the price of grapes in china

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2010
the price of grapes in china
18
Tue, 02-02-2010 - 5:40pm

ok- so i am not in china, but the price of grapes taught me 2 valuable lessons today. let me preface with the following story:

while shopping today i noticed the sign said grapes, 2.99 per lb (bag). so i grabbed a bag of grapes and went on my way. i don't normally buy grapes, but i have been wanting to give some fresh ones to the baby, so off we go. get to the check out and i am over my budgeted amount by more than i thought i would be (i estimated 82, total was 88. i was so miserable leaving the store that i thought i might cry (it's my first week of the budget, we have 75/ week for food and i blew it on the first shopping trip). i sat in my car and checked the receipt and noticed the grapes rang up as 8.34!! i grabbed the grapes and ran back inside to the desk and told the guy that i think they charged me incorrectly for the grapes, that they should be 2.99. well- he checked and the weight of the bag was just over 2 lbs, but that they were also ringing up incorrectly as 3.88/ lb and not 2.99/lb.

since there was an error, he refunded the entire 8.34 for the grapes with his apologies. the point of this story, you ask?

1. always weigh your produce if you really want to know what it will cost
2. it's always worth it to check your receipt and haggle over the price of grapes.

in total i ended up spending 5.32 over my budgeted amount. next week i will need to plan a couple of cheaper meals to make up for it (scrambled eggs, anyone?).

AND- it all leads me to a question, how do you keep your grocery budget in check? i have been taking my list around the store and writing the cost of each item next to it as i go, then totaling it up on my phone's calculator throughout the trip so that i am aware of the total before i get to the register. anyone have a good way that they do it? my way takes forever, but i am hoping that as i get used to shopping on a budget i will get better. any thoughts?

sorry this got long. hope you are all having a good day!

andi


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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-1998
Tue, 02-02-2010 - 5:51pm
You will get better at keeping track in your head as you go along. I have a little cheapy calculator that I keep to use for grocery shops. I find it easier to use than the calculator on my phone. I also like check out all the flyers before I leave the house. Some you can find online as well. Sometimes it pays to make stops at 2 different stores. Also check out for online coupons of things you use often. Also use your calculator to figure out the unit price of items, sometimes it is cheaper to buy the smaller boxes, especially if you have a coupon.
Does your grocery store ever have customer appreciation days? IGA had one last week and you saved 10% on your whole grocery order.
I try to keep an eye on the total as the cashier is ringing things up so I can hopefully catch any errors as they are made.
Some of our grocery stores will give you the first item that rings up higher than the marked price (up to $10) for free.


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2010
Tue, 02-02-2010 - 6:29pm

I don't budget exact amounts when it comes to food, laundry, house spls etc - I budget a range. I.e. $125-150; I do my list for $125 but know I have the flexibility. That's for things like when there's a good sale on laundry detergent & I have 2 coupons, or the cheap bread I like to buy isn't there but I can't NOT buy bread...etc etc.

Also what I've found that helps to budget an amount for all of one category. For us, I budget $50 for fruits & vegetables. I don't list apples $3, lettuce $2, green onion, $1, bananas etc... and yes weigh your produce so you know how much it is.
If you do categories like that based on their location in the store, its easier to keep track as you go. Mine are: produce & bread, meat, dairy, breakfast&drinks, lunch/snacks,, canned & condiments, house spls & personal.

And as PP said, definitely know whats on sale before you go to the store. I check out my 2 local grocery stores & the closest WalMart supercenter online. ... and bigger is not always better, you'd be surprised. Absolutely have a calculator or a really good math brain, and figure out your unit costs.

You do get better as you go.
And for your first week, I'd say you did pretty good so chin up :)

Melissa
~ Mom to 5 ~
~ Melissa ~ ‎"We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us, if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity." - Barbara de Angelis
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2007
Tue, 02-02-2010 - 6:46pm

Hi andi,


Good story, I enjoyed the read!


I'm probably the last person to ask about keeping grocery expenses in check, as I'm struggling to keep costs down.

Kate


empty purse

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-1999
Tue, 02-02-2010 - 8:10pm

Always check your receipt for everything. Lots of stuff doesn't get changed in store computers properly so often things don't scan at the sale (or regular) shelf price.

The scanning code of practice in Canada states that if you are over charged for an item, you get that item free up to a value of $10. If you bought more than one you get the first one free up to $10 and then you get refunded the difference (whatever you were over-charged) for the additional items. This ONLY applies if you point out the mistake after the transaction is completed. If you point it out while your items are still being rung in, they can correct it mid-order and you don't get anything free. I was a grocery store cashier...

I always check the sales fliers and decide what I am having each week based on what's on sale. And it pays to shop around (at least read the fliers so you know what's on sale where).

Learn to use coupons. If you haven't yet, you'll be amazed at how much you can save.

I would also suggest you check out the Frugal Kitchen message boards here too.

And go easy on yourself. It takes some practice to getting used to shopping on a budget. I am trying the same thing.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2009
Tue, 02-02-2010 - 8:53pm
Yes -- I always check receipts too because there are many errors ---BUT one thing that I always do is this.
Lila
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-09-2000
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 3:06pm
I keep a running total (rounded to the nearest 10¢ or so) as I go through the store.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 3:32pm

I am so going to check my receipt next time I go! I only buy the grapes when they look really, really good. I know they are always heavier than they look.

I add things up in my head now. I'm actually pretty good at it. It is habit now. I was over last time though so I must have slacked off. The deals were really good though and my freezer is still full and that was a week ago so I must have done something right.

You will get the hang of it.


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 4:25pm

Andi, I think 70 - 80% of the people on this board will tell you that grocery visits can blow any budget out of the water at any given time.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 4:26pm
I do the same things, especially with meats.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 12-10-2006
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 4:38pm

Hello- lurker here chiming in - I divide my shopping list into 4 areas based on the store (I usually go to 2- based on the best deals) then I write next to the item the price - rounded up to the next dollar. When I am done w/ that section I add up all the little numbers. The math doesn't really take that long. I wasn't able to humble myself to bring the calculator to the store (and with my little "helpers" I am sure I would have lost track any way but this has helped keep my food budget in check. I figure out roughly what it will cost and then have a few things that I will buy if I can (meat for quiche rather than just eggs and veggie/ icecream etc then I go back and grab the extras if I can.

GL! I've gone from about $800/month to about $200/month. It can be done.

ETA: Another thing that has really helped me is to keep a price book. What is the cheapest the item will go on sale to- what the item costs full price at diff stores. I now know what is the best deal at Costco- what are true sales each week etc! I have a excel sheet divided up by section and store and have the math done to each item/ounce etc. So, I know what each cheese stick costs/how much yogurt/oz should be etc so I know when I am really getting a deal and when the marketing is just trying to get me into the store ;)




Edited 2/3/2010 4:45 pm ET by lisanmichael
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