The word “generic” has something of a bad reputation; many people think of it as synonymous with bland, boring, ordinary. But at the grocery store and pharmacy, “generic” can mean saving money without giving up on quality. Here are some generic products that the consumer finance Web site WalletPop counsels shoppers to embrace:
• Medicine. Pharmaceutical makers are required to include the same ingredients in generic medications that are used in name brands, making them just as effective and safe – and less expensive.
• Cereal. Generic breakfast cereal generally runs about 25 to 50 percent less than the name brand, and it frequently has the same taste and comes in larger boxes.
• Basic cooking staples. Flour, salt, sugar, and other pantry items are exactly the same no matter what name is on the package, making generic flour, for example, more economical than a name brand.
• Electronic cables. Your brand-new big screen plasma TV doesn’t really need the most expensive brand of cables on the market. Salespeople may suggest a particular manufacturer, but you’ll get the same signal transfer with a generic.
• Cosmetics. Makeup and other beauty products aren’t patented, so drugstores and manufacturers can offer duplicates at about half the price.
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