May 19, 2013
Henry tried four brand-name cereals and their Kroger generic counterparts, and the results surprised him!
Henry liked the generic Marshmallow Treasures better than Lucky Charms, because he said the cereal was "a little bit fatter", which made it taste better.
He liked Cheerios better than its generic, Toasted Oats. The Toasted Oats, Henry said, were only "okay".
Henry chose the generic Cinnamon Swirls over their brand-name counterpart, Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
And in the taste test between Cocoa Krispies and their generic, Cocoa Rice Krispy, Henry chose the generic.
So out of four taste tests, Henry chose generic three times. Cheerios was the only brand-name winner.
Buying brand name products versus generic is an age-old debate that the generics are increasingly winning in our current economy. A recent Consumer Reports study found shoppers can save an average of 30% if they buy generic. That means if you spend $100 a week on groceries, your savings could add up to more than $1500 a year.
Cereal is one of the biggest values when buying generic, saving you anywhere from 25% to 50%. A $6 box of brand-name cereal can cost $3 generic and usually comes in a bigger package with less air.
If your kids believe they like the brand name better, you can try a blind taste test with them too. Some people even recommend buying one box of brand name and then continually refilling it with generic cereal!
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