With the cost of living continuing to rise in almost every aspect of life, people are trying to save money wherever they can. One way to pinch those pennies is to abandon brand names in favor of generic products. According to an article on TheDinnerDaily.com, generic foods will generally save you anywhere from 25% to 30% over their name-brand counterpart. That can really add up when you apply those percentages to a cart full of groceries.

Is There Really a Difference?

The most common misconception about generic or store-brand products is that they are of lesser quality than the brand name. While I'm sure that is true for some products, the majority of items are just as good as the brand name, or at least have no noticeable difference. That same article from TheDinnerDaily.com shared this interesting tidbit...

Generics are often made by that national brand. These generic products are made in the same plant, from the same farm, but just packaged in a less flashy way. To put it in perspective, when you are buying a national brand product when there is a generic option available, you are essentially paying up to 30% more for a pretty label.

I Don't Care, I Love My Brand-Name

Regardless of the savings or the quality, regardless of the statistics and data that make a case for generic, shoppers refuse to abandon their beloved name-brand when it comes to certain products. We asked listeners to tell us about the product(s) that must be brand-name. There was no shortage of feedback.

15 Items Tri-Staters Splurge On for Name Brand

This morning, we talked about items that our listeners ONLY buy name brand. Some of these things are non-negotiable but then some, well, I think it's just silly to spend the extra cash on. Here are the 15 items and whether I think they are worth the splurge.

Gallery Credit: ASHLEY SOLLARS

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