The BH tests out the Grocery Game
My eight-week $1 trial of the Grocery Game ended last week and I decided not to join up for $5 per month because I so rarely used the coupons. The concept is very cool, however, and may work for many shoppers.
The site crunches sale prices, coupons and spits out a list of freebies, great deals, and buy-only-if-you-need-it items. You check off what you want then print your own list, which takes about five minutes. Bring the list to the store with your own coupons and save money, in theory.
After the $1 trial ends it costs $10 per every two months for one store plus $5 for every additional store. That means you need to save $1.25 per week - about one or two coupons - to break even.
In practice I rarely purchased the items on the list and found I could save plenty of money by sorting through the Tuesday grocery newspaper circulars, clipping coupons for products I actually buy, and closely monitoring sale prices at the store.
On a recent trip I combined coupons, a 5% off certificate and holiday sales at Albertsons to save 37% off my grocery bill. I got Cheerios for $1.50 per box, cans of tomato paste for $.50 each, 5lb bags of sugar for $2.50 each, ribeye steak for $4/lb, and skinless chicken breasts for $2/lb. In the end I spent $187.59 and saved $110.90!
You should consider testing the membership yourself. The trial is only $1 and it is very easy to cancel.
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About The Bargain Hunter
Daily News staff writer Julia Scott loves to find bargains on everything from groceries to Gucci. Her tips will help keep your hard earned cash where it belongs - in your pocket.
Try www.couponmom.com. Same concept only it is free! And she does all the stores including CVS, Walgreens, Target...
Julia, you should give Sunland Produce on Glenoaks and Sunland Blvd. a very good look. Their produce is better and much cheaper than Von's, Ralph's, Albertson's and even Vallarta and Food4Less.
Sunland Produce is in a gritty part of the NE Valley and for those interested in saving a buck, this is the place to shop. They also have a great meat and seafood dept and a huge MiddleEast dept.
They don't carry pre-washed bags of salad and so forth and there is lots of parking. There are lots of cashiers, too, so it's fast getting out and getting home.
I tried the Grocery Game and after using it for sometime with great savings I stopped. I thought that if I did it on my own I would save just as much. Wow, was I wrong. You can look at the ads, clip the coupons, and shop the ads, but they track the sales and figure out when the actual best sale is to shop. I have three teenage sons and so for me personally I find that it helps me to take a large bite out of our grocery bill. The other advantage that my kids love is that there are items I would not normally try, but for a great price I will try an item and to them this is a great treat.
I am a very busy mom with lots going on. The Grocery Game is a lifesaver for our family's grocery budget.
Julia, you should give Sunland Produce on Glenoaks and Sunland Blvd. a very good look. Their produce is better and much cheaper than Von's, Ralph's, Albertson's and even Vallarta and Food4Less.
Sunland Produce is in a gritty part of the NE Valley and for those interested in saving a buck, this is the place to shop. They also have a great meat and seafood dept and a huge MiddleEast dept.
They don't carry pre-washed bags of salad and so forth and there is lots of parking. There are lots of cashiers, too, so it's fast getting out and getting home.
Oh yes. Check out Sunland Produce. I love going there whenever I am in the area. It is a bit of a drive for me, but when I am in that direction I love it. Lots of interesting ethnic items, too.
I've been using the Grocery Game for a couple of years now. I don't always have time clip my coupons, but if I only use the coupons once a month I believe the $5 fee is still very much worth it. My average savings with the Grocery Game is 45% to 50% for a family of four. I saved over $200 in one trip. The man behind me who had been frustrated to see my coupons stood in amazement when he heard my savings!