A lot of people ask me, should I buy store brands or national brands and use coupons. The answer is… it depends!

It depends on what type of shopper you are, if you use coupons and if you are picky about your brands. CVS send me a bunch of products to try out and compare pricing with. To be perfectly honest, there weren’t any brands I didn’t like, all did the intended job. Now the question is, where can I save more?

Here are some examples of CVS/pharmacy products as compared to national brands.

CVS/pharmacy Brand National Brand
Multiple Vitamins for women $7.99 Energy Vitimans & Min Citrus Burst $14.99
12 pack Toilet Tissue $9.49 12 pack unscented $11.99
Foaming Scrub $5.99 Daily Scrub Skin Brightening $7.99
Daily Moisturizing Lotion $5.99 Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing $7.99
Ibuprofen Tablets, 500 CT $13.79 National Brand, 100 count $9.49
Kitchen Sponges $2.49 National Brand Sponges $4.29
Allergy Relief Tables $7.19 Allergy Ultratab Tablets $9.49
Focus on Lips Exfoliate $7.99 National Exfoliater $26.00
Focus Lip Soothe Primer $9.99 National Lip Primer $20.00
Premium Cotton Ovals $4.39 Specialty Makeup Facial Cotton $9.50

Head to head savings: $75.30 $121.73

$46.43 SAVINGS on 10 products about a 38% savings

Here’s a quick video looking at other products and prices!

* Don’t forget you still earn CVS cash by using your Extra Care Bucks card. Quarterly card holders earn back 2% of all dollars spent on non-prescription purchases dan $1 ECB for every two prescriptions purchased. These are automatic and are paid out four times a year… Jan, April, July and Oct!

Now we all know stacking store coupons, manufacturers coupons, sales and Extra Care Bucks can drastically reduce the price of national brands. So for those who like to coupon, it’s important to do your homework first.

Often times when I shop, I will bring my national coupons on products I need, and then I will comparison shop. 75% of the time, the store brand ends up being cheaper for me. But again, this is when I’m buying items I need and they aren’t on sale.

Now, let’s discuss store brands:

Today, store brands can be just as good or better than national brands. These are not the generics of generations ago; in fact, most store brand products contain the exact same active ingredients as the national brands. And take note, store brands have REALLY expanded!

Know How Much You Can Save:

You could save 20 to 30 percent by swapping a store brand household or personal item for a name brand, and as much as 50 percent on over-the-counter medicines, according to Consumer Reports. But, again, if you use coupons, it takes a bit of patience to compare. We know many times manufacturers will give us the product to close to free at times just to try it out.

Don’t forget to buy online:
Often sales can be exclusively online, such as on CVS.com that pertain to Brand products which reap a greater savings as well as store brand items. If you can get a store brand item on sale online you’ve really increased your savings!

Another tip:

To maximize your savings, avoid buying non-food items like batteries, medicine, and cleaning products at the supermarket, where you’ll probably pay more than at a local retailer such as CVS! And start with everyday products, especially in the categories of personal-care, paper products, and household cleaners, are great ideas for trying store brands.

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