For first timers trying the gas deals, it can be intimidating or overwhelming. I spoke to a group one time and they were just baffled and amazed at how you need to figure the math out. You can spend a lot of time and thought into figuring out the deals and there are so many different ways to do it. Everybody does math a little differently! Find your unique way of doing it, and do it your way that works for you!
Here is how I quickly interpret the gas deals and determine which prices are good stock up prices for our family.
1. Calculate the total amount saved in gas. In the example above, I will take the 40 cents per gallon and multiply it by 25 gallons. That means I will save $10.00 in gas if I buy 5 of the items.
2. Determine the amount saved per item. If I am saving $10.00 in gas, and need to buy 5 items, that means if I divide 10 by 5, I am saving $2.00 per item pictured. That makes Aunt Jemima pancakes FREE, or Mars Ice Cream Bars only $1.00 per box.
I will cross out the price for every item and write the new price in. If its a good deal, I will get it, since I will be buying gas anyway. Sometimes if I am out of pasta sauce and it is less than $1.00 I will get it even if it is not free. It just depends on my needs at the time.
And yes, sometimes I splurge a little. Have you ever tried the Talenti ice cream that is on sale in this ad for $3.50. With the $2.00 gas savings it is only $1.50. If there is a celebration, anniversary or birthday, or even a stressful week and I know my husband and I will need to decompress, I will get this as a special treat for after the kids go to bed! It is delicious!
3. Search for coupons to make the deal even better. I will search other blogs or coupon sites like coupons.com to see if there are coupons available for the items that are around $1.00 or less after the gas deal. For instance this week there is a Mars Ice Cream coupon for $1.00 off making them FREE!
4. Figure out my totals. Sometimes I will buy 5 of an item if I need it, but sometimes I don’t need 5 so I mix and match. I might only want 2 loaves of bread, and 1 box of waffles, so I will fill in with 2 of something else. I don’t need to do the math out because I know what I am paying per item since I already tallied that in step 2 above. It won’t matter how many I buy, I will always be paying the same price, as long as I get a multiple of 5 items.
