Because I live in a rural area, I choose to do most of my shopping at the local Price Chopper, with a couple trips a year to Sams to stock up on bulk items.
In order to keep my food budget under control, I keep a price book (or list in my case) to track the lowest prices.
On Word, I made a table with columns for the product name, size and unit price. There's another column to list dates that I see the lowest price advertised, and a place to write in a lower price when I find one. So it looks like ...
Hot Dogs, all beef per lb. 1.23 6/18, 8/30, 1/5
Cheese, Sharp Cheddar brick per lb. 2.99 12/17, 2/4
Oatmeal, instant 18 oz. 0.95 9/24, 1/7
etc.
Print out the list for reference. Each weekend, I look through the sales flyer and write down any prices that are lower than my price list. I check which items are at their "lowest" price and add them to my shopping list. I try to match the lowest prices with coupons.
Every few months, I update my Word file and print a fresh copy of the list.
If you want to track prices from several stores, simply add a "lowest price" column for each store you frequent. If there is a store in your area that will match advertised prices from other stores, you have it made! Just clip out the ads and take them with you.
More ideas for Saving Money on Groceries coming soon ...
