Buying the food we eat and the products that we use at the lowest possible price is always a priority for me. I try to stretch my grocery dollar as much as possible without sacrificing what I deem as quality for me and my family. My 'buy' price is the price that I am willing to spend for an item. That price might be different than yours depending on location, brand loyalty and taste differences.
I don't keep a price book, but I have started to keep a price sheet. Just a single piece of paper where I record my 'buy' price for our staples, like chicken, turkey, olive oil, detergent, etc. I record the item, price, unit size, price per unit and I might make a note about the store if it is unusual to where I normally shop, like the bread outlet. I decided to actually write down these prices, because I had too many swirling in my head that I couldn't remember them all anymore.
Some of my staple 'buy' prices are boneless, skinless chicken breasts at $1.99/lb, roasting whole chickens at $79/lb, grapes at .99/lb, 32 load laundry detergent for $1.00. I'm at the tail end of diaper use (no pun intended), but I try to get them for 10-13 cents each.
If I find prices to be even better than my 'buy' price then I hit the jack pot and I stock up even more. Just recently, a local grocery chain had a grand re-opening and they have been celebrating for several weeks with some amazing deals. This week, they had boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.59 a pound, so I bought about 10 pounds worth. That will last me for several months. I knew that was a great price when I referred to my sheet and saw that my 'buy' price for chicken is $1.99/lb.
Do you have 'buy' prices for your groceries so you know when to stock up? Do you track them with a price book or sheet? Let us know in the comments.
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I used to keep a price book years ago. I keep thinking I should start another one, but right now the prices are in my head. :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a Diane Rehm show on this morning about companies making packages smaller. We noticed this a while back, but it seems to have gotten more prevalent.
ReplyDeleteSize and unit price are important, not just overall price.
@Leslie - I've noticed packaging getting smaller too and you make a good point. I consider price per unit when determining my buy price and include it on my sheet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting!