When the generic just won't do

It's pay day here at the Hairdryer house.  Today you will find me paying bills, balancing our budget, and making a grocery list.

**And just so you know...no one asked me to write this post, or paid me money to write this post, or offered goods in return for writing this post.  I honestly opened my pantry this morning and this is what popped into my head.**

We are probably like every other family in America in that we like to buy generic brand whenever possible.  It just makes sense, especially when trying to feed a family of 5.  What is my favorite generic item?

Ironic isn't it, that my favorite generic comes from a store that I hate?  I've been known to make a special trip just for these.  Even the jolly green giant doesn't taste the same.  And they have to be whole, the cut ones are gross.

However, there are some brand names that, honestly, we all think we can't live without.  If we ever have to tighten our grocery belt, these will be the last to go...

I like them.  They are a good mid-morning snack (or breakfast on the go) for me and occasionally Bubba.  Honey will only eat them when he is out of his generic brand. 

We have never been a huge juice family.  Even when the kids were little and it was OK to water down apple juice between feedings, my kids just never liked it.  We are all pretty solid water and milk drinkers.  But occasionally the kids like some grape juice of a morning.  I like this brand because it is low carb (12g per cup) so we can let Brooke drink it with breakfast without spiking her blood sugar.

 We used to be a Folgers family.  Then mamma discovered Dunkin'.  I'm not sure how far up on the priority list this one is, but I would totally give up the yogurt before my Dunkin.

We are a pretty loyal Cheerios family.  We also love Chex Brand.  They both have lots of flavors that my kids love.  They feel like they are eating one of those extra sugary cereals, but with a carb count low enough to avoid too much of a spike for Brooke.

Mamma loves some Truvia in her coffee.  Truvia is only for adults in our house.  I think I might give up the Dunkin' before the Truvia.

These are used to feed the men in my house.  Honey eats them for lunch, Bubba eats them for his second breakfast after athletics.  We buy them at Sam's and I have recently put a 1 per week day per person limit on them...because if you turn around twice they will be gone.

 Do not even try to tell me that the generic tastes the same.  It doesn't.  Period.  (It isn't low carb either, but we pick our battles.)

For not being a huge juice family, we sure do buy a lot of juice.  We buy lots of these, and they are only for Brooke.  Sometimes when we have little kids visiting, I offer them one, but for the most part, they are exclusively Brooke's.  She uses them as her primary low blood sugar treatment. (Although, lately, she's been on a glucose tab kick.)  Yes, 4 oz. of any old fruit juice will do, in a bind.  But these are premeasured, no need to refrigerate, throw them in your purse and they will last until you need to use them.  They also have a straw.  And they get the job done almost every time.  So we stay stocked.

OK, time to pay the bills...what are some of your favorite name brands?  Generic?