Being a SAHM gives me the chance (and responsibility) to find the best way to save my family money. Usually I do this by finding the best deal. It still amazes me that many people view a "deal" much differently than I do. So what do I consider a deal and how does it differ from the mainstream?
When I grocery shop, I buy items specifically to get the biggest bang for my buck. While the grocery game focuses on getting great deals from combining store sales with coupons, I focus almost entirely on unit price. Here's my favorite example of how many people shop for the wrong "deals":
Simple example of green beans. I want some green beans, but where do I go to get the best price? Many would say Costco or Sams. While I would agree that the warehouse stores have good prices on some items (milk, bread, eggs), they might not have the market on green beans. To use prices from my personal price book, here's the data:
King Soopers Kuner Green Beans for $.99/can
Safeway Del Monte Green Beans for $1.29/can
Sams Club Del Monte Green Beans 12 cans for $7.47 (.62/can)
Costco Green Giant Green Beans 12 cans for $6.29 (.52/can)
So which one do you think is a deal? You should say Costco, it has the lowest per unit price. But guess what, you're wrong. Unless you know what the stores usual sales price is, you could still be spending to much. In all actuality I know that King Soopers puts their green beans on sale every so often for $.50/can. That's cheaper than Costco and that's what I'd call a deal. Match up that sale with a coupon and you have one heck of a deal! Trust me when I say that this type of information makes me hold out and buy products only when the time is right. With all the money you save through small tricks like this, you can get a room at one of those hotels in las vegas and get treated like a queen!
So does that change your idea of a deal?
