But habits can be hard to break. I am unreasonably loyal to several famous name brands. So I wondered: How much could I save with private-label products? My conclusion from comparison shopping for dozens of items: Buying store brand products with the same or similar ingredients as name brands could save me (or you) hundreds of dollars a year.

Don’t worry that prices are lower because quality is lower. All over-the-counter drugs have to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s standards for quality, effectiveness and safety; that’s true for generics as well as name-brand versions.

In an unscientific experiment I conducted in February in the New York City metro area, I found that the price gap between big brands and comparable store brands at the three chains I checked varied dramatically, from 1 percent to 78 percent. Store-brand products were often one-third to one-half cheaper than the national brands. Among the products I checked, Walmart offered the biggest incentive to switch to its store brand, Equate; savings were 70 percent or more over comparable big-name products sold at the chain. Equate was also significantly cheaper than the other store brands I checked.

Here’s a sample of some of the biggest savings I found in each store. Of course, coupons and sales can change the math, but bring your reading glasses and check the fine print. If the deal requires you to buy more than one item, it may not be worth it if you’re not going to use up the product before its expiration date.