How To Get Your Family To Eat Store Brands

You know you will save money if you buy store brands, but your family is picky. Here are some tips to help your family make the switch without complaint.

It’s probably no surprise to hear that food companies spend more than a few billion per year on advertising, given the number of food commercials and ads we see each day. That’s a lot of money to convince consumers that their brand of food is the best. Sometimes, though, it can seem that buying these name brand foods costs your family about $1.3 billion per year in grocery bills.

The good news is that food advertisements only make you think that brand name food products are better. Often, they are exactly the same products as store brand products. Only the packaging (and the cost) may be different.

Sometimes, there is a slight difference in quality between name brands and store brands, but often, a person’s preference for one over the other may simply be a matter of what he or she is used to eating. If a person’s taste buds can become accustomed to a name brand product, they can become accustomed to a store brand product, too.

Even the United States Department of Agriculture recommends trying store-brand foods to eat healthfully on a budget. Research by the Private Label Manufacturers Association indicates that consumers can save about a third of their bill each shopping trip by purchasing store brand products. For a family that spends $100 a week on groceries, that can be savings of over $1,700 a year.

How To Get Your Family To Eat Store Brands

If you have a family of picky eaters, getting them to give up their name brand products may seem like an impossible task. Take heart! With a gradual approach and lots of patience, even the most finicky of families can be swayed.

Start slowly.

When trying to change any habit, the best thing to do is to start slowly. Don’t replace every brand name item on your shopping list with a store brand or spend your entire grocery budget at a chain that sells only its own brands (like Aldi) until you’re sure your family will eat the cheaper food you’ve bought. Instead, try a few items at a time.

Swap things your family will likely not notice.

First, swap things that no one is likely to notice, like flour, rice, cooking oil, or dried pasta. Only a serious foodie could tell the difference between brand name and store brand macaroni noodles once they’re cooked and covered in cheese.

Then, slowly try other store brand foods. Begin with foods foods that your family is less likely to be fussy about, like canned vegetables and beans. If your child’s favorite breakfast cereal or your spouse’s normal brand of coffee is among the first things you change, you may encounter pushback that could derail your entire endeavor.

Opt for better store brands.

If your family is very choosy or complains about the quality of store brands, opt for the “better” store brand. Some stores make “premium” or “gold” lines of their own brands that are comparable to brand name products. These may be more expensive than the store’s “everyday” lines, but you’ll likely still save money over national brands.

Let your family keep their favorites.

There are several ways you can increase your family members’ cooperation with switching from name brand products if they are less than enthusiastic about the idea. One way to do this is to allow each family member to pick one or two “special” brand name items he or she simply cannot live without. Then, clip coupons for that item, watch for it to go on sale, and stock up. Even if you have to pay full price for a “special” item once in a while, you’re still saving money in your grocery budget overall by giving up most national brands.

Track your savings as a family.

Another idea to increase your family’s support is to keep track of how much money your family saves each time you buy a store brand. This is a great exercise for school-aged kids and teenagers. (Plus, it sharpens their math skills!) Putting the savings toward a family goal, such as paying down debt or taking a vacation, may help get everyone on board. Once your kids and spouse see how much money you’re saving, they may even be willing to give up their “special” items to save even more.

How Will You Get Your Family To Eat Generic Store Brand Food?

Getting your family to eat store brands isn’t so hard. With patience and persistence, even the most persnickety of eaters can be persuaded to make small changes that benefit the family finances in a big way!

• Saving With Generic Store Brands
• A Grocery Stockpiling Guide: How and When To Save
• Foods You Should Stop Buying and Start Making That Can Lower Grocery Costs
• Non-Cash Creative Grocery Budget Stretching Strategies

Reviewed January 2024