Greetings Everyone,
Someone asked me how they know when the Autumn deals that I blogged about HERE are actually a good deal.
The easy/universal answer to that question is: use a pricebook. If you keep a simple list with four columns, you can track your most-frequently purchased items, the best deal you were able to get on the item, where, and when, you’re light years ahead of many people.
But, assuming that keeping a list doesn’t interest you, or you perpetually lose lists of this nature (ahem), then here’s a sample of what I personally would consider a deal for the different Autumn deal items—now, this is for the Minneapolis area, as of the most-recent figures I personally have come across. Obviously, food prices are on the rise year over year, and where you live will affect the prices you pay for things…..
-canned beans (50 cents per can at Dollar General or Aldi’s for most generic varieties, if not slightly better for kidney beans)
-canned pie filling (pumpkin is all I personally would buy: maybe $1 for generic at Rainbow or $ Stores)
-turkey (this is a loss leader around Autumn—I’d shoot for 37 cents per lb this year for a frozen bird; already being offered at Cub and Walmart!)
-ham (also a loss leader, but less frequent—maybe $1/lb for bone-in)
-cheese (I strive for $1.50 per 8 oz of shredded at Rainbow or Walgreen’s)
-canned veggies (this appears to have ratcheted up since last season, but I would avoid paying more than 50 cents/14 oz can)
-potatoes (whether red or baking potatoes, usually a loss leader for $1/lb or less at big grocers)
-apples (I shoot for $1 or less per lb at most large grocers, or free from neighbors trees!)
-coffee (With coupons, I’d shoort for $5.50 for the big canister)
-baking stuff (varies: maybe $1 for 4 lb white sugar, $2 for non-generic choc chips, $1.00 for generic brown sugar, and $1.75 for 4-5 lbs white flour or $2 for 4 lbs wheat flour–all the better if you can add coupons to the mix)
Hope this helps you; please feel free to share some of your food price points with us in the comments below.
We’re (Still) All in This Together,
~Penny
04/11/2009 at 1:09 pm Permalink
Just to give readers an idea of how much prices can vary between areas…I’m in CT and 77 cents a can for beans is a good deal.
I can get turkey (frozen) for 47 cents a pound at the local Stop & Shop, though – so that’s not bad! Ham is around the same price.
Another version of the pricebook would be to have it electronically in Excel with each tab being a different food type. This is my ultimate goal, but I haven’t gotten past the scribbled notes in a tiny notebook I keep forgetting to write the prices in…