Price Book

[dmh1997@aol.com]

Would love a copy or sample of the price book, you can email it to me
privately at dmh1997@aol.com

Thanks
mandi


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[CRAIG JONES]

Joanie,

Check out www.OrganizedHome.com. They tell you how to set up a price book
and even have (FREE) printable forms you can use for the price book and a
whole ton of others. They also give some tips on OAMC, and a host of other
things. I have found it to be a very valuable website.

I thought I would ask, is it ok and welcome to post other websites here that
we have found helpful in either organization or being frugal, or do we need
to wait until that topic presents itself (as in this case)? If anyone
wants, I have quite a few links to various topics such as: organizational
(planner pages as well), homeschool, breastfeeding, childbirth and doulas,
crochet, cloth diapering (including sewing your own) and some others. I'll
be happy to share what I have found if anyone is interested.

Naomi

> Message: 22
> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 13:44:59 -0700 (PDT)
> From: JOAN HAMEL <joanie1313@yahoo.com>
> Subject: RE: Groceries and allowance
>
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a question... Do any of you keep a book or journal of prices in the
grocery store. I am really bad with prices. I couldn't tell ya what a gallon
of milk or a box of cereal costs..... I know most of you would know that
right off the top of your heads. I do look at flyers for deals (I just
assume they are deals cause I wouldn't have a clue) but I was wondering if
you keep track of certain things like how much you should pay for chicken,
steak, when it is a great deal to buy alot or just a so so deal to buy
mayber a little extra not go nuts.... I was thinking of starting one so I
can price compare in different stores also. Do any of you have such a thing
maybe you could share how you set it up and keep it current. Thanks
>
> Joanie

[Savin' Moola]

I'm putting together a price book and trying to learn how to use it and was wondering if some one could answer a couple of questions or tell me how to use this thing.
Do I write down the regular prices or just sale prices?
Do I write down all the prices from all the stores around me, or just the cheapest price I come across.
In a grocery sales flyer, is it true that the first page are the sale items and the rest of the pages are there regular prices?

Laurie

[Savin' Moola]

Re: Budget101.com : Price Book


>>I'm putting together a price book and trying to learn how to use it and was wondering if some one could answer a couple of questions or tell me how to use this thing.<<

Laurie, generally when you're putting together a p.b you start with the a column of the regular prices for the item. for ex:

walmart sugar .99 5lb bag
Shop-Save Sugar .89 5lb bag

Then you know which stores sell it and for how much. That way, when you find a coupon or see an ad in a sale flyer, you know whether it's a deal or not.

We've added a feature to the site, http://www.budget101.com/GroceryGuide.htm which helps keep you from having to keep a price book. First, you enter your zip code and choose the stores that you use, then you'll see a star rating system. The higher the rating, the better the deal. (Which doesn't tell you how much it normally is, but does tell whether the sale is a good deal or not). Next in the right hand column you can also choose coupons to print for many of the items to go in conjunction with the sales in your area.

On top of that, when you're done choosing your list, you can print it out, complete with the coupons you chose. Also, you can find other coupons on other new page:

http://www.budget101.com/coupons.htm

Hopefully, with the addition of these 2 resources our members will be able to save even more money.

They take about 15 seconds to load on dial-up (sorry) but they're worth the wait.

HTH,

~Liss

[Savin' Moola]

Re: Budget101.com : Price Book




>>I'm putting together a price book and trying to learn how to use it and was wondering if some one could answer a couple of questions or tell me how to use this thing.<<

My price book lists the date, regular price, the sale price (actual amounts 1.89/15oz) and the final column breaks it down to the per oz/gram/lb price (.13/oz).

Originally I wrote down prices for everyone, even if it was higher just so I would know that I had checked the price. What I found is that one store might have the lowest regular price, but another store would regularly have the best sale price. If you list the dates you recorded the prices, you can see the sale patterns for that item (I now know that our store sells b/s chicken breasts at rock bottom prices of $1.69/lb every 6 weeks).

I can't answer your question about the sales flyer. Sorry.
Monica in IL

.

[Savin' Moola]

RE: Budget101.com : Price Book


I usually write down the regular and the sale price plus the date so I can keep track of when certain stores usually run those items on sale. The reason I write the sale price is so that if another place puts it on cheaper than I know how to tell it is a better deal and when. I usually try to adMatch when I can because there is only one other grocery store close to me and they double coupons up to .50, but their ads are horrible (they always seem to be out of everything they advertise and this is a very small town so I know that there aren?t that many people shopping there). So I use their ads and admatch at walmart, then I try to use my coupons on top of that whenever possible.



HTH,

Stacey

[Savin' Moola]

Re: Budget101.com : Price Book


I have a small notebook that I use and when I go through the store's sale circular I write down the date, store, item, size/quantity and the sale price. I don't write down the regular price because I'm always trying to look for a comparable sale price. This also allows you to track sale trends, some stores cycle through sale items about once every 3 months or so more often if it is a seasonal item such as strawberries etc. I have 4 different grocery stores with in about a 1 mile radius of my house and a Wal-Mart about 3 miles away (I don't shop there due to I do not want to support what I see as unethical practices no matter what the savings maybe). I shop the circulars (most of the sales are so much better than Wal-Mart prices anyway) so I look all through my local store's ads because ours have sale items through out the whole circular.

[Savin' Moola]

Re: Budget101.com : Price Book


Thank you everyone for the help. You've had a lot of great suggestions I can use.
Laurie

[Savin' Moola]

Re: Price Book


From my experience. I have tracked the regular price, sale price w/ date and price per ounce. I haven't used a price list in some time since I have a general idea now based on repeat purchases. I liked to track sale prices by date so I could get a general idea on the sale cycles. The price per ounces because sometimes bigger wasn't always a better buy, especially w/ a coupon.

As for flyer items beyond the 1st page being regular prices. I have not experienced that. Sometimes they may be but it's not the norm.

Good Luck
Kristina Harrell
Willow Spring, NC

Romans 8:31
..... If God be for us, who can be against us?

[Savin' Moola]

thank you very much for mentioning this. im new here and didnt know about it at all but it wonderful!!
lee

[Budgeteef]

Make A Price Book: Save Money at the Supermarket!


Frugality: a noble value. Trouble is, if you've got a disorganized nature, the disciplines of the frugal life can seem daunting. How do tightwad friends remember all those prices, bargains, shopping bonanzas? Is the warehouse mega-pack a true bargain? When is a sale a sale?

Form follows function
What do you use to create a price book? Form is unimportant. Low-tech tightwads use a small binder or spiral notebook to track price book information. Planner aficionados devote a tabbed section to price book pages. The hi-tech housewife enters price book data in a computer spreadsheet (and the alpha geek downloads spreadsheet data to a palmtop computer for quick in-store consultation) .

Paging Best Buys!
Whatever the form, the heart of the price book is the product page. Each page tracks price information for a single staple product. Down the page, you'll list the date, store, brand, size and price, and unit price for that product. Over time, you'll be able to identify the best regular price, recognize special sales, and track sale cycles for that product.

Here's a sample product page:



Our shopper can buy 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce for a regular supermarket price of 32 cents. Her warehouse store sells bulk cans of tomato sauce for a sharply lower unit price. However, the best buy occurs when the supermarket puts 8-ounce cans on sale at 10 for $1.

Armed with the price book analysis, our shopper has learned to stock up on 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce during supermarket sales. By continuing to track the price of tomato sauce, she can learn the sale cycle: how often to expect those 10/$1 deals to occur. In her area, that's about every 6 weeks--so she'll purchase enough on sale to cover her family's needs until the next sale.

Setting Up and Using Your Price Book:
You're sold on the concept of a price book. You know it will save money, trim time and lighten shopping stress.

Now for the fun! Follow these tips to set up and use your new price book.

Digging for data
You've found a small notebook or printed our free price book forms. Next step: gather and record your data.

Itemized grocery store receipts are a price book's best friend. On them, you'll find identified and itemized lists of products you buy and use. Jumpstart your price book by recording data from every receipt you can find.

For brevity, develop a list of store codes. Use a short abbreviation for each supermarket, discount store and warehouse store you patronize.

Keep a calculator handy for unit price calculations! To find any item's unit price, divide the cost of the item by the number of units. For an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce sold for $.32, enter .32, then divide by 8 to find the unit price of $.04.

If you're making price book entries at the supermarket, you can often find the unit price calculated on the shelf tag. Spreadsheet users can short-cut the calculation process by breaking out the price and size on the spreadsheet.

On the firing line
You've scrounged for receipts, entered your data, and now it's time to shop. Like good wine, a price book's value increases with age. At first, you'll be filling in initial entries for many, many product pages--but as time passes, the price book's growth will give you a clear view of the sales cycle.

Build your baby price book each time you shop. See a great special at Supermarket A, but you don't need the product that week? Record it in your price book. You'll know to return next sale cycle, ready to buy.

With a mature price book, item entries slow. Once you've sampled prices at several supermarkets, the discount store and warehouse store, only enter a new price if it is lower than your existing entries.

As your price book matures, be prepared for surprises! Often, the dedicated warehouse store bulk-buyer will discover that she's been paying premium prices for bulk goods. No single traditional supermarket has the "lowest prices" in every area, no matter what their advertising jingles say. Approach the price book exercise with an open mind; you'll find surprising bargains--and high price shocks--in the most amazing places.

Be aware: some price book shoppers have reported episodes of being confronted by supermarket personnel when they make price book entries at the store. A clear and polite explanation ("This is my personal price record; I'm tight-wadding these days. You've got a great deal on white potatoes this week!") should reassure store managers that you're not a snooper-shopper from a competing store. Don't stand for harassment! Any further confrontation should be reported to the chain's higher-ups for action.

Ready, Set, Save!
Over time, you'll build an impressive data bank of local supermarket pricing information. You'll know that name-brand Mexican food products will be offered at the year's lowest prices just before Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May. You'll know when to stock up on steaks, or sodas, or diet foods. You'll understand that canned tuna will be offered at 3/$1 every six weeks--and you'll purchase six weeks' worth of tuna during that buying opportunity.

You'll also know, at a glance, when to buy in bulk from the warehouse store and when to look for a better deal at the supermarket. Not all bulk purchases represent true bargains. Armed with a price book, you'll know to a fraction of a penny when to load up on the big bag of flour, and when to pass it up in favor of the supermarket' s loss leader of the week.

Most of all, a price book will reveal your target price: a realistic, rock-bottom price goal for each item listed in your book. Whether it's cereal for $1.99 per box or detergent at 9 cents per use, you'll have the information you need to know when a bargain is truly a bargain.

Price books. They give you a leg up on the chaotic, ever-changing supermarket price game. Save time, save money and get organized at the supermarket with a price book!

[mdowdy]

This is a great idea. I had thought about a price book but this post helped me see why i have to have one. Mission number 1 cutting down on groceries and maybe I wont have to shave some of the other stuff. Not because I have to but because it is another way of saving money.

[cincomommy]

Wow!! Having a working price book really can in the end save me money. I am going to get started on this right away.
Becky

[cincomommy]

Well just a little update.. I didnt just start a price book but I started a coupon book, a price book as well as a household notebook. I am not a very organized individual and I now see just how much money Icould save vs. how much I waste on a daily basis on many things that could easily be either made at home a lot cheaper and if I need to buy it I can use coupons. I actually never cut coupons before so this is all new territory to me. I feel like if I can save any amount of money, it is worth the effort I have put in to it.

[cherrybelle]

I've been wanting to do a price book, but really, I'm a little lazy about this sort of thing...and because I have very poor vision, it's hard to use spreadsheetsw and writing things out big enough for me to see woulod have me lugging around a hige binder every timeIshop But in a moment of inspiration, I discovered there's a free app on iTunes to do just this. And since I'll be doing my shopping tomorrow, what a perfect time to give it a try! It's called "Best Price Book" if anyone is interested.