Stockpiling...Finding the Lowest Price

Monday, we talked about constructing a list of your stockpile needs.  I also shared with you the true secret of stockpiling..."rock bottom" prices.

I know you all want me to just get to the chase and tell you how to get it all cheap!  Well, I can help you along the way. However, you are going to have to do some leg work. In order, to get stuff "cheap", you have to know prices.

Repeat that...I have to know prices, I have to know prices, I have to know prices.

Some of you already are pricing wizards.  However, many of you have no idea what you are paying for things.  I want to encourage starting a pricebook. 

This is how I approach pricing:  

1. Start with the list that you created for your top 10 stockpile needs.
2. If you shop Aldi's, write that price in one column. 
3. In the other column, you can write the price at your favorite grocery store.  Use the regular price.
4. Now, over the next 6-8 weeks, write down the price of the item each week at that one grocery store. The item may be on sale several times.  However, it will eventually hit a rock bottom price.

 Let us use an 8oz block of cheese for example.

Aldi's: $1.79   Weis: $2.50 (regular price)

I don't have the tracking of cheese recorded, but you will find it will go on sale at Weis for 3 for $6 or 3 for $5.  However, the "rock bottom" price is when they put it on buy one get one free.   At that point it is only $1.25 per block. 

  

Once you see it hit a "rock bottom" price.  Then you stockpile.   For example, when cheese is BOGO at Weis, I will buy 20 blocks.   You can freeze cheese, so you need not worry of it going bad.

Overall, what I like to do is know the price at Aldi's and the lowest price at Weis.  So, if I am at Walmart and see 8 oz. cheese for $1.00  ....Holla! 

What if I need cheese and it's not a huge sale?  I would buy it at Aldi or the grocery store...wherever it is cheaper that week.  But just buy enough cheese for that week. 

Obviously, I am just using cheese as an example.

I will also add that the way I tell you to do a pricebook is not the true scientific way to approach it.  You typically will bring in more stores to the book.  However, that overwhelms me. (I encourage you to google pricebook)

I will confess that I do not have a physical pricebook.  I never did.  God has graced me with an incredible mind for remembering prices.  I say that with humility because he has not graced me with remembering details of any other sort.  Or even remembering big things for that matter. I have lost a cell phone, a set of keys, and my gigantic coupon book in a freakishly sort period of time. 

So it is ok for me to say, "I can remember prices" because that is all I have somedays:)

I have more posts on stockpiling planned for the future.   So continue to read along!