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: 11-02-1999
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 5:20pm

"When someone figures out a way to invent a buggy that calculates the sub-total - including tax - they'll be the grocery shoppers dream and the merchants nightmare."

Norma - our local Stop & Shop now has a kiosk at the entry, where you can pull a scanner "gun" that is linked to your rewards card. You scan and bag items as you shop, it keeps the total for you AND brings up coupons/special offers based on your purchases. At the end, you go to the self-serve line, scan the scanner, and pay. It is AWESOME! Of course, the unfortunate thing is that Stop & Shop isn't always the most cost-efficient place to shop. But the scanner thingy is VERY COOL. :)










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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2006
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 6:19pm

I rarely buy meat or produce for more than $1.99 per pound or bread for more than 2.50 per loaf. And I do mean rarely, as in when I can get salmon for $3.99. To meet this goal I look very carefully through the ads for two different grocery stores before actually going to the store. It really helps me to keep a rule of thumb rather than make decisions on a one-by-one basis.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2005
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 7:15pm

I go in

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-23-2008
Wed, 02-03-2010 - 10:06pm

I get what you're saying --- sometimes the tags confuse me -
For instance the ones that have two prices - You have to know the ads to know you have to buy 10 items to get the cheaper $2.49 price ...

I also look over the ads - but the more I read about debt reduction the more it seems families that do well only hit the grocery store once a month --- I am still trying to figure that out ...how do things stay fresh is what I ask ???
I am only on the first chapter of the book so when I get to the grocery shopping one I will share any secrets I learn

But anyway enough babbling --- what I wanted to say is I understand the shopping frustrations - I try to save with coupons. Each family is different that is for sure. I use to get frustrated thinking I was spending too much, but I have been better about buying things we actually use and not just stuff on sale, that makes me feel a little better that we are USING the stuff.
Good to check the receipt for sure !!!

XoXo Shannon

YTD Flake $173.29

XoXo Shannon 2010 YTD Flake $349.94 2010 YTD Flake to Savings $193.33
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Thu, 02-04-2010 - 9:03am

I have to say, since I've been on my own, I've really noticed the grocery budget going down. Even with all the junk food I've been buying (I know I know, I'm trying sooooo hard to figure out why all the junk cravings) I am still averaging about $40 a week.


I guess there is something to be said for being single . . .


Bex -


"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift -thats why its called the present."


Bex -

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2008
Thu, 02-04-2010 - 12:03pm

Andi -


They say the budget takes at least 90 days for you to get it to really work for you so don't be too hard on yourself.




iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2010
Fri, 02-05-2010 - 8:58am

thanks for the good tips, everyone.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2009
Fri, 02-05-2010 - 9:32am

What I've started to do is comparision shopping. We have a Shaws and a Price Chopper literally across the street from each other. On my shopping day, I go through their fliers and note things which are better to buy at one rather than the other. I also keep a notebook and mark down the prices of everything I buy, this helps me to understand when I'm over-paying for something or if a "sale" is really that great of a sale. It helps a bit. I also RARELY buy anything that isn't on sale. There is so much hiding out there, it also helps us try new things! I'm addicted to this brand of Indian food because it was on sale...haha.


And if it helps to your grape story, I once grabbed a bag of brussel sprouts thinking it was $1.99 for the bag, only to find out it was $1.99/lbs and the bag weighed about 2-1/2 lbs!! I walked out feeling so stupid.


Just don't beat yourself up over it.

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