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Hey, when you're grocery shopping,
do you automatically reach for the

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same familiar brand names every time?

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Could you be paying significantly more
for packaging and marketing when the

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store brand is just as good today?

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Let's talk about a simple
experiment to find out.

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Hey there, and welcome back
to  Your Daily Ask Ralph.

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I'm Ralph glad you could join me.

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Today we're continuing our
practical series, the Joy

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of Living Below Your Means.

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We continue working to break that cycle
of financial shame with confidence.

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Now, yesterday we explored
borrowing and bartering.

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Those are two words to get stuck together
Sometimes today we're back in the

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store, but we're looking at consumables.

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Let's think about your regular shopping
habits for things like groceries and

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toiletries, maybe cleaning supplies,
or those over the counter medicines.

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Do you tend to buy the exact same brands
every time and maybe you grew up with

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them or you trust the advertising,
or maybe you just assume the name

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brand is higher quality than the
generic or the store brand version.

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You might hesitate to
try the cheaper option.

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Maybe you're worried
it won't taste as good.

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Maybe you're worried it won't work
as well, or be reliable, so you

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stick with what you know, potentially
spending 15%, 25%, or even 40%

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more than that item consistently.

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That automatic untested loyalty
to name brands driven by habit or

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maybe by false assumptions, which
leads to potentially significant

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overspending on everyday items.

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Well, that's the single
challenge we're looking at today.

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Here's the thing, name brands
spend a ton of money on

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advertising and fancy packaging.

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Those costs get passed directly onto you.

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The consumer store brands often
have much lower marketing overhead.

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Sometimes the products themselves
are even made in the same factory,

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believe it or not, or there can be
quality differences occasionally.

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Very often the store brand is
remarkably similar, if not identical

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in quality to its pricier counterpart.

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And good stewardship involves
seeking genuine value, not just

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paying for a familiar label.

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It requires us to challenge our
assumptions and be wise consumers.

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So you might be asking,
Ralph, what can we do?

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How do we break free from potentially
wasteful brand loyalty and

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unlock savings on everyday items?

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How do we find out if the cheaper
option is well, good enough?

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Well, the single low risk solution
is to conduct a simple experiment.

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Try one generic or store brand
item that you usually buy.

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Name brand.

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And instead of switching everything at
once, just pick one familiar product in.

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Make the swap on your next shopping trip.

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Use it as you normally would, and
then make an honest evaluation.

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Did you notice a difference?

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Is it different in taste?

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Is it different in quality?

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Is it different in effectiveness?

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And then ask yourself, was the difference
significant enough to justify that higher

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price of the name brand, or would you be
happy buying the cheaper version again?

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And see this simple test gives you
real information to make future

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decisions, and it helps replace those
assumptions with actual experience.

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The solution is a low
risk test swap one brand.

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Okay.

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Are you ready for your
one action step today?

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It's a plan for your next shopping
trip, whenever that may be.

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I want you to start by
identifying just one target item.

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Think about your regular purchases.

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I want you to choose one specific
item that you consistently

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buy the name brand for.

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Maybe that's your cereal.

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Or maybe for you it's canned
tomatoes, 'cause that's what

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grandma always used to use.

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Or it's that pain reliever that you
reach for, or maybe paper towels.

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You know, you gotta get the name brand
paper towels or maybe that cleaning spray.

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I want you to just choose one of them.

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And then I want you to commit to the swap.

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Make a decision today that your very
next trip to the store, you're gonna

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deliberately seek out and purchase
the store brand or maybe the generic

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version of that one specific item
instead of that usual brand name choice.

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And now it's time to conduct the test.

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It's gonna be fun.

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I'm telling you, take it home and
use it normally throughout the

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week, but pay attention and ask
yourself, how does it compare?

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And then finally, make your verdict.

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So after trying it, decide honestly,
is the store brand acceptable

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or even maybe just as good?

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And if yes, congratulations.

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You found an easy way to save money every
time you buy that item going forward.

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And if not, it's no big deal.

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You only risk a few dollars on one
item, and now you know the brand name

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is worth it to you in the future.

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So now you're asking Ralph, why
does Simple swap experiment?

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Well, here's why.

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Because it directly combats the
potential difficulty of overspending

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due to those untested assumptions
and that false brand loyalty.

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It empowers you with knowledge about
product value versus marketing.

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You don't get stuck on
the marketing piece.

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And finding even a few staples
where the store brands work.

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Well, let me just tell you, that
can lead to significant, consistent

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savings on your grocery bill or maybe
your pharmacy bill and over time

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with zero change in your lifestyle.

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Well, how about we pray together,
Father God, thank you for the

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variety of choices we have.

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Lord grant us wisdom and
discernment as consumers.

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Help my friend listening today to
approach their shopping with an open mind.

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Willing to challenge assumptions
about brands and labels.

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Lord, give them the courage to try
something different, to seek good value

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and practice wise stewardship, even in
these small, routine, everyday purchases.

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May we not be swayed by fancy
marketing, but by genuine quality

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and responsible use of the resources
that you've so graciously given us.

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Lord, thank you for your practical
wisdom, and we ask this in Jesus' name.

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Amen.

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Alright, well pick your item
and give the store brand a try

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on your next shopping trip.

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Be objective.

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'cause here's the truth, you
might discover some easy savings

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you never knew were there.

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And hey, in today's economy,
every little bit helps.

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Well now we've covered many aspects of
spending and and saving on everyday items.

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Well, tomorrow we're gonna shift
focus to a topic that weighs heavily

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on so many people, and that's debt.

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So be sure to join me as we
ask ready to face your debt.

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Where do you even start?

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It's a big one, but it's gonna be crucial.

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And if this episode challenge
your brand loyalty, do me a huge

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favor and share it with others.

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You can find resources and links in
the show notes at our new website,

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financially confident christian.com.

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So until tomorrow, shop wisely and
keep seeking him first and let's

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keep working to become financially.

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Confident Christians stay
financially savvy, and God bless

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you and you have a great day today.