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Everyday Items Where Brand Names Matter

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any

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Most of the time I’ll happily grab the store brand or generic to save a few bucks, but there are certain things where I swear the brand-name version just hits different. For me, it's the Bounty paper towels and Zyrtec. Which products do you refuse to swap out for the generic because the quality, taste, or performance just doesn’t compare? Curious where people draw the line.

Ai Fujiwara
2 months ago

Vaseline brand petroleum jelly. I thought petroleum jelly was all the same until I tried generics—they’re often grainy or smell off. The Vaseline one is always smooth and consistent. 

And also Sharpie markers. Every “permanent marker” copycat dries out faster or bleeds too much. Sharpies last forever and keep their ink bold.

vote
Emma Fairley
2 months ago

It'd be ketchup and dish soap for me. 

As for ketchup, it's Heinz or nothing. Every store brand I’ve tried has this weird tangy aftertaste that just doesn’t cut it on fries or burgers. It’s one of those “you know immediately” differences.

And Dawn cuts grease so much better. I’ve burned through double the amount of generic or "eco-friendly" dish soaps trying to get pans clean, so I end up not even saving money.

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