The Grocery Game

Ok, I have completely lost it and have become obsessed with coupons. I wrote last week about how I was going to try this new website about coupons and I did. So far, I love it. Here is a basic breakdown on how it works:

You sign up and pay per store. The first store is $10 and each additional store is $5 per 8 weeks (2 months, so about $1 a week. You can save that with one coupon). There is a trial period of 4 weeks for you to get used to it (and during the trial you can have all stores in your area for free and then just change it to your fav when you will be charged).

You get the highest circulation newspaper in your area (for most the AJC) and cut the coupons of the stuff you will use (or I know some people just file it by the date and cut later).

Each week there is a "listmaker" that is employed by the website that goes to the store and goes through the flyer to enter all the sales into the database that this lady maintains. Apparently there are a lot of sales that are not advertised.

They then use the database, combined with recent coupons to see if the items are at a "rock bottom price". If it is then it goes on the "the List" and is blue which means you should buy it. They will tell you which coupon to use, how much it is for and what week it is from (they even tell the insert it was in but I don't track that but I guess if you just filed the whole insert that would be helpful).

So, for example. Say you cut a coupon this week that is $.50 off of cheez-its and they are on sale for $2.50. If you go to Kroger, they double coupons so you would get it for $1.50, BUT, in three weeks Cheez-its might go on sale for $2 and then with your same coupon you would get it for $1. So, they will not recommend you buy it this week since it is not at rock bottom but will recommend it when they go on sale in 3 weeks.

There is nothing hidden...you can cancel online with no phone call to any customer service or anything and you can change your stores when you want. It even posts online when you will be billed next so you can cancel before then. I also have only received one email from them and that was the day I signed up to welcome me. Grant it, it has only been a week, but still good.

It takes a little getting used to and they say that all sales go in 12 week cycles so the idea is that you buy the items in bulk sort of, when they are on sale and then it will last you the 12 weeks until it goes on sale again. The first few weeks you also will not have all the coupons that she tells you to use (since they are from papers in October) but once you get all the coupons, there are some great savings. I think that on an $80 grocery bill last week I paid $50. I know that the economy hasn't been great so I figure every little bit we can save is a good thing (plus, our savings go into our vacation fund so it will be used for something fun). Some of the items on the list were deodorant for $.50-1, toothpaste for $.50, frozen veggies for $.20 and they are all name brand things (not the Kroger brand) that you use every day(well, maybe not the veggies but hopefully the toothpaste and deodorant). I personally think that it is well worth the $1.25 a week to save a ton, plus, I would think that after a little while you might be able judge on your own what good prices are in general. I also recommend printing the list and taking it with you or writing down what you want and the price it should be. Last week there was a couple items that were not the same price at my Kroger as on the list but then they are on sale this week so sometimes you have to watch it. That only happened on one item but still, check it. Anyway, if you want to try it out here is the link. If you wouldn't mind putting my email in there melissapowers10 at gmail dot com, then I can earn free weeks (which is NOT why I told you about this but hey, it is a nice bonus). Or if you want me to just send you an email from the site, then I will....just leave me a comment. I know some of you out there are coupon people so enjoy!