Ok, so I didn't get to the store yesterday, but I did get there this morning and finished my Week One prices....
That's just the first page(I've got 2 pages of items), and you can't read my chicken scratching so here is the list. Oh, and I decided to always put Carone's prices first and Weis prices second each week, so I don't need to mark each price with a "C" or a "W" to tell which store it was from.
Ground Beef...2.28/3.69
Chuck Roast....3.99/3.99
Hot Dogs....4.99/5.99
Pork....3.99/3.00
Bacon....2.98/3.50
Chicken Breast....2.99/3.09
Chicken Whole.... .78/1.69
Salmon....10.00/7.99
Cheese....1.77/2.99
Butter.....3.00/3.50
Eggs....1.93/1.50
Carrots.... .90/1.00
Potatoes....1.48/2.50
Celery.....1.69/259
Onion..... .49/.75
Salad Greens....2.50/1.95
Pasta..... .88/1.00
Spaghetti Sauce.... .88/1.00
Coffee....5.65 lb/5.12 lb
Soup Tomato...1.05/.75
Soup Cream....1.00/.75
Flour.....2.19/2.19
Sugar.....2.69/2.69
Brown Sugar...1.89/1.69
Honey.....4.00 lb/3.45 lb
Deli Ham...5.99/7.99
Deli Provolone...7.99/8.99
Frozen Pizza...4.49/4.99
Ice Cream...3.00/3.00
Frozen Broccoli...1.88/1.50
Soda....4.99/4.00
Chips....3.00/3.00
When I write prices down, I always write them as price per same unit of measure. If I price the honey per lb. at one store, I break down the cost per lb. at the other store., If I price out the potatoes as price per 5lbs. at one store and all the bags at the other store are 10 lb. bags, I figure the cost of half that size bag so I am measuring like with like.
I know there are cheaper hot dogs at both stores, but I have to be honest and stick with tracking the higher priced dogs, since I don't buy the cheaper ones no matter the price. Our budget allows me some luxuries and we don't like the taste of many of the brands(which happen to be cheaper),so we spend on the good dogs. If we had more financial challenges, I'd price out and buy those less expensive dogs in a heartbeat. But we have some flexibility with what we spend on so we prioritize.
On the other hand, there are private label or house brand items that I think are comparable quality with the name brands.....brown sugar for instance. Everyday price the store brand is cheaper so I buy it and I detect no discernible difference. About the only time the name brand is as cheap or cheaper is if it's on special AND there is a coupon for it.
The first rule in deal hunting and couponing is NO Brand Loyalty! If you always want the best deal you have to be open to buying whichever brands are the lowest price when the sale(or sale and coupon combined)are involved. But you have to do what works for you and your situation. Kids and spouses can be picky so you need to remember to price book items that your tribe will eat.
Just looking at my Week One prices and knowing how prices run here, I'd say that this would be the week to buy ground beef, whole roasters, bacon, onions, pasta and spaghetti sauce at Store #1. At Store #2 the soups and frozen broccoli are a good deal this week and if I needed Salad Greens this week, I'd get them at Store #2 if I couldn't wait until Sunday to buy those.
Now tuck your information away until next week's shopping trip. Be sure to use a different color ink for next week's prices. I'll be going with blue next week.
Sluggy
Ground Beef...2.28/3.69
Chuck Roast....3.99/3.99
Hot Dogs....4.99/5.99
Pork....3.99/3.00
Bacon....2.98/3.50
Chicken Breast....2.99/3.09
Chicken Whole.... .78/1.69
Salmon....10.00/7.99
Cheese....1.77/2.99
Butter.....3.00/3.50
Eggs....1.93/1.50
Carrots.... .90/1.00
Potatoes....1.48/2.50
Celery.....1.69/259
Onion..... .49/.75
Salad Greens....2.50/1.95
Pasta..... .88/1.00
Spaghetti Sauce.... .88/1.00
Coffee....5.65 lb/5.12 lb
Soup Tomato...1.05/.75
Soup Cream....1.00/.75
Flour.....2.19/2.19
Sugar.....2.69/2.69
Brown Sugar...1.89/1.69
Honey.....4.00 lb/3.45 lb
Deli Ham...5.99/7.99
Deli Provolone...7.99/8.99
Frozen Pizza...4.49/4.99
Ice Cream...3.00/3.00
Frozen Broccoli...1.88/1.50
Soda....4.99/4.00
Chips....3.00/3.00
When I write prices down, I always write them as price per same unit of measure. If I price the honey per lb. at one store, I break down the cost per lb. at the other store., If I price out the potatoes as price per 5lbs. at one store and all the bags at the other store are 10 lb. bags, I figure the cost of half that size bag so I am measuring like with like.
I know there are cheaper hot dogs at both stores, but I have to be honest and stick with tracking the higher priced dogs, since I don't buy the cheaper ones no matter the price. Our budget allows me some luxuries and we don't like the taste of many of the brands(which happen to be cheaper),so we spend on the good dogs. If we had more financial challenges, I'd price out and buy those less expensive dogs in a heartbeat. But we have some flexibility with what we spend on so we prioritize.
On the other hand, there are private label or house brand items that I think are comparable quality with the name brands.....brown sugar for instance. Everyday price the store brand is cheaper so I buy it and I detect no discernible difference. About the only time the name brand is as cheap or cheaper is if it's on special AND there is a coupon for it.
The first rule in deal hunting and couponing is NO Brand Loyalty! If you always want the best deal you have to be open to buying whichever brands are the lowest price when the sale(or sale and coupon combined)are involved. But you have to do what works for you and your situation. Kids and spouses can be picky so you need to remember to price book items that your tribe will eat.
Just looking at my Week One prices and knowing how prices run here, I'd say that this would be the week to buy ground beef, whole roasters, bacon, onions, pasta and spaghetti sauce at Store #1. At Store #2 the soups and frozen broccoli are a good deal this week and if I needed Salad Greens this week, I'd get them at Store #2 if I couldn't wait until Sunday to buy those.
Now tuck your information away until next week's shopping trip. Be sure to use a different color ink for next week's prices. I'll be going with blue next week.
Sluggy
