When people ask me how I save so much money on groceries, I usually tell them about buy prices.
A “buy price” is the price you’re willing to pay for an item — the point where you know it’s a good deal. When the price drops to or below that level, that’s when you buy it, and ideally, stock up. When it’s higher, you either skip it or use something else in your meal plan until the next sale comes around.
For example, I know that butter at $1.99 per pound is a really good price, so I’ll stock up when I see that deal. Butter can go straight into the freezer without even repackaging it. My buy price for tomatoes, apples, and many other fresh fruits and vegetables is $1 per pound, but strawberries at $1.50 per pound would be a fantastic price.
Having these prices in my head and having an idea of which stores usually have the best price on an item is what helps me to be a grocery shopping ninja.
Other people sometimes call this a target price, stock-up price, or baseline price, but the idea is the same: you want to know what’s actually a good deal so you don’t fall for fake sales or impulse buys.
Why You Need a “Buy Price”
Without buy prices, you’ll find yourself wondering, “Is this actually a good deal?” every time you’re in the store — or worse, assuming that a big yellow “Sale!” sign means savings.
Learning target prices is one of the most effective strategies for saving money on groceries – and it’s simpler than you might think.
When you know your buy prices:
- You recognize true sales instantly.
- You avoid overpaying just because something is “on sale.”
- You plan your meals around deals instead of full-price items.
- You stock up when prices hit their lowest point, which saves you even more in the long run.
The Simplest Way to Find Your Buy Prices
The best part about using a simple Buy Price strategy is that you don’t need an app, a spreadsheet, or a complicated system. I’ve tried all of those, and I’ll be honest: when I’m in the middle of life, I don’t always consult them. My brain, however, is always with me.
The last thing you want to do after a big grocery run is sit down and enter numbers into a spreadsheet. Instead, start developing a Buy Price strategy that works for you:
- Pick a few items you buy every week. Things like milk, eggs, chicken breast, or produce.
- Pay attention to prices over a few weeks. Notice what’s “normal” and what’s a sale.
- Memorize your best deals. You’ll quickly start to recognize patterns.
- Use a small notebook or your phone’s notes app if you need a reminder list.
You’ll be surprised how fast prices stick in your memory when you’ve deliberately paid attention a few times.
Examples of Buy Prices
Here’s what my personal buy prices look like right now. Yours might vary depending on where you live, but this should give you a starting point. Please note that these are very ambitious prices – it can be a long wait before you see these advertised in a sale, so go ahead and purchase what you need in the meantime. Just don’t stock up.
Want a printable version to fill in your own prices? Download my free Buy Price Printable
Meat
For boneless meat, I try to stick as closely as I can to $2 per pound. People think this is crazy, and I’ll admit it’s getting harder to do. For bone-in meat, I’m looking for less than $1 per pound. Bone-in split chicken breasts are a good price when they’re about $1.59 per pound. I know I’ll never find steak for that price, and I don’t even try!
But you would be surprised how often I am able to find good quality cuts of fresh or frozen meat in my goal price range. Sadly, ground beef just seems to be going up and up and up, and I used to use it for a lot of things. But I do occasionally get it for close to $2 per pound. Usually you have to buy a lot of it, and then I’ll freeze it in one-pound sections inside plastic zipper bags.
Boneless Meat – as close to $2 per pound as possible
Bone-In Meat – ideally under $1 per pound (unless it’s something special like ribeye or a premium roast)
Pork Butt/Shoulder – 99¢ per pound
Pork Loin – $1.99 per pound
Pork Chops – don’t buy; buy the pork loin roast and cut into chops yourself to easily save $2 or more per pound
Ground Beef – prices have gone up so much lately, but in 2024 I was able to wait for sales when 73% lean ground beef was about $2.69 per pound.
Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – again, this has recently shot up but I’m sticking to (and occasionally finding) $1.99 per pound
Chicken Breast, bone-in – approximately $1.69 per pound was standard until about 2023
Chicken Leg Quarters – get the 10lb bag at Kroger for 79¢ per pound
Chicken, other bone-in cuts or whole chicken – 99¢ per pound
Produce
For most frozen or fresh vegetables and basic fruits, $1 per pound is my goal price. Bananas and cabbage are an exception because they’re almost always 50¢ per pound or less (at the time of this writing). Tomatoes and strawberries are almost always higher than $1 per pound. But in general, $1 per pound is the number I have in my head when I go through the produce or freezer aisle, and I’ll base my menus on this.
Grapes, apples, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.- 99¢ per pound is generally a decent price for most fruits and veggies
Cabbage, celery, onions, carrots, russet potatoes – ideally about half that (around 50¢ per pound or less)
Canned or Prepared Food
Tuna – 89¢ a can
Canned vegetables – I so want to say 50¢ a can, but the reality is they are much higher now, like 70¢ to over $1 per can for things like diced tomatoes with green chiles.
Pasta – I can routinely get pasta – even whole wheat pasta – for 99¢ a pound
Crackers – try for $2 per box
Cereal – $2.50 or less per box, no exceptions (for me)
Mayo – $3.99 has become a good sale price; just a couple years ago, that was the regular price. Now I occasionally see a normal size jar of mayo for $5-$6.
Peanut Butter – in 2024, I paid 99¢ for a small jar of store brand peanut butter. If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought a truckload.
Refrigerator/Dairy Section
Eggs – I just paid $1.99 for 18 eggs in November 2025, so hopefully prices are stabilizing.
Cheese – less than $3 per pound is good for cheddar, mozzarella, and monterey jack; obviously, you’ll pay more for specialty cheeses like feta.
How to Use Your Buy Prices in Real Life
Once you know your buy prices, you can:
Plan your meals around sales. If boneless chicken breast isn’t under $1.99/lb this week, make tacos with ground pork or a veggie-based meal instead.
Stock up when prices drop. Buy extra when you see a deal — if it’s shelf-stable, freezable, or something you’ll use regularly.
Spot fake sales. You’ll never be fooled by a “$2.49 sale” on something that should cost $1.
Keep your grocery bill predictable. Even when prices fluctuate, your buying habits stay grounded in real numbers.
What If Prices Keep Changing?
You can absolutely adjust your buy prices over time. Inflation, regional differences, or store changes might mean you need to update them once or twice a year.
But the key idea doesn’t change: never assume something is a deal until you compare it to your buy price.
The Bottom Line
Start with your 10-20 most-purchased items. Pay attention for a few weeks. Memorize the good prices. Soon you’ll have an instinct for what’s a good deal and what’s not, and grocery shopping will start to feel like a game you’re finally winning.
Before long, you’ll be a grocery shopping ninja too.
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