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Become a Shopping Pro
What does this mean to you? It means that sometimes those bargain- priced brands are just as good as the more expensive brands. It means that it may not matter that your retailer only carries a few choices. A retailer’s only concern is to be able to offer you a sufficient assort- ment of sizes, styles, and qualities of the product, whether this neces- sitates stocking several private brands or only one. If there is a great difference in price between one brand and another, most people assume from lack of information that there is a corresponding difference in quality. Sometimes this is true, but not always. The consumer who values quality above everything may choose the highest-priced prod- uct, quite unaware that some distributors understand this trait of human nature and price inferior goods accordingly.
You can learn to tell differences in quality by trying different brands of products. Don’t limit yourself to one brand only. Be flexible enough to buy whatever brand is on sale. Nine times out of 10, you’ll find that generic brands taste just as good as the brands you know. Keep your grocery store’s weekly circulars, and circle the items you need. Clip coupons and use them to try different brands when they are on sale. If you’re always forgetting your coupons at home, keep them in your wallet or glove compartment in the car.
When comparing prices, an important place to look for information is the product label. You can use this information to help you determine which one is really the best value. If two products are from the same geographical location, chances are they share similar quality. Federal regulations require that the following information be included on the labels of canned or packaged foods:
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The common or usual name of the food product.
The form (or style) of the food, such as whole, slices, or halves. If the form is visible through the package, it need not be stated.
The variety or color if appropriate.
Liquid in which a food is packaged must be listed near the name of the product, e.g., tuna in water.