by Penny Nama

Created on: January 08, 2008

Equate, and other store brand or generic products, make money by replicating name brand products. In many cases generic product is not a knock-off product, but is made using the same recipe, by the same people, in the same factory as the name brand, it just has a different label put on the package. This allows many manufacturers to sell as much of their product as possible; name brand items to those people to whom that is important, and generic to those who either can't afford or don't care what the packaging says.

Toiletries are an excellent example of how Equate can be a good value. Cotton balls or soap are pretty much the same regardless of if you buy name brand or Equate. The fifty-cents here and the fifty-cents there can add up by the end of your shopping trip and make buying generic well worth the savings.

There are other products where personal preference may diminish Equate's value. Equate children's vitamins might not taste as good as Flintstones, even though they contain the same vitamins and minerals. A Playtex tampon might be more comfortable than an Equate brand version. In these cases, saving fifty-cents or even a couple of dollars might not be worth it if the product is different than what you were expecting.

Medication is another area where Equate products can be a good value if you are willing to read and compare labels. Aspirin is aspirin and buying Equate brand can save you money. The same is true of other standard medications like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. The most important thing to check is the dosage and make sure you are getting the same amount of medication as the name brand version. For other medication, like cold or allergy medicine, read the label and compare active ingredients and their amounts. Most products are identical and are a good value, but if there are differences, these may effect how your body reacts to the medication.

Overall, Equate and other generic products are a great value and a good way to trim your final bill. Try Equate brand with products like cotton balls where there is no difference between brands and work your way into their other products. You might not like every product you try, and go back to the name brand, but over all trying Equate products can save you money.

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