- Fulfills Steps 1 and 4 of GSUSA Budget Builder badge requirements.
Items Needed:
- Printed grocery checklist (provided below)
- Pencil or crayon
- Clipboards or something to write on
Instructions (Estimated Time: 25–30 minutes):
- Thrifty Facts (5-10 minutes)
- Review the Thrifty Facts to ensure all scouts understand how to find good prices.
- Detective Mission (15–30 minutes)
- At the grocery store, scouts walk in pairs or small groups to find items from the Price Detective List. (Per council regulations, you may need to split the troop into two groups and have two unrelated adults to supervise each group)
- For each item, scouts:
- Find and write down the lowest price they see
- Circle any sale tags they spot
- Choose one item from the list they think is the “best deal” and star it
- Some items may be available in different sizes or brands. Scouts can notice which is cheapest per item (without needing to calculate per-unit cost).
- Think It Through (5–10 minutes)
- When they return to a central spot (like near checkout or bakery seating), scouts review the Thrifty Facts printed on the sheet with their leader and mention which ones they were able to use when hunting.
- Quick Share (5 minutes)
- Gather as a troop to:
- Share which item had the biggest price difference
- Point out if they spotted any sale signs
- Talk about how being thrifty helps stretch money for other things
- Gather as a troop to:
Grocery Price Detective List
Scouts write down the lowest price they find for each and circle any sale signs spotted nearby.
| Item to Find | Average New Price |
|---|---|
| Loaf of sandwich bread | $3.00 |
| Cereal (any brand/box) | $4.00 |
| Apples (individual or bag) | $1.00–$4.00 |
| Peanut butter (jar) | $3.00 |
| Crackers (box) | $2.50 |
| Milk (half or full gallon) | $4.00 |
| Macaroni & cheese box | $1.00 |
| Juice boxes (pack) | $3.50 |
| Eggs (6 or 12 count) | $3.00–$4.50 |
| Cheese slices or block | $4.00 |
Thrifty Facts
- Store brands usually cost less than name brands.
- Buying in bigger packages can be cheaper per item or per ounce.
- Sale tags and deals help you save money—but only buy what you need.
- Some foods cost more just because of the brand or packaging.
- Being thrifty means spending carefully so you can save money for other things.
The Badge Archive 