Follow Up

This is a follow up to the comments that were left on the previous post.

I have found that I mostly buy generic except for a few things where the taste/texture is better in the name brand. For example - Cool Whip holds the air better than the generic when I'm making strawberry tapioca jello salad. The jello salad is fluffier when I use name brand over generic. Also, I have tried many American cheese brands and find that I still like Kraft the best. Or like Dona said, sometimes the flavor or type of food you want is only available in name brand - when I looked for bread flour the other night I could only find Pillsbury or the kids like GoGurt for lunch which at Wal-Mart is only available in name brand. Aldi's has generic GoGurt but most weeks it is not worth the few pennies of savings to make the trip to the nearest one for me. OH - I will not buy generic mac and cheese! Kraft has everyone else beat in that category! Otherwise I stick to generic - I have found that for most products there isn't much of a difference. Looks like everyone who's voted so far buys both, too...

BTW: It is interesting to note that when Ryan used to visit manufacturing plants he said that sometimes they would run a product and label it with a name brand label and than midway through they would switch the labels - still the same product - to a generic brand. This isn't true for every product out there but there are quite a few that are this way.

Good idea, Sara, to plan menus. I've never been good at that. I keep a standard supply of ingredients on hand and then go and buy 2 - 3 different kinds on meat and figure out what to do with them after I get home. This usually works although there are a few times when I've had to text Ryan to stop by the store on the way home to pick up something that the recipe calls for that I do not have on hand.

As far as the reusable grocery bags - I have found that if I keep them in the van I usually remember to take them in with me. I have to say that I've never taken them in to the store and then forgotten to used them! Too funny, Elizabeth!