Chicken prices: how to compare

[leno...@yahoo.com]

I was trying to weed out some out-of-date books I never use and as I
flipped through the 1982 "Information Age Sourcebook" (no mention of
computers in THAT book) I found this chart, which might be quite
useful! (Sorry I can't reproduce it neatly - I'm in a hurry.)

"Based on yields of cooked chicken.....the uncooked chicken weighed
2.75 lbs.")

If a whole fryer costs 49 cents/lb:

Breast half without rib should cost 67

" " WITH rib should cost 65

Thighs should cost 55

Thighs & drumsticks should cost 53

Drumsticks should cost 50

Wings should cost 39.

If the fryer costs 51 cents/lb, prices are 70, 67, 57, 55, 53, 41.

Fryer at 53 cents: 72, 70, 59, 57, 55, 43.

Fryer at 55 cents: 75, 73, 61, 59, 57, 44.

" " 57 " : 78, 75, 63, 61, 59, 46.

" " 59 " : 80, 78, 66, 63, 61, 48.

" " 61 " : 83, 81, 68, 66, 63, 49.

" " 63 " : 86, 83, 70, 68, 65, 51.

That's not the entire chart, but I hope it will do. Note that the
ratios change a bit as you move down the chart.

Lenona.

[amd...@aol.com]

On 5 Aug 2005 07:14:06 -0700, in misc.consumers.frugal-living
leno...@yahoo.com wrote:

Thanks.. I've been wondering how to figure out the good deals on chicken.

[tom_sa...@yahoo.com]

Another method that I use is to put together a simple spreadsheet that
has particular stores listed where you shop, along with the item, the
date and the advertised price of the things you eat the most. The
first column is item, the second is "minimum" for the row and the rest
are the weekly prices with the dates along the top on row A.

Each week, we check out the circulars and that we get in the mail and
track the items we eat most by updating the spreadsheet. For about 10
minutes/wk, this allows us to notice trends in prices and sales, but
also tells us whether or not we are getting a good deal (is the
$x.xx/lb the best deal? Oh, It was $.50/lb cheaper two weeks ago).
We've identified huge swings in price on several items (including
boneless/skinless chicken) during the year to the extent that we now
can anticipate our bulk buys and budget them accordingly, whereas
before, a huge purchase in a particular month would skew our numbers.

[hchi...@hotmail.com]

tom_sa...@yahoo.com wrote:

Amen to that. I see more and more stores swinging their prices
without any apparent reason, except to reap windfall profits from
those who just grab items off the shelves and stuff them in their
carts.

Examples: Hole Fouds had sprouts in a standard clamshell packaging
available for $4 per container - the same was available at the 99 cent
store for 99 cents. Pubix has Whelch juices 2/$3.70 Lose Dixie has
some of them at this price, and others at the $3.70/bottle price.

Anyone who doesn't bother to check prices while shopping stands to
lose money.

[val189]

I keep a small list on the fridge called "Cheaper At..."

Divided into two columns, one for ea. of the supermarkets we frequent.
I list items we buy constantly according to which store sells them
cheaper. It's not only a good reminder when making up a list, but I
know what to load up on at the particular store I'm visiting. Moral of
story: neither one is the cheaper place to shop - each side of the
list has an equal number of items, at the moment. I'm surprised that
each store hasn't comparison shopped the other and adjusted pricing
accordingly. Oh, well, my gain....

Why do I go to two stores? About every two weeks when I have to go to
that side of town on other errands, I decide to do some shopping at
store number 2. My usual store, number 1, is very convenient, almost
'walkable' if not schleppin' too much.