Name Brand vs. Fred Meyer Brand

Today as I ran to store to pick up just a few things, including Worcestershire Sauce, I was confronted with the perpetual grocery shopping dilemma: do I buy the name brand or the usually (much) cheaper store brand? If Ryan lived and ate by himself, he would probably always buy the Fred Meyer brand. There are a very select few things I buy in the Fred Meyer brand; toilet paper, for instance, but most of the time I prefer the real thing. I do always feel a slight pang of guilt when I choose the name brand, knowing that Ryan wouldn't have spent that much money if he were doing the shopping by himself.

So today as I agonized over the $2.00 difference between the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and the Fred Meyer option, I thought about what Ryan would do. I picked the Fred Meyer brand. As soon as I got home I opened it to use with the shrimp I was grilling for dinner. I took a whiff and then compared it to the almost empty Lea & Perrins bottle I had. They are definitely not the same. I felt an instant regret and even wondered if I'd be back at Fred Meyers next week buying another bottle of Lea & Perrins. But, after eating my exceptionally delicious shrimp I was forced to reconsider. The Fred Meyer brand may not taste exactly like the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, but that doesn't make it bad. Now I'm confident I can make it through the bottle of Fred Meyer Worcestershire sauce without hating myself for being so cheap. I'm also sure I'll be paying the extra $2 next time though.