Graham Crackers - Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #19 - Graham Crackers:

Today I am comparing Target's Market Pantry Brand Graham Crackers to the old standby, Honey Maid. Both come in 14.4 oz boxes. The ingredients are pretty much the same with a few small exceptions. The crackers look the same as well. There is a bit of a difference now when it comes to taste. The Target brand is fine, it's just that the name brand tastes better, more "grahamy" if you will. I'm going to have to stick with the good 'ol Honey Maid for my S'Mores this time.

The Cost Comparison (as of 5/12/11 at Target):

Target's Market Pantry Graham Crackers (14.4 oz) - 2.54
Honey Maid Honey Grahams (14.4 oz) - 3.39

There is quite a price difference on this one. Almost a dollar. The Market Pantry brand is good and if you didn't do a side by side comparison like I did, you might not even notice a difference. Even still, I'm going to have stick with the brand name myself.

Canola Oil - Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #17 - Canola Oil:

Today I am comparing Crisco Canola Oil to Target's Store Brand, Market Pantry, Canola Oil. Both come in 48 Fl oz bottles. Both have only one ingredient. Yep, you guessed it - Canola Oil. Both are also made in Canada. The bottles are the same shape and size. They both taste the same and I can tell no difference at all between the two. There is quite a large price difference and therefore, I would say this is a great buy and I would definitely recommend switching to the Market Pantry brand.

The Cost Comparison (as of 5/12/11 at Target):

Crisco Canola Oil (48 fl oz) - 4.14
Target's Market Pantry Canola Oil (48 fl oz) - 2.94

That is a savings of 1.20!! Well worth the switch, in my opinion.

Plastic Wrap - Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #16 - Plastic Wrap:

Today I am comparing Glad's Cling Wrap to Target's Up and Up brand Plastic Wrap. Both come in 300 sq ft rolls and are in approximately the same size box. They look the same, however, the Target brand appears thicker than the Glad brand and the Glad brand seems to tear off easier than the Target brand. The most important test, I believe, is how they stick. This is where there seems to be the main difference. The Glad brand wins in this test. It just seems stickier. This is an age old battle and can be particularly annoying. While neither is perfect, I would choose the name brand as it is less annoying when attempting to stick to a container of food.

The Cost Comparison - Glad vs Target's Up and Up (as of 5/1/11 at Target):

Glad Cling Wrap (300 sq ft) - 2.84
Target's Up and Up Plastic Wrap (300 sq ft) - 2.44

The savings are just not worth the hassle of wrestling with the store brand plastic wrap, in my opinion.

Facial Tissue: Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #15 - Facial Tissue:

Facial Tissue is one of those products that everyone just calls by the most popular brand name, Kleenex. "Quick, I'm gonna sneeze - pass me a FACIAL TISSUE!!" Another example of this would be Band-Aids. I don't even know what else to call them. Anyway, today I will be comparing the good old Kleenex brand to Target's Up and Up brand Facial Tissue. Both come in a box of 100 and in a variety of colorful patterns. Both have the plastic sleeve that you tear off and the oval opening that you try and rip off without tearing the rest of the box. I found this equally challenging on both boxes. Once you manage to not destroy the box, both tissues come out just as well. There doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the two. I would say that the Kleenex brand is a little softer and the Up and Up brand feels a little thicker. I don't think that the difference is enough to stick with the Kleenex brand, in my opinion.

The Cost Comparison: Kleenex vs. Target's Up and Up (as of 4/27/11 at Target):

Kleenex (100 count) - 1.62
Up and Up (100 count) - 1.39

If you switched to the Target brand, you could save .23 a box. Doesn't seem like much but when you add up these small savings over a whole shopping trip, it really makes a difference in your wallet.

Children's Gummy Multivitamins: Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #14 - Children's Gummy Vitamins:

Today I am comparing L'il Critters Gummy Vites to Target's Up and Up Children's Gummy Multivitamins. Both come in different sizes but I have the 190 count bottles. I have always purchased the L'il Critters but since our bottle is almost empty I picked up the Target brand to do a comparison and see if it is worth the savings. Both bottles are the same size and shape. The vitamins are the same colors and shape (little bears). Remember to keep these high up and out of reach of your little ones because these look and taste just like gummy bears. The vitamin and mineral content is identical. There is 1 gram less sugar though in the Up and Up brand which is nice. The ingredients are almost identical with a couple of minor differences as you get further down the list. Both use natural colors and flavors which is great. I really don't see much difference at all. They taste the same, look the same, have the same amount of vitamins and minerals and are almost the same when it comes to ingredients so therefore I would say Target's Up and Up brand is a great buy.

The Cost Comparison - L'il Critters vs. Target's Up and Up (as of 4/22/11 at Target):

L'il Critters Gummy Vites (190 count) - 10.69
Target's Up and Up Children's Gummy Multivitamin (190 count) - 9.24

That's a savings of 1.45! Well worth the switch, in my opinion.

Organic Squeeze Yogurt Tubes - Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #13 - Strawberry Squeeze Low-fat Yogurt Tubes:

Today I am reviewing and comparing Stonyfield Organic Yokids Strawberry Squeezers and Trader Joe's Organic Strawberry Squishers. Both come in packs of 8 - 2oz tubes. Both have the same packaging and are easy to open. The ingredients are identical. I actually can't tell any difference between the two. Both taste great and my 3 year old loves the yogurt. They are also great in the freezer for a frozen treat. So far my Trader Joe's only carries the strawberry flavor but perhaps in the future they will make the other flavors that Stonyfield makes. Though Strawberry is best as it has less sugar than the other varieties. Anyway, I highly recommend the switch!

The Cost Comparison (as of 4/19/11 at Trader Joe's and 4/14/11 at Target):

Stonyfield (8-2oz tubes) - 3.79
Trader Joe's (8-2oz tubes) - 2.79

That's a difference of 1.00!! That is huge in my opinion. Especially since the ingredients are the same and they both taste identical. Well worth the switch....

Sandwich Bags - Store Brand or Name Brand?

Product #12 - Sandwich Bags:

Today I am reviewing disposable sandwich bags. I am comparing the Ziplock Brand to Wal-Mart's Great Value Store Brand. These little baggies are staples in most households. I decided to see if it is worth it to switch to the store brand or if the trusty Ziplock brand holds true.

Both baggies are about the same size and can hold a peanut butter and jelly sandwich just fine. However, when it comes to the zip top closure, there is a difference. The Wal-Mart brand is more difficult to close and get a good seal. The Ziplock brand closes with one swipe where you have to go over it a couple of times to be sure you have a good seal with the store brand. This may or may not be a big deal to you. I suppose it is a personal decision.

When you compare the prices, there is not much of a difference at all so I think I will stick with the name brand on this one.

The Cost Comparison (as of 4/2/11 at Wal-Mart):

Ziplock Sandwich Bags (120 count) - 2.67
Wal-Mart's Great Value Sandwich Bags (100 count) - 2.18

When you do the math, there is really only about a 5 cent difference between the two, taking in consideration of the different counts in the packages. Therefore, I would stick with the name brand, in my opinion.