I hate GENERICS!!

[jfoofj]

I am a Tide addict too, I swear nothing else cleans our clothes as well. I do use a cheaper brand detergent for my towels, sheets, blankets, etc. though and I have found that the Walmart brand Great Value fabric softener is pretty good. I also tear my fabric softer sheets in half and use half the recommended amount of liquid softener.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Also a tide addict! Once I was in Stop and Shop and it is when Tide was changing over to the 2x formula, all the old size bottles were $3.50 and I had coupons! My husband was outside waiting for me and almost had a stroke when I came out with 10 bottles! It was a sad day when I ran out and had to buy more! This is where I refuse to go generic or to a cheaper brand.

I tried generic bread and it fell apart making pb&j, so now I buy name brand at Walmart much cheaper than the grocery store.

I started buying different Walmart crackers, we also buy Walmart brand apple juice and apple sauce, that has been fine.

Milk I get at the convenience store, can get Hood or Garellick's for $2.19 for a gallon of 1%.

Every few months Electrosol (now called Finish) runs a coupon for $2.50 off. I wait until it goes on sale at Target and stock up. I think I have paid about $3.00 total in 2 years for dishwasher detergent and have enough for another year in my pantry closet.

My biggest disappointment, I tried generic baby formula (in 2006) from BJ's, it barely dissolved and left big clumps! Turns out BJ's formula is made at the same plant at Target, Walmart, and a few other stores so I went back to enfamil.

 

[mnrose]

I pick and choose where I use store brands. I've found the Kirkland brand of detergent (Costco) to be excellent, and significantly cheaper than Tide.

As for peanut butter, I make my own. If you own a good quality food processor (Cuisinart or KitchenAid both work), just put roasted peanuts (salted or not, your choice) in the food processor and let it go. In about 5 minutes, you will have the flat out BEST peanut butter you've ever had. Yes, you need to store it in the fridge, but it is very spreadable even when cold. And, it's cheap. I pay about $1.75 a pound...and this is comparable to the so-called "natural" peanut butters that cost significantly more than that.

 

[3boymthr]

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.

I have to admit we're totally a brand family for some things. Bread is pepperidge farms unless money is short that week then it's whatever brand happens to be cheapest, but I will admit to liking the target's market pantry brand best of the store brands.

We only use Tide on clothes, with cheaper brands for sheets and towels where there is no ground in dirt. It's my little way of saving a little bit of money. But I have to say my DM worked at sears when I was a kid so always bought sears detergent because with the employee discount it was the cheapest thing going. She loved it and I have to say our clothes were always really clean. Sears is 1/2 hour drive anymore so we don't use it. The couple of dollars we'd save on the detergent are used up on the gas we expend.

We only eat Jiff peanut butter the other brands are all to grainy for us.

 

[englishteacha]

I use Sun detergent or Purex and it works fine.
I only use Dawn for handwashing dishes, though.
Everything else is generic, for the most part.

 

[finz2left]

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.

I've tried this twice and it always seems to make my clothes fade very, very quickly. ...especially the darks. Does it do that to yours?