One of the most helpful things you can do if want to save money at the grocery store is keep a price book. Very simply, it is a book, spiral notebook, spreadsheet or piece of paper on which you record a list of the items that you buy most often and the best prices that you find in the grocery store.
Keeping a price book is a great way for you to track the prices of the items that you buy regularly. Start with the top ten items. You’ll even start to see the sales cycle forming.
Prices should be recorded in price per unit (e.g. ounce, roll, pound), so that you can compare larger sized packaging to smaller sizes. Some stores have this price per unit listed on the shelf tag; if not, bring along a small calculator. To figure out the cost per unit, take the cost of the item then divide by the number of units. For example, if a 4-roll pack of toilet paper costs $1.19, the unit cost is 1.19 divided by 4, or 29.75 cents per roll.
Here’s what your price book might look like:
Date Store Item/brand Size Price Unit price
7/8/08 Sun Grocery Bar soap/Flower 3 bars $1.65 $.55
7/1/08 Moon Grocery Bar soap/Bug 4 bars $1.89 $.47
6/28/08Star Grocery Bar soap/Bee 3 bars $1.78 $.59
With your price book, you will never have to wonder if a sale price is the best possible price that you can get. Add your coupon savings in the mix, and you will soon be willing to pay less and less for the everyday items that you purchase.
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