How to choose the right analogs of expensive products in the supermarket

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Tips for those who like to eat well and do not want to sacrifice quality.

We are used to buying products that have established themselves in the market: a Japanese car inspires more confidence than a Chinese one, and a popular manufacturer's yoghurt tastes better than one made at a local factory. And the indicator of the best product for us is its high price.

However, most products have cheaper counterparts. For example, luxury clothing has mundane copies in mass-market stores, while expensive cosmetics have budget versions of popular brands. Supermarkets also have similar products at a lower cost. Let's figure out how to choose them.

What categories of goods do we overpay for?

The cost of any product is made up of many parameters: cost price, transportation and storage, packaging, advertising, taxes, premises rent, employee salaries, supplier and retail network markups. Based on this, the products for which we overpay can be conditionally divided into three categories.

1. Products of famous brands

Any product in the supermarket is represented by several brands: in the neighborhood there are different packages of buckwheat and oatmeal, chicken legs of all kinds of manufacturers and many types of milk. They are about the same in quality, but different in price.

Companies compete for our attention and try to do everything so that we buy exactly their product. Hence, “water from crystal clear mountain rivers”, “chocolate from Alpine milk”, “ice cream like in childhood”. There are dozens of methods in the arsenal of marketers, but the main one is advertising. Any video sells an idea, not the product itself: sour cream is grandma's pancakes, yogurt is a happy family at breakfast.

"You are selling pork, not a cutlet," - the American marketer Elmer Wheeler described the Art of creating advertising messages.

As a rule, the winners are those companies whose name comes to mind first. It turns out that when we choose a certain product, we do it not quite consciously.

2. Goods speculating on the lack of time

Many people simply do not have time to cook something solid after work, so they buy semi-finished products. From the consumer's point of view, this is convenient and fast, but you have to pay for the convenience: ready-made dumplings, cutlets, nuggets or minced meat are more expensive than those made on their own. There are also goods that openly speculate on laziness:

• washed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, salad);
• chopped food (bread, sausage, cheese);
• ready-made food (salads, snacks, meat products);
• sandwiches and other fast food.

3. Products that are expensive on their own

Many products in Russia cost so much that you have to save on them. This is especially true of imported goods, meat, cheeses, vegetables and fruits. For example, last year, meat went up in price Food in Russia in 2018 rose in price four times faster than in the EU by 7, 8%, and vegetables - by 20, 8% Food in the Russian Federation in the first quarter rose 3, 1 times faster than in the EU (based on the results of the first quarter of 2019).

Try to find less expensive alternatives so as not to give up on your favorite foods.

How to choose the right analogs

1. Do not get fooled by the packaging

Good presentation is part of marketing. The packaging is designed to grab your attention. Try to make your purchasing decision based on more rational arguments: price and quality.

Buckwheat and oatmeal in a transparent pack are no worse than beautifully wrapped cereals. Milk in a bag is cheaper than in a carton container, and is not inferior in taste. Sprats without a ring on the can is no worse than with it: it just takes a little longer to open them.

2. Don't be afraid to experiment

Try to get cheap items that you previously ignored: lesser-known brand powder, different ketchup, more affordable canned peas.

If you don't like it, you won't take it anymore, if you like it, you can save money.

Large retail chains produce their own brands. Many treat such products with suspicion and ignore them, but most often in vain. Such products are not worse than products from well-known brands, but they are cheaper: the price does not include advertising and intermediary services, and the margin is less so that the products look competitive.

3. Choose foods that are similar in quality

You can always find cheap products, but do not forget about the quality - otherwise there is a chance to choose something absolutely inedible. Therefore, the products you choose between must be from the same category:

• A meat product, not a meat product.
• Sour cream, not a sour cream product.
• Yogurt, not a yoghurt product.
• Cheese, not a cheese product.
• Butter, not spread.
• Curd, not a curd product.
• Chocolate, not confectionery.

In addition, companies often save on production by adding vegetable fats to dairy products, and starch, soy and mechanically deboned meat (cartilage, lard, and bones) to processed meat products. Therefore, when choosing the latter, always pay attention to the category: meat is considered GOST 32951-2014 Semi-finished meat and meat-containing products. General specifications for semi-finished products of categories A and B.

The lower the category (C, D, D), the less GOST 32951-2014 Semi-finished meat and meat-containing products. General specification the percentage of muscle tissue (meat itself). So, category A means the meat content is more than 80%, category B - from 60 to 80%, category C - 40-60%, category D - 20-40%, category D - less than 20% meat.

Be prepared for the fact that the taste may differ: each manufacturer has its own composition and recipe.

We'll have to try several analogues and decide which one tastes better.

4. Buy frozen, not fresh

Not everyone can afford fresh vegetables, fruits and berries out of season. Sea fish is considered a delicacy at all, unless you live in the Far East. To save money, buy frozen products - they are almost as good as Why Frozen Fish May Be Better Than Fresh in terms of quality. In addition, freezing is the only way to deliver such products all year round (due to the short catch and harvest time).

Pay attention to the quality of the product. It's good if the packaging says that shock freezing was used - this is the best Introduction to freezing way to preserve the taste, appearance and benefits of the product. Large supermarkets also sell bulk goods - they are cheaper, but there are questions about this method of storage: someone's hair can easily fall into a container with vegetables or berries.

5. Choose foods that are appropriate for the dish, and not just seem better

Let's explain using rice as an example. There are several varieties on the shelves: Kuban, brown, jasmine, basmati, japonica and others. It seems that the most expensive rice is the best. In fact, each variety is intended for a specific dish. For example, Kuban rice is suitable for porridge and soups, basmati for pilaf, jasmine for a crumbly side dish, and japonica for sushi.

If you overpay and buy more, your lunch won't taste better.

In addition, some varieties of rice are similar in properties, so they can be replaced: instead of expensive japonica, take Kuban rice, and steamed instead of brown rice. Such savings are based on your knowledge: ask whether it is possible to replace an expensive product with something, and you will find analogues. In this way, you can save on other goods:

• For pancakes, pancakes and dumplings, it is not necessary to use premium flour - the first or second will do.
• To make minced pork and ground beef, use a ham - the more valuable parts are best baked, fried and stewed.
• Fish soup broth can be cooked from inexpensive offal (tail, head, belly), and the same can be done with meat soup broth.
• An analogue of chicken fillet will be chicken thighs without bones and skin.

6. Replace imported goods with local ones

True, this method is not suitable for gourmets. For example, instead of Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream, instead of cottage cheese dessert - cottage cheese and jam, instead of anchovies - sprat sprat, and instead of goji berries - cranberries and rose hips. Similar analogies are drawn for other products:

Product	Replacement
Salmon, salmon, trout	Chum salmon, coho salmon
Cod	Pollock
Quinoa	Buckwheat
Chia seeds	Flax seeds
Coffee	Chicory
Artichoke	Sweet canned peppers
Capers	Canned gherkins
Ricotta	Cottage cheese
Olive oil	Sunflower oil
Mozzarella	Suluguni

What is the bottom line

Searching for analogs in the store is not as difficult as it seems. You will have to spend a little more time and effort to make a choice, but it's worth it: you will pay less for the same grocery basket, and you can use the saved money to spend on a future vacation or an old dream.