Every day you are faced with options that will determine your financial outlook. While some people may look at a few dollars a day as a minimal amount of money, others realize that even small change can add up quickly over a month. Multiply those months over the course of a year, and those few dollars could quickly turn into a vacation or some other fun purchase to reward yourself for saving.

While saving money is important, you may not want to cut corners everywhere you look. Specifically, you’ll need to determine whether or not you want to purchase generic or name brand food for you and your family. While it may be just a bit more for the name brand cereal over its generic counterpart, that will add up when you consider all of the things you’ve stashed in your grocery cart. But for those that love cereal, that may be worth the investment.

Here’s a look at generic vs. name brand food, as this breakdown will help you determine what’s best for you and your family.

Cost

The biggest factor that determines whether or not people purchase generic or name brand is cost. As mentioned above, there are typically both generic and name brand options available for nearly any food that you’ll see in the store. Whether it’s the peanut butter or the milk, life is all about options. In this case, generic options are typically much cheaper, making them more appealing to those on a budget. If you’re on a budget, going generic on most of your regular foods may be the most feasible option for your wallet.

Quality

Look closely at the ingredients of generic and name brand foods and you’ll notice that things are not as different as you may think. As small as they may be, even the slightest change in recipe does make room for concern, however. Some people question whether or not generic food offers the same quality as name brand options. For those that are conscious of their health and the food they put into their bodies, generic may not be the way to go.

Flavor

A lot of companies claim to be the best tasting of whatever it is that they are. Ironically enough, though, taste tests have shown time-and-time again that flavor doesn’t always change between generic and name brand foods. In some cases, the generic option may be even tastier, since the ingredients aren’t as healthy. In either event, find the food choices that you enjoy most and stock up with those.

General Preference

Sometimes it just comes down to the things you enjoy. Even if you stick to a pretty clean diet that consists of name brand foods, you might like an occasional generic option. Or if you’re on a budget and watching your finances, don’t feel bad for spending more on name brand treats.

Your budget will have a big impact on the food you eat each month. To manage your wallet without sacrificing your favorite meals, be considerate of this information on generic vs. name brand food.