Have you ever seen an unadvertised deal while out grocery shopping and been tempted to buy it but just weren’t quite sure if it really was a good price? Or maybe you bought an item on sale and later stopped by another store to get something else and notice that they have the same item for $0.50 less than what you paid? I used to find myself running into situations like that regularly and it was so frustrating! I’d try hard to remember what a good price was for the items that I typically purchase, but way too often my memory would let me down. And so I came up with this old school price list idea and it has literally simplified my life!
I’ve already shared how having a grocery stockpile is one of the main ways that we are able to have a $200 grocery budget and I’ve shown you how to get started building your own stockpile. But in order to make the stockpile concept work, you first need to know what constitutes a good price. Just because something is on sale doesn’t always mean it is worth buying or that it is a good price. Which is why you need a price list!
What is a Price List?
A price list is a place where you track the lowest regular prices of items that you frequently purchase. You can use a plain sheet of paper, a tablet or create a spreadsheet- it really doesn’t matter. The important part is that you find something that works well for you and then use it.
There are various ways you can do the actual list, but here’s what works best for me:
To keep things organized, I split my price list into different sections: Food, Kitchen Supplies, Household Items, Personal Care. Under each section is a row of columns. The first column is obviously the name of the item. After that, I list the price of the item, including the size if necessary, as well as the store where I got the price. The blank columns are for me to write in updated price information as needed.
Keep Your List Up To Date
Obviously, a price list is helpful only if it is kept up to date. To do this, I simply keep my grocery price list with me in my bag along with my wallet and coupon carrier. When I’m out shopping at my usual stores, I occasionally double check prices to see if they have changed. It doesn’t take long and I typically don’t go out of my way to do so- I just grab my price list and a pen and slowly scan prices as I walk by. If a price changes, I simply update my price list with the new info.
Since I do a lot of shopping at Aldi and they often have the lowest regular price on things, this definitely simplifies the whole process of updating my list! But even if you don’t have an Aldi and just make it a point to update your list once a month, you should be fine.
How a Price List Saves Money
I know when to stock up because I know what price is okay, what price is good and what price is awesome thanks to my price list!
I know when a sale price is truly a price worth paying because I can look to see what I would regularly pay for that item.
When I need to buy something at full price, I know where to get it for the best price!
When I do online grocery shopping at places like Amazon or Vitacost, I can determine when an item is actually worth purchasing online.
Do you use a Price List? How do you make it work for you?
MISSED THE OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES? HERE THEY ARE!
* Our $200 Grocery Budget: Why We Do It
* Our $200 Grocery Budget: The Importance of Stockpiling
* Our $200 Grocery Budget: How to Start Building a Grocery Stockpile
* Our $200 Grocery Budget: How I Plan My Deal Shopping Trips
Sallyann Kelly
Hi there! I love how you’ve been able to find a good rhythm of frugality for your family. If you care share, I’d like a list of all the items you can or preserve over the summer, including your favorite recipes, so that I can copy you! I’m planning my garden, and they’re is also tons of fresh produce near me in Washington. I’m just not sure how to best use these resources. Thoughts? Thanks!
Sally
Lydia Beiler
Hey Sally! So I’m currently in a season where I’m not doing nearly as much preserving as what I used to do, partly due to time (it makes more sense for me to put my time into my business right now) and partly due to location, as we currently are in an area where it is much more difficult to find large quantities for fruits and vegetables for cheap prices. But the things that I used to preserve a lot of were: peaches, a few pears (canned), applesauce, blueberries, strawberries (frozen whole or crushed and then used in smoothies), diced tomatoes, tomato juice, green beans, sometimes salsa (canned- used a recipe from a cookbook), sometimes pasta sauce (canned- used a recipe from a cookbook), pickles, and sometimes zuchini relish (canned- used a recipe from a cookbook). I also often frozen cut off or creamed sweetcorn as well as shredded zucchini, which works well in some baked things like cakes or breads etc. And I like to freeze apple pie filling, although some people prefer to can it instead. Sliced/diced onions and peppers freeze well, although they only really work for sautteing and baking. Things like apple butter and jams/jellies can also be great too!
Really, it depends on what you and your family enjoy and what you can get inexpensively. I would plan my garden and my preserving plans around that if I were you. Keep in mind too that all the canning jars and lids can get to be a bit expensive if you are buying them all up front. I was fortunate enough to find a bunch for free or nearly free at yard sales when we were first married- back before canning became such a big thing again!
I hope that helps and that you can figure out a plan that will work well for you!
Sara
Okay, I KNOW I can save on our family’s grocery budget. We do a lot to shop smart, but we always end up spending SO MUCH! Thanks for the ideas on how to get started:)
ThriftyFrugalMom
It’s just SO easy to spend more than you want to when you’re grocery shopping! Glad that you found some good ideas in this post. 🙂
Cate
GREAT idea! Keep up the good work!
ThriftyFrugalMom
Thanks, Cate, for your encouragement! 🙂 It brightened my Monday morning.