Are You A Coupon-Clipper Maniac?
Written: Jan 30 '06 (Updated Feb 08 '06)
|
| Full Review |
What Is It?
A website that is "dedicated to helping you save time and money" by offering lists of stores, their sales, store coupons and even manufacture coupons that are available. The stores that I signed up for are: Safeway & Albertson’s.
If you are the typical coupon clipper, you have coupons that you clipped from three months ago. The Grocery Game matches those coupons with current store sales to maximize your savings. In some cases, you end up getting the item FREE!
Excerpts From Website:
TERI'S LIST reveals the "rock bottom" prices on hundreds of products each week and matches them up with manufacturers' coupons for the best possible savings at your local supermarket. The Grocery Game has exclusive databases that track manufacturers' coupons along with weekly sales and specials, both advertised and UN-advertised. Members log in, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and they're off to win The Grocery Game!
How I Started:
I was reading one of my favorite magazines, MONEY magazine when I came across a small recommendation for this website. Since I am always on the hunt for ways to save money, I did not hesitate to sign up and give it a try. The website offers an 8-week trial for $1.00.
My Initial Experience
The first time I tried it, none of the products listed interested me. This happened for the first four weeks and I started to get discouraged and think maybe it was a waste of time. But then, during the fifth week, The Grocery Game started to list sale prices on meats and since we were low on our supply - this pushed me to make some purchases. Also, on occasion, a favorite beauty product will have a sale price and I appreciate the heads-up on this.
Why You Will Like It:
• If you are the "coupon-master," this website will be your new best friend.
• You don't mind shopping at a few different stores to save money.
• You like the stores listed on the site.
• You like using your computer regularly.
• You don't mind stocking up on items you don't really need, but may use in the future.
• You clip coupons every Sunday.
Why You Won't Like It:
• You're not interested in saving money.
• You save money other ways by shopping at bulk stores.
• You grow your own food and don't shop that much.
• You make most of your food from scratch and stay away from convenience or name-brand foods.
• You don't clip coupons.
• You don't like the stores available to you on the site.
Why I Don't Like It:
My husband I don't clip coupons anymore because I realize that there is usually something cheaper about 80% of the time. Even when I "double" coupons, I don't save that much more. In addition, the coupons are usually for high-priced items that we don't normally buy or need. We make most of our food from scratch as much as possible.
My mother is a coupon-maniac. She swears by it and will show me receipts blaring "you saved 75% on your purchase." Since she and my step-dad are the only ones that have the same eating habits and my husband and I, I think that they make a good test-comparison couple. She and her husband usually spend an average of $230 a month on food, while we average about $180 a month.
Why I Am Nuts
I actually keep a list on my computer excel program of our most commonly used and favorite food items. Every time I go grocery shopping, I take this list with me. For example: it shows me the lowest price I ever paid for canned corn which was 24 cent for a 14.5 ounce can. I will keep an eye out for it and if I see it at this price or lower, I will stock up on it. This way I am not tricked by the blaring "2 for 1" specials where it costs 50 cents per can.
We do the same thing with meat and cheeses. I keep track of the lowest I ever spent per pound or ounce and I when I see it at this price or lower: we stock up. Thanks to our Food Saver, we can stock up on meat, cheeses and produce much more effectively and have them in the fridge or the freezer whenever we're ready.
When it comes time to cook a meal, we "shop" from our food shelves. I rarely "plan" for our meals a month or even a week in advance. Because we buy foods so cheap, everything we need is in our kitchen and we can cook what we are in the mood for that night. I have tried the pre-planning for a month and it fails miserably every time. There is no way to predict what we will be hungry for in a month, much less a week.
Why I Am Still A Member:
I want to give this site a few more chances. The one thing it does list that I don't always know about is: sale prices on meat, cheeses, milk and produce. Recently, Safeway had a Petite Sirloin Steaks on sale for 1.99 a pound. This is a great deal! Eventually, I will have to calculate whether or not I am saving money since I pay $5 a month for the Grocery Game membership. But, I am willing to bet that I probably do.
One of my neighbors gets the paper and has said she is willing to leave the coupons and ads with me. So, I will try to follow the Grocery Game using coupons. I have my trusty list to make sure I am not fooled by so-called savings, but I am sure that there are times when it will come in handy. Especially for certain name brand products that I especially like.
Why You Should Try It:
The site offers a free 8-week trial for $1.00. I was hesitant to use a bank card to sign up but I can reassure you that there are no issues with canceling or changing your membership.
Special Thanks To:
To my mother who taught that frugal living is fun, stylish and hip. She still looks snazzy at 50 years old and is the best cook in the world.
Also, to Amy D. of The Tightwad Gazette who is the Frugal Zealot that I aspire to be more like.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
furryloo
|
|
Member: I Love Boats
Location: Yacolt, WA
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 12 members
About Me:
Furryloo? What was I thinking? Isn't that British for "hairy toilet?"
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.