When it comes to buying generic products, there are at least five categories that you can buy with confidence because they are indeed as good as the name brands.  1) Cereal--if you take, for example, a box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and a box of, say, Kroger Corn Flakes, you will see that both have the same ingredients and nutritional content.  You're paying as much as $3 more for a fancy cartoon mascot on the box.  2) Prescription drugs--if there is a generic available, it's because the exclusivity patent has expired on the name brand, and the generic will work just as well, for it must meet the same rigid production requirements.  3) Over-the-counter medicines--have, by law, to meet the same tough FDA inspection.  This means that your favorite green cough medicine is identical whether it's labeled "Vick's" or "Walgreen's".  4) Baking goods--Flour, sugar, spices, butter face the same strong production laws if they're generic as if they had national brand names on them.  5) Fresh produce--the no-name brands in your grocery store must meet the same requirements as anything Chiquita or Dole puts out does.  In fact, the no-name brand may be locally grown, which means it's fresher than a name brand brought in from Brazil or Ecuador.