Something that I have started doing since becoming a more frugal grocery shopper is to set a price limit on items that I purchase frequently. Now that I have been couponing regularly for about a year, it has gotten much easier for me to recognize a good price from a not so good one. I'm not a pro, but I have made progress!
Here are a few examples of the upper price limits that I set for items that I buy regularly, with specific brands listed if applicable. I can typically get these items for even cheaper than some of these "limits", but these are the prices that I try to spend no more than:
* Frozen Vegetables (Steamfresh, Green Giant, Store Brand, Cascadian Farms) - $1/ea
* Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Crackers - $1/ea
* Juicy Juice (bottles & boxes) - $2/ea
* Cereal (Kellogg's, General Mills) - $2/ea
* Cake/Brownie Mixes - $1/ea
* Meat (chicken, beef, pork) - $1.99/lb
* Baby Wipes - $1/tub
I am also always on the look out for (legitimate) freebies...meaning items that I can get for free when using a valid coupon matched with a sale. Items that I can typically find for free (or less than $0.50/ea) include:
* 4 packs single roll toilet paper
* Toothpaste
* Rice a Roni/Pasta Roni
* Whole Grain Pasta (Barilla, Ronzoni etc...)
I always try to stock up on these particular items when they go on sale and I have coupons. I always pay attention to the expiration date when stocking up so that I do not end up wasting food. Sometimes I run out of these items before I can get them at these prices again, but if I hold out long enough, they almost always come back through the sale cycle again. That's not to say that I won't go ahead and buy something if we really need/want it and it'll fit into our budget. I have also had to make a few adjustments to my expectations as prices have risen. But I have been pleasantly surprised at the number of deals that can still be found...with some planning and lots of blog reading! :-)
To take the price limit concept even further, I have considered creating a price book. This is something that I am considering for 2009 to help me when it comes to items that vary in size and are more difficult to compare. My head can only hold so much info!
What (if any) price limits have you set for yourself when it comes to your grocery and household items? Do you have certain items that you always get for free? Do you have a price book? Please share in the comments so that we can all learn from each other!
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11 comments:
I have a price book for Kroger and honestly it was a major hassle to make and I never use it. I find that my gut feeling about a price is what works best for me. One of these days I plan on typing it out to share but by then I bet it will be outdated :)
Okay I'm bookmarking this to send to my hubby! He always laughs at me because I do this too. He thinks I am nuts, but I know what deals I can usually get on stuff so why pay more if I don't have to?
:)
I am so glad you are out here!! I love coming and getting tips on how to save money! Thank you!
I don't pay for any of these items any more.
Shampoo
Conditioner
Razors
Contact Solution
Pads
Pledge
Bandaids
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Deoderant
Pens
Photo Paper
Peachtree Accounting Software
Flea & Tick Control for Dog
Light Bulbs
Hair Color
And thanks to Rite-Aid, I should not have to buy any cold medicine for a long time.
Thanks for the post.
Does anyone have a "per roll" price to hit for paper towels or tp? And how do you get flea/tick control for free????
I've also thought about starting a price book. One of my new years resolutions, along with keeping track of how much I spend on groceries.
I get most HBA items free or very cheap, at the very least I never pay full price!
I also think tp is one of the hardest to compare. Be careful in comparing price per roll. Many brands have different sq. ft./roll. I have found my top price to be $1/100 sq. ft. I look for better deals, but won't go above that price. It is also an easy one to remember.
I call this my "Never Pay More Than" list!
Interesting idea. I too just go with the gut. But I find this concept needs more thought for me, it may just be something else to keep up with?!
Off topic but what I really wish someone would blog about is keeping your coupons organized! I have an organizer but they will not all fit in there. I literally have hundreds. So, I took all the personal/household item coupons (which I seem to have the most of) and catergorized them in ziploc bags and it stinks! but it is the best system I could come up with. I literally do not carry a purse, I have a tote! LOL
I do have a price book for my most commonly purchased items. I bought a small address book that fits easily in my purse and I write in items alphabetically. I initially started it by going through my receipts after a shopping trip. I only keep track of the basics--flour, sugar, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, frozen/fresh veggies, etc. I only buy prepackaged foods (like mixes, cereal or mac N cheese) if they are obviously cheap or free (for instance, I don't buy cereal unless I can get it for 50 cents a box or less) so I don't keep track of these in my price book. Also I don't track toiletries or medicines or cleaning supplies (we don't buy much of these) and I don't track paper towels or tp...with all the different roll sizes I found that to be too confusing! Unless I can get paper towels or tp for extremely cheap at Kroger I just buy Sam's Club cheapest.
So doing a price book this way has not been much of a hassle for me. It's really a big help to have it for our most frequently-purchased items.
Becky in SE Ohio
That's funny as I recently decided I was not going to pay more than $1 for brownies and $2 for cereal. Paying attention to the sales cycles and coupon deals shows me it can be bought at that price, so I just stock up when it happens.
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