There are many ways to save money on groceries and other household items. But how do you really know if you are getting a good deal? Or how do you tell the difference between a good deal and a great deal? Actually, you just have to keep track.
That’s where a price book comes in. A price book can be made out of a small three-ring notepad. In my price book I write down an item, its regular price at a certain store, and the current sales price. After keeping a price book for a little while, I can keep up with how much things typically cost. There are certain items of which I am really comfortable about prices on. I know to stock up on cheese when it is 99 cents for eight ounces, or chicken breasts when they are less than two dollars a pound. Still, there are other items that I don’t buy as often and so I am not so confident. Sometimes it is hard to tell if an advertised price is a good deal or not unless I keep track of the prices in my book.
This helps a lot when I am planning a trip to the grocery store. Flipping through grocery ads, with my price book in hand, I can compare prices that are on sale with previous sales. This way, I know when it’s time to stock up on something, or whether the sale really isn’t that great.
My price book also helps to compare prices between stores. Loss leader items will lure you into a store, and then you will likely buy other things there as well. Keeping a price book helps to keep you from overspending on these types of items. The store you generally go to for its good deals might be charging a little more for its regular-priced items to make up for the loss. There really is no way to tell unless you keep a price book.