It's a matter of ......smart & savy shopping

How do you know when something in a traditional grocery store is a "good deal"? There are a few methods that are tried and true. Let's look at few of them.

• Price book: This allows you to track items that you traditionally purchase by store and unit price. If it sounds complicated, I guarantee you that it isn't. It is just "smart". We have a sister in our ward who has done this and said that it helps her to recognize sale cycles and also lets her know if she is getting a good price. Please see the following link to get find simple instructions on how to create your own (http://organizedhome.com/make-price-book-save-money). If you want to know what one looks like, see the following graphic:

For printable forms for your pricebook go to: http://www.stretcher.com/resource/PxBook/pricebookpages.pdf

• Subscription service: The second method that Little Red Hen (LRH) often uses is the following is http://www.savvyshopperdeals.com/. It is a service offered by the Daily Herald. It is a subscription service that will list all the sales at the area grocery stores ( but not the "big box" store) and will identify a very good price as a WOW!, or a pretty good price as a !!!. It will also inform you about using coupons that come in your paper (the date is included) or in-store coupons to make the "deal" even sweeter. The host of this site offers classes in shopping with coupons. The LRH has attended and learned some good information, although I have not completely used the system.
• Another subscription service is http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/. You can find coupons and deals here by state. Some states have more "activity" than others, but there are also forums to discuss sales/good deals as well.

How & why would LRH use the information from the subscription service? Well, I am a cyber-girl in many ways. I use a computer in my professional life and at home. To say that my day is full (like the rest of you) is an understatement. I can quickly scan the ads to see if any of the items I am in need of are listed at a price I am willing to pay. I often don't have time to scan the traditional paper ads and the email messages let me know if the item is being offered at a good price or not. The information comes to my email at least weekly and I let it go into my Junk Mail folder so that after I scan it, I know it will automatically delete itself after 7 days. It is an efficient method, which saves time and money. We all can use more time and money.....no matter how healthy the economy is.

We don't only purchase items from food storage suppliers to stock our shelves. We need things from traditional grocery stores as well. Be a smart shopper utilizing one of these methods or one of your own. Best wishes on your quest to stock-up and be prepared!