Many companies try to entice the consumer into buying their particular brands over those of the competition regardless of the value or the quality of their products. A pretty product that is packaged well and looks pretty may perform worse than the simple packaged one. As a consumer, you may fall for the marketing and buy the pretty package over the better one, but hopefully, you will make the mistake only once.
Many Americans are struggling with mortgage payments, car payments, insurance payments etc, to worry about other things like comparing prices, weight or performance of the products they are buying, but being savvy about the products they are using should save a buck or two, and in the long run, make us better consumers.
What are some of the items we use daily that can save us some money?
Gas and Electricity: Comparing prices for gas and electricity can save hundreds of dollars every year for the average American family. There are many companies one can choose for gas and electricity, and even if entering into a contract with a particular company, it will save you money. Be choosy when signing a contract, and make sure the penalty for canceling it early is not too much.
Car Insurance: If you want to save in car insurance, you need to shop around. If you have a good history of no accidents or other claims within your company and you do not get any discounts with them, you need to shop around with other companies.
Dishwashing Soaps: According to a Consumer Report test, all dishwashing soaps perform equally well and according to them you should really buy what’s on sale because all dishwashing soaps perform equally well.
I can personally tell you that I do not agree with their results. I can tell you for example that for me Palmolive, does not perform better or equally well than Dawn. And some generic brands that you find on the shelves at the grocery stores, pharmacies or Wal-Marts require almost double the amount that you would need for Dawn.
Very recently, I tried a brand called “simply done” a registered trademark of Topco Associates LLC. By simply looking at the bottle, it reminds you of the generic brands you see at the store. I expected the same results as well. The truth is that you do not see a difference between “simply done” and Dawn. Is there a difference? There may be a difference between the dishwashing soaps, but the price does not warrant buying the most expensive brand.
Restaurants: Despite having issues with money, Americans are spending over $3,000 eating out according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The convenience of having food readily available without having to cook it is very enticing, but the convenience of having no dirty dishes or cooking chores come with a steep price. Eating out should not be abandoned by families but should be treated as a treat instead of a necessity.
Saving is very smart, try to practice the habit.