13 Products You Should (Almost) Always Buy Generic

Butter

The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend incorporating healthy fats, including butter, into your diet — in moderation. After surging over the past few years, butter prices have declined recently. But that’s still no reason to pay a premium for name-brand butter.

"For everyday cooking and baking, generic butter is often just as effective as name-brand options,” Ricca says. “Most consumers won’t notice a meaningful difference in taste or performance, making it an easy way to save."

One example:

Name-brand: $4.79, Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter (four sticks)

Generic: $3.69, Food Lion Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (four sticks)

Savings: $1.10 

Canned vegetables and beans

Vegetables and beans are a good source of fiber, which provides numerous health benefits for adults over 50. But if fresh produce doesn’t always fit within your budget, canned versions offer a more affordable way to add more fiber and nutrients to your diet. You can keep costs even lower by opting for generic.

“Generic canned vegetables and beans typically offer similar quality to more expensive name-brand varieties,” Ricca says. “And since they’re typically used as ingredients in recipes or side dishes, most consumers won’t notice a significant difference.”

One example:

Name-brand: $1.99, Del Monte Fresh Cut Cut Green Beans (14.5 ounces)

Generic: $0.99, Wegmans Cut Green Beans (14.5 ounces)

Savings: $1

Frozen produce

All frozen fruits and vegetables are flash-frozen at peak ripeness. That means the quality and nutritional values are generally the same no matter the brand, says Keating.

“Generic frozen produce is about 30 percent less than name-brand options, and many stores run sales on their own brands, so you can often get deals,” says Woroch. “Plus, you can stock up when you snag a sale without worrying about frozen veggies or fruit going bad.”

One example:

Brand-name: $5.69, Dole Frozen Whole Strawberries (16 ounces)

Generic: $4.49, Meijer Whole Frozen Strawberries (16 ounces)

Savings: $1.20

Maple syrup

Producing maple syrup isn’t simple, and its high price reflects the labor-intensive process of turning tree sap into something to put on your pancakes. So even generic maple syrups don’t come cheap, but many cost substantially less than well-known brands.   

“If you are a connoisseur of maple syrup, there are definite nuanced differences between brands, but for the average person, this may not be an issue,” Keating says. 

One example:

Brand-name: $11.29, Maple Grove Farms Amber Color 100 Percent Pure Maple Syrup (12.5 ounces)

Generic: $8.29, Stop & Shop Dark Amber Pure Maple Syrup (12.5 ounces)

Savings: $3

Mayonnaise

In a Consumer Reports study, testers favored Hellmann’s when eating mayonnaise straight from the jar. But when mixed into your tuna salad, macaroni salad or coleslaw, you likely won’t notice the difference if you buy a less expensive, in-house brand, Keating says. And the savings can add up, she says, “especially if you are using a lot of mayo on an annual basis.”

Buying other generic condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, soy sauce and hot sauce, can also help you save money.

One example:

Brand-name: $4.97, Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise (30 ounces)

Generic brand: $2.97, Walmart’s Great Value Mayonnaise (30 ounces)

Savings: $2

Milk

Milk is a great source of calcium, which helps support bone strength in older adults. But it’s gotten more expensive, with the average price rising about 4 percent in May 2026 from a year ago.

If you’re not already buying generic milk, consider making the switch. “The taste is usually the same, and you can save 25 percent or more,” says Adam Schwartz, CEO of CouponSurfer. Plus, the generic or store brand is typically processed at the same dairy plant, he says. You can find out which dairy farm generic milk is from at Whereismymilkfrom.com.

One example:

Brand-name: $5.99, Homestead Creamery Whole Milk (½ gallon)

Generic: $2.79, Kroger Vitamin D Whole Milk (½ gallon)

Savings: $3.20

Multipurpose cleaners

Rather than buy a variety of cleaners for your windows, countertops, stovetop, shower tiles and more, you can keep down costs by opting for a multipurpose cleaner that tackles a range of dirt and grime. You can save even more — without sacrificing quality — by opting for a store brand.

A Consumer Reports test of multipurpose cleaners from Amazon Basics, Target, Trader Joe’s and Walmart found that the store brands performed just as well as name-brand cleaners. And many are a fraction of the price.

One example:

Brand-name: $4.27, Lysol All Purpose Cleaner Sanitizing and Disinfecting Spray Lemon Breeze Scent (32 ounces)

Generic: $2.97, Walmart Great Value Lemon Scent Multi-Purpose Cleaner (32 ounces)

Savings: $1.30

Over-the-counter medication

When it comes to nonprescription medication, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires generic drugs to work as safely and effectively as brand-name drugs. There’s very little difference because they must contain the same active ingredients. (The FDA says there may be small, allowable differences between products.)

However, generic over-the-counter medicines typically cost 30 percent less than their brand-name counterparts, Woroch says. That’s largely because they don’t need to repeat the costly clinical trials that validate a drug’s safety and effectiveness, according to the FDA.

One example:

Brand-name: $22.29, Advil Ibuprofen Pain Reliever and Fever Reducer (200 tablets)

Generic: $17.19, CVS Ibuprofen Pain Reliever and Fever Reducer (200 tablets)

Savings: $5.10

Pasta and grains

You can keep pantry staples such as pasta and grains stocked for less with generic options. For pasta, in particular, America’s Test Kitchen recommends looking for varieties that are made with 100 percent durum wheat semolina to get the best quality.

To further cut costs, consider buying pasta and grains in bulk. “They're the most generic brand of all, as the items don't even come in a box, but they're the same food that gets added to the small, colorful packages that are so convenient to toss in a shopping cart,” says Wendy Molyneux, a certified financial social worker and founder of online financial behavior resource Whole Person Finance.

One example:

Brand-name: $1.89, Barilla Spaghetti (16 ounces)

Generic: $1.29, Target Good & Gather Spaghetti (16 ounces)

Savings: $0.60

Sparkling water

Drinking water to stay hydrated is important. But if you want a more interesting alternative that doesn’t have the added sugar or calories of soda, sparkling water can be a good choice — and affordable, if you buy generic.

“Since it's just carbonated water and a bit of natural flavorings, it's indistinguishable from the brand version,” Schwartz says. The generic option is typically half the price, he says.

One example:

Brand-name: $6.59, LaCroix Lemon Sparkling Water (12 cans)

Generic: $4.69, Giant Lemon Seltzer Water (12 cans)

Savings: $1.90

Toilet paper

Big retailers and supermarkets offer a wide selection of quality generic toilet paper and store brands, Woroch says. “Look for two-ply or better absorbency,” she suggests. Single-ply toilet paper can cause irritation and is not as absorbent.

Pro tip: Don’t buy toilet paper in bulk before you’ve tried it out, Schwartz says. “While most generic paper products are a great way to save, for toilet paper I recommend trying one roll or a small package first to make sure you’re happy with it,” he says.

One example:

Brand-name: $29.99, Charmin Ultra Soft Toilet Paper, 2-ply (18 rolls)

Generic: $17.89, Target up&up Ultra Strong Toilet Paper, 2-ply (18 rolls)

Savings: $12.10