How to save money with Store Brands

I was searching the blogosphere over the last few days for money saving tips to pass on, and one thing kept coming up… WIC changing their allowances on infant formula because they’re promoting more breastfeeding… Yes, breast milk is the best, we all know that. There is no questions about that… but what about other moms like me… I couldn’t breastfeed. There was no other option for me but formula feeding. I was formula fed and I think I turned out just fine

We chose to feed our girls the Parent’s Choice formula. We but store brand items for us, why couldn’t we do the same for the girls… Honestly, the store brand infant formula is nutritionally equal to the major name brands, so why waste the money? By using the Parent’s Choice formula, we saved around $1200… Amazing.

It’s been a few years since we’ve had to purchase formula, and I’m always talking about how much money you could save by switching to store brand… I’ve blogged about the Parent’s Choice Savings Calculator… Which puts cost savings there in black and white on your computer screen… and that is surprising itself.. but I wanted to see what it’s really like, right now at the stores.

We were at Sam’s Club the other day and while Daddy and the girls were enjoying a hot dog at the cafe… I wandered over to the baby section. I snapped a few photos with my handy dandy iPhone and just had to share what I found.

The Enfamil Gentlease Lipil is $34.28 for a 36 ounce can of powder. That’s about 95.2 cents per ounce. Imagine you need two cans per week, $68.56 per week or  $274.24 in a month (4 weeks) and lastly …. $3565.12 in a year… One year is typically how long a baby is on infant formula…

Next on the list is the Similac Advance formula. This is a 34 ounce canister priced at $28.98 per can. This is 85.2 cents per ounce. We’ll still say you need 2 cans per week, which is $57.96 per week. $231.84 in a month ( 4 weeks ) and $3013.92 in a year… That’s a little bit better than the Enfamil, provided your baby doesn’t need the Gentle formula.

Now, let’s compare the Sam’s Club Store Brand, Member’s Mark. This is their Lipids Infant Formula with DHA & ARA. A 51.4 ounce can is $19.38 (37.7 cents per ounce). That’s 15.4 more ounces than the Enfamil and 17.4 more ounces than the Similac. So let’s say you only need one and a half cans of formula per week. You can’t buy just a 1/2 can, but your formula will hold over so you don’t have to buy a can as often. For this article’s sake, we’ll just split the cost of a can in 1/2 for the costs. So we get $29.07 per week, $116.28 per month $1511.64 per year. That’s 1/2 the  cost of the name brands!

This formula is similar to the regular Enfamil, Similac, and other brands… Let’s take a look at the Gentle formula for a better comparison to the Gentlease from Enfamil..

The Member’s Mark Gentle Infant Formula is $24.28 for a 48 ounce can (50.5 cents per ounce). You’re already getting 12 ounces more than the Enfamil Gentlease… To make it a little bit easier, let’s just work this out with 2 can’s per week. $48.56 per week, $194.24 per month and $2525.12 per year. That’s a savings of $1040 per year. That’s a whole lot of diapers & wipes!  It really makes you think, doesn’t it!?!?!

“Is the Generic Formula as good as the more expensive name brands?”

First of all… I can’t tell you how much I dislike the word “generic”. Not just in the mention of infant formula, but all around. It’s a word that’s been around for ages. My mom used it… Heck she probably still does. I just think that you’re calling something *cheap* or *ordinary*, and I don’t think it’s a nice word. Sure if you’re talking little plastic toys that cost you a quarter or something.. That might work… but in the case of food, not so much.

A lot of the store brands now are using excellent ingredients, and some even have celebrity chefs backing their products. One that I know of for sure is Walmart’s Great Value line and their backing by Dave Leiberman from the Food Network. Stores are trying to help consumers eat well, and save money in the process, which is great considering the state of the economy right now.

The store brand infant formula is very much like that. The FDA has very strict regulations and requirements on products for infant nutrition, namely infant formula. Many people aren’t aware that all of the formula manufacturers have to include the same ingredients and nutritional values. Compare the product labels for yourself, and you’ll see what I mean. There is no such thing as generic formula!

So, how do they sell their products for nearly 1/2 the price? It’s simple. Marketing.

How many times have you seen a magazine, or television ad for the name brand formulas, or received a free sample at the hospital or in the mail. Some parents have even received cases of free samples delivered to their doors… Wish I was on that list … These companies have HUGE marketing budgets… and they pass many of those costs on to you.. the consumers. The store brands however, don’t have such a large budget. They rely mostly on word of mouth. You know, a friend telling a friend, blogging about their product, review websites and the like. They save their money and in turn, save you money. Every once in a while, when those store brand formulas go on sale, you save even more. You can’t go wrong!

Coupons on many of the name brand items only go so far. Save 25 cents here, 75 cents there, but if you’re willing to look just a little further to the store brand product, you just might save $1, $2 or more.. and that’s every day, no coupon needed. It’s a great way to save money for just about anything.. even a family vacation!

**Disclaimer: Although I work with PBM as a Social Media Consultant, this post is sponsored by PBM, this post was not solicited.