9 Products Tri-State Shoppers Refuse to Skimp On

In my opinion, store brand (or "generic") alternatives to name brand products have come a long way over the years. For the most part, the days of the plain white packaging with the word of the product inside are long gone, replaced by packaging that, in many cases, is just as pleasing to the eye as their name brand counterparts. However, for some Tri-State shoppers, buying the store brand version of certain products is never an option.

When it comes to the family grocery shopping, that responsibility falls on me, and I gladly except it because I actually enjoy going to the grocery store. I like planning out our meals for the week, and hand-picking every ingredient I need at the store myself. I know I'm weird, but I'm good with it. With that said, I do tend to lean pretty heavily on the store brand products. I have found in many cases, they taste just a good as the name brand, and of course, they're cheaper. But, there is one thing I cannot and will not skimp on when I need it, and that is "Pasteurized Cheese Recipe Product," which we all know better by it's more common, and more appealing, name, Velveeta. I have tried store brand versions and they are awful. They don't melt the same way, they have an oily consistency, and the taste isn't even close. I'll gladly spend the extra couple bucks for the good stuff. Heck, I'd pay double the price over buying the store brand. Just don't tell Kraft, I don't want them getting any ideas.

It seems for other Tri-State residents, Velveeta is just the beginning when it comes to taking the name brand over the store brand.