http://organizedhome.com/make-price-book-save-money

DLW,

 This article (which I'm sure I found linked through Dollar Strecher somehow) was my original template and game plan when I first began building a price book (which I've only been doing since April 08!)  The only thing I have different on the product page is I have a space for notes I can take if I want, and also for some items I figure the unit price by ounce or pound, and then also figue a "per item" price.

For instance, I weighed about 10 bananas separately once, and found the average weight of those bananas to be about 6 oz. So I calculate two "unit prices" - one by weight, and one by banana. It really helps me because then I realized how much of a convenience cost I was paying at Sonic when I got the $2.99 kid's meal and got 3 things - hamburger/corn dog, banana, and a drink. Seriously, I was paying $1.00 for a banana at Sonic when it costs about $0.22 if I buy it at the cheapest store! That kinda sobered me on my "frugal" once-a-week fix. I wouldn't have known about how much my individual banana costs, however, if I didn't have a price book.

You don't have to weigh the bananas to get this. You could count how many bananas you bought in a bunch, and then divide that number by the price you paid. For instance, if there were 8 bananas in the bunch, and you paid $2.00 for that bunch, then on average those bananas cost about $0.25 each. 

I've collected prices on my most commonly bought items from two stores (Wal-Mart & Target).  I'm still unsure which price book method will work for me, but this site:  http://www.ncnblog.com/2007/03/27/rebuilding-my-grocery-store-price-book/  had the most promising spreadsheet.  Which can be printed out and used old-school-style if needed.  It also has a nifty columned-feature, so a full page contains two lists--which enables you to fold it in half and carry it in your purse.  Handy!

Me?  I'm trying to get a basic idea of what the prices are on the most commonly bought items are at the grocery store. 

My categories are very basic: Produce, Dairy, Meat, Misc, Frozen, Canned.  Under each category I have specific items that I buy at least once a month.  My thinking is that if I know what the rock bottom price is, I'll know when to stock up and/or use coupons.  Granted, the produce category is not something you can buy too much of when it is on sale, but I plan to buy what I can and think of more recipes to use it in.  For example, carrots are on sale.  I plan to get some and eat raw, cook as a side dish, and grate into a carrot and raisin salad. 

 I've just started, hopefully someone who has been using one for a while can weigh in with how they use theirs. 

Dear All, As for produce, I can & do stock up, as I have the good fortune of having a Darling brother who gave me a deep freezer.  I have found that grating carrots, mincing onions & celery, & scissoring off the leaves of herbs works best (I keep the peelings/stems for soup in the freezer ina separate bag).  We use 1/2 c in sandwich bags for the carrots, oninns, & celery, & 1/4 c for cilantro, mint, etc.  Bananas I put 3 in a bag & freeze.  I freeze also 3 eggs in a fridge box.  I cut & freeze on a cookie sheet fruits like strawberries or don't cut blueberries + freeze them whole.  I keep garlic in a small canister in a fridge produce drawer.  I keep the ginger in the fridge freezer f convenience, & break off what I need the night befoer so that it will be defrosted when needing to be cut.  (It breaks easily.)  I bake potatoes & freeze them.  I know that I have not covered every type fo produce that I use -- can't think of more -- but there is probably plenty more.  Yours in Him, Deb

I use a website that automates the grocery list and price book process. It helps me track grocery unit prices paid by item and also shows which items have increased in unit price and units purchased.

The grocery list shows the lowest unit price I paid to facilitate comparison between the current store unit price and previous unit prices paid. Very helpful at the store! I can edit the grocery list as needed and create different lists for different stores.

The site also provides me instant analysis on spending trends to provide a list of grocery items where unit prices have increased and total units purchased have increased, among other areas. That's very helpful at home for figuring out where to cut costs and why the bill is increasing.

The site is groceryhop.com.

Hi Everyone,

I'm BRAND NEW to keeping a price book, but I've stumbled upon a method that I, personally, find SUPER SIMPLE. I use a cheap little "accordian file" style coupn organizer (which I picked up at Kroger). It has an elastic band around it to keep it shut tight, and all the slots came with catagories already printed on them (there's even a slot in the back designated for "today's coupons" so I can seperate out what I know I'm going to use that day). Anyway, it's easy to use and fits nicely in my purse (and I always have all my coupons with me), so I decided to ADD a "price book" component to it (rather than carry around a seperate book), using index cards.

I have a card for each item I normally buy (item name written across the top ot the card), and on the first line of the card I put: DATE, STORE, BRAND, SIZE, PRICE, UNIT PRICE  (except for meat, for which I have "Chicken", "Beef", "Pork", etc. cards which read only: DATE, STORE, TYPE/CUT and PRICE PER LB.) I bought index cards which have every other line in a "highlight color" (because I find it easier to keep on the right line that way). Then, I take a "Post-it" brand "durable filing tab", write the name of the item on it, and use it to "tab" the card (I liked them best because they are fairly sturdy, but repositionable if I need to change the tab placements).I then put my price cards into my coupon organizer's appropriate catagorized slot, alphabetically.

I now find it really easy to keep track of everything, and all In one little clutch-like file - so I just thought I'd share the idea in case it'll help anyone else :)

-Kayt