Is MyGroceryDeals.com the Answer to Frustration with Other Coupon Services?

[etteluap70PC]

I want to know more... I just discovered you have to Pay for this service! Is it worth it?

 

[KristinS]

Yes, yes, yes TOTALLY worth it! You can sign up for a $1 trial for 4 weeks then decide if you want to continue, but I get four stores: Walgreens, Meijer, Kroger, and Rite Aid. I love it. It's so organized and makes it so simple for me to see what's a really good deal and what's just smoke and mirrors of the store saying something is a good deal.

If you don't have anyone to put down as the person who referred you, feel free to put my name down [email protected]!

 

[etteluap70PC]

I am a bit worried since I would have to travel a bit to utilize this. I currently only frequent the stores I would need to use 1-2 times a month.

 

[pamperedlinda]

What is this game? Do they send you coupons or just the store ads?

 

[chefann]

They don't send you anything. You need to have the coupons from the Sunday paper. And then the site has people who go through the flyers (and stores) and make a list each week of what you should buy that week. Things are categorized as "marked down" (black), "Great deal" (blue), and free (green). To get the most from the list, you're supposed to buy only the blue and green items. It's $10 for 8 weeks for the list for 1 store. Each store you add is an additional $5 for the 8 week period. So if you live in an area where they have multiple store coverage (in my area, they cover Meijer, Kroger, CVS and Walgreens), then you can get list for your favorite stores. It's ABSOLUTELY worth it! I've walked out of stores paying 20-30% of what the original bill was (or would have been based on full prices). That adds up! The catch is that you need to have a good sized pantry, since the system works on the idea of stocking up on staples when they're on sale so you don't have to buy them later at full price.Oh, yeah - if anyone wants to sign up, can you use my [email protected] email as the referral? (When you refer people, you get free weeks.)

 

[etteluap70PC]

What if you do not get a news paper with coupons?

 

[PCJenni]

I was just wondering about this sam thing this morning. There is a big article in the paper this morning about saving money at the grocery store and this website was mentioned. I will have to check it out now.

 

[chefmeg]

I just started using it 2 weeks ago and am having a little trouble setting started~you have to cut coupons every week and keep up with them and what is on your list~the problem comes, for me, that my 2 stores (Food Lion & Kroger) only have 1 day in common when I can shop & use the list~Tuesday...this isn't my normal grocery day! Since Food Lion sales run Sat-Tuesday and Kroger run Sat-Sat, and the list comes out on Sunday, it is a challenge to change the grocery day....

that said, I noticed last week when I shopped at both stores I saved over $30!!!! I am sure the more I use it, the better I will get at it! Any advice you "experts" have is appreciated!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I can't wait to start buying our local paper once again just for coupons... (did you sense the sarcasm, ladies?)

 

[PCJenni]

I just went on the website and the store that I normally use is not listed as one of the store. It is a warehouse type store called Winco and it does not have ads in the papers. I already save at least $100 a month by shopping there and that is without coupons. So I am not sure if it would even be worth the time and trouble to keep up with the coupons and go to a normal grocery store.

 

[chefann]

What if you do not get a news paper with coupons?

You can still use it, but the savings won't be as great. They do point out when things are in the flyer but not actually on a great sale, because they won't be blue on the list. And, yes, stores do that a lot.

Most major market newspapers offer a Sunday-only paper (with the coupons) delivered for $1 a week or so.

 

[etteluap70PC]

I just went on the website and the store that I normally use is not listed as one of the store. It is a warehouse type store called Winco and it does not have ads in the papers. I already save at least $100 a month by shopping there and that is without coupons. So I am not sure if it would even be worth the time and trouble to keep up with the coupons and go to a normal grocery store.

I noticed something similar as well... One of our major food chains in MN is not listed.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I get the Sunday paper (just one) and then have my church saving me their coupon inserts. I tell them to cut out the coupons that THEY want to use themselves, and then pass along the leftovers to me.

I was making myself nuts, though....I was trying to cut out and file EVERY COUPON by category. Now, I put the date on the coupon insert, clip all of the inserts from the same date with a large paper clip, and keep them in numerical order. The "list" tells you what DATE and what PARTICULAR INSERT each coupon is in.

The savings can REALLY ADD UP when you have multiples of coupons. There have been times where I was able to get FREE FROZEN veggies by combining a sale price, and a double coupon and other great deals.

I have been doing this for one year this month...and it certainly has been worth my $2 per week as well as my time "prepping" and getting my coupons together for each list. You still have to be smart. I ONLY buy the "list" items at my list store (which, normally, is WAY MORE EXPENSIVE) and then go somewhere cheaper for other "needs" that are not on the list for that week.

I have probably saved the most on personal and hygeine items. (Toothpaste and toothbrushes, deod, shampoo, razors, etc.) But I have quite a stockpile on items that we use a lot of in my food pantry as well.

If you have any specific questions, ask away! Those of us who have been doing this for a while can help you out! Plus...there is a bulletin board dedicated to those who use this service, and it was VERY helpful to me in the beginning. It's called http://www.TerisMessageBoard.com

 

[etteluap70PC]

Do any of you utilize printing coupons from the internet?

 

[KellyTheChef]

Do any of you utilize printing coupons from the internet?

I don't mess with that at all, unless my LIST tells me to do so. My List stores will all accept printed coupons, but a few other stores in my area WILL NOT, due to others making up fraudulant coupons. It's one of those YMMV things. (Your mileage may vary.)

 

[elizabethfox]

I tried it, and didn't like it.

For one we didn't get the paper, so I had to start buying the sunday paper each week. Then I buy a lot of organic and all natural stuff and a lot of the coupons and savings listed for the grocery game were not for these types of items. It was mostly processed foods that I do not buy. I did get some good deals during my free trial and the first month I paid to use the service, but not enough to warrant me purchasing papers every sunday and paying for the service.

 

[pamperedbecky]

I've been wanting to try the grocery game and I think I may take a stab at it this week. I'm not an organized person, so I"m a little afraid of how well this will work for me. But then I saw Oprah last week with that lady who saved ALL KINDS of money. And I had a guest at a show right after that tell me about the grocery game at a show last Wed. I had heard of it before, but all this messiness with the economy and hearing about it again and again made me want to take a stab at it.

It's kind of exciting to start this to see how much I can save. I need to take a look at it when I have more time to sit down and do it.

 

[etteluap70PC]

I tried it, and didn't like it.

For one we didn't get the paper, so I had to start buying the sunday paper each week. Then I buy a lot of organic and all natural stuff and a lot of the coupons and savings listed for the grocery game were not for these types of items. It was mostly processed foods that I do not buy. I did get some good deals during my free trial and the first month I paid to use the service, but not enough to warrant me purchasing papers every sunday and paying for the service.

This was what I found a few years ago when I was doing coupons alot. They are great for convenience but not good for you.

 

[chefann]

I should mention (as a disclosure) that I'm not as strict with it as I should be. In order to get the most from your stockpile, you really need to shop from the list every week, even if you don't need those items yet. I don't do that. But it has made me more aware of unit prices on things, and recognizing that Costco isn't always the least expensive place to shop.If there's a major chain in your area that's not on the list, contact them and volunteer to be the list checker for that chain. Colleen's sister manages the list for Meijer stores (and I went one day to help Colleen check prices - it was kinda fun).

 

[KellyTheChef]

I should mention (as a disclosure) that I'm not as strict with it as I should be. In order to get the most from your stockpile, you really need to shop from the list every week, even if you don't need those items yet. I don't do that. But it has made me more aware of unit prices on things, and recognizing that Costco isn't always the least expensive place to shop.

If there's a major chain in your area that's not on the list, contact them and volunteer to be the list checker for that chain. Colleen's sister manages the list for Meijer stores (and I went one day to help Colleen check prices - it was kinda fun).

Ann...do they pay their list checkers? I am assuming you WORK for them if you do that.

 

[etteluap70PC]

Ann...do they pay their list checkers? I am assuming you WORK for them if you do that.

Wondering the same thing?

 

[KaryCam]

I did this a few years back and became very frustrated with it.

I did subscribe to the Sunday paper of the large city near me but the coupons that they said were in the paper were usually not.

After a few weeks of this I wrote them. What they told me was that they only pull very large city papers. I would have to buy papers from Tampa, Orlando, Miami, etc.

The small city I live in doesn't carry any of those papers so I dropped it.

I still do well with watching sales and cutting coupons though.

 

[KristinS]

A few more thoughts to add to my original reply:Utilizing GG lists, I save an average of 48% on my groceries. Many times, the amount saved is MORE THAN amount spent. I LOVE THAT!!! It's addicting.There are people who subscribe to GG that don't save their coupon inserts, and in GG's FAQ section they explain that it is possible to do this (the list shows current week's coupons in upper case so you know at quick glance), but that obviously savings aren't as great. I started out just filing whole inserts and cutting out what I needed, as GG tells you which insert coupons were found in. However I switched to cutting and filing all coupons until I need them because I was spending too much time in rifling through when I was in the store, looking for a coupon I knew I had but didn't know what date it was from.

 

[KristinS]

Oh - and for those of you whose main shopping stores aren't available... that's a possible income source for you if you're up for it! They're always looking for listmakers (The people who put the lists together - it's kind of an independent contractor sort of thing, I think) so yes, they do get paid to put the list together.

 

[KristinS]

I do get the big-city paper (in Michigan, most list makers use The Detroit News/FreePress) but it's actually cheaper to get that than to buy my local paper. And it's worth it - the bigger the circulation, the better the coupons.

 

[chefann]

I had noticed that, too. Occasionally the local paper for my suburb will deliver a Sunday edition to us, and while it has one or two of the coupon inserts, they aren't exactly the same as those included in the Detroit Free Press (which is still a local paper for me, since I'm 1 mile from the Detroit city limits). Personally, I cut and file my coupons by category each week. There are always a LOT of them that I don't use - whether those items end up on the list or not. Why tote around that extra paper? I'm never going to need diaper, baby food, pet food, or most cereal coupons, so why bother with them? And then I have them categorized in case I end up at Target for needed items (not on this week's list), so I don't have to flip through large bundles - I can go right to the toiletries pocket in my organizer.

 

[tabnat80]

Ann and Kelly-Do yall have a Walmart list on your Grocercy game? I did this a while back and Walmart wasn't listed and now I got on there to see what's new and it shows Walmart. I was just wondering if it was helpful. I hate to spend the $ on the additional list if it's not a good one. I just was curious which ones did yall subscribe to.

 

[chefann]

There isn't a Walmart list available in my area, or at least there wasn't last time I looked at the list of available stores here. Even if there was, I wouldn't get that list, so I wouldn't know whether it was good or not (I don't shop at Wally World because I don't agree with a lot of their business practices).

 

[chefann]

I just went in and entered a Zip Code for a neighboring suburb where there is a Wally World, and it's not on the list of available stores (although that suburb has a Rite Aid list and mine doesn't).

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I noticed something similar as well... One of our major food chains in MN is not listed.

They don't list ANY of the larger chains... Cub, Rainbow, Festival, Kowalski's, Lunds, Byerly's...to name a few-

Until they add Cub and Rainbow- I'm not going to utilize it- as it won't be worth the gas or time I'd have to put into it...

 

[tabnat80]

Ok. Thanks for the info

 

[KellyTheChef]

Ann and Kelly-Do yall have a Walmart list on your Grocercy game? I did this a while back and Walmart wasn't listed and now I got on there to see what's new and it shows Walmart. I was just wondering if it was helpful. I hate to spend the $ on the additional list if it's not a good one. I just was curious which ones did yall subscribe to.

From what I have heard, they are doing a "trial run" with making some lists for WalMart. It is NOT in everyone's area. My Walmart is NOT on my list of available stores.

 

[TammyStar]

I just checked my zip code and Walmart is on there so my daughter is going to join and try it out. I'll let you know how it goes with Walmart and Frys (our version of Krogers).

 

[KellyTheChef]

I just looked and WalMart is now ON MY LIST OF STORES. For those of you who are already familiar with TGG, WalMart's list does NOT show blue or greens...it's really a list of price matching that you can do. This means you need to still have the "other" store's ad with you to get the price match.

I added it to my lists...will try it out for a while and see if it's worth paying to add WalMart. I am already in the habit of circling things in all of the circulars that I get (probably 6 different grocery stores in the area) and price matching for the items that do NOT show up at my normal list stores. It may save me some time, though...so I am gonna try it out for a while!

 

[GourmetGirl]

They don't list ANY of the larger chains... Cub, Rainbow, Festival, Kowalski's, Lunds, Byerly's...to name a few-

Until they add Cub and Rainbow- I'm not going to utilize it- as it won't be worth the gas or time I'd have to put into it...

They have both Cub and Rainbow for me... so they should have it for you... weird!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

They have both Cub and Rainbow for me... so they should have it for you... weird!

That's cause you're special!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

They have both Cub and Rainbow for me... so they should have it for you... weird!

clearly I'm an idiot... not sure why it didn't pop up before and popped up now. Hmmm, I may have to try this now that they have two of my 4 favorite stores.

 

[chefann]

If you enter your Zip and a favorite store doesn't show up, enter a neighboring Zip.

 

[tabnat80]

Hey girls. I just went to coupon mom.com and they've got the list, and it's free. I think they just started doing this because I've been a member with them for a while and haven't ever noticed it. It looks really similiar to tgg. I saw the Walmart list on there and it didn't really show much as far as additional savings. HTH

 

[etteluap70PC]

I have to type in a larger town south of me to get Cub and rainbow (Didn't know there was a rainbow in ER?) I was hoping for Coborns. It's a northern MN chain.

 

[KristinS]

I tried comparing couponmom with TGG for a few weeks when I first started, but the way TGG lists are set up, they're much more user-friendly for me than couponmom. Some people really like couponmom, though - so maybe you could try that first before you go spending money on something you don't really need.I'm not sure if I would add WallyWorld if they offered it in my area. It is just a price match with all other stores, and I can't see doing four stores-worth of shopping there and standing in line going through all 4 adds with the cashier - talk about a cashier's nightmare!

 

[KristinS]

I added it to my lists...will try it out for a while and see if it's worth paying to add WalMart. I am already in the habit of circling things in all of the circulars that I get (probably 6 different grocery stores in the area) and price matching for the items that do NOT show up at my normal list stores. It may save me some time, though...so I am gonna try it out for a while!

Kelly, you'll have to let us know if it's worth adding if it's offered to us!

 

[cookinmama]

You can go to pinchingyourpennies.com and get the same type of thing for free.

 

[chefmeg]

went shopping today at Food Lion and Kroger with my "lists"....I saved over $50 at FL and over $14 at K..............I only purchase what I know my family will eat and health and beauty items! That is totally worth my $15 every other month to grocerygame!!!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

I tried comparing couponmom with TGG for a few weeks when I first started, but the way TGG lists are set up, they're much more user-friendly for me than couponmom. Some people really like couponmom, though - so maybe you could try that first before you go spending money on something you don't really need.

I'm not sure if I would add WallyWorld if they offered it in my area. It is just a price match with all other stores, and I can't see doing four stores-worth of shopping there and standing in line going through all 4 adds with the cashier - talk about a cashier's nightmare!

I have done price matching at WalMart now for about 2 years.

I save EVERY grocery store ad that comes to our house. As they come in the mail, I sit down and use a bold black marker to circle any and all items that I think we MAY need or be interested in. Then, before I go to WalMart, I take my grocery list and either mark items that I have a price match for, or possibly "add" items to my grocery list if they are a really good deal. (Obviously, I have watched prices for a long time...if you haven't you should start a price book for items that you use often so you KNOW what a good price is!)

I also make a seperate "price match only" list so that when I get into line, I know what items are price matches. I put all of my price matches on the belt together. (Either at the very end of my order, or at the very beginning.) This way, I can tell the cashier where they all are. PLUS...since I have a "master" list with the prices, I don't have to go flipping through ads unless they ASK to see the ad. (99% of the time, they DON'T...but make sure you bring the ad with you just in case!) Here is what my price matching list may look like:

Giant Eagle:
80% lean ground beef, 1.89 lb
Pop Tarts, 8 count .99 limit 4

Marc's:
Sure deod, 2.7 oz $2.00 **coupon for $1 off

Most of the time, they just want to know WHERE you are price matching...and what the price is. If you have that info at your fingertips, they may not hassle you with showing them the actual ad. I also think it helps that I try to make it as EASY AS POSSIBLE on the cashier. If I was fumbling through and had a price match here and a price match there on the belt...and was flipping through the actual ad to find the sale price each time, they are gonna get frustrated with me and be VERY PARTICULAR and double check each and every item I am price matching.

Some weeks I have 4-6 ads with price matches...other weeks it seems like I have ONE item to price match. It just comes and goes. It's really cool when I have something circled as a price match, and then notice that it's EVEN CHEAPER at WallyWorld! They do lower some prices to beat sales in your area...so that's usually when you see that happening!

 

[KristinS]

Kelly, you've almost convinced me to try it, if I could get my LIST for WM, I'd try it! I mean, even if it took me longer than a traditional grocery store visit, it would still be faster than going to 4 different stores - and gas, since WM is closer than any of my list stores!The downside is that Meijer doubles coupons up to .50 and my Kroger doubles up to 1.00 so that would be tough to beat.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Kristin~

My Giant Eagle doubles up to .99, so if something is on sale there and my q is for less than $1, I certainly try and go there.

BUT- there are weeks when it just isn't worth my time or gas $$ to go to Giant Eagle (my list grocery store) if I only have a few things that I may want to get there.

That's cool that you have two stores that offer doubling! That can REALLY add up! I am usually in heaven if something goes on sale there and I have a .75 coupon!! That's when I can get stuff for FREE or almost free normally!

I still am not convinced that it will be worth keeping WalMart on my TGG lists and paying for it...since I am basically doing the same thing myself. I will see if it saves me time, and go from there!

 

[Chefstover2]

I did this a few years back and became very frustrated with it.

I did subscribe to the Sunday paper of the large city near me but the coupons that they said were in the paper were usually not.

I had this same problem with TGG and ended up just cancelling because the deals they said were there, weren't there! Very frustrating.

I've just found this other website: mygrocerydeals.com, where it searches the fliers of all the local stores and you can compare prices between them (which I personally love...then I can decide which store to shop that week). Membership is free.:balloon: