What are your stockpile price points?

[HappyMommy2]

At what price will you buy, or buy a few extra, for various items? Now that I am aware of prices (shame on me in the past!)... I am surprised at the price ranges!

Mayo ... usually $4.50 .... but will go on sale for $2.50 every couple of months.
Milk ... $2.25 at BJ's (4 bucks at grocery store!)

Barilla Plus noodles hardly ever go on sale. Anything under $2, I grab a few boxes.

What sales do you watch for?

[SeekingJoy]

Pasta (Whole wheat, Barilla Plus or regular), mustard, mayo, oatmeal, toothpast, deodorant - free

Milk - I don't stockpile, but I will buy an extra gallon for the week ahead at anything below $3

[lynsage]

I wait for the "10 for $10" sales at Kroger for pasta, Annie's mac and cheese, Metromint water, and condiments. You don't actually have to buy 10 to get the $1 per item deal. Unfortunately, they mostly put processed junk that we don't buy on this sale But when they have something we do use, I will stock up. The mint water and Annie's, I only buy on these sales.

They also do some really good manager's specials on meat where they will do buy one, get one on big roasts or large trays of chops and burger patties. I buy those up and freeze them. I never buy chops or pattied ground beef outside of those sales.

Greek yogurt and organic yogurts sometimes go on manager's special for $1 or less, too. Apparently the manager's specials are intended to clear out anything they're not selling enough of, so I profit off of the low sales of health food at my local store big time! They cleared out organic spices at $1 each recently and I totally stocked up. And got some Fantastic Foods vegetarian chili mix for 59 cents! Again, things I won't buy at full price but will snap up when they go on sale!

[BetsyS]

Our prices are cheaper than yours, it seems. Milk is regularly on sale for $1.99 here.

If I can get cheese cheaper than $2/lb, I stock up. like 30 lbs worth. Mayo for less than $2. Peanut butter for less than $1. Butter less than $2/lb. Ground beef less than $1.39/lb. Other beef less than $2/lb. Bone in chicken breasts less than $1/lb, and whole chickens less than $0.75/lb. Frozen veggies less than $0.50/package.

I recently bought 50 lbs of (fresh) peaches at $0.35/lb. I should have bought more! That was a great price. Last year, I bought 100 ears of corn at $0.10 each. This year's price was $0.15/ear, which was still great.

[cristina47454]

I'm in the northeast. Groceries here are expensive!
I'll stock up on ANY meat that is $1.99/lb or cheaper. Never buy fruit unless it is at that same price point. I'll stock up on crackers if they hit $2/box. Wow, $2 seems to be my my magic number, loll. I go to town (if $$ allows) when Bug Y has buy 1, get 2 free sales. But frozen veggies rarely go below $1 ea (that I've seen). Canned tuna or canned chicken will catch my eye at $1/can.

[Ruthiegirl]

We tend to buy things in bulk bags anyway, so get a good price per pound that way. Meat is the exception.

I really like chicken from our local Amish farmers. Hormone and antibiotic free. I'll buy 10 chickens when they go on sale for 1.69 a pound. They run a sale every 3 months or so and they smile every time they see me coming on sale day. "10 chickens, miss?" "Yes, please!" I cut them up and freeze in meal sized portions and that lasts us till the next sale.

I buy pasta when it gets down to $1 box for the half whole wheat varieties. Though I could buy that in bulk for $1 a pound if I could convince my kids to eat the 100% whole wheat variety. They say it tastes like wood shavings. I think they might be right.

For those of you who buy cheese in bulk -- how do you store it? Does it freeze?

[SeekingJoy]

Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl

For those of you who buy cheese in bulk -- how do you store it? Does it freeze?

I shred and freeze.

[Ruthiegirl]

Originally Posted by SeekingJoy

I shred and freeze.

Of course! What a great idea. Thanks.

[grisandole]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

Our prices are cheaper than yours, it seems. Milk is regularly on sale for $1.99 here.

If I can get cheese cheaper than $2/lb, I stock up. like 30 lbs worth. Mayo for less than $2. Peanut butter for less than $1. Butter less than $2/lb. Ground beef less than $1.39/lb. Other beef less than $2/lb. Bone in chicken breasts less than $1/lb, and whole chickens less than $0.75/lb. Frozen veggies less than $0.50/package.

I recently bought 50 lbs of (fresh) peaches at $0.35/lb. I should have bought more! That was a great price. Last year, I bought 100 ears of corn at $0.10 each. This year's price was $0.15/ear, which was still great.

Where do you live?????

I stock up on cereal when it's less than 1.80/box (junky, yes, but we like it on occasion), salsa when it's under 2.50/jar, mayo under 2.50, peanut butter less than 2.00, chicken when it's .79/lb.

[zebra15]

Pretty much anythign that is free w. coupon.
Back to school pantry sales are happing right now so lots of snacks and such.

Yougarts, under 50cents
Milk 88c 1/2 gal
Chicken 1.77/lb boneless skinless

DS loves Hansens Soda (diet) so I like to watch for the 6 pack under $2, last week I got them for $1 each w. coupons, so now we have LOTS and LOTS.

[Kyamo]

Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl

For those of you who buy cheese in bulk -- how do you store it? Does it freeze?

Cheddar cheese will keep for months in the fridge if the package is unopened.

[marimara]

I am ashamed to admit that all those prices seem expensive to me because I have the privilege of shopping at the base commissary. Not that having dh be in the military doesn't come w/ a price though... but I'll add mine anyways since I don't buy everything at the commissary.

I stock up when I see these prices or lower:

From regular grocery store:
Organic Apples: $1.69/lb
Blue Diamond Almond Milk BOGO=1.99 1/2gal
Organic Grapes: 2.99/lb
Organic sugar: $4/3 lbs
Raw Almonds $2/9oz
Org strawberries 2.50/quart

From Commissary:
Annies Organic mac n cheese .99/box
mangoes .79/ea
Kashi Fruit bars 1.99/box
Organic Butter 2.50/box Organic Valley

From farmers market:
organic blueberries right now they are $10 for a gallon when they pick them!!!! $6 if u pick them.
local honey 6/big jar

[provocativa]

one thing to think about other than price point is season. meijer only discounts natural dish detergent a couple times a year. around earth day, all that stuff is on sale and i buy a year's worth. ditto, leg of lamb at easter (2.99/lb).

tp under $6 a 12 pack. natural dish soap under $2.25. organic butter $2.50/lb. the manager's specials are great. i find tons of them on organic items, either in the poor areas or super rich areas. in the poor areas, no one can afford organic even on sale. in the rich areas, they don't want that discount sticker in their cart. in the middle class areas, they snap up the manager's specials really quick. i find for a lot of things, i get a better price through our unfi buying group than stockpiling from local stores.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by provocativa

one thing to think about other than price point is season. meijer only discounts natural dish detergent a couple times a year. around earth day, all that stuff is on sale and i buy a year's worth. ditto, leg of lamb at easter (2.99/lb).

We do the same thing with corned beef. My kids LOVE corned beef and cabbage, so every year around St. Patrick's Day when it goes on sale for 99 cents a pound, I buy 12 so we can have it once a month.

[lmonter]

Quaker oatmeal - Free-$1 (I use coupons on top of the Albertson's sale, hence free sometimes).

Hershey Chocolate Chips - $1-$1.40, waiting on that sale to come around again. Same with bricks of baking chocolate.

Noodles, spaghetti, elbow, bowtie, rotini, whatever - $.50-$88/1lb package.

Today hubby brought home 13 boxes of fruit. $9/26lbs of peaches or nectarines at a fruit stand. I do a lot of canning for the year.

Cannings lids were $1.12/reg and $1.70/wide at Fred Meyer recently (you don't want to know how many I bought).

Tillamook shredded cheese (8oz package) - $1.00. Throw in freezer, and you're set for taco night.

Yogurt, when each 6oz cup is $.25-$.33/ea, I buy at least 2-3 fridge drawers full (I also have a fridge in the garage). Not as cheap as a giant 2lb tub, but the 6oz cup thing is what works for our family and independent toddlers right now.

Meat, anything under $1.00/lb. Sometimes up to $1.68/lb for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Dreyers ice cream at $1.88/ea plus a coupon or catalina.

Mayo/Miracle Whip either $3-4 for a big tub or $2 for a small (32oz) container.

Then we do milk, toilet paper, Annie's Mac & Cheese, spices and some other stuff from Costco. I'm one of those that'll have 6 gallons of milk in her house at almost any given time. But I'm home alone most of the time with the kids and don't really get out often, so it happens. Errands get pushed to the wayside, so I pile up on stuff I know we'll need so I don't need to drag four cranky kids to the grocery store.

[HappyMommy2]

Originally Posted by provocativa

... the manager's specials are great. i find tons of them on organic items, either in the poor areas or super rich areas. in the poor areas, no one can afford organic even on sale. in the rich areas, they don't want that discount sticker in their cart...

mama, you are brilliant!

[happysmileylady]

Well, anything I can get free with a coupon, time to stock up. Wipes, I currently have about 9 months of wipes that I didn't pay anything for. In June, Pampers ran a coupon for $2 off wipes 60ct or more, and then through July, various stores ran the 72ct tubs for $1.99 each. I got my hands on lots of coupons, through trading and yes, picking through the recycle bin etc. Free wipes, woo whoo! And this month, they are running a buy dipes, get wipes coupon, so since we do use disposables too, and we have another baby on the way who will be needing diapers too, every time I buy dipes and have a good deal on it, I get free wipes too. Wooo Whoo! Also, with Kroger's 10 for $10, they had toothbrushes included. And I had coupons for $2 off 2, so free toothbrushes. I now have enough of those to last about a year or so. And with CVS Extra Bucks, I can get lots of other stuff free too.

Boneless Skinless chicken breasts, the lowest I can find is $1.60 a lb, so I stock up when Meijer runs that sale.

Barilla pasta-the lowest sale price I can get is usually around $0.89 a box, but then with coupons, I got a BUNCH last month for just $0.14 a box...whole grain too!

Milk- I NEVER pay more than $2 a gallon, and try to keep it around $1.75 to $1.90. But there's almost always somone around here that has it that low, so I don't need to stock up really.

Eggs-I hate to pay more than $0.90 a dozen, but sometimes I have to go as high as $1.05.

I don't buy organic on those though.