Last week I mentioned in my Menu Plan Monday post that I was going to start using a price book again. Some of you asked for more information on this.
Although I feel I’m probably not the best person to give advice on this topic due to the simplicity of my system I’ll give it a try. Mainly I want to be able to recognize when something is a good price at the grocery store in order to maximize my food budget. I want to be able to look at the flyers, reference my price book and instantly know whether or not something is a good deal. I don’t bother tracking prices per store since I live in a very small town with only two grocery stores that are only a minute apart from each other. Therefore it really isn’t a big deal for me to shop at either store for the best deal. Those living in bigger centers may find it helpful to include this step however.
Here’s how I do it. In my notebook I label different pages with the various meats and products I want to track and then I break it down further from there. Tracking meat prices is a necessity for me because I can never quite keep all the various types and cuts of meat straight. For instance my first page is for chicken and looks like this (and don’t be shocked by the prices, I live at the end of nowhere don’t forget):
Chicken
Chicken Breasts (boneless/skinless)
$4.99/lb $11.00/kg
Chicken Breasts (with skin and bone)
$3.59/lb $7.91/kg
Chicken Fryers
$1.98/lb $4.37/kg
Chicken Drumsticks (with skin)
$2.19/lb $4.83/kg
Chicken Thighs (with skin)
$2.29/lb $5.05/kg
I have more listed but you get the idea. Each week as I look through the flyers and see a price lower than what I already have listed in my price book, I know not only to go stock up on that item but also to erase the old price and enter in the new lower amount. This allows me to consistently have a record of what is the best possible price for any particular item. With other products I do also include the unit price (size divided by price) in order to accurately assess a good price when dealing with different product sizes. Often what I think is a good deal at first glance turns out not to be so when I compare prices to my price book.
Maintaining a price book really is a fantastic strategy for reducing your grocery spending and I highly recommend it as a tool for taking control of your food budget.
For more information and ideas please visit these great blog posts:
The Price Book at The Family Ceo ~ Part 1 and Part 2
Price Books 101 at Mom Advice
Make a Price Book at organizedhome.com
Use a price book to slash your food spending at Get Rich Slowly
Vanessa says
You say don’t get shocked by the price of your chicken but I am. That is cheap! I wish chicken for us was cheaper, I would love to eat more of it but it is getting very pricey here in Georgia.
Jacki Hollywood Brow says
Hey Laura,
I can’t believe how CHEAP your chicken is. Here in Montreal we’re usually paying around $15-$17/kg for boneless, skinless breasts. MAYBE 3-4 times/year we get a deal at $11/kg but not very often.
I also used a price book and organized it in the order I walked around the store. Low and behold, 2 months later the store re-organized “to better serve the customer”. The end result was I had difficulty finding things in the store but I DID notice that they had jacked the prices on everything (maybe thinking if it was in a different order I wouldn’t notice???) – Nice try marketing department.
Christi says
Wow! I am amazed at how much you guys pay for chicken. In Georgia where I live (Used to be close to Atlanta, now a smaller town) we pay maybe 2.99 a pound for boneless breasts. Today I only paid $1.99. My mom got on the bone chicken for $1.59 a lb! Maybe I should count my blessings. 🙂
Courtney says
wow I need to do this, just not sure I have time to do it all. i feel overwhelmed with so many things but saving money moves up the list.
momrn2 says
Just curious… how much time do you estimate it takes you each week to maintain this??
The Family CEO says
Thanks for the mention. I like your simple system. I think simple is usually best.
Laura says
I would say it takes me about 10 minutes each Sunday night on just the price book but I do it at the same time as I sit down to do my menu planning and grocery list on Sunday night. Menu planning takes about 1/2 hour, so about 40 minutes all together each week.
Lara T. says
I always liked the idea of a price book, but since I shop at different stores each week it was hard to find a good order to organize the book. I use a lot of coupons when I shop and try to buy only items on my list so I have a excel document with the price info. Its sorted by categories and has four columns. 1)Categories such as baby items, cleaning, canned goods, ect. 2)Specific item (ie. diapers, canned corn, etc). 3)A list of good price to pay (after coupons). 4)A column for the best price I’ve gotten in for. There is a 5th optional column that lets me put notes about the best stores, brands, and seasons to purchase certain items.
Martine says
Thank you for posting prices! My prices are a little cheaper than yours in Ottawa. Is all of Canada this expensive?
April says
This is a great I idea I will have to use it!Thanks
Organizing Mommy says
I dug out my price book list from about 6 years ago–depressing! Food has gone up so much! It was very helpful in getting started. Now, I have it memorized where to buy the cheapest thing. We buy most things in bulk, but sometimes a local store has great sales for the week. Chicken through Sams club in Illinois was $2.20/ a pound for the frozen skinless boneless when you buy 10 pounds, which I usually do! If I can get it under $3.00/ a pound, I’m happy. You don’t have to do a lot of in store calculating if you shop at Walmart, they also have the price per ounce/ pound listed in the left hand corner of the advertisement.
Forgetfulone says
These are great ideas, and I plan to visit your links, too! I mentioned you on my blog again today!
Katrina (Callapidder says
This really is a great idea. So often, I see my grocery store’s “great price” and wonder if it’s really a deal or not.
Damsel says
I’ve been meaning to do the same thing, but haven’t gotten around to it. I’ve read in other posts, though, that it’s also a good idea to write down the date that the price is at its lowest. Supposedly, stores have sales in cycles, and you can learn what those cycles are. So, if you’re getting low on a necessity, you could look at your price book and know that that item is going to be at its best price ever in a couple of weeks. Then you could hold off buying it for that long (maybe).
FW says
I need to do this step. I didn’t think it was necessary at first because I really only have one store option, but this would really help me keep track of the sale cycle and when’s a good time to stock up. Thanks for the reminder!
Lora says
I may need to start doing this–what with food prices going up like they are! This could be very helpful.
Country Mommie says
Sounds like a wonderful tool in this war against prices! I would like to be able to keep up with past prices also, so I can compare, where we are today and where we were then…but don’t want a lot of paperwork – any ideas?
AllyJo says
I’ve been thinking I would do this for 18 years. Thanks for the post.
Karin says
I am constantly toying with the idea of keeping a price book…but can never seem to get it off the ground.
This month, with your inspiration and simple system, coupled with $0.05 1 subject notebooks at Walmart, I might just have to give it another go.
Thanks!
Sweetpeas says
I keep mine in excel & then print it out & put it in a “report cover” add notes to it till it starts annoying me, then add the handwritten notes to the excel file & re-print.
I also will note sale prices as well as regular prices, so I know which store to go to if I need it now, but also that if I wait, I can probably find it on sale for $x.
And yes, w/ time I got to the point of not really needing it most of the time because I just knew that dry beans were cheapest at this store and cheese was cheapest over there (incidentally, it also helped me figure out that making my own butter (which is super easy w/ a blender or food processor) out of hormone free, raw cream is cheaper than buying the cheapest conventional butter. Gotta love healthier AND cheaper (and tastier, yum).
Rachel says
This is great! I’ve done something similar, but mine is only on an Excel spreadsheet. I need to get it organized, printed, and into a notebook.
Oh, and I WISH we had your chicken prices. 🙂
Debby says
wow! i know you said not to be shocked about the prices, but i can’t help it!! and to read other comments about even higher prices!! yikes! i just bought boneless skinless yesterday for $1.89/lb which was good for here, but usual sale prices are only $1.99. i’m sorry it’s so expensive where you are!! is everything more expensive? what about beef? i also found ground 80% for $1.59/lb! maybe we all need to chip in and send you some $ for groceries! =)
LouAnne says
I haven’t kept a price book in years, but it’s definitely a good idea to start again. My old price book is SO outdated.
Chicken must be a hot commodity in some places?! I just paid 1.00/lb for boneless skinless, hormone and a/b free fillets and tenderloins. I stocked the freezer as tight as it would go. Usually I pay around 2.33/lb, so it was a bargain for sure. Don’t expect to see that again anytime soon! Whole birds are generally .63/lb to .99/lb.
Christi says
Thank you so much for posting this! My family is going through a rough time financially right now (like everyone else) and I’m so used to going to the store and just buying whatever I want/need but now I’ve got to start getting serious and am starting to have a grocery budget that must be stuck to so I think this would be a fantastic idea for me to do.
Laura says
Let’s see, here are some beef prices for my area:
Regular ground beef
$1.49/lb $3.29/kg
Extra lean ground beef
$2.99/lb $6.59/kg
It’s interesting to see the various prices in different locations.
Wild Squirrel says
For those of you with Palms, PDAs, or similar handheld devices, you might check out the free software HandyShopper. I first heard about it years ago and was reminded of it by Scribbit (she did a nice review of it on her blog). You can download it at cnet (http://www.download.com/HandyShopper/3000-2360_4-10021512.html). It’s not a price book, but you can manipulate it to be one. For example, I can add notes for each item I purchase that includes price history info, or just add my item multiple times to track the different prices (such as entering Publix – Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts as well as Great Value – Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts, etc.). Sometimes, though, seems like the old paper and pencil is quickest and easiest.
Cathy says
I’ve just started a price book. Not really to compare prices to other stores (there’s only one in my town), but more to see when something is on sale for a good deal.
Also, we figure is costs us about $10 in gas to go to another grocery store. I eventually want to build up my book so that when I see the other grocery store’s prices, I can figure out if it’s worth the eight dollars to shop at another store.
While my house remains cluttered, I find I love getting the grocery numbers in order. I may have found my calling!
Tanja says
I love your blog, but I mostly stalk. However, today I linked to you. Go check out my blog to see why. Have a great day!
Trac y says
That’s a great idea. I’m going to have to start one!
maria says
Here is a great list
compiled by our awesome Coupon Sense Instructors 🙂
Maria Adams
C$ Instructor
NEVER PAY MORE THAN LIST:
BABY
Diapers $6.00/Jumbo package
Baby wipes $1.00
Baby food
Baby formula
Body wash, shampoo, lotion $1.50
BAKING MIXES AND SUPPLIES
Cookie Mix $.50 or free
Muffin Mix $1.00
Bisquick Pouch Mix $0.35
Cake Mix $0.69
Frosting $.50 or free
Cooking Oil $1.00
Flour 5 lbs. $1.00 or $.50
Sugar 5 lbs $1.50 or $1.00
Baking soda
Salt
Baking Powder
BEVERAGES
Soda Free
Langers frozen juice Free
Bottled 64 oz juice $1.00
BREAD AND BAKED GOODS
Loaf of bread $1.00
CANDY
Candy bar $0.25
CANNED GOODS
Vegetables $0.25
Tuna $.50/$.33
Canned Fruit
Canned Tomatoes $0.25
Manwich Free
Chili beans $0.20
Bush?s beans Free
Canned Pasta $0.30
Gourmet Soups $0.69
Chef Boyardee $0.67
Spaghettios $0.10
CEREAL
Malt o Meal $1.00
Brand name $1.67
CLEANING SUPPLIES
Air freshener $.50 or free
Cleaning supplies (windex, 409, etc) $1.00 or $.50
Tide 100 oz $4.99
Gain $3.99
Purex $1.67
Wisk $2.99
Snuggles
Downy 60 loads $2.50
CONDIMENTS
Mustard Free
Relish Free
Salad dressing Free
Mayo $1.50 or $1.00
Ketchup $.30-$.50
BBQ sauce Free
COOKIES AND CRACKERS
Name brand $1.50
Generic $.88-$1.00
DAIRY
Milk ? Gallon $1.80 (Sometimes less)
Cheese 8 ox $1.00
Yoplait Yogurt $0.33
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese $1.00
Cream Cheese $0.67
Cool Whip $0.50
Butter real, per pound $1.00 or $.50
Spreads (margarine type) $0.50
Small milks $0.30
DENTAL HYGIENE
Toothbrushes Free
Toothpaste Free
DIET AND NUTRITION
Slim Fast
Bars Free
FROZEN FOODS
Ice cream $1.50
Banquet frozen meals $0.50
Ice Pops $0.50
Hot Pockets $1.25
Pizza Rolls Free
Frozen Veggies $1.00
HAIR CARE
Hair Color Free
Hair spray
Shampoo/conditioner
JELLY, SYRUP, PEANUT BUTTER
Peanut Butter (small) $1.00
Jelly $0.89
Syrup 24 ox $1.00
MEAT
Bar s hot dogs $0.20
Other hot dogs(Hebrew nat., Oscar M., etc) $1.50
Sausage $0.50
Jenny O Turkey Tubes Free
Bacon $1.00
Lean ground beef $1.79
Boneless, skinless chicken breast $1.47
Chicken breasts $0.77
Whole chicken per pound $0.57
Pork chops
Pork loin $1.88
Lunch Meat $0.60
MEDICINE AND DRUGS
ETHNIC FOODS
Flour tortillas $0.99
Refried beans $0.25
Barilla Pasta Free
Canned green chiles Free
Pasta sauce
Salsa $1.00
PAPER SUPPLIES
TP per roll $.18-$.25 max
Napkins Free
Paper towels
Paper plates
Tissues $.70/box
PERSONAL CARE
Tampons $1.50/box
Panty liners Free
Soap $0.50
Speed stick deodorant Free
PRODUCE
Grapes per pound $0.88
Avocados each $0.50
Mangos each $0.50
Head of lettuce $1.00
Tomatoes per pound $0.69
Bell peppers $0.50
Baby carrots $0.99
Cilantro per bunch $0.33
Green onions per bunch $0.33
Yellow onions per pound $0.33
Potatoes 5 pounds $1.00
Bananas per pound $0.33
SEA FOOD
Salmon $3.99
Shrimp $3.99
SIDE DISHES
Lipton sides Free
Uncle Ben?s ready rice $0.25
Mahatma rice mixes $0.25
Rice a Roni/Pasta Roni $0.25
SNACKS
Chex Mix $0.50
Granola Bars $1.00
Fruit Snacks Free up to $.50
Tortilla chips $1.50
SPICES/FLAVORING
McCormick Taco Seasonings $0.25
Spices $0.99
This is with our COUPONS 🙂
More info email me 🙂
Sandy@Reluctant Ente says
That is a great great idea, but I don’t have time to do that. Has anyone else said that? (ugh) … I admire you!
Brooke says
I have thought about this often, so am concerned about the time it will take. You may give me the inspiration yet.
Melody says
I used to have one in Excel. It worked ok, when I used it. It was formatted on the computer, and then printed out; I filled everything in by hand and reprinted pages as needed.
Then I got a Palm. Wow. Mine is really old, but I found a Shopping List software that works with it. Now everything is right with me when I’m out shopping. I blogged about it, if you’re interested.
Rachel says
I want to do this, but I never seem to have the time! Maybe I will start with my reciepts and go from there. Thanks so much!
Amber (BGH) says
I started to do this once but never really got it going. Perhaps I’ll try again… ? 🙂
Amber
Bringing Good Home
Jenny N says
What would be great is if the grocery stores would let you access your purchase data from their membership cards. Then you could see everything about what you’re buying. Of course, then you’d know when you paid too much at their store. LOL!
Amy says
That is so great! I abandoned the price book, but am having to pick it back up because something strange has been happening at my supermarket…the packages have been shrinking! I need to recalculate what I am paying and start getting back on track again.
Thank you so much for the link!