Price Books? Do I Need One?

With the fluctuation of prices and deals it can be difficult to keep up with the prices around Kansas City.  This is where a Price Book can help.  What's a Price Book?  Well, it is just what it sounds like -- a book in which you keep track of prices.

So, do I need a Price Book?  If you are really serious about saving, it can certainly help - but of course won't prevent you from finding a great deal.  A Price Book helps you not only keep track of the prices at your favorite stores, it can also help you watch for the sales cycles.

All sales seem to run in a cycle.  After a lot of tracking, you might notice that your favorite Ice Cream is on sale 3 times a year at your favorite store.  This can be very helpful as you can hang onto ne of those coupons you may have available and use it to save even more. 

Not only can it be helpful to use your coupons, it can help you plan ahead in regards to a stockpile.  If you notice that your favorite noodles are on sale every 6 weeks, you can purchase what you will use during that 6 week period, knowing that you will be able to get another good deal again a few weeks later.  This can be extremely helpful if you are limited on space.

And of course, you may want one just to know the price.  Is the price this week the lowest you can find?  Perhaps it is worth a short drive to another store to save a little more.  Just having this information can be so helpful in fighting the battle of saving money.

If you are ready to do your book, but are not sure what to include in your own booklet, it is pretty basic.  It is easiest to get a 3 ring binder and use divider tabs such as Baby, Pet, Paper, etc.  You can then use one sheet for each type of product, like diapers, dog food, paper towels.  On the sheet indicate the date, store, product name and size, price paid, if that was a sale price and the price per unit.  

It takes some time to develop your own booklet, but once you have it established, you might just be surprised at how much better you become at planning and saving on your weekly grocery bill!