Day 2 Of 33 Days And 33 Ways To Save Money And Reduce Debt : Brand Disloyalty

Aug 30 2007

Posted by NCN as 33 Days, Frugality, Savings |

Click here to read all of the 33 Days And 33 Ways To Save Money And Reduce Debt posts.

Day 2 :Brand Disloyalty

It is extremely easy to become a “creature of habit”. Examine the products / services that you pay for. Are you brand loyal or brand disloyal? Are you basing your purchases on price and value or habit and repetition?

Before continuing, it is important to note that there are times when it pays to buy the more expensive version of a particular product. But, for most situations, I have found that “generics rule”. Consider making the switch to to a different version of a product if you can get “more for less”.

Being Brand Disloyal doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to buy generics. If you are smart and patient, you might be able to use coupons and discounts to buy brand-name products. The key is to be totally Brand Disloyal while always looking for the true value of a product or service.

Have you considered using:

A different shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, or other like product?

A new dry cleaner, insurance agent, gas station, grocery store, or restaurant?

A new author, website, or library?

The key is to embrace the fact that change can be a good thing. Final words? Why are you using the products and services that you are using? Are you making fiscally responsible choices? Have you even given these things any thought? True progress begins when we examine why we are doing what we are doing and then choose to change those behaviors that are not adding value to our lives.

If you have a suggestion for how we can exchange one brand for another and save money, leave a comment. If you are a blogger, write a post about brand disloyalty and contact me. I’ll be more than happy to link to your post.

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8 Responses

Catherine

August 30th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
1

I wrote a post that could be an example of this:

http://catholicstewardship.blogspot.com/2007/08/brand-disloyalty.html

Just a shout out to agree!
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August 31st, 2007 at 8:34 am
2

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MikeVx

September 2nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
3

I find that my strongest brand loyalties are in foodstuffs. Most probably I have just gotten used to the taste and don’t like other brands so much, but that is a factor. I have discovered some places where I can economize with foods. Cereals are a good place. Face it, it’s pretty hard to screw up an oat ring or a corn flake. Deluxe macaroni kits (cheese in a foil bag instead of a powder to mix) are essentially interchangeable. My taste preferences, and thus brand loyalty, in food seems tied to the complexity of the item. Simple foods I can buy in any brand, I develop preferences for multi-factor foods. I am pretty much tied to a single brand of frozen lasagna.

I find that I am more brand-hopping on non-edibles. I buy low-cost detergent, paper towels and toilet paper from a nearby Dollar General. I’ll buy store-brand cleaning supplies. And sometimes they will have the same brands I buy at the big stores for a lower price.

My office at work has a microwave over for employee use, so I buy things I can heat on-site as a savings tactic, but even there, some things I tend to buy on brand for taste reasons. Noodle cups and similar things seem brand-irrelevant, I get whatever of those is on sale that day.

I remain guilty of a certain amount of brand loyalty in foods for reasons of taste, and that will likely not change.
Bighonkin

September 5th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
4

I have to say that I agree with you NCN. I have found that especially for cosmetic type stuff such as shampoos and soaps and hair gels that generic is the way to go, and many times the product itself has been better than the name brand. Those who wear contacts may want to check with your eye doctor before switching, but going to a comparible generic contact solution will save you five to six dollars every time you have to restock.

An area I can NOT go generic on is cereal. I don’t eat healthy cereal, and I have not found a cereal in a bag that can quite nail the taste of Fruity Pebbles…many have tried all have failed.

Basically, this entire post was to mention that I can’t buy cereal in a bag.
lulu

September 21st, 2007 at 1:28 pm
5

I am brand loyal based on the performance of the product. I use the cheap toothpaste, Pepsodent (97 cents on the bottom shelf at Walmart) because it works well for me. I have sensitive gums and most other toothpastes irritate my teeth and gums.
On the topic of being sensitive I use only Oil of Olay moisturizer on my face. It is more expensive than other things but it works for me.

I think the most important thing to note here is not just about being BRAND loyal or disloyal because there are cheap brands. It is more about making a discrimination on the actual product and what it does for you because you can still be loyal to a cheap brand (Great Value from Walmart) and save money.
Elizabeth

September 30th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
6

I decided to look for cheaper insurance when I purchased my new(er) car this spring. It was painful because I really liked my insurance and felt like I got good protection. But the pain was definitely worth the gain as I am saving nearly $500/year AND getting better coverage (and a more responsive agent). Though change is not always comfortable, it definitely has it’s pay-offs!
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