Quality is important in most things, and cost-conscious consumers need to be wise about where to best cut corners. But as prices soar, consumer advocates point to six common items it’s smart to go cheap on without giving up on quality:
- Pantry staples – Many branded grocery items are made by the same companies that make generic label grocery brands, and often with little to no change in components. When it comes to spices, sauces, dried pastas and most other canned or boxed goods, buying generic is the smart thing to do.
- Cosmetics – There is little reason to think that the ingredients in high-end lotions and moisturizers are that much better than those in generically labeled products available at many dollars less. It’s also worth trying drugstore brands in lipsticks and eye shadows, as well in aspirin and common pain meds.
- Baby clothes – Babies grow out of clothing just as fast, no matter how much you pay for them. Shop big box stores and discount retailers for adorable baby clothes at prices low enough that you don’t care how quickly your baby outgrows them.
- Cookware – It pays to buy a good set of knives, but when it comes to other cookware, such as enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens, a low-priced knock-off can perform just as well and cost hundreds of dollars less. The same is true for sets of non-stick cookware purchased cheaply at a big box store.
- Cleaning supplies – Most generic brands of all-purpose cleaning liquids and other common household cleaners are just as effective as their branded cousins, and proven natural cleansers like vinegar, lemon and baking soda mixed with water will often do the job at hand at a cost that’s even lower.
