NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF/CONSUMER REPORTS) — We're feeling inflation pains everywhere, especially at the grocery store. But what if there were an easy way to save money when you're shopping for food?
While the long-standing tradition of clipping coupons is still an option, another way to save money is to buy store brands instead of name brands. If you do this as you go through your shopping list, the savings can really add up. But first, you'll want to find store brands you actually like.
"Store brands are almost always cheaper, sometimes as much as 70% cheaper than name brand products," said Amy Keating with Consumer Reports.
But saving money might not be worth it if the foods don’t taste good. Consumer Reports expert tasters blind-sampled pantry staples, comparing the name-brand and popular store brands.
So can you fill your morning cereal bowl with a Honey Nut Cheerios knockoff that tastes close enough to the real thing but costs a lot less? Yes, if you reach for a box of Honey Nut Os from Walmart’s Great Value brand, you’ll save 67% per serving!
What about the maple syrup on your pancakes?
"We found that all of the syrups we tasted were a very good quality, but some were actually more expensive than the name-brand syrup by Butternut Mountain Farm," Keating said.
The store-brand organic maple syrup at Costco won't disappoint your tastebuds or your wallet with a savings of 25%!
For those peanut butter lovers, brands from Aldi or Walmart will taste sweet and give you sweet savings — about 50% less than Skippy.
But Consumer Reports tasters say if you’re a Skippy fan, skip store-brand peanut butter from Target and Dollar General. Both had a less roasted peanut flavor.
Speaking of nuts, for the price, testers said it’s “NUTS” how good the Costco Extra Fancy Salted Mixed Nuts were! They were fresh tasting and had a good variety of nuts — and you’ll save a lot of money over the name-brand, Planters.
While Heinz Tomato Ketchup is beloved by kids and kids-at-heart everywhere, tasters found that ketchup by Aldi and Target was very good, and you’ll save about 70% per serving! Both had 20mg less sodium per serving than Heinz!
Based on its research, Consumer Reports says to expect to save the most money by shopping for store brands at places like Costco, Aldi, Walmart, and Target, but don't expect to save as much from buying store brands at Whole Foods.
