Our Changing Grocery Pricesby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 12 May 2008 04:40 AM
I have a frugal confession to make. I don't actively keep a price book. Yes, I know that they are a way of monitoring prices. So how do I even know that food prices are rising when I don't have anything to compare them to? Okay, I have another confession. I actually do keep a price book, but it is all in my head. I generally know how much the lowest price is on the basics that we use, such as 79 cents a pound being the best deal on whole chicken. I also have a general sense of which stores have the lowest price on any particular item, such as yeast at our warehouse store, flour at our local grocery store and a particular brand of cereal or iced tea at a mart-type store. I've definitely had to adjust this mental price books somewhat with the change in prices. I used to hold out until eggs were on sale, 18 count for only 99 cents. Now, I grab what I can whenever they reach below $2.25. Another concession that we have made is on cereal. Previously, I never bought a large box of cereal (at least 14 ounces) for more than $1 (combining sales and coupons). Now, I am happy to get a smaller box of cereal (12 ounces) for under $1.65. Trends as to when things go on sale have changed slightly, too. Bagged apples would cost me the least in the fall, about 79 cents a pound for a good quality, going up to 99 cents a pound in the winter and spring. Now, here in the spring, that sale price has risen to $1.49 a pound, and I haven't seen anything cheaper. One thing that has surprised me is bananas. Although I have a hard time getting them at my previous 29 cents a pound, (if I go out of my way I can find them for that price), I am happy these days to purchase them at 49 cents a pound, not the 79 cents a pound that I was dreading. So how can you adjust to all of these changing prices and still get a good deal? Check back later for some tips on adjusting your price book. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: 10 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill 10 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill 2 A Guide to Salvage Grocery Shopping A Guide to Salvage Grocery Shopping 2 Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags cost of food, food prices, grocery, price book Discuss this article
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