Keeping a grocery price book, where to start?

[Norasmomma]

I know many of the women on here do this. I am trying to figure out exactly what and how to do it. I mean of course the concept is pretty straight forward. Just start, what I am wondering though is there a formula to how things go on sale. I know there has to be some type of schedule for things, I just noticed this last week almost all the cheese was on sale, a couple of weeks ago milk. I'm just wondering if there is a sale formula.

Another thing, now do you do price per unit, price per oz, lb, etc..I'm just trying to figure out some magic way to get this. Thanks

[Sarah8Jane]

:

[SusannahM]

I know that meat is cheap around Easter for ham and brisket around here. Brisket also gets cheap around the 4th of July. Cheese just seems to almost always be on sale somewhere, you just need to determine what's a good sale. Around here, if you buy the big block it's about the same as waiting for a good sale, so I just do that and don't worry about trying to time it. The manager's get rid of it quick specials at our store almost always beat sales prices on milk, so I watch for that to buy the organic milk, and it keeps for a long time after the printed date on it, so I don't care if it's close to expiration.

I also try to factor in distance when determining if a sale is worth it. If it's not within 5 miles or so, then that starts eating up a lot of gas, and I won't bother with sales unless I'm going to be in the area anyway.

[texaspeach]

things are usually on a 3 month rotation, as far as brands go. like one week del monte veg will be on sale, the next week another brand, etc, and it repeats every 12 weeks.

[Norasmomma]

Well I pretty much only go to one store because it is the only one within 20 miles of where I live. I always "cruise" the store looking for great deals, I mean today I went in for a few things and family packs of ground beef were .40 cents off a lb, so they were 1.79 a lb. Which is the best it has been in awhile. I also got 2 free soy yogurts because the I know the main dairy guy at the store and he was giving them away, so that was $4 right there. I do know there are certain times when some things are going to be on sale and I will stock up accordingly, my store always has 2 case sales a year, one spring and fall so I do a big stockpiling of canned tomatoes, fruit, peanut butter, etc...I just was wondering if there was something more that I was missing, but it seems like I am "getting it" so to say.

I guess I am just going to have to get a little notebook and start seeing what(and when) the biggest sale times are. Thanks for the answers.

[Sarah8Jane]

I read once that different grocery departments have sales each week (i.e. paper products, laundry, canned food, pasta, etc). I've tried to follow that rule, but it doesn't seem to work out that way where I live, so I just end up buying what's on sale and stocking up. Seemed like there was a grocery game website that you could pay $5/month and they'd tell you what was on sale...

[boobybunny]

I have a spread sheet of my most purchased items. (anal I know)

So I know that I pay .59 cents a lb for organic oatmeal in the bulk section

I know the cheapest my diet pepsi is for a 6 pack is 2.99, so when it gets clost to that... I buy more.

I take my spread sheet with me. So if something is on sale... but I do not need it, I buy it if it is close or below it's lowest known price.

[Norasmomma]

Well that's what I am getting at I am thinking about being that anal. I'm just trying to figure the best way to go about getting the best deal. I do know that recently where I live the best I've found on Pepsi was 3.50 for a 12 pack, so that's good. I know we have some great deals and just recently my good one was Classico pasta sauce for 3 for $5 I know that's a great deal. I guess I just have to start keeping a good track of the sales, and buy accordingly(which is basically what I am doing).

[SusannahM]

I forgot, too, to mention price-matching. If you do figure out the best prices, WalMart will price match it when you have it in a flyer, so that would avoid the wasting gas by running around dilemma. I find it extremely difficult to shop with my 2 kids, so I'm all about the daycare at my Kroger and tend to stick to doing my shopping there