A looooooooooong time ago when I was a reporter at the LA Daily News I created a list of low grocery prices for my readers. My theory was, and still is to this day, that if you know what a “good” price is for the items you buy most often, you will know when to stock up and when to push the purchase off.
Knowing what a “good” price is on the dozens of items you regularly buy will save you money. But it’s ridiculous to cram all that pricing info into your head, so I wrote it out after comparing prices at four grocery stores.
I’ve revived that list because many readers have asked for help lowering their grocery bill. This is my answer. I hope it helps you save money!
I left the prices blank for two of the items that I wasn’t comfortable pricing, lettuce and rice. What do you consider a good price on these items? What additional grocery items should I add to the list?
Download my Nitty Gritty Grocery List here. (You have to click twice, the second time on the tiny print “nittygrittygrocerylist.”)
July 29th, 2009 at 10:53 am
YES! it’s back!!! Thank you .. so .. much!
July 29th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Thanks, great idea. This is something my wife really needs and I will find very helpful, too.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:16 am
I took your idea and made my own list of toiletry type items our family uses. These things tend to be expensive and I wanted to see how different stores priced them. I took my list to Walgreens, Target, Walmart and Fry’s. It was very interesting. Walgreens was certainly the most expensive overall. I was surprised that Target & Walmart were neck and neck for about 90% of the items and Fry’s was a little more expensive but not as bad as Walgreens. Fry’s does double coupons, sometimes triple & quadruple, so they may end up cheaper then Target or Walmart. It was certainly an eye opener. Thanks for the idea! I will carry my list with me from now on and snatch things up when I see a great deal.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Hi Melissa,
I’d love to see your toiletry price list. Maybe I can share it with readers on the blog?! Can you email it to me at julia@bargainbabe.com. Thanks!
July 30th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Iceberg lettuce can often be found on sale for 50 cents each, and green lettuce (like romaine or green leaf) for 79-99 cents each. Prices for rice vary, but buying in bulk from supermarkets or ethnic markets can be cheaper overall. Since rice should be rinsed before cooking anyway, why pay extra for the packaging. With the bulk, you can get as much or as little as you need. I usually buy brown rice, as it’s more nutritious. TJ’s bagged brown rice is priced about as low as any other bagged brown rice. Consider barley as a substitute for rice… cheaper and far more nutritious.
July 31st, 2009 at 7:48 am
Thanks for these tips, Ellie! Good stuff.
July 31st, 2009 at 8:01 am
My pleasure! I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner.
July 31st, 2009 at 9:36 am
[...] The return of the Nitty Gritty Grocery List [...]
July 31st, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Caveat: if people are buying produce from markets, they may want to compare organic fruits/veggies IN SEASON with prices of the regular fruits/veggies in the market. People with kids, esp., might want to look out for “the dirty dozen” that has more pesticide per bite than other items of produce. Pesticide levels are thought by many to be a marker of everything from ADHD to Autism. No one knows for sure, though!
July 31st, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I frequently buy local produce from Tapia Bros. on Hayvenhurst, just south of Burbank Blvd., near the park. Prices are a bit higher than in the market, but for just me, it’s worth paying a bit more. Still, I do buy some produce items from the grocery store, particularly those that will be used in cooking. Washing produce thoroughly before using usually solves the possibility of contamination. However, having almost reach the 3/4 century mark in basically good health, I don’t get obsessive over going organic. It’s not always that much better, certainly not in flavor over regular produce. Only fresh from the fields from local markets is really different.