Do You Know What a GOOD Price is?

Oakville Grocery
This post comes from our friend Laurie over at Passionate Penny Pincher. You can join her there for ways to save money to be able to give it away to those who need it more, 5 minute challenges, giveaways, hot deals, recipes, and more. Can you tell I’m a fan?
Do you ever get to the store, see a “sale” and wonder if it’s really a good price or not?  Hopefully this will help! I’m always amazed as I talk to new couponers that many people just don’t have any idea of what to pay for basic pantry staples.  So often, it’s easy to just go to the store, grab whatever you need, and not even think about what what you’re paying for it.
That can be a huge budget buster.  If you don’t know what’s a good price, how can you know when to stock up at that price?  Or, when to wait for a better deal?  Here’s my list of what I like to pay for on items in our home, and hopefully it will help you out at the grocery store too.   I updated it last night (as I realized that some of these things have just gone up a bit!), but this is a general idea of what you can expect to pay (after coupons!) for these items.
Remember that grocery prices vary quite a bit by area, so you may need to tweak this to suit your area, but hopefully this will give you a place to start!
Meat –
Fresh Fish – $3.99/lbDairy

Frozen Fish – $2.99/lb

Pork Chops (bone-in) – $1.499/lb

Pork Chops (boneless) – $1.79/lb

Pork Roast – $1.79/lb

Beef Roast – $2.49/lb

Beef Stew – $1.99/lb

Ground Beef – $1.79/lb

Ground Chuck – $1.89/lb

Whole Chicken – $.99/lb

Split Chicken Breasts – $1.19/lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts/Tenderloins – $1.99/lb

Milk – $2.59 (this one varies A LOT by area – Sam’s, Costco or Aldi usually have it the cheapest)

Butter – $1 to $1.50Produce

Eggs – $.99/dozen

Shredded Cheese – $.50 to $.99 for 8 oz.

Sour Cream – FREE to $.50

Cream Cheese – $.25 to $.50

Bananas – $.39/lb. (I haven’t seen that in awhile though, so maybe $.49!)

Grapes – $.99/lb.

Apples – $.99/lb.

Peaches $.99/lb.

Letttuce – $.99/head

Green Peppers – $.50 in summer, $.99 in winter (stock up in summer time and freeze)

Cantaloupe – $1.50

Snacks
Chex Mix – FREE to $.50

Snack Crackers (i.e. Keebler, Ritz, etc.) – $.50 – $1

Popcorn – FREE to $1

Cookies – $1

Baking
Brownie Mixes – $.30 to $.70 Groceries

Cake Mixes – $.30 to $.70

Frosting – $.25 to $.50

Yeast (Fleischman’s 3 pack) – FREE to $.50

Baking Soda – FREE to $.50

Baking Powder – FREE to $.50

Corn Starch – Free to $.50

Salt – Free to $.50

Flour – $1

Sugar (4 lb bag) – $1.30

Spaghetti Sauce – $.30 to $.80

Pasta – FREE to $.50

Tomato Paste – FREE to $.20

Canned Tomatoes – FREE to $.50

Cereal – $1-$1.50

Ketchup – $.30 to $.80

Mustard – FREE to $.30

Mayonaise – $1 to $1.75

Steak Sauce – Free to $1

Syrup – $1

Salad Dressing – $.30 to $.80

Frozen Veggies – FREE to $.50

Frozen Waffles – $.50 to $1

Breads
Loaf of Bread – $.99

Hamburger Buns – $.99

Hot Dog Buns – $.99

Toiletries
Bar Soap – FREE to $.50 for 3-pack

Handsoap – FREE to $.35 for small pump (Softsoap is often on sale $1 with $.35 coupon doubled)

Shampoo, Conditioner, Hairspray – $.50 to $1.50 (usually cheapest at drug stores)

Toothpaste – FREE to $.50

Deodorant – FREE to $.50

Paper Products
Paper Plates – FREE to $1

Napkins – FREE to $1

Paper Towels – FREE to $.45 per roll (Publix occasionally makes them the penny item)

Toilet Paper – $.01/square foot (to figure this out – take the cost of toilet paper and divide it by the square foot – you’ll find the square footage on your package)

Cleaning Supplies
Window Cleaner – FREE to $.50

Lysol Cleaners – FREE to $.50

Toilet Bowl Cleaner – $1

Dishwashing Soap – $.50 – $.80

Dish Detergent – FREE to $1.50

Laundry Detergent – $2-$3 for 30 loads

Liquid Fabric Softener – FREE to $1.50 for smaller bottle (use vinegar when you can’t get it free!)

Baby Needs
Diapers – $.12 to $.15 per diaper (check out this deal still available from Amazon!)

Baby Wash or Shampoo -$.99

Baby Food – $.30-$.35 per jar

To compare, here are a few staple prices I found recently at Sam’s Club: 

Meat
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.97/lb.

Tyson Individually Wrapped Chicken Breasts $2.78/lb.

Split Chicken Breast $1.85/lb.

Whole Chicken $.87/lb

Pork Spareribs $1.97/lb.

Ground Beef $2.68/lb.

Ribeye Steaks $7.98/lb.

Round Steak $4.50/lb.

Chuck Roast $2.88/lb.

Fruit

Bananas $1.29 for about ten bananasCheese

Apples $4.98/5 lb. bag

Frigo String Cheese $7.48 for 48

Sargento String Cheese $5.96 for 24

Kraft Shredded Cheese 2 lbs for $6.12

This is by no means a complete list – do you have other suggestions on top prices?  There are a few items that I struggle to find a great item (trash bags, paper towels, & really cheap toilet paper!), but by saving in other areas it makes room to pay for those.

Photo courtesy of axelhecht  on Flickr.

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