5 Supermarket Items that Don't Matter

There are thousands of websites and articles devoted to offering advice on how to save money on your weekly or monthly budget. If you are overwhelmed with information overload and can't fathom the thought of clipping coupons or giving up your beloved Starbucks treats, help is here.

I have thought of five items in which making a simple switch to the generic or store brand can save you a few dollars each week. Substituting the cheap brand for the name brand is easy and you or your family won't notice the difference.

Cheap Switch Item #1 - Ketchup

Ketchup brands have no distinction between each other to the naked eye. Sure, if you have a line up of several brands and then taste them and compare the thickness, you might see that some are thicker than others. But I'm sure you can think of better things to spend your money on than fancy ketchup. In my house, it's mostly the kids that use ketchup. If it's red and comes out of the bottle, that's all that matters.

Cheap Switch Item #2 - Napkins

I have read many books and articles on frugality and thriftiness and a truly frugal person would not ever purchase any napkins. Many people use cloth napkins or cut up dish towels at their meals. However, I am not one of those people and in order to avoid extra loads of laundry, I let my family use napkins. My reasoning is along the lines of this: Since you end up throwing away napkins anyway, why not go for the cheapest brand?

Cheap Switch Item #3 - Soap

Three kinds of soap are used in my house. I use a body wash in the shower, my husband uses bar soap and I buy the liquid hand soap for the kitchen and bathrooms. I think that the brand soaps are overpriced in the supermarket. So I go for the cheapest 3-pack of bar soap that is on the shelves (usually a little known brand) and look for sales or the store brand for the body wash and liquid soap. My body and hands truly won't know which kind of soap washes it.

Cheap Switch Item #4 - Sliced Cheese

I personally don't like sliced cheese. But my daughter eats it and my husband likes to make cheese burgers. Each time I look in the store, the store brand always wins for price. And for the taste, I have not received any complaints from the family.

Cheap Switch Item #5 - Pasta

Pasta is a staple in most households. Most pasta that isn't imported from Italy taste the same. The difference is in the packaging and the price. I have bought pasta for as cheap as 25¢ to $1.25 a box. I have tasted many brands of pasta and they all taste the same. So use pasta as an easy way to save money.

There are hundreds of other items that "don't matter", in which you can save money each week. Try these 5 items to start and you will have more money for lottery tickets!