[rustyslippers]

I'm not sure if this is really a "cry for help" or more of a general question!

I'm new to the couponing world but really enjoying myself and all the money I'm saving. I do have one question though. How do you know if something is at a good price? Sure, if I'm paying a quarter for a box of cereal, I know that's pretty good, but what about staples like milk, bread, eggs and meat? What is a "good" price for these items or what's an "average" price?

I'm wishing there was some sort of master price list but I don't think I'll get that lucky!

Tell me the ways that you all are figuring out when to buy and when something is a GREAT DEAL.

Thanks all!

[CharisS]

In a way you already answered your own question you need to make your own "master list"
Best done by yourself no kids or anything and write down everything you normally buy prices at all of the stores that you shop at, you can also keep track of sale prices and then when a really good price comes along you will know when to pounce.

You will learn who has good prices on what and what you normally would pay pretty quickly when you start paying attention as well.

HTH a little

[jeanettebr]

I had this question too when I started couponing. I would see people getting things for free or nearly free and while I could do that with certain items like toothpaste, bodywash etc...what about things like food? or toilet paper? etc! Those items are harder to get and I always worried that I was paying too much and should wait for a better deal!
So I decided that I would write down my normal prices for these items...and if I could cut that price in half with a deal or Q then it was a "good" deal so go for it...but if I could take it under half price..way under....it was a "great" deal so stock up! I figured it may not be free but I am spending at least half what I would have...so that's an awesome savings
Keeping track of what you spend on something and when you get sales/deals and you will start to see a pattern of when things go on sale...and have a bottom line price you'll pay on those items. I do this with toilet paper and laundry soap....I know how much per load or per roll I am willing to pay and when I see a deal that will make it that cheap (or cheaper!) I go for it!
Good luck!

[brook6]

for the products I buy frequently...

I made a list of those items and the prices at my 'usual' store [which was almost exclusively WalMart before AFC]
then as I see those items at other stores, I would note the price

the 'sheet' is really several index cards - products down the left, with columns for each store across the top, prices in each cell

I can tell when a price moves or if a 'sale' is a good deal, compared to what I can get the product for somewhere else

probably needs to be your own list, since prices vary by region, even at the same store

[schmidt00]

I had a hard time getting into the food stockpile just because I had no idea what was good, bad or indifferently priced.

Now... my rule of thumb is:
If its FREE or less than 10% cost- STOCK UP
If you can get multiples of the same item for the cost of ONE- (for example- an items costs $7.00 normally, but you can get 4 / $7 after Q's) then I buy 10 or so
If the item is half price and I NEED it- buy 2-3 to hold me over until there is a freebie sale!

A lot of this has to do with starting a stockpile. When you start... start out with free / cheap only and in no time you will have stockpile coming out your ears! Trust me... LOL

[DebB831]

I agree, because unfortunately, what may be a good price for me in Minnesota may not be a good price for you or visa versa, so using someone else's price sheet probably wouldn't work as well as making your own would be.

I have a good idea what staples around here normally cost, so if I see a dozen eggs for 99 cents, I will for sure buy them, milk under $2 a gallon, butter $1 per package, etc. When bread goes B1G1 I will definitely hit that up. Unfortunately, it takes some work and a lot of brain cells if you don't write it down (I have found I didn't have enough brain cells to do this with two kids in tow, so I ended up with a index card as well in my coupon box for the basics).

[jessl]

For things I buy weekly like milk and eggs I do best going to Aldi. Their prices are much lower than anyone else around here. For example eggs are something like 89 cents while Shaws brand eggs which are the cheapest they carry are around $2. I can rarely beat Aldi's price on eggs with a coupon.

For everything else I think the longer you coupon the less you will be willing to pay. Once you have a good stockpile you will be able to pass on a deal you used to think was great.

What I do now is try to concentrate on whatever happens to be free or pennies that week, and stock up on whatever meat is on sale. But to do this you have to have a pretty good stockpile. Right now I'm concentrating on Mighty dog, Fruit2O and Marenade packets - not exactly a balanced diet But I can live off my stockpile until real food goes cheap.

[rustyslippers]

Alright, I think I'm inspired to make my own master price list! Thanks for all the helpful info from everyone. I think I need to get my stockpile going, so I don't feel such a pressing need to shop, shop, shop!

[miralys]

For me it was trial and error. I would mark down the price for each thing I bought. Sometimes I really got burned when I was starting out! But now I have a much better idea of the lowest price I can get for things and weed out the "sales" from the "bargains."