Say my ‘No Name’ Brandless food products offer obvious benefits By Jacey Gibb | ooking back, almost every article I’ve written for The Other Press has contained some comment about, or reference to, how I’m poor. My only sources of income are my bi-weekly paycheques from the newspaper and a weekly hundred dollar allowance from my parents, which is supposed to be reserved for grocery-purposes only. Unfortunately, this financial crunch comes directly * into conflict with my affection for alcohol, so I’ve had to become thriftier than ever with those food dollars. The obvious answer to this dilemma was to cut back on my grocery bill and luckily, thanks to the service that generic branded foods offer, I’ve been able to do this without leaving my cupboards barren. The grocery store I frequent most is the one located a short fifteen minute walk from my apartment ~ - called Extra Foods (think Superstore’s lower quality, little brother). Though it’s hard to cut corners when it comes to things like fresh produce, it’s been:easy to save money by buying the No Name brand variant of everything from bread to hot chocolate to toilet paper. Sure, you can tell the difference in quality of the products, but as is argued when it comes to clothing, I’m not paying for the label. No Name items have granted me the luxury of a surplus which I do not take for granted. Because of it,.I can buy a jar of peanut butter for four dollars instead of the usual six and then pocket the difference to pay for my next concert ticket. It’s not hard to tell that I’m a big fan of the No Name brand. Whenever I open my cupboards, I’m blinded by the illuminating pea-yellow that is cans upon cans of No Name tomato and mushroom soup cans. It is also because of the lower prices that I am able to afford food items I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. I am baffled by people who spend fourteen dollars for a pound of coffee at Starbucks when you can purchase a coffee tin at Superstore for only ten and has about twice as much in it too. Maybe when I’m king of Canada-and have so much money that I’m wiping my ass with paper bills, then I'll be able to spend that much money on my groceries. Until then, there’s no name for me except No Name. Ill admit though that sometimes even I have food product standards. At one point, I drew a line . with what I placed in my grocery basket; and that line would be generic brand macaroni and cheese. I would breathe No Name brand air if it meant saving money but never again will I grant the atrocity of this mac and cheese access to my digestive system. When I first moved out on my own and was experiencing the joys of purchasing my groceries primarily at Wal-Mart, I once made the mistake of selecting Great Value macaroni over my usual Kraft Dinner. The stuff is the equivalent of Satan’s penile discharge and I suggest you avoid it at all costs. Aside from my distaste for Kraft Dinner of the knockoff persuasion, I am fully in support of team generic brand. Ultimately all of the food I digest comes out the same on the other end, and with their lower prices, you can literally taste the money you’re saving. No more ‘No Name’ What’s in a name? Credibility . By Sharon Miki students on a budget—could be swayed by the intoxicating allure of bright, simplistic packaging and sixty-seven cent price tags on bulk-out displays of No Name Low Fat Crispy Rice Squares. Our over- wrought brains see a smaller number on the price tag and reach, zombie-like, for the lookalike bottle of Dr. Skipper soda-pop. However, after scouring the land of nameless consumption, I can attest that there are several distinct advantages and ways to make branded grocery products an affably affordable part of even the cheapest student’s life. Store brand products are less expensive than branded ones—sometimes. Granted, if you compare the regular prices of comparable generic and branded products, the no name version will probably be cheaper. However, branded products go on sale more’ often. In addition to in-store deals, bigger brands also offer coupons for additional savings. If you want to buy peanut butter, why settle for inferior nutty taste in a yellow-and-Helvetica package? Instead, just wait for a sale and use a coupon. Moreover, while generic brands are often cheaper than branded products, it’s important as a consumer to consider the reasons why they cost less. While some products might be of similar quality to branded wares, others are considerably cheaper because of [: understandable how many people—especially considerably poor quality. You might save a dollar buying the off-brand tuna, but if you end up throwing it away or throwing it up, your calculations may be skewed. _ Additionally, branded products come with certain standards that no name products generally lack. One of the reasons that house brands are able to offer lower prices is that they have little or no product support or guarantees. If something goes wrong with your ingestible investment with a no name product, you have no where to go but to the trash. Branded merchandise has, literally, a name to uphold and companies will generally try to maintain their product standards as a way of upholding their reputation. No name products have no name to uphold, and can basically do whatever they want with little recourse. That’s why that Fruity-O Cereal was so dry—who were you going to complain to? So, next time you go to the store, bring a stack of clipped coupons and a mini-calculator and do the math—the choice is simpler than it might seem. Go with the brand name. Your taste buds will thank you, and your wallet won’t mind.