Price Books Work

One of the best frugal tips I ever implemented was the grocery store price book. I got the idea from the Tightwad Gazette, but I have seen it touted elsewhere since. Taking this one step alone has saved me a ton of money. A lot of people kind of roll their eyes when they see it, saying it won't save all that much, but really, a penny here and a penny there adds up to a lot of dollars!

I have moved, so I must redo my price book. I do mine on note cards that I clip in a binder. I do it alphabetically, by product name. (Ie: Peanut Butter.) I list it by store, then I figure it out by actual price, then break the price down into pounds or ounces, depending on what is practical.

For example:

I have a card under the general category of cheese. The first two letters are my store code. I do round the numbers, so it is a bit off in one direction or the other.

WM- Great Value Grated Fiesta Blend Cheese 2 lbs/5.96 =2.89/lb or .32/oz
D- Kroger Cheese any type grated or brick 24 oz/3.99 =2.66/lb or .16/ oz

I put the lowest sale prices I can find, then stock up when it hits rock bottom. After you do this for awhile, you begin to develop a sense of how often things go on sale, so you can stock up on enough until the next sale hits. If I buy six pounds of cheese a month, I can save 20 dollars in a year. That does not really sound like a lot over the course of a whole year, but if you do it on several things, it can add up. Cheese freezes beautifully, I might add, so stock up with confidence.

Another example:

Onions

D- yellow 3 lb bag 3lbs/.99 or .33 per lb
HL- Finest Quality yellow 5 lb bag/1.77 or .35 a lb
WM- yellow onions 3 lb bag/1.84 or .61 a lb.

If I go through 6 pounds of onions a month and buy the .33 cent ones each time, I can save 20 dollars a year. When that is added up to the cheese savings, that is 40 dollars a year. Think of if you did this with nearly everything you bought. It can really add up. It takes awhile to do, but is well worth your time.

I do not subscribe to a newspaper, but I can still get the circulars without having to drive to all the stores. Here is an excellent source of information.

For fun, I am going to try to keep a tally of what I have saved in grocery savings this year. Check back often!

Today I bought 4.5 lbs of sale cheese. I saved 11.97 from what I would have usually paid.