I get e-mails frequently from readers sending me a list of coupons and asking if I can find them good deals. Um, no. Sorry, but I am not going to research and find the stores in your area, the corresponding sale ads for those, and compare to your list of Qs. I am only one woman with 2 small children at home. Enough said about that.
Now, I also get e-mails asking if $x.xx is a good price for ____________. For those sorts of questions I have three responses:
1-have you checked my price list to see what you should be able to get this product for?
2-Do you need it right now? If so then try to pay less than 20% of retail for health/beauty type items and less than 70% retail for foods. (If it’s a food item, chances are you could make do for a while instead of paying high prices)
3-What I think is a good price may be very different from what is a good price for you. A lot of this may depend on how you value an item. I think $2.50 for a 12 pk of sodas is a good deal and not $3.50 for a half gallon of ice cream. I have a friend who thinks the ice cream is a good deal, but not the sodas. In the quest for good prices you should start where you are. If you are currently paying $4 a bottle for your shampoo (many of you are gasping, I know), then try to get it the next time it’s on sale or has a coupon and get it for $3.50 or maybe $3. Then try to buy enough to tide you over until you can find it for $2.50 or $2. Eventually you’ll build up enough of a stockpile that you can wait until it’s free.
If you e-mail to ask if you should buy something you’ll likely get a response that is a copy of the inset on this point 
Basically you have to decide for yourself what a good price is. I can tell you what my price for an item is, but you may end up paying full price 10 times over if you wait to buy until you find that price. Take the savings you can find now if you are getting low on an item, but keep your “buy price” in mind for later.
I get asked this by my friends every so often. I always shoot for less then $1, while another one of my friends aims for 50% off.
Yes, it all depends on how much you value, use and/or want the item. Cokes and ice cream are really both luxuries. We are a family that uses lemonade and ice cream as staples. My dear sweet hardworking husband wants these items available at all times so I do my best to provide his favorites while vigilently searching for sales and coupons to stock up on because I don’t want to run out of something and have to pay full price and actually, I will refuse to, I will usually try to temporarily do without something until I can find a good buy on it again. Personally, I could live without both items on a regular basis but, he would feel deprived if he had to. – Angela