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If you unwrapped two chocolate chunk granola bars and set them on the table for your child to snack on, do you think they would notice the difference? Chances are, they wouldn't.

House brands have become so similar to the more expensive name brand products it's difficult to tell the two apart. Some studies prove this (PDF) - taste testers couldn't differentiate between the name brand and the house brand of certain items. In some cases, the house brand tasted better than the name brand product.

Snack foods aren't the only places you can save big by buying generic. Produce, toiletries, and cleaning supplies are also available in a generic brand. One shopper claims the taste of house brand oranges mirrored the flavor in name brand oranges bought from the same supermarket.

Test your family: Start buying house brand foods that can be easily removed from their packaging and cleaning supplies that can be poured into the empty name brand bottles. Track the days and see how long it takes your family to notice the change, if ever. It's a fun experiment to test everyone and save some money while you're at it! If you are up for the challenge, write on our Facebook page or send us a tweet to let us know how it goes.

SOURCES: blog.cleveland.com, moneycrashers.com