Babble

Speak up parents!  How have your experiences been with generic baby products?  Some things, like baby wipes and bottle liners are no-brainers (BUY GENERIC) but what about diapers?  Clothes?  Formula?  Medicine (Tylenol, Mylecon)?  Strollers/carseats?  Where do you draw the line?  How much are you saving?

SInce I switched to generic bottle liners, wipies and diapers, I figure I'm saving about $20 per week. 

But I'm on the fence about formula.  I used to use the pre-made Enfamil, which was costing me $80 per week.  Now I'm using powdered Enfamil, which costs me $50 per week, but if I switch to generic powdered formula, I'll spend only $20 per week.

Logically, I know that a big store like Costco or Target would not peddle substandard infant formula, but are the name brands better or (as with national franchise day care) am I just paying more for slick marketing?

I LOVE Target brand diapers.  They don't smell, rarely leak, and the Care Bears are far less objectionable than Elmo.  Plus, they're half the price of Pampers.

When we started supplementing with formula, we thought about going Target brand for that, too, but decided it just wasn't worth the risk.  So we use the Nestle Good Start.  We buy it at Target, but I'm thinking about getting it online someplace because it HAS to be cheaper.  That shit is hella expensive.

Almost everything else - wipes, lotion, baby wash, powder, is store brand.  Actually, Target brand.  I practically live there. 

"That s*** is hella expensive."

No kidding.  They actually lock up the formula at some stores due to repeated theft of formula.  Once when I went to the check out stand with 2 week's supply of formula (20 cans @ $6 each = $120), the check out lady asked me if I was on WIC (in Texas WIC gives free necessities to Women Infants and Children such as formula, diapers, and food basics).  I said 'no, but what if I were?'  She said, 'then all this would be free.'  I've never been so tempted to commit fraud!!!! 

I am so guilty of the "if it ain't broke" mentality... Similac Ready To Feed is usually $35 a week now that she is about down to 1 large bottle a day. I just can't will myself to switch... I almost did when they came out with Organic powder but still just can't do it.

I could rattle off all the stupid name brand expenses I have but it might just be easier to name what I feel OK with generic...

Target brand Mylicon, Target brand Tylenol, and Target brand bottle liners

 That's all folks. Ouch.

At least I've found that making my own organic, fresh solid foods has only run about $7 for a 60 days supply....hooray for solids!

Also - I've found a HUGE market for trading formula checks online. I signed up for every brand's free offers (to 3 addresses) and just go online and trade with other Mom's. So far that has amounted to at least $200 in Similac checks.

i'd recommend going generic on products that aren't being ingested daily by your child and brand names that are. 

I breastfed, which was nice and cheap... (not judging anyone, by the way) When it was time for solids, I made my own organic baby food and have just kept going. I can't tell you how much money we saved and it was so very easy to do.

Nappies/Pull up pants we went generic on mainly because they were actually better than name brand, well - I should say better for us. I also went generic on wipes and nappy sacks. I didn't on nappy creme (which I actually brought back from the States, Butt Paste is goooood stuff).

Medicine I bring back from the States (because it has actual medicine in it not like the stuff we get here in the UK) and I usually bring back Target's own brand, mainly because that's where I head when I get off the airplane!

Carseats - I only buy Britax!

Clothes I will buy anywhere and mix and match. Generic clothes are wonderful. Better yet, I like to hit the Goodwill when we're home and stock up on things like logo tee shirts, etc. $16 at Old Navy or 50 cents at Goodwill for a tee shirt... no brainer!

:)
elizabeth

Pretty much the only pricey thing we buy are funky T-shirts from places like BabyWit and other Web sites. I spend too much time, and therefore money, online.

Otherwise, it's mostly hand-me-downs and thrift stores for us. 

We go generic on everything we don't have coupons for.

As SOON as I found out I was pregnant, I went to every single site that sold anything that had to do with babies and registered.

Now, after 14 months, I still get a holy butt amount of coupons for name brand diapers, Target/Babies R Us diapers, clothes, bottles/liners, wipes, ect.

If I don't have a coupon, I get the generic...if I have the coupon, I go with the name brand-the two are about the same price after the name brand coupon.

I live for finding bargains of name brand clothes-name brand versus 'generic' (target/wal-mart/kmart brands)
 

I refuse to pay over twenty dollars for my toddler's (and fifty for mine) clothes.  Target has really cute baby stuff but their little dresses are nearly twenty dollars and the matching cardigans are about fifteen dollars.  If I shop in season (because clothes go to stores a month or so before the said season actually starts) clothes go down a good 20-30%.  This way, I can get my little one name brand quality clothes for sometimes cheaper than what it would cost in other stores. 

OH! And Babies R Us brand (I think it's Koala Babies/Kids) and the Carter's sister brand, Just One Year, are a really good quality that are always on sale (even steeper discounts if you get coupons from Babies/Toys R Us) and are really really cute.

AND (I promise, I'll stop soon).....Sometimes, name brands will sell their season's leftovers to extreme discount stores such as Family Dollar and Dollar General.  I can't even count how many times I've found outfits by brands I've seen in department stores (Starting Over from Belk's and other brands from Dillard's and Macy's) with a different label stitched on the inside and being sold at the aforesaid discount stores! I even did a post about this on ParentHacks.

Ok, I'm finished...Bargain hunting and saving money is FUN for me and I make it a sport.
 

Our pediatrician actually recommended we go generic for Formula (the Wal-mart brand). In comparing, it really was the same and a heck of a lot cheaper.  My daughter did just fine. We also used the BJ's and Target brand.  Whatever was cheapest, I went with it.  The formula companies really do have to adhere to standards so you shouldn't be worried. 

Diapers- generic ones we tried were okay.  Some leaked more than others.  We used a local supermarket's brand (Cottontail) and they were good - I believe they were made by Luvs. My only problem with some of the generics is that were too thin and the tags ripped.  I threw out dozens of diapers because the tags were bad (no tape was on hand otherwise, my kid would have been taped into that diaper).  I was fortunate to have a niece and best friend all have babies at the same time. We talked a lot about what diapers to avoid and which ones to go with.

I have to say that I go generic on just about everything... including formula. It hasn't been a problem with my son - however I have found (from talking to other parents at his daycare) that some children with very sensitive bellies do better with certain formulas as opposed to others. I guess it just depends on the child. My son will eat/drink anything. I normally buy the target or walmart brand (depending where I am) but I was recently given a case of enfamil. I like the way that it mixes with water a little better (it mixes faster and is a little smoother) but my son doesn't seem to notice a difference. Also, they are regulated quite well so I don't have any fears (besides, brand names can screw you over just as easily as a store brand). There is ONE thing that I have tried going generic on, but just can't... maybe it is the way my son's butt is shaped... ha ha... but we can't use anything besides Pampers Babydry. Everything else either irritates the crap out of his tush or leaks like mad. Funny- my son and I were in Austria and used their pampers and they must be slightly different because he broke out horribly with those!

I too was lucky in that I was a "boob" mom and didn't have to worry about the expense of formula. I would have probably bought a "name" but done it at BJ's. I did try many generic diapers and was able to get away with them up until my son was about 14 months or so. Then, they just stopped working, it was like a switch was turned on or something but he would wet through every night, so I switched to name during the night and generic during the day, until he started wetting through multiple times a day. I am a HUGE fan of the hand me down, but am again lucky in that my company gives gift card awards for a job well done. We have to use specific companies to redeem so I have been able to dress him up in GAP and Old Navy for nothing...well I did sacrifice my opportunity to own a sharper image light saber...a mom's love, what can I say. 

"In store brand diapers

the weak spot is in the leg.

don't ask how I know."

 

OK, that was my awful haiku for today. Seriously, though, our "heavy wetter" gets soaked if we have him in cheap diapers overnight- which sometimes happens when Huggies or Pampers are too expensive. As for formula, I went through hell breastfeeding because even generic formula was too much- I wish we had that WIC thing up here!

Geberally, we'll go generic on anything that won't harm him- diapers (during the day), store-brand tylenol/ cold medicine, wipes, bottle liners... when he was little we got excellent quality clothes second-hand, in great condition, for cheaper than we could've got stuff at Wal-Mart (though they really have some adorable stuff!).

I like Target brand wipes, lotion, baby wash, and shampoo.

My baby got "contact dermatitis" (a rash that needed meds to clear up) from Huggies, and the off-brand diapers we've tried often leaked, so she's purely a Pampers baby (thank goodness for coupons!). 

I also splurge on name-brand medicines if they are dye-free--not staining her clothes is worth the extra cost to me. 

As for clothing, I really don't enjoy shopping at Wal-Mart, but I've really loved her Georges Organic baby clothes from there.  Target is also great for low cost, mix and match items she can get dirty in.  Lately, to save a few while still getting things I love, I've been shopping the sales racks for the next sizes up. 

This might be a little off-topic, but I'm going to be a first-time mommy in December and I don't know much about diapers.

Are there any brand name disposable diapers without cartoon characters on them? I just want plain white diapers ... no Sesame Street, no Disney ... just white diapers.

Any help is much appreciated :-)! 

I am now preggo with my fourth son.  I go generic on EVERYTHING, but only certain generics.  Diapers I am a Whitecloud girl allllll the way (Walmart carries these).  I have used them on all my kids with very few leak problems and they do not smell.  My #1 had very sensitve skin and they caused him no problems.  I have virtually no diaper rash issues when I use these.  I tried switching once and boy did I learn my lesson.  I have heard that they work better for boys than girls.

 I BF as well, but supplemented starting at 9 months (with all of them) and after much research and talking to my doctor I went with Walmart/Target brand formulas.  I know some babies have special needs and need more specialized formula, but if your baby isn't one of them then why bother spending the extra money? 

 Generic meds is the same thing.  Compare ingredients...they are the same thing!  I buy Target/Walmart brand on all meds. 

Interestingly enough, most generics are made by "brand" companies just packaged under store labels.  It is all marketing.  You just have to do your research.