Price Book

When I first started paying off my bills, I created a price book for groceries using a small binder and index cards.  Every page is a different item and I had the price listed at each store as well as their sale prices.  The plan was to make trips to each grocery store (they were all within 2 miles at the time) and buy the items I needed where they were cheapest.  Instead, I figured out that almost everything was cheaper at Wal-mart.  Therefore, I haven't updated the price book in years.

Now that I'm intending to start couponing (if I can ever get disciplined enough to go ahead and do it), I decided to start updating my price book.  I CANNOT believe how much the prices and package sizes have changed since 2005!  Little changes, like tuna cans are 5 oz. instead of 6 oz....and the price STILL went up!  I knew that the cost of groceries had gone up, and my ice cream and Cheez-Its containers got smaller (sneaky sons of b**ches!), but I had no idea how many other items got smaller and more expensive.

Once I get my book up to date with the prices of the items I buy frequently at Wal-mart, Food Lion, and Harris Teeter, I'll be able to tell where I should buy them.  I'll also know where to use my coupons, if it's better to go where they'll double (or triple) them, and I'll know if something is cheaper on sale at one store vs. just buying it full-price at another.  I plan to take my book with me every time I shop and write down the name, size, and price of everything I buy.  Knowledge is power.  Whether I actually find the time to do the coupon thing or not, at least I'll know I'm making informed decisions when I make my purchases.