View Full Version : Studying receipts to change shopping behavior
Packratona!
2-2-15, 6:15pm
I have started doing this. After I shop, I study each receipt to answer the following questions. This causes me to shop more carefully, preparedly and effectively the next time, and to change my long term behavioral patterns when shopping. Any others I should be thinking of?
1) Did I check the receipt before leaving the store for overcharges, double charges, and to make sure I bought the correct item to match the advertised deal?
2) Did I purchase something without knowing the cost?
3) Did I purchase something without knowing the lowest cost for the item at the stores I normally shop, by using my price list?
4) Did I purchase something at that store that I could have waited to purchase later or at a different store at a lower price?
5) Did I purchase at the right time of day for a more effective shopping experience (less time in line, better staffed, etc.)
6) Did I shop on an empty stomach or when I was tired or sick?
7) Did I shop when I was rushed?
8) Did I purchase the appropriate amount of each item keeping in mind shelf life, what I already had on hand in my pantry or fridge, and the rate of usage and value of the product at that time?
9) Did I purchase food that is unhealthy?
10) Did I prepare ahead by reading the store ads for loss leaders, and by having a shopping list of items that I need?
11) Did I purchase impulse buys not on the shopping list, that were not a good purchase?
12) Was I influenced by advertising to make a purchase that was not optimal?
13) Did I make a purchase that I did not feel good about, after I returned home?
14) Did I keep track of and save the receipt so I can return things that were not a good purchase?
Did I really need that item this week? Was it really on my menu this week? Close to #11.
That is my biggest fault.
Packratona!
2-2-15, 7:42pm
Did I really need that item this week? Was it really on my menu this week? Close to #11.
That is my biggest fault.
Exactly! However it is arguably a good idea to purchase things "not on the menu" this week IF:
1) It is at rock bottom price
2) I am out of it or close to out of it in my pantry (don't have enough stocked up)
3) It is a good item (not junk)
4) I can be reasonably sure I will need/use it within its shelf life.
However, I can also see the argument for only buying what you need that week. A lot of us overbuy!
-Do you have a budgeted amount? That's the first way to regulate spending.
-I budget $10/week (for 2 adults) for meat, and try to purchase it at $2/pound or less. But no matter how much it is per pound, I stick to no more than $10/week. Some weeks I don't purchase any meat, so that amount carries over for when I do find a good meat bargain.
-Take time to do-the-math! Know your unit prices (keep a Price Book). Keep a running inventory of foods on hand in your Price Book so you don't purchase things you really don't need.
-Take advantage of seasonal bargains. I purchase the bulk of the nuts I use in January when they are greatly discounted. Buy condiments when they are discounted during "grilling" holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day). If you use candy canes, buy them at the after-Christmas clearance and vacuum-seal them in canning jars and bring them out next Christmas.
-I have this sheet in my Price Book so I can figure the prices of meat and also figure the cost per servings.
*Boneless - 4 (3-oz.) servings per pound.
*Some bone - 3 (3-oz.) servings per pound.
*Much bone - 2 (3-oz.) servings per pound.
*Chicken, whole - 1-2 servings per pound.
*Chicken, parts (bone-in) - 2-3 servings per pound.
*Chicken, breasts (boneless) - 3-4 servings per pound.
*Turkey, whole: 12-pounds or less - 1 serving per pound.
*Turkey, whole: 12-pounds or more - 2 servings per pound.
*Turkey breast (bone-in) - 2-3 servings per pound.
*Turkey breast (boneless) - 3-4 servings per pound.
Choose meats $2 per pound or less if buying boneless.
Choose meats $1 per pound or less if buying bone-in.
Bone-in chicken = 1/3 waste
Bone-in pork = 1/6 waste
Bone-in beef = 1/5 waste
-Don't be fooled by canned tuna. If a 5-oz. can costs 69-cents, it equals $2.21 (rounded up) per pound.
-I never spend my entire food budget ($125/month). I set aside unspent money for large/bulk purchases during the year, or a great find on the clearance shelf. I still have $103.70 left from 2014, and $39.45 to date from 2015.
rodeosweetheart
2-3-15, 10:00am
Packratonia, these are great! I am going to print them out and start doing this, starting today. Thank you so much!!
Packratona!
2-3-15, 10:35am
Packratonia, these are great! I am going to print them out and start doing this, starting today. Thank you so much!!
You are welcome rodeosweetheart, I organized these thoughts to assist a friend who is just starting with the whole simple living concept.
I organized these thoughts to assist a friend who is just starting with the whole simple living concept.
How wonderful to have the opportunity to mentor someone and someone who wants to learn.
After letting the kids flounder with their spending money from their jobs, they are just now starting to come to me and ask me how I make decisions. Love your list Packratona! We have gone back to writing down every purchase and divide it into categories (food, house, gas/car upkeep, utilities, pets, and misc. January was very revealing in what poor decisions we'd been making after relaxing the budgets a few years. I am back to thinking through each dollar.
Packratona!
2-3-15, 10:56am
lessisbest these are fantastic ideas, thanks for your post! I also try to keep my meat spending no more than $2 a pound. However I do purchase ocean harvested skinned salmon, frozen at Aldis for about $3.50 a pound (sorry, don't have my price book in front of me). We just eat small servings of that on an occasional basis. Excellent point about the canned tuna; same point for canned chicken. I do buy canned chicken and tuna but try to wait until I get it at fifty cents a pound; still more expensive than fresh chicken however. I like to be able to make up salads etc. with it on the spur of the moment as well as sandwiches. It is also great to stock some for emergency food for ice storms hurricanes and the like. NO, I don't have a budgeted weekly amount; I have a budgeted monthly amount, but I don't really consult it for shopping purposes. I can see that it could be a useful tool to do that however, for some people. It is interesting to read about how Mr. Money Mustache handles their spending; he does not even do a budget, they just live by their simple living convictions, and it works out.
However, for most people who are not yet financially independent, it really works best to have a budget. VERY important to as you say, take time to do the math. For instance, right now I am figuring out if it is worth it to purchase raw peanuts, shell them, or just buy shelled peanuts. Kind of annoying to shell a bunch of peanuts, weigh them, then compare the cost to a jar of roasted peanuts...but important to think like this when you develop the price list. Concerning the price list: what I do right now, is have mine on 3 by 5 index cards, punched to fit 3 index card binders. Alphabetically arranged it takes 3 of these binders to hold all the items' cards. However when I am "done" with comparing and computing for all the items I buy, I am intending to put them into an ap I can carry with me in my purse when I want to. I really like to plan things out using the ads before I shop. But what I find is that as I shop, I come across lots of unadvertised deals and clearance items in the store, and it bothers me when I can't recall the prices for the items in my price book.
I like what you said about the candy canes. With chocolate, I put it in the fridge and it lasts forever. Or it can be frozen. I also purchase candy after all the holidays. I bought a huge bag of peanut M and Ms and some chocolate covered pretzels at 75% clearance at Staples this month, but they ended up free because of the 25$ mystery coupon Staples sent me. Ate the pretzels (yum), put the M and Ms in the fridge for emergency food. I would not have paid real money for either of those normally, because they are not healthy, but since they were free I did get them. I occasionally have cravings for chocolate...
Did I really need that item this week? Was it really on my menu this week? Close to #11.
That is my biggest fault. I'm working with this one too. When I restock too early, I usually fail to use up the less beloved items I have on hand - example, if I'm down to a few handfuls of almonds and I buy more almonds, I won't Ever eat the 1 pound bag of sunflower seeds waiting patiently in the snack basket.
Packratona!
2-3-15, 9:27pm
I'm working with this one too. When I restock too early, I usually fail to use up the less beloved items I have on hand - example, if I'm down to a few handfuls of almonds and I buy more almonds, I won't Ever eat the 1 pound bag of sunflower seeds waiting patiently in the snack basket.
Yeah, I have that problem also.
Packratona!
2-3-15, 9:38pm
How wonderful to have the opportunity to mentor someone and someone who wants to learn.
After letting the kids flounder with their spending money from their jobs, they are just now starting to come to me and ask me how I make decisions. Love your list Packratona! We have gone back to writing down every purchase and divide it into categories (food, house, gas/car upkeep, utilities, pets, and misc. January was very revealing in what poor decisions we'd been making after relaxing the budgets a few years. I am back to thinking through each dollar.
Yes, it is amazing mentoring my friend. It all started when I lent her The Complete Tightwad Gazette. She reluctantly took it; I told her just to read the introduction, then flip through it and read whatever interested her. After not hearing from her for 3 months or so, I got a call from her last week; she was shouting, "that book you lent me CHANGED MY LIFE"! "I have only read 80 pages of it and already it has saved me $400 a month in my budget"!!!! So she came over and I showed her my price list, explained how and why I do it, my receipts, my coupon file, some store ads with items circled, and gave her many, many ideas, and just starting...and only in the area of the food budget. Then I served her a delicious $1 a pound lunch! It is wonderful to be able to do something to help someone! Even in a small way! It will be exciting to see her progress through the next few months.
Related to your discussion of your kids learning about money...there is such a unmet need there...so many kids graduating from high school (and college, for that matter) without a clue...
Packratona!
2-3-15, 9:47pm
Question for anyone out there: has anyone figured out how much actual meat results from boiling 10 pounds of chicken quarters in water, then removing the skin and bones to freeze the meat? I did it once then forgot to weigh it and write it down. They go on sale regularly in my area for $3.99 for a 19 pound bag. I make broth then pick off the meat to freeze for later. I'm excited: going out tomorrow to a new Latino market that has its grand opening tomorrow; fantastic prices like rice for 20 cents a pound, eggs 98 cents a dozen, whole ton of food at rock bottom prices.
Question for anyone out there: has anyone figured out how much actual meat results from boiling 10 pounds of chicken quarters in water, then removing the skin and bones to freeze the meat? I did it once then forgot to weigh it and write it down. They go on sale regularly in my area for $3.99 for a 19 pound bag. I make broth then pick off the meat to freeze for later. I'm excited: going out tomorrow to a new Latino market that has its grand opening tomorrow; fantastic prices like rice for 20 cents a pound, eggs 98 cents a dozen, whole ton of food at rock bottom prices.
Bone-in chicken - 1/3 waste
There is also a formula I have gotten from somewhere:
Chicken: multiply the cost per pound by 1.5 to get the boneless equivalent price.
Example: If bone-in breasts are $1.89 a pound X 1.5 = $2.84 (rounded up) for boneless
This might come in handy when you want to compare boneless breast with bone-in and try to figure which one would be less expensive per serving of meat. If boneless breast is $2.39 a pound and bone-in is $1.89 a pound and you do the computation which results in $2.84 a pound, the boneless chicken (at $2.39/pound) is less expensive per serving of meat.
Pork - multiply by 1.2
Beef - multiply by 1.25
Ground beef - 80% lean - multiply by 1.2 to determine price without the 20% fat.
Your checklist in your op is excellent! As far as nuts in the shell vs shelled in the jar: The peanuts in the shell may not be as uniform, and the shells make a mess, but the process required to shell them helps limit how much you consume at one sitting. Plus, I think they usually have a better flavor than jar nuts. On top of that, they may use a different variety for jar nuts, than in the shell, which may make a difference in their flavor. I was trying to follow up on that one. Which it more economical? Well, it depends....
Packratona!
2-4-15, 8:20am
Bone-in chicken - 1/3 waste
There is also a formula I have gotten from somewhere:
Chicken: multiply the cost per pound by 1.5 to get the boneless equivalent price.
Example: If bone-in breasts are $1.89 a pound X 1.5 = $2.84 (rounded up) for boneless
This might come in handy when you want to compare boneless breast with bone-in and try to figure which one would be less expensive per serving of meat. If boneless breast is $2.39 a pound and bone-in is $1.89 a pound and you do the computation which results in $2.84 a pound, the boneless chicken (at $2.39/pound) is less expensive per serving of meat.
Pork - multiply by 1.2
Beef - multiply by 1.25
Ground beef - 80% lean - multiply by 1.2 to determine price without the 20% fat.
THANKS lessisbest! You are awesome! Have to take into account all the broth that can be made with the bone-in however. When you look at the ridiculous prices for the msg etc. laden processed stuff, that really does probably justify the purchase of the bone in at least on occasion. I just buy either one when it is on sale at rock bottom prices. Also depends on how much room I have in my freezer for the broth.
Packratona!
2-4-15, 8:23am
Your checklist in your op is excellent! As far as nuts in the shell vs shelled in the jar: The peanuts in the shell may not be as uniform, and the shells make a mess, but the process required to shell them helps limit how much you consume at one sitting. Plus, I think they usually have a better flavor than jar nuts. On top of that, they may use a different variety for jar nuts, than in the shell, which may make a difference in their flavor. I was trying to follow up on that one. Which it more economical? Well, it depends....
Thanks Packy! I have bought shelled raw peanuts at Chinese groceries before and they were good and cheap.
THANKS lessisbest! You are awesome! Have to take into account all the broth that can be made with the bone-in however. When you look at the ridiculous prices for the msg etc. laden processed stuff, that really does probably justify the purchase of the bone in at least on occasion. I just buy either one when it is on sale at rock bottom prices. Also depends on how much room I have in my freezer for the broth.
Yep.... Have to consider all the nutritious goodness found in the bones, and that's why a whole chicken is nearly always your best buy. But if all you want to figure is cost per serving of meat, then the computation may save you money, especially if it's a choice between bone-in and boneless breasts.
Last week our local grocery store had fresh boneless breasts and boneless thighs "ON SALE" for the same price. I guess they are onto those of us who have been buying thighs as the less expensive option to breasts. There is also more flavor in thighs IMO. Just raise the price equal to the most expensive cut!
lessisbest
2-4-15, 10:55am
Hubby and I purchased the same brand of shelled and unshelled pistachios to do a comparison. It was less expensive to purchase the shelled ones, but that might not always be the case. Another thing to consider, you might eat fewer if you have to shell them before you can eat them. I purchased peanuts in the shell at a considerable discount after Christmas that couldn't compare to shelled peanuts. Do the math.....
I found this table at MegaHeart.com (http://www.megaheart.com/food-weights-counts.htm):
almonds
1 lb unshelled
1 lb shelled
1 to 1 3/4 cups nutmeats
3 1/2 cups nutmeats
peanuts
1 lb unshelled
1 lb shelled
2 1/4 cups nutmeats
3 cups nutmeats
pecans
1 lb unshelled
1 lb shelled
2 1/4 cups nutmeats
4 cups
walnuts
1 lb unshelled
1 lb shelled
1 2/3 cups nutmeats
4 cups nutmeats
Whenever I buy unshelled pecans I'd say I get about 1/4 cup of usable nutmeat per pound. :~)
One thing to consider when buying bone-in meat is how your family eats. I will gnaw a porkchop bone clean, but DH is more a "cut out the medallion and feed the rest to the dog" person, if they're bone-in chops he eats twice as many.
Packratona!
2-4-15, 6:59pm
Excellent Lessisbest and kib.
Packratona!
2-4-15, 7:03pm
Had a blast today going to the grand opening of a new Spanish/Jamaican grocery in the area; prices were incredible. I plan to post my receipt here with comments; after studying it I have a tip or two more to add to my op. But first I have to find a place to put all the stuff and also update my price list! I am going to make a second trip tomorrow since a lot of the stuff had limits, also I realized after I got home I forgot some stuff. Biking distance from my house but because I bought such a huge amount I drove.
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