measures and works just like Tide. We have never had a problem with it. We also use the liquid dishwasher detergent from Sams.

Most of the products from Walmart are very good and Publix store brand is excellent.

 

[ajh88]

I love the Great Value grasshopper cookies. I bought them because the Fudge Shoppe Keebler cookies were way too much - then when Fudge Shoppe finally went on sale, I found I actually preferred the GV brand. Who knew?

The GV potato chips are an entirely different story - DH will NOT touch them!

 

[princessbride6205]

We do most of our shopping at Super Target. Their liquid dishwasher detergent works well for us (as well as it can in our awful dishwasher!). I was impressed by their zip-top freezer bags. We buy their cheese as well. Had one bad experience with moldy string cheese, but I think that was a fluke. The Market Pantry version of Cheerios were awful!!!! Tasted like sawdust.
We have loved everything Trader Joe's brand - though that's not quite as much discount as regular generics at grocery stores.

 

[mainegal]

You need to budget some money to experiment with the generics!

 

[mainegal]

Don't try Walmart brand dishwasher detergent.

Consumer Reports like Walmars version of Cascade. OK in my old dishwasher.

 

[sherry7]

I've had excellent experiences with generic products. A few months ago I started buying most of our groceries at Aldi's, and those are all generics. With the exception of their salsa, we've liked everything. I also buy a lot of generic products from Walmart.

I used Tide and Cheer detergent for years, but switched to Sears powdered HE detergent a couple of years ago. I absolutely love it. It doesn't leave a scummy buildup in my front loading washing, doesn't fade our clothes, dissolves and rinses away well, and it's dirt cheap. It goes on sale pretty often, and I can get it for around 7 cents per load...compared to the 25 to 30 cents per load I was spending on Tide and Cheer.

About the only things I'm brand loyal to are toilet paper and tissues. We prefer Cottonelle or Quilted Northern toilet paper, and either Puffs or Kleenex tissues. Oh, and I'll only use Plochmann's mustard.