Weekly Shopping

Baseline Prices
Originally uploaded by Simply Frugal

As much as I'd like to go shopping once a month, I can't afford to.

If I skip three weeks out of four, I have skipped 3/4 of the bargains and sales that keep my pantry stocked. So, each week, I compare the sale prices in the store fliers to the list of Bare Cupboard Basics and make sure I stock up on items I'll need when they are on sale.

To help me, I've created not only a list of Bare Cupboard Basics, but a list of their normal prices as well. Once a year, I take my list with me when I shop, and update any prices that have changed over the year.

With that list in hand, I can immediately tell if a sale is a bargain, or just flashing advertising that will not actually help my budget.

For example, most of us know the price of milk. In my area, it's been hovering around $3.25 to $3.50 a gallon. When it goes on sale for $2.77, it's time to stock up. But if it only goes down to $3.10 I don't.