My husband suggested this post and the idea caught my fancy. We skimp on a lot if there is a viable alternative EXCEPT the following:

Name Brands We Buy Regularly

• Nature’s Own Honey Wheat (hubby was right, this is good bread)
• Kroger Brand Brownies (taste better to us than the name brands)
• Kroger Brand Real Mayo or Hellman’s (Miracle Whip makes me gag)
• Kellogg’s Poptarts (my morning crack)
• General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios (my other morning crack)
• Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats (my I’m-not-eating-lunch-for-a-while option)
• Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coca-Cola cans (yeah, yeah, I know. I wait for the 4 packs for $10 sales at Kroger and stock up…we try to keep the habit to a pack or less every three weeks)
• Charmin Toilet Paper (hubby scoffs at Scott’s…this is soft, but it’s only tp)
• Tide for regular clothes (hubby swears it’s better…I’ve decided this is a battle I’ll forfeit)
• Oxyclean for grass and mud stains from sports officiating (it does work and saves freaking expensive reffing gear)
• French’s Mustard (this is totally my hubby…I cannot taste a difference to save my life, but again, I choose to forfeit)
• Wolfbrand Chili with no beans for hot dogs (smells like wet dog food, but it gets my hubby to eat hot dogs at home sometimes)
• Foo-foo dog food like Nutro and allergy free stuff for the Pug (I have to have a dog food that’s first ingredient is a meat or I feel taken advantage of)

Other Items We Have Splurged On

• Tempurpedic mattress (my husband hasn’t had back pain since we got one a year ago…I think it’s too hot during the summer months)
• Dream Fit Sheets (they fit and don’t come off when we toss around at night…plus they have lasted us 5 years already, which is good since they cost about $100 a set)
• Miche Bag (I love the magnetic shells and I never have to move my stuff to a new purse)
• Crocs (they aren’t all clown shoes anymore and feel great…you can also find big discounts online like my $60 leather work Crocs for $35 on Ebay)

There are probably a few more things I can’t think of right now, but you get the point. There are some things we have become loyal to…gladly we didn’t discover these addictions until we could afford them, but I sort of wish I never tasted the difference between $1 bread and Nature’s Own Honey Wheat…

What about you? Any favorite brands? Anything you refuse to skimp on?