Comparison Shopping Makes Sense
Just recently prices on many of the items I regularly buy have increased, so it seemed like a good time to update my price book. One of the ways I save lots of money on groceries is to know which stores have the lowest prices for the items I buy. Since this is more than I want to try to remember, I just jot prices down in a little notebook that I keep in my purse… this is my price book. Nothing fancy, but it sure saves me a lot of money.
Comparison shopping means savings… sometimes big savings. And sometimes the best prices are in the most unexpected places! For example, I needed to update my prices on dried beans. We usually use kidney beans for chili and pinto beans for baked beans and soups, so I concentrated my efforts by telephoning the various stores to find the current prices for just those two types of beans. Surprisingly, the bulk food store is now the most expensive, with pinto beans at $1.29 per pound and kidney beans at $1.49 per pound. Another bulk food store’s price is only 70 cents per pound for kidney beans, but they require a 24-pound purchase. The manager there said he had never heard of pinto beans!
Two chain food stores have prices of $1.39 and 99 cents per pound for pinto beans, and $1.69 and $1.00 per pound for kidney beans. A small “mom and pop” type store has the lowest prices of 68 cents per pound for pinto beans, and 84 cents per pound for kidney beans.
All of the beans were packaged in the U.S. Some were organic, some were not, and the organic beans were not always the most expensive, so it’s a matter of choosing what is important to you.
But comparing prices makes sense… that’s a difference of up to 71 cents per pound for pinto beans, and a difference of up to 99 cents for kidney beans. Factor in a comparable difference for the other items you buy and imagine the savings that are possible in a weekly grocery bill. For me, that’s ample reason to comparison shop!
Written by Shirley | Filed Under Grocery Shopping, Frugality, Nutrition series, Simple Living, Voluntary Simplicity, Organization Series
Comments
Comment by Debs:
WOW!! Seeing the pictures with the prices really showed me I’m wasting money. I always thought what did it matter if something was just a few cents more, that it wasn’t worth my time to find out the prices. But I can see how saving on lots of items could really add up. Thank-you for your fabulous blog!!!!!!!!!!!! And for your help!!!!!!!
Comment by mom2fur:
I’m needing to update my price book, too! It really is the only way you can know if you’re getting a good deal on something. Sometimes, it’s surprising where you can get good deals. A little here, and little there–it makes a big difference over even a short period of time!
Pingback by Saturday Saving Smorgasbord - The When You Don’t Want to Use Coupons Edition | Frugal Hacks:
[…] Compare prices […]
Please leave a comment!