This was originally posted on another blog of mine (Simplicity — Small & Cheap). I consolidated all blogs to simplify my life. – Jen 6/19/09
One of the things that was the hardest about moving here was trying to figure out what is a good deal on grocery prices. The prices are vastly different than up north. One of the hazards about living on an island, I guess :).
There are several different ways to determine the best prices and what is the best deal to use coupons with. The cheapest, but most difficult way is to make a price book. Essentially, you need to find a notebook, preferably a loose-leaf notebook with paper. An old day planner works pretty well for this. Pick the products that you use most often and note the following details of each item:
- Date
- Store
- Brand
- Cost
- # & Type of Units
- Price Per Unit
It will take approximately 3 months to gather the data you need. Soon, you will start to get an idea of how often it goes on sale and how much you need at the current sale price to tide you over to the next sale. You will also get an idea of what is the normal sale price and what is the ROCK-BOTTOM, buy-2-years-worth-NOW price. Some people use it to determine how often they will buy treats. For example, I will only buy Lay’s Chips when I can get a bag (the bigish looking ones that usually sell for $3.49) for $1.00. Usually that will involve coupons & coupons for that product are RARE!. You get the idea. It will also help you to determine which store generally offers the lowest regular price so if you run out and NEED it, you know where to get it.
There are also online price books. While they aren’t complete (most people don’t WORK at these stores but have shared their hard work with you), they are a good place to start and find basics.
The Grocery Game – This website has advertised and unadvertised deals for several stores in your area. Since we’ve moved to a new area, I’m using it to bolster my efficiency while I get acquainted with the area. If you sign up as a result of this post, please name me as a referral (jensteed.08 at gmail dot com)
Grocery Guide – This site shows the best rated deals, offers coupons, recipes and is a great resource, searchable by zip code.
Grocery Price Books – This blog offers price books for Meijer, Kroger and Giant Eagle.
How have you set up your price book? How often do you update it. Share your tricks and hints in the comments!