Testing the Grocery Game
Our
discussion on stockpiling really got me thinking about ways that I could continue to save our family money on our grocery budget. I had been wanting to test the
Grocery Game program out ever since I read a story on it in a
Mary Hunt publication years ago, and what better time than now to test it?
The Grocery Game is a paid membership to receive a weekly list of groceries to buy, combining rock-bottom sale prices with your coupon cutting from your weekly newspaper. "Terri's List" has a list of everything you should be stockpiling and her personal software tracks the trends of sales for each grocery store, alerting you when you should be stockpiling certain items. They offer a weekly list that tells you all of the advertised and unadvertised sales that are occurring within your local stores. This paid membership supposedly makes it easier for you to track the deals and cash in your coupons at the absolute best time.
I think it is important for me to be honest about what I am going into this program with though so here are a few known truths about Amy:
- I am
not a coupon-clipper, except for the occasional CVS trip, and prefer living my life without cutting coupons. For me, I have not seen the value in it because I do so well with our money without coupons.
- Coupons, in the past, have lead me down some destructive paths and have actually ended up costing me more money than saving me. I would see a coupon for, "Hamburger Helper," for example, and then buy it...even though we didn't normally buy this product or really have a need for it in our pantry. What was supposed to save me money, actually ended up costing me more money and I came home with products that I would not typically buy.
- I am an
Aldi shopper. Most of my regulars know this, but I thought I would mention it. This would mean that I would have to venture out of my safety zone and excuses that you can't beat their prices, and actually explore some other supermarkets. Aldi does not take coupons so I have never felt the urge to clip.
Now that you know what I am going into the program with, you will understand that I have some low expectations for how well I will do, but I thought it would be some great entertainment to see me struggling with my coupons and lists, trying to buy groceries practically for nothing.
I began by signing up for my membership. They offer a $1 trial program for four weeks so I signed up for that (
Referral ID should-you-so-chose is amy@momadvice.com). I was a little worried how many stores they would offer in our area, but they did have listed Kroger, Meijer, Walgreens, & CVS. I signed up for those stores and got all of my information plugged in to begin my account.
The cost for a membership after the $1 deal is broken down by the amount of lists you would sign up for. The pricing is, $10 every 8 weeks for the first store list you choose, and $5 every 8 weeks for each additional store list (if more than one store list is available in your area). Example
: 1 store list:
$10 every 8 weeks, 2 store lists:
$15 every 8 weeks,
3 store lists:
$20 every 8 weeks.
It begins with an introduction to the program and basically states that it will take approximately 12 weeks for you to really build your initial stockpile. It also will take 12 weeks for you to be able to cash in on all of the coupon deals because they will be referring to coupon packets from the months previous, so when you begin you don't really get the full benefits of the program. You are just supposed to keep clipping and clipping each week and stockpiling what you can through those initial weeks until your coupon file is as fat as it needs to be and you can really begin cashing in on the program.
I plan to primarily shop at Meijer and CVS because our Kroger was shut down. There is one nearby, but it would require more of an effort on my part. My new list will be published on Tuesday so today I clip all of my coupons, in preparation of my first list.
I am dusting off the old coupon organizer and getting my trusty scissors out- let the games begin!
Sound Off: Do you have any experience using a program like this? Do you coupon?
Labels: Grocery Shopping, Reviews
37Comments:
"I, too, am in my 4-wk. Grocery Game trial. Only a few of my favorite stores are available. I did not pay for CVS and Walgreens because there are a lot of free sites that I believe do a good job of this. The only grocery store availabe in my area was Albertson's and I shop mostly at Super One, Target and Walmart. Albertson's great deals are far and few between and I can usually pick those out myself. I have been noticing that there are only a few "stock-up" items each week. I don't think I'll continue. If she covered Super One, Target and Walmart, I'd probably find more deals, but as it is I can do Albertsons for a lot less than what she charges - especially since there aren't that many "stock-up" deals. I hope it works for you, but for $1 I think the trial is worth it for anyone. I know it works very well for some people in certain areas."
"I have been a member of The Grocery Game since April of last year. I have saved so much money you would not believe. I only buy the things we will need and use. You would not believe how much money you can save. I also subscribe to CVS. It is unreal how many things you can get for free. I have been able to donate to our local food bank. The message board there is great too. The members share hot tips on things they find online and in stores for excellent prices. I did 75% of Christmas shopping from hot tips on the board. I bought all year and by December I was almost done except for my daughter. I think you will be impressed."
Andrea
"Hi Amy,
I've been using GG for about 6 months now and have saved so much (actually, this year alone I have saved around $1300).
I've read that you love Aldis (and you have such good ideas with Aldis foods too), but there are so many things you can get cheaper in a name brand using your coupons. You'll find that once you've been playing the game for a while. I do still hit my Aldis at least once a month for ground turkey (can't find it any chaper even on sale), and chips (can't get those any chaper either plus they're really good). Depending on the need, I'll also get eggs and milk (although sometimes those are the same price at my local grocer when on sale). And, my kids love the honey buns - for .99 that really is good!
I hope you have fun with it! It really is like a game for me! A game of saving money!!!!!"
Ali
"I just signed up (and put in your referral ID)!
We'll see how it goes. I've never cut coupons before. :S"
Amy
"Wow, Ali, thank you! That is so sweet! I can't wait to try this and it will be good to have a buddy to do it with!
Thank you to everyone who has shared their experience so far. I think this is going to be such a great way to stretch my thinking a bit and see if I can do better with our money. Keep sharing your experiences- I am loving this!"
Emily Loria
"Amy, you always have such great advice and tips. I love it.
Thanks for the daily inspiration!"
"I love the grocery game! I've converted several of my friends to it as well. I've saved a lot of money using this service and now I'm buying name brand stuff. I do still shop at Aldi's - but usually only once every two weeks instead of weekly. Hope you like it!"
Mimi
"I tried the grocery game, but was disappointed. It's something that I can and do accomplish myself every week in less than a half hour. My biggest hobby is bargain hunting and I enjoy comparing prices, using coupons, and tallying up savings. It may be a good program to get you started using coupons to their fullest.In that case, the cost would be worth it. Keep us postes! I look forward to an article with your results.
Mimi"
Amy
"Mimi- that is a great point. I have no idea what to do with coupons and I thought this might be a great way to teach me what to do with them and have me tap into that coupon power that has been going untapped for a long time ;)"
georganne
"You could also try the couponmom.com It's free for a very similar service. It's not always *as* on top of things...but hey, it's free."
Miriam
"I totally agree with Mimi- I tried the GG for the 4 week trial, and found that it was all information I was already using and doing myself. But I am an avid couponer, and have been for sometime. I would definitely recommend it to anyone just getting started on the coupon thing. I save a FORTUNE- but you'd laugh if you saw my huge coupon binder- cashiers always ask to see it! Good luck and thanks for the great tips! I love your posts!"
Laura
"OH, I can't wait to see how it goes! I, too, have not been doing the coupon thing for several years now and do almost all my shopping at ALDI. So I am very interested to see what your opinion is.
My sister-in-law was telling me about the GG months ago and I just haven't gotten around to fooling with it. :) SO I'll let you try it out for me and then decide if it's worth it! :) LOL"
Rose
"I have no experiance with the program, although I thought about using it once. My family tries to eat as much organic food as we can afford, have you (or anyone else) noticed if there are cupons for orgainic items? It is a conviction of ours, but hard to stomach the prices sometimes."
Rosie
"I am definately going to investigate this and see if something similar exists in the UK. It certainly sounds a great idea and all savings have to be a good thing. I clip coupons if they are higher value ones not just a few pence (cents)."
thehomespunheart
"I tried it - but there isn't enough info available for our area to make it worthwhile for me. I think in larger areas it would prove more beneficial. Plus as a couple of other commenters have shared, it is something I could figure out myself.
I do coupon clip. I understand your thoughts on it and I share them - but I have found that it takes a small amount of time and you never know which coupon you may wish you had clipped out a few weeks before."
Erin
"I am on my four week trial right now. I am only going to continue with Kroger, because there are some awesome deals I have found with that. Not everything listed is always on sale, but the majority of it is. I save at least 50% of my grocery bill each time I shop at Kroger.
Yes, they list organic items. I have gotten great deals on apples and potatoes through the GG. Like the $1 per pound red apples last week.
I am very new to coupons, so a service like this is wonderful for me. I also am not very good at remembering prices of things, so I find it difficult to compare.
I think also, that you do need to be open to getting items that you don't normally get if you can get them for free or close to it. Just be careful, and don't over do it."
Tammy
"I tried couponing last fall. I found that I ended up buying things I didn't really need. I tend to shop the outside of the store anyhow--mostly purchasing fresh foods. However, I did end up clipping a few coupons that saved me a lot of money. We don't get the paper, so it cost extra to buy it each week. I also don't like fiddling with the coupons. Just my personal preference though. Hope it works out for you!"
Meredith
"I'll be interested in watching your trial!
I have found that all the same information for my area is easily accessible, free, through Couponmom.com and other store-specific forums.
Did you know that there are whole "secret" coupon societies online? You have to invited to join. (I'm not!"
Frugal Dad
"I've been an on-again/off-again member for over a year now. My wife and I quit the Grocery Game a few months ago because we were becoming a bit obsessive about getting a deal (we bought 7 jars of mayonnaise on one trip because they were $1.00). As long as you stockpile things you can really use, and don't overdo it, it is a great service. One little nugget is to check out eBay for "clippers" who actually sit around and clip coupons, selling their "service" on eBay. If you find a great deal on Sunday, buy a lot of 10 coupons for the item Sunday night on Ebay from a local "clipper" and have them in time to use by the end of the sale."
Kristin
"We tried it and found it wasn't beneficial (for the cost). We actually wanted to try to help people do this for free so we started compiling our own local grocery deals (kansas city area), and national target, drugstore deals, etc. If a few people took it up in each region everyone could get it for FREE!
Bottom line is that it may work for someone who's stores are covered by Terry but mostof ours weren't.
Plus - who wants to clip coupons! We use the coupon mom system and it's SO much easier!"
*carrie*
"I like coupons, but our local store doesn't accept the ones printed from the Internet. Since we live in a rural area, grocery programs like this are not available. My sister in LA does it, though, and loves it."
Marva
"I am a tried and true clipper. I do the CVS thing and comp ads at Wal-Mart with coupons. I also do Aldi twice a month. It is a 45 minute drive. I hope this goes well for you Amy! I save several THOUSAND dollars a year with coupons, comp ads, loss leaders and CVSing. I am having a give away on my blog for over $250 worth of couppons. Stop by and leave a comment. Blessings!"
bonnie:
"I'm with Rose. I'll shop maybe four stores a week, but they are natural living stores. I wanted to comment under your intro post about stockpiling, but we eat mostly fresh veggies & the rest is organic or "natural." I need to find someone as thorough as you but who eats like we do ;]."
Alyssa
"I am huge fan of GG. I have 5 lists in my area, which helps. The best part for me is that is takes the brainwork out of couponing. Knowing exactly what I am going to buy before going to the store saves a ton of time, since I pull my coupons at home. The site is very user friendly, well worth it in my book!"
"I cought you on WSBT this morning! Great segment!"
Frugal in Florida
"I tried the ggame a few times. I don't know. It seems that I bought MORE convenience foods than I normally would have. Sure, if they are cheap enough, it's not a big deal, but like you said, why buy ham. helper if you don't use it? :)
My vote would be no, don't do it UNLESS you clip coupons consistently and don't mind buying stuff out of the norm. As for the poster re Target, there is actually a message board within the gg website that discusses deals for there, and its not in code!
Jan"
Manders
"Instead of clipping the Q's as you get them, creat a small file drawer. One file gets the date that the Q's were offered (Sunday February 24), and all of those Q's from that date goes in it. The next file is the next week.
The GG and CouponMom both give the dates that you can find the Q offered. Read the date, pull out that file, cut that Q and there you go. Only cut them when you see them on your list and will use them.
My way is not right, but it works for me. You have to use it your way.
I have to say that I love both the GG and CouponMom."
"Amy, I did the 4 week trial about a year ago and although I was able to stockpile tons of toothpaste, brownie mixes,toothbrushes and Mr. Clean Erasers, I found that when it came to other things like fresh fruits and veggies and meat, that the lists and couponing really did not make any difference because I always watched the sales anyway. I also realized that I did most of the same things on my own, matched up coupons to sales, selected the best deals,etc., before GroceryGame. What I do enjoy is the message boards there, the hot tips save me tons of money when doing my Christmas Shopping. The one thing I can tell you is that unless you have a store that doubles coupons or triples them-if you are that lucky- you can do much better sticking with Aldi's. You also need to buy several papers or find folks who will give you their coupon inserts, in order to really be able to stockpile effectively using the grocery game methods. I think you will probably find after the 4 weeks, that you do just as good on your own, but will use those skills gained from grocerygame to get some name brand bargains in the future."
pianomomsicle
"i just joined with your name, too! i've been considering the GG for a while, but needed the impetus to do it. i figure $1 for a month is definitely worth it!"
Catherine
"I just (Saturday) ended my 4 week trial of the four stores in my area and chose not to continue. I tend to shop at Safeway and the list for my area didn't include Safeway. Also, like others have said, the coupon/sale matching is something that I do for fun - trying to see how cheaply I can purchase an item. My family (2 adults & a 17 month old) doesn't eat prepared foods or "snack" foods so there really wasn't a whole lot on the list that we would buy or bring home, even if free. We are not weird food eaters but tend to stick to sandwiches, fruits, nuts, yogurt, etc. for packed lunches and eat cereal/eggs for breakfast and fresh foods - meat/fish, fresh veggies for dinner. For me to "stock up" on box foods or sugar cereals and child marketed snacks that we don't eat anyway didn't make much sense. I think it could be beneficial if the list covered the primary shopping store and included many products that the person uses. If someone has a lot of children that eat prepackaged snacks or someone in the house was older and had a need for a lot of health related items and this was all stuff that they would buy anyway, it could be a great way to save some money. If these types of products are not on your regular grocery list anyway, it is something that you could do on your own with a coupon folder, pair of scissors, the store flyer and 20 minutes a week."
Maria
"Just wondering how the grocery game is working for you?"
PB
"The $1.00 free trial fee and the $15.00 first month’s fee was the most expensive grocery coupon experience I have ever had. I had trouble getting the coupon printer to work on my computer, so I emailed GroceryGame.com for some help. They said I needed to go out to MicroSoft and update my browser. I complied. This resulted in a complete system failure on my computer. It cost me almost $600 all together to get my computer fixed, not to mention 1 month of aggrevation. I guess everyone has a different experience, but be careful if you have trouble interfacing with the GroceryGame.Com software and downloads. There is no one to talk to in person about your difficulties. I decided it was cheaper for me to cut local coupons."
PB
"The $1.00 free trial fee and the $15.00 first month’s fee was the most expensive grocery coupon experience I have ever had. I had trouble getting the coupon printer to work on my computer, so I emailed GroceryGame.com for some help. They said I needed to go out to MicroSoft and update my browser. I complied. This resulted in a complete system failure on my computer. It cost me almost $600 all together to get my computer fixed, not to mention 1 month of aggrevation. I guess everyone has a different experience, but be careful if you have trouble interfacing with the GroceryGame.Com software and downloads. There is no one to talk to in person about your difficulties. I decided it was cheaper for me to cut local coupons."
"Don't join!!!!!When you try to cancel, you never get a response and there is no phone number to call. They deducted money from my checking account after I had cancelled during the trial period, and now they won't refund it! The Grocery Game is ROTTEN!"
"My printer didn't work, either for the coupons. Cancelled and was still billed!!!!!!!!!BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I agree with pb. I had a very similar experience. My printer would not print the coupons, either. There is no SERVICE in the Customer Service at the Grocery Game!"
"The Grocery Game works for me. People paint a pretty picture on the message boards there, but it is so heavily moderated that it turns out to be very one-sided. You cant post any information regarding the lists, and so many posts get edited or just flat out removed. The most common line on the message boards?
"I'm not sure if I can post this...""
Our discussion on stockpiling really got me thinking about ways that I could continue to save our family money on our grocery budget. I had been wanting to test the Grocery Game program out ever since I read a story on it in a Mary Hunt publication years ago, and what better time than now to test it?
