There are several sales going on this week around town. Instead of writing about them, let’s talk about the importance of being an informed shopper.

I’m not talking about knowing what sales are happening and what coupon match ups make the best deal; while that is important, it is only one piece of the equation. It is equally important to know about what you are buying. What is its regular price? What is the “best” price you’ve seen on it?

Maintaining a price book is a great way to keep yourself informed and organized. Keep notes on the items you buy most often: what prices you see at different stores; when you see sales, what are the sales prices? Make a notation so you can see at a glance how often these items go on sale.

Why go to all of this trouble when you can just read up on sales, coupons and deals online? Because ultimately YOU are responsible for the purchases you make.

Not always is “Big Savings” exactly what it sounds like.

For instance; as I breezed through Dillons this weekend and glanced at the “Cart Buster Sale” I noticed that Pampers were on the list of sale items. Excellent! I went to pick up a couple of bags. When I got into the diaper aisle I saw that Pampers were only $0.50 off of their “Everyday Low Price” … I thought to myself that seemed like a bit of a stretch as far as “great savings” goes. Then I looked more closely at the tag: “$9.49…normally $9.99” … I did a double take.

Pampers at Dillons do fluctuate in price but are typically between $9.69 – $9.77, on sale they drop to roughly $8.50 a package. These were listed at $9.99. For this great sale, the “Everyday Low Price” has been raised.

This isn’t a huge pricing difference. It is not a huge waste of money as much as it is just creative advertising designed to get people in the door. My point is larger than this particular example: Know what you are buying, what it is worth. That information coupled with savvy shopping will save you even more money than cutting coupons.

Stock the items you use consistently, your staples, when they are at a deeply discounted price. (What exactly is a deeply discounted price? I would say $2-$3 off after coupons and sales.) Spending more money at one time when prices are low will save you money in the long run.

If you aren’t clear about what that low price should look like, you are likely to fall into the creative advertising trap. Putting out a little extra money up front to stock pile can then become a stress on your budget that does not pay off at the end of the day.

Please note than when I talk about creating a stock pile I am not advocating for you to spend outside of your means to build a hoarders haven in your basement or buy unnecessary items that your family won’t use. I’m talking about buying some extra when it is a great deal and you can afford it. Buying even one or two extra of your staple items from time to time WILL save money in the long term.