"Generic" is such a harsh term

My name is Pete Oliva, and I'm on a budget.

As anyone with a family surely knows, every dollar is precious. Heck, even fractions of a dollar are like small fortunes in themselves when you've got two kids, a mortgage, gasoline for the commute, and daycare and all those bills to pay each month. Thus, saving every little bit every time you make a purchase at the supermarket can really make a difference in the monthly bottom line. 

Almost everyone knows that one of most effective ways to trim down the all-too-frequent-but-totally-necessary grocery bill is to purchase store brands, commonly -- and so unaffectionately -- dubbed "generics". Is it really so bad, though? Being generic really just means that you belong to an umbrella group, with nary a spiffy logo, trademark, or jingle to call your own. But in terms of connotation, it really seems to mean you have no real sense of individuality aside from where the buyer acquired you. 

To me, employing such a name is a bit heartless. Kind of like stripping away all traces of identity, value, and worth in a single term. But an oft-ignored fact is that being a store brand brings with it a certain uniqueness: You can only be acquired at that special retailer, and that makes store brands more special than you might realize.

Which brings me to the question that forms the primary inspiration for this site: Is the cost-benefit derived from purchasing the store brand rather than a higher-priced-but-time-tested name brand sufficient? Because, yes, while you might save money almost every time by purchasing the store brand, are you going to suffer for it with day after day of mediocre meals, second-rate cleaning supplies, and odious office supplies?
In my experience, buying store brands is sometimes worth it, and sometimes not. To this point in time, though, I've never attempted to quantify this in any meaningful way. This blog is my attempt at determining this for myself, once and for all, and sharing my findings with anyone who might want a little advice in this matter, or simply to find out some stranger's thoughts on whether or not to buy that store-brand spaghetti sauce. 

One last thing: It must be noted that because of my location, my findings will be skewed toward the Texas market. In my area, there are two main places to purchase supermarket goods: Walmart and H.E.B. Walmart's store brand is "Great Value", and at H.E.B. there is a broader variety of labels for store brands, most commonly "H.E.B." and "Hill Country Fare". 

If you live in other geographic areas of the country the H.E.B. products will be of less relevance to you, but almost everyone has had experience purchasing Walmart's "Great Value" products so this blog should prove useful to most people in at least some capacity.

I am sure this experience will evolve over time. As it does, I will enjoy partaking in it and hope that it proves helpful for at least a few people. Sometimes I will directly compare store brands with name brands, and other times I will simply review the store brand on its own. 

Here's to those shaved-off cents on the dollar!