Thanks to the people on this awesome Reddit thread, a huge conspiracy theory has been unraveled. Well, okay, we do love our hyperboles, so not a conspiracy theory exactly, but the way some brands get you overpaying for their pretty labels and fancy words. Yup, these unsung heroes dug deep, experienced things with their own skin, and found which expensive products are exactly the same as their cheaper dupe products. No, not even dupe, to be exact - they are the same products, with different labels!
So, this might come as quite an unexpected fact to you, but a large chunk of the foods that we find in stores do actually come from the same product lines and share the exact same compositions in the exact same amounts of ingredients. The only thing that’s different is the product label! No need to look for substitute products that are similar; the ones mentioned in this list are absolutely, exactly, and positively the same! So, if you’re looking to cut costs on your groceries, hygiene products, and all the daily-use stuff, the submissions that we’ve rounded up from this AskReddit thread will be your almanac for the upcoming year. No need to worry about the quality of cheap vs. expensive products here, as they are exactly the same, just labeled differently.
Ready for your world to be shaken and flipped around? If so, then scroll down below, and check out the findings these generous people shared. Once you are done reading, be sure to rank these tips by their unexpectedness or saving value; whichever way you like! After that, share this article with your friends because this is the information that definitely needs to be known by all and spread around generously.
#1
"Melamine sponges vs Magic Erasers. You can order a case of like a hundred for about as much as a pack of magic erasers (last time I checked). And they are the same thing."
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55points
#2
"Tons of makeup companies use private labeling, which basically means that some of the high end stuff comes out of the same factory as some of the drug store stuff. A good example of this is probably Kylie Cosmetics and Colourpop."
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51points
#3
SailingmanWork said:
"Butter. I worked in a dairy plant for a few months. In the butter room, we would load in the wrappers and boxes for brand name butter. Run that order. Change the wrappers and labels to a store brand. And run that order. It is the exact same butter."
"Butter. I worked in a dairy plant for a few months. In the butter room, we would load in the wrappers and boxes for brand name butter. Run that order. Change the wrappers and labels to a store brand. And run that order. It is the exact same butter."
Zifna replied:
"I believe you in general, but Kerrygold is way different than most other butters."
"I believe you in general, but Kerrygold is way different than most other butters."
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50points
#4
Lord_Malgus said:
"Most of the eyeglass industry is run by like 1 guy who just lets his company branch into several brands so they can pretend prices are coming from competition and quality when in fact he's just an a***ole charging way too much to fix people's eyesights."
"Most of the eyeglass industry is run by like 1 guy who just lets his company branch into several brands so they can pretend prices are coming from competition and quality when in fact he's just an a***ole charging way too much to fix people's eyesights."
Reditor replied:
"They covered Luxottica in my Strategic Management class my senior year of college. Really put a damper on my desire to get any Ray Bans. They have a global monopoly on eyeglass frames. I think the documentary we saw was on 60 Minutes and something like 90%+ of the world's frames are made by Luxottica in Italy and they own LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and many other major retailers."
"They covered Luxottica in my Strategic Management class my senior year of college. Really put a damper on my desire to get any Ray Bans. They have a global monopoly on eyeglass frames. I think the documentary we saw was on 60 Minutes and something like 90%+ of the world's frames are made by Luxottica in Italy and they own LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and many other major retailers."
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50points
#5
Corn-G said:
"Anything but Lego. No one can say "yeah but Megabloks are the same thing." They aren't."
"Anything but Lego. No one can say "yeah but Megabloks are the same thing." They aren't."
Hismop replied:
"I agree. I’ve got a couple of the space sets from the 1980s and the pieces work perfectly alongside pieces from newer sets. I’ve never heard of another toy company that even claims to have that level of quality."
"I agree. I’ve got a couple of the space sets from the 1980s and the pieces work perfectly alongside pieces from newer sets. I’ve never heard of another toy company that even claims to have that level of quality."
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49points
#6
GameVoid said:
"Diphenhydramine HCL is an antihistamine that you probably know as Benadryl. Store brand Allergy Relief medications with the same active ingredient are 1/10th the price. On top of that, the same drug is also sold as a "non-addictive sleep aid" since it gets you drowsy. If you buy it as a sleep aid, it is more expensive, even if it is a store brand. So if you want it as an allergy med or a sleep aid, buy the store-brand allergy relief bottle. Zzzquil is just the liquid form of the medicine and is almost 25x more expensive per dose."
"Diphenhydramine HCL is an antihistamine that you probably know as Benadryl. Store brand Allergy Relief medications with the same active ingredient are 1/10th the price. On top of that, the same drug is also sold as a "non-addictive sleep aid" since it gets you drowsy. If you buy it as a sleep aid, it is more expensive, even if it is a store brand. So if you want it as an allergy med or a sleep aid, buy the store-brand allergy relief bottle. Zzzquil is just the liquid form of the medicine and is almost 25x more expensive per dose."
W59-22StruckByTurtle replied:
"Also, Tylenol PM, Advil PM, etc, is just Tylenol/Advil/whatever with Benadryl (diphenhydramine). If you use Tylenol PM to sleep but not for for pain relief, give your liver a break and switch to plain ol' diphenhydramine."
"Also, Tylenol PM, Advil PM, etc, is just Tylenol/Advil/whatever with Benadryl (diphenhydramine). If you use Tylenol PM to sleep but not for for pain relief, give your liver a break and switch to plain ol' diphenhydramine."
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44points
#7
Edymnion said:
"Frozen vegetables. With the rise of mega farms, the overwhelmingly vast majority of any given kind of vegetable comes from the same farm. So the Walmart brand el-cheapo veggies and the Green Giant/Delmonte stuff are the exact same thing, from the exact same growers, frozen at the exact same time, just put in different bags."
"Frozen vegetables. With the rise of mega farms, the overwhelmingly vast majority of any given kind of vegetable comes from the same farm. So the Walmart brand el-cheapo veggies and the Green Giant/Delmonte stuff are the exact same thing, from the exact same growers, frozen at the exact same time, just put in different bags."
RVelts replied:
"Except the brand name will have broccoli florets and the generic will be mostly cut up stems."
"Except the brand name will have broccoli florets and the generic will be mostly cut up stems."
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44points
#8
Edymnion said:
"Most clothing. Story from when I worked in electronics at Walmart. Older gentleman came in asking questions about the differences in the TVs (LCD vs. Plasma, so it was more than a few years back), and it gets around to differences between brands. Me being a natural smartass slipped "They're all pretty much identical really. They're all made by the same Chinese kid" before I realized it, thought I was going to get in so much trouble for that. Guy laughed, and went "You don't know the half of it. I'm the general manager at (nearby textile plant). We make bluejeans. You know what the difference is between the KMart brand and a pair of Wranglers? We sew a W on the back of the Wranglers!" Virtually all name brand clothing is the exact same thing as the discount stuff, they just sew a logo on it after the fact and charge you 10x more."
"Most clothing. Story from when I worked in electronics at Walmart. Older gentleman came in asking questions about the differences in the TVs (LCD vs. Plasma, so it was more than a few years back), and it gets around to differences between brands. Me being a natural smartass slipped "They're all pretty much identical really. They're all made by the same Chinese kid" before I realized it, thought I was going to get in so much trouble for that. Guy laughed, and went "You don't know the half of it. I'm the general manager at (nearby textile plant). We make bluejeans. You know what the difference is between the KMart brand and a pair of Wranglers? We sew a W on the back of the Wranglers!" Virtually all name brand clothing is the exact same thing as the discount stuff, they just sew a logo on it after the fact and charge you 10x more."
AdviceDanimals replied:
"Clothing quality is just awful these days. I've done my best to only buy brands still known for their high quality. I have pants from Levi's that I got 3 years ago that look new, and a pair of pants from against all odds that are on the verge of falling apart after 6 months."
"Clothing quality is just awful these days. I've done my best to only buy brands still known for their high quality. I have pants from Levi's that I got 3 years ago that look new, and a pair of pants from against all odds that are on the verge of falling apart after 6 months."
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42points
#9
Ryonez_17 said:
"Fossil and Michael Kors. Fossil watches, handbags, sunglasses, clothing, whatever- they're made in the same factory, with the same materials, in the same way, by the same people as Michael Kors. One just happens to be about 30-50% cheaper than the other."
"Fossil and Michael Kors. Fossil watches, handbags, sunglasses, clothing, whatever- they're made in the same factory, with the same materials, in the same way, by the same people as Michael Kors. One just happens to be about 30-50% cheaper than the other."
cparex replied:
"Fossil actually makes a lot of the big fashion brand watches as well. Burberry, Armani Exchange, Kate Spade, Adidas, etc etc."
"Fossil actually makes a lot of the big fashion brand watches as well. Burberry, Armani Exchange, Kate Spade, Adidas, etc etc."
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41points
#10
"Walmart water filters are the same as the Brita ones. They're actually made by same German company that supplies Brita. Learned this from a Brita employee who came to speak in one of my classes."
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40points
#11
stebus88 said:
"A lot of medications. I’m a pharmacist and it baffles me when people pay £3 for a box of Nurofen when they can buy a packet of ibuprofen for like 20p."
"A lot of medications. I’m a pharmacist and it baffles me when people pay £3 for a box of Nurofen when they can buy a packet of ibuprofen for like 20p."
hildawg311 replied:
"My doctor, wrote a medical prescription for Pepcid, didn’t know the cost and went to pick it up. It was $20 for 30 day's supply. Asked the pharmacist for cheaper options and he showed me the same thing, $4 for 50. The ingredients are the exact same. Kroger brand all the way. The pharmacist went on a rant on how Dr's shouldn’t write scripts for medicines that are on the shelf."
"My doctor, wrote a medical prescription for Pepcid, didn’t know the cost and went to pick it up. It was $20 for 30 day's supply. Asked the pharmacist for cheaper options and he showed me the same thing, $4 for 50. The ingredients are the exact same. Kroger brand all the way. The pharmacist went on a rant on how Dr's shouldn’t write scripts for medicines that are on the shelf."
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39points
#12
"A buddy of mine owns a small nail polish company. We bottle it by hand from squeeze bottles. All the colors for almost every company come from one company in New Jersey. The most expensive part about it is the schmancy bottle it comes in. They sell for about $15+ a bottle at Sephora and cost under $2 to produce, maybe under $3 if you include the $15-$20 an hour I got paid to fill and package them. In his living room. In Brooklyn. By hand. From a squeeze bottle."
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34points
#13
"Baby formula! Our pediatrician told us not to bother with the name brand stuff (Enfamil, etc.) because the supermarket brands are literally the exact same thing. Apparently, formula is government-regulated, so the ingredients are the same. Just compare the labels, there's no difference. A canister of Enfamil could run you $30. A canister of the Wal-Mart brand? $12.99.
To add: Yes, some babies need more specialized formula, or have allergies, so this might not work for everyone. But formula is such a huge expense (especially if breastfeeding is an issue, like it was for me) that just buying store brand makes a huge difference."
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33points
#14
"I was at a gas station once in need of a bottle of Pepto Bismol. All they had was an identical looking bottle with the same pink liquid inside but it was just called Stomach."
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32points
#15
killcrew said:
"For cold sore sufferers, most drug stores sell those little single-use vials that you crack and apply to your cold sore. The price ranges from $10-15 bucks for 2-3 single applications. If you take a look at the active ingredients, the main ingredient is benzalkonium chloride... which is the same active ingredient in Bactine. You can buy a 6oz bottle of Bactine for $5, and thats probably the equivalent of 100 doses of the single-use application."
"For cold sore sufferers, most drug stores sell those little single-use vials that you crack and apply to your cold sore. The price ranges from $10-15 bucks for 2-3 single applications. If you take a look at the active ingredients, the main ingredient is benzalkonium chloride... which is the same active ingredient in Bactine. You can buy a 6oz bottle of Bactine for $5, and thats probably the equivalent of 100 doses of the single-use application."
PmYourSpaghettiHoles replied:
"This is true as long as you're not comparing it to Abreva. Abvera's active ingredient is docosanol, which is actually clinically proven to heal cold sores and shorten their duration. All other products just alleviate the symptoms until the sores run their natural course. Docosanol is not available as a generic product, they hold drug exclusivity rights the same way name brand prescription drugs do. Abreva is not a generic. Source: I'm a pharmacist."
"This is true as long as you're not comparing it to Abreva. Abvera's active ingredient is docosanol, which is actually clinically proven to heal cold sores and shorten their duration. All other products just alleviate the symptoms until the sores run their natural course. Docosanol is not available as a generic product, they hold drug exclusivity rights the same way name brand prescription drugs do. Abreva is not a generic. Source: I'm a pharmacist."
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31points
#16
"2 years ago, we replaced our company pickup truck. We needed heavy-duty floor mats, as we're a factory and there is stuff on our boots that is very bad for a vehicle interior. Weathertech is the go-to brand for heavy-duty vehicle mats. I discovered that the sporting goods store Cabela's gets their floor mats from the same factory as Waethertech. And they're 20-25% cheaper in addition to offering free shipping. Two years of metal, coolant, and grime later, our Cabela's floor mats are still going strong."
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30points
#17
"Aldi’s Clancy brand chips and Frito Lay chips. My boyfriend worked for Frito Lay for a few years and they are the exact same thing. Same chips, different bags."
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29points
#18
ovalseven said:
"There is no difference between Excedrin Migraine and Extra Strength Excedrin other than the label. And the cheaper, generic store brand is the same as either one."
"There is no difference between Excedrin Migraine and Extra Strength Excedrin other than the label. And the cheaper, generic store brand is the same as either one."
Brawndo91 replied:
"Usually, the Migraine versions will have caffeine in addition to whatever the main painkiller is. So if you don't have the migraine version, you can take Midol. It's Acetaminophen (I think) and caffeine."
"Usually, the Migraine versions will have caffeine in addition to whatever the main painkiller is. So if you don't have the migraine version, you can take Midol. It's Acetaminophen (I think) and caffeine."
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27points
#19
"Dell printers are Lexmark. I had the dell logo actually fall off a printer (stuck on) and underneath was a Lexmark logo."
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27points
#20
"I was an exchange student in France and took a tour of my host parents' champagne company that has been in the family for generations. At one point, the bottles were coming down a production line until it hit a "Y" and every other bottle was sent down a different path (or arm of the "Y" if you will). The bottles funneled down one line was being sent to Belgian boutique shops, the other line - of the exact same champagne - was being mass sold at grocery stores. It's really fun to f*** with phony wine snobs by putting cheap-o wine in an expensive, high-end bottle and ask them what they think."
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27points