2013 Buy Prices = Cleaning, food storage, laundry, paper products, pet and batteries

Last year in February, I ran a four-week series that looked at my "buy prices" for various items. This month, I'll be doing the same thing - with my updated buy prices for 2013.

Please don't forget that these are my buy prices - they are specific to my location and situation. We live in the Midwest in rural Wisconsin. Aldi is 30 minutes away and Target is an hour! I don't regularly play the "drugstore game" because Walgreens is not conveniently located. I eat 100% gluten free; it's currently my husband (not GF) and me, but we are adding a baby to the family next month (Feb. 2013). We do focus on eating "whole foods" and consume very little in the way of processed foods (i.e., we cook and bake mostly from scratch).

All that to say: My buy prices are constantly evolving and changing. Do I ever purchase an item when it's more than my buy price? Occasionally. But I certainly do my best to stock up when the price is low, so I am not forced to pay more for something when we need it.

This week, we'll take a look at my buy prices for meat, produce, dairy and frozen grocery items. Feel free to comment and let us know how your buy prices compare to mine! {For comparison on how prices have changed in the past twelve months, take a look back at my 2012 prices.}

Cleaning Products

• Dish soap - $0.05 per oz. or less. (However, this has been going up in price. I generally only buy Dawn because I find it works the best.)
• Dishwasher detergent - $0.10-$0.15 per load (I always purchase tabs or pacs).
• All-purpose cleaner - $0.50 for 22 oz. bottle.
• Disinfectant wipes - $0.02-$0.04 per wipe.
• Toilet bowl cleaner - under $1.
• Window cleaner - I've never purchased window cleaner...
• Air freshener and candles - I only purchase these items when they are free with sales or other promotions.
• Trash bags - Less than $0.10 per bag.

Food Storage

• Plastic storage bags
• Sandwich bags - $0.02 per bag.
• Quart size freezer bags - $0.05 per bag.
• Gallon size freezer bags - $0.05-$0.08 per bag.
• Regular gallon size bags - less than $0.05 per bag.
• Food Saver bags - I buy the 8 in. X 20 ft. rolls, which come in a pack of three for about $26 on Amazon (with free shipping). That's $8.67 per roll and I can usually make 32 bags out of each roll, which is $0.27 per bag.
• Plastic wrap - $1.50 per roll (300 sq. ft.).
• Foil
• Regular - $2 per 70 sq. ft.
• Heavy duty -  $2-2.50 per 50 sq. ft.
• Wax paper - $1 for 50 sq. ft.

Laundry Products

• Laundry detergent 
• Liquid - $0.04 per oz.
• Pacs - $0.12 per pac (load).
• Dryer sheets - $0.01 per sheet (I cut mine in half and find that they work just fine!).
• Fabric softener (liquid, crystals) - I only purchase these items when they are free.
• Stain remover - $1.50-$2 per bottle (I purchase only Shout).

Paper Products

• Tissues - $0.01-$0.02 per tissue.
• Paper towels - less than $0.50 per roll. (I have mostly eliminated the use of paper towels in our home.)
• Napkins - less than $0.01 per napkin.
• Toilet paper - less than $0.25 per single roll.
• Disposable plates - less than $0.10 per plate for higher-quality plastic plates (I generally do not purchase disposable plates).

Pet Products

• Dog food - under $1 per lb.
• Dog treats - $1.25 per box (Aldi).
• Cat items - We don't have a cat (I'm allergic), so I can't speak for cat items.

Batteries

• AAA - $0.18-$0.25 per battery.
• AA - $0.18-$0.25 per battery.
• C or D - $0.40-$0.50 per battery.
• 9V - $2-$2.50 per battery.

My Observations

• In these categories, we honestly haven't seen very many increases over the past year.
• Toilet paper has definitely gone up in price this year - I have increased my buy price for that. Unfortunately, it's one of those necessities in life! I try to watch for sales when possible, or at least a Target coupon for their brand.
• Dog food also got a bit more expensive this year. Thankfully, our dog doesn't eat too much.