grocery price list?

BiggerPiggyBank · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 09:30 AM

Hello everyone,
I'm fairly new to this group, and am ready to chime in now.

I've been married and doing the grocery shopping for nearly 12
years
now and have never kept up with a price sheet. I always try to get
the lowest price and am familiar with prices in my area, but
obviously
can't memorize all prices. We have been strapped for cash our
whole
married lives, but are tighter than ever now. I'm going to school
full time and the kids are getting older. I decided this week I'm
going to start my own price sheet/book. I started it with an Excel
spreadsheet.

How many of you do or do not keep up with grocery prices in a
book? If
you do, what works for you?

Thanks,
Tamela

BiggerPiggyBank · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 09:31 AM

I don't keep an official one, but I do know the prices in my head. I
also have items I won't buy until they get low enough on sale, sort
of like a "cut off" amount on what I'll pay, that I also have in my
head.

I would start with making a list of the items you buy every time you
shop- milk, eggs, bread, meats, etc. Anything you put into the cart
every time should be on the price list. Mark the actual price, not
the sale price. Mark the price from any stores you regularly go to,
so you know which store is cheaper.

BiggerPiggyBank · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 09:33 AM

I don't know about now, but Aldi's used to be a super place to stock up on
vegetables in late summer and early fall. They'ld have local cannery brands
for as little as 19 cents. This was from when produce contracted by a
major brand exceeded their requirements. The farmer had already been paid
according to his contract, and any overage was sold under the local
cannery's brand, often the name of the town where the cannery was.
Everybody knew, for instance, that Ackley (that's in Iowa) brand corn was
actually Green Giant with a different label.

Don C

BiggerPiggyBank · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 09:34 AM

Hello,
My husband and I tried to do a price book years ago. We took a notebook to all the stores and compared prices with the stores we normally shop with. Unfortunatly trying to keep up with that was a pain in the rear and we never went to another log. So if anyone posts some fairily easy logs that would be great! I also go to school full time and well I have been married 11 years and we are always tight on cash. Haven't learned how to handle properly but even if I don't chime in too often I get a lot of great ideas on this site that help with that. So things are moving up and there's a light in our tunnel. Good luck, Michelle

BiggerPiggyBank · #5 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 09:34 AM

likewise here.

I also know who is most likely to have the best prices on common items.

The listowner has indicated that she makes up a monthly (?) menu and shops
from that. I don't. I look at the weeks ads and build a menu around that.
If it's cheap enough, I'll figure out a way to use it. (BTW, it really
helps I'm only cooking for myself.)

I also keep a very large larder. If I had to, most of the time I could go
without buying anything for 2-3 months. Would be rather boring, no fresh
fruit, vegetables, or dairy products, but would be reasonably nutritious.

Don C

BiggerPiggyBank · #6 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 09:36 AM

We took a class with DaveRamsey.com for about $100 for 13 weeks. It taught us how to save and spend in all aspects of our life. Insurance, collage, home, food etc. He taught us how to pay off our debt, how to prioritize. It was worth the money for us. We are now able to sleep better.

Melissa

compkat · #7 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 03:54 PM

Care too share what you got and learned from Ramsey?

Kathleen

We took a class with DaveRamsey.com for about $100 for 13 weeks. It taught us how to save and spend in all aspects of our life. Insurance, collage, home, food etc. He taught us how to pay off our debt, how to prioritize. It was worth the money for us. We are now able to sleep better.

Melissa[/quote]

mdowdy · #8 (**permalink**) 01-08-2009, 10:43 PM

ok my mission is now to figure out a simple price book. Maybe I should start visiting some of the local stores see if they can beat foodlion

faxonfive · #9 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 08:07 AM

So any ideas on an easy price book?? I occasionally shop at Aldi's and Sharp Shoppers (PA & VA) and get magnificent deals, but the drive to them is between 45 minutes to an hour...and gas is now going back up....but most of my shopping is at food lion as well....Arron told me that he went to Harris Teeter last night because they had BOGO free on bags of shrimp.....the one 2 pound bag was $26.00!!! no way!!

Niddi · #10 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 12:11 PM

I just want to know how you can keep up with a price book these days when every time I go to the store it seems the price has jumped up again. I used to know the stores that had the best prices on regularly purchased items and exactly what the price was, but now I'm floored when the price jumps by not only a few cents but some things as much as 50 cents since I bought it last, and I'm talking about a few weeks ago. Wal Mart has been real bad with price increases lately. Some of their store brands are priced higher than the leading brands these days. You would have to adjust your price book every few weeks to keep it straight.