Making a Price List: the Hard Copy

photo by woodleywonderworks

So a long time ago, I started a series on making and keeping a price list and got as far as one whopping post. Then life intervened and other things moved up in the priorities, and now I’m finally getting back to it. If you need a refresher, check out my first post in the series about what exactly a price list is. Today, we’re going to talk about how to make a price list the old-fashioned way, with a hard copy!

Why, in this digital age, would anyone want a hard copy? What’s the point?

There are a few benefits, namely:

1. You can carry it with you. If you don’t have a smart phone, this is the only way to take it with you to jot down changes or refer to it at a moment’s notice. Even if you do have a smart phone, they can be difficult to update, especially if you’re using a spreadsheet like Google Docs.
2. It can be easier to use than a digital format. Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but I actually prefer to browse through my grocery ads rather than using the online versions. To me, it’s just easier to flip through the actual pages quickly to see what I need, even though I have a pretty fast cable internet connection. The same principle applies to a price book. You can quickly flip through its pages to find what you’re looking for, whereas (if your phone is anything like my phone) it can take forever to get to the exact app, and then the app has to load, and then you have to go to the right spot on the app.
3. You don’t have to worry about internet access, wi-fi connections, or 3G networks. As long as you have your little book with you, you can use and update your price list no matter where the hot spots are.

Personally, I don’t have a hard copy price book because my fingers are far more comfortable typing than writing, but I will admit there are times when I wish I did have a hard copy to use as a reference or to update when I’m out and about.

Let’s get down to business then, and actually make a price list. You’ll want to start with a small notebook, something like this:

Of course, it doesn’t have to be the exact same thing, but what you’re looking for is approximately the same size: large enough to keep detailed records, but small enough to fit in your purse or pocket. You also want it to be relatively sturdy so that it doesn’t get beaten up by being lugged around all the time. You’ll also want it to have at least 100 pages.

Now you have a notebook. What do you do with it?

First you’ll need to organize it into sections. You pretty much have two choices, and you can go with whichever one works for you:

1. Alphabetically. Mark out sections by putting a big capital letter up in the top right corner of the page, about every 5 pages or so (Leave more pages for more popular letters, like “S”, and fewer - or no - pages for letters like “X” and “Q”.
2. Categorically. Mark out sections by writing in large letters at the top of a page some general food categories, like “Dairy”, “Produce”, “Meat”, etc. Leave about 10 pages for each of these sections.

If your page doesn’t have a margin where you can write the price, you may want to draw in one so that you can have all your prices in a neat column.

Now you need to fill in your price book. Whether you’re filing by category or alphabetically, you’ll need to create mini-sections, simply by jotting in some more specific categories of food, like “Apples” under “A” or “Produce, or “Milk” under “Dairy” or “M”. Beside the name of the item in question, jot down a unit (pound for apples, gallon or 1/2 gallon for milk, for example). All the prices listed below should be based on that unit.

In each mini-section, you will list the name of the store that sells it, and the regular price at that store. For example:

Note: these prices are not accurate as far as I know.

That’s all there is to it! Keep your price book with you at all times so that you can update prices as needed, or refer to it when you come across what you think may be a good deal.

Do you have a price book? Hard copy or digital?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Read the rest of the series:

What is a Price List (or Book)?

How to Make a Hard Copy Price Book

How to Make a Digital Price Book

How to Maintain Your Price List