When to Buy Generic

Posted on 05 04, 2006 under Doodads by Noodad |

Having kids or the time period before parenthood is a very expensive time in your life. All of a sudden all expenses have a +1 attached to it. Of course you want to spoil your kids with the best that money can buy. Sometimes, however, the best money can buy does not fit your budget. Never fear Noodads! There ARE some baby items that are ok to buy generic versions of without permanently damaging your bambino.

Generic versus brand names can be a very subjective, and controversial proposition. So to prove to you that I am a legit authority in this process, I will give you my credentials.
Items that I never buy generic versions of: ketchup, toilet paper, condoms, beer, mayonnaise, tuna, toothpaste, and band-aids. I know at this moment you are saying, "Dang, this boy IS legit." And I am thinking that if you don"t use brand name condoms, that is probably why you are a noodad;)

Now for my definition of the term "generic". I"m talking about store brands. Brands that you are only able to purchase in that particular store. Incidentally, most store brands are from the same manufacturer, they just have different labels. When I say generic, I am not talking about stuff that fell off a truck, is in the dollar bin with holes in the cans, and things with no labels at all. This is your kid fellas, don"t stoop that far.

So now for the list. First a small sampling of items you should NOT go generic with:

• Diapers — I know I will take some heat for this statement, but I have been burned with buying generic diapers. Trust me, when your kid explodes out his butt and your generic diaper"s velcro rips the diaper in half, you will not be thinking about the 3 bucks you saved.

• Sippy Cups — Generic sippy cups will leak. They will warp in the dishwasher. They will test your patience every single day your kid drinks out of them.

• Band-Aids — I have bought generic band-aids before and the adhesive was so strong that I took some skin off my body trying to remove them. Imagine if that skin flap came off your daughter.

• Formula — This expense will lop a huge chunk out of your wallet every month, but this is your kid"s only food and the younger your baby is, the more susceptible they are to sickness and life-long developmental problems.

• Wipes — Will you go generic on toilet paper? Didn"t think so.

Now for a list of items you can go generic on. Some may surprise you.

• Cheerios and other cereals — Your kid will not know the difference, and the nutritional value is almost identical. So save a few bucks with a box of Crazy Oat O"s.

• Vaseline — As long as it is slick and jelly-like, you"re good.

• Vitamins — Kids these days don"t even know who Fred Flintstone is! As long as it is an animal of some sort, they will be happy.

• Mac and Cheese — I know that Kraft is the cheesiest. But your kid really doesn"t care.

• Chicken Nuggets — Assuming that is actually chicken, your kid won"t know the difference between Tyson, Weaver, and Mr. Generic"s Chicken Pieces.

What do you noodads think about my choices? Agree or disagree?

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Viewing 5 Comments

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    I agree with almost every choice. I think you can get away with buying generic wipes, though. Just make sure they are the equivalent of the brand name that you\'d like to buy. I use a Target wipe that \'compares to Pampers Sensitive Touch\' and they\'re just as good. And when your kid gets to the potty training stage, the \'Toddler Wipes\' and generic foaming pump soap cost about a 1/3 of the Kandoo stuff--but if it is the cheery green frog on the Kandoo packaging that gets your kid shooting two into the bowl, go ahead and splurge.
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    Great list but I disagree strongly on the diaper thing. I\'ve never noticed a difference between generic and not, except for cost. As for wipes we are big fan of the Costco Kirkland brand of wipes. You can get a big ol box and wipe away.

    To save money on formula try breast-feeding (I know it doesn\'t work for everyone). You\'ll save a ton of money on formula and washing the breast is more fun :grin .

    Totally agree on the sippy cup thing. On the food thing, early on, if you want to save money on baby food and give your baby better stuff to eat making your own baby food is very simple. Just buy a bunch of apples, blend em up, add a little water, and put them in ice cube trays to freeze. After they are frozen put them in ziplock bags. You can do the same with vegatables, etc. We saved a ton of time and money that way. When you need to feed the baby mix in some rice cereal, microwave, and you are good to go.
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    We tried this with our first kid. Yes you do save money but the issue we had was it takes so damn long to do the up front. When you have a screaming baby, it\'s way easier to take a premixed, thawed, jar of baby food out of the pantry.
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    I agree with Noodad---you CAN\'T go generic on the diapers. Between the leaks, the ripped off tabs and the inability to stretch, the generics just AREN\'T worth the extra few cents. Keeping the poop and pee where it belongs is SOOOOO worth it!
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    Grandfoodad used to drink BEER. It came in a brown bottle with a yellow label. All it said was BEER. I tried it once. I\'d rather gargle battery acid. Luckily he also drank Genny Cream Ale. Mmmmm, creamy beer.

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