More than a decade ago, one of the regional grocery stores called their generic brand \u201cFinast.\u201d Around that time, I secured a new job which included a nice bump in salary.<\/p>\n
As Maria and I celebrated, I told her we could now buy \u201cthe finest meats and cheeses.\u201d She replied, \u201cInstead of Finast meats and cheeses.\u201d<\/p>\n
The joke has hung around our house all this time. I really have nothing against generic brands and often buy them myself. The markup for the name on the box isn\u2019t always worth it.<\/p>\n
My wife, however, made a grave miscalculation about that last week. She bought generic Cheez-Its.<\/p>\n
To say this caused controversy at home would not accurately capture the situation. There were text messages followed by a long discussion at dinner followed by Facebook posts that allowed friends and family to weigh in on the matter.\u00a0 One of my older sisters taunted us with a picture of a bag of Cheez-Its with the caption \u201clooks like we made it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That kind of hurt. I have turned into a little bit of a cheapskate as I have gotten older. I don\u2019t make impulse buys like I used to. When I do, I make sure I am getting a really good discount.<\/p>\n
But some things shouldn\u2019t even enter into the conversation when it comes to cutting corners. I mean, if you really have money problems there is absolutely no shame in getting generic cheesy snack crackers.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, we don\u2019t have that kind of issue right now. We\u2019re not diving into swimming pools filled with money (well, not yet because I am writing this before Friday\u2019s lottery drawing) like Scrooge McDuck, but we can easily afford the 50-cent difference between the generic and name brand on this item.<\/p>\n
When we took this topic to social media, some folks suggested a blind taste test to see if the hubbub about this purchase really mattered. I would have no problem with that. In fact, I bet I would enjoy the generic brand just fine.<\/p>\n
Some products transcend the whole name brand vs. generic debate, however. The name defines them.<\/p>\n
Cheez-Its falls into this category. So do Oreos. I would argue that Fritos do, but the price difference between the two is pretty stark so I supported my wife buying the generic ones as long as she put them into the name-brand bag to quell any potential uprising.<\/p>\n
I also have no problem with generic salsa or salad dressing or other condiments. We eat generic yogurt sometimes, and I regularly eat generic granola bars in the morning at work.<\/p>\n
This is a pretty fine line in my mind. While we never reached a consensus on this issue, people pretty much agreed that generics as a whole aren\u2019t bad. It all depends on the product.<\/p>\n
For instance, I have no problem with generic soda. When I see a sale on the off-brand stuff, I will sometimes grab a 12-pack or two.<\/p>\n
One of my wife\u2019s guilty pleasures is a diet soda in the afternoon. I wonder what would happen if I bought her a generic brand?<\/p>\n
On second thought, I don\u2019t know if I want to go down that road. She could retaliate with generic beer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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