Saving money using coupon services

October 12, 2006 2:30 PM

[Saving Money/Shopping Filter] Has anyone used a service like The Grocery Game -- a service that helps you save money on your grocery bill by identifying when you get the most bang for your coupon buck? Did it work?

My husband and I want to cut down the money we spend on groceries while still eating whole foods. I've attempted to save money by clipping coupons, but it seems like most of the coupons in our local paper are for processed foods. The idea of a service like The Grocery Game is attractive because it helps identify when items are at their cheapest, but I'm not sure if it will help us with the foods we actually buy, or if it will entice us to buy processed foods for the savings.

Has anyone tried a service like this and did you find it worthwhile? Or did you find that you ended up with a 6-month supply of Cocoa Krispies because you got it for a great price?

(Alternative question: Does anyone have tried-and-true strategies for saving money while providing meals made with whole foods? I already do much of my vegetable shopping at Costco and plan recipes in advance to use the same ingredients in multiple ways, but anything you can offer will help.)

posted by parilous to shopping (5 comments total)

Yes. I used that one. I was diligent for about a week or two, then forgot to check it regularly and make the lists, etc., so stopped my membership. It definitely requires conscientious work on your part and for me, the deals were not worth the trade-off of my time.

One of my issues was that it included only two Seattle-area stories (I think Safeway and Albertson's). I NEVER shop at Albertson's and do shop at two other stories that weren't included. So obviously, if your major grocery stores are covered, you might find it more relevant.
posted by GaelFC at 2:53 PM on October 12, 2006

I used The Grocery Game for about 10 weeks, and ended up unsubscribing because, as has happened every time I've tried to start using coupons regularly, most things that issue coupons are processed convenience or snack foods, or name-brand paper and plastic products; in other words, things I don't normally buy.

I did find it helpful for letting me know when things were on sale. A few times I was able to stock up on something at a sale price I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. And using it helped me start to recognize the cycle of sales my grocery store uses--about how often chicken breasts go on sale, for instance.

In general, strategies that rely on stocking up when things are on sale don't work especially well for me because IME they lead to a lot of waste--your cocoa krispies example rings true to me. I plan menus and shop to my menus; if I buy food without a plan to use it, it often doesn't get used. And no matter how cheap it was, it's still a waste to pitch something six months later because it has expired.

Like GaelFC, I ended up feeling like I didn't get enough benefit for my investment of time and money in the Grocery Game.

Your second question: I have a friend who feeds a family of 8 on a grocery budget of $70/week. I don't buy a lot of what I think of as convenience foods, but she makes things that I think of as "ingredients"--she makes her own yogurt, her own rice milk, her own tomato paste. She cans her own fruits and vegetables. Heck, she even has her flour ground from grain at a local mill! Moving a little bit farther down the processing chain in any area where you feel comfortable and competent to do it can be one way to save money on food while buying whole foods.
posted by not that girl at 4:48 PM on October 12, 2006

As far as other ideas for meals made with whole foods, I've gotten some good advice and recipes from Hillbilly Housewife over the years. While I don't follow her meal plans and grocery lists, and while some of her products are not ones I normally buy, she does have interesting advice for reducing grocery bills and eating healthily.

I know her site has been mentioned on the green before, and there was a pretty good discussion of cheap groceries. Maybe if I have more time I'll look for it.
posted by mosessis at 7:22 PM on October 12, 2006

Okay, so apparently I don't have enough to do, because here I am, five seconds later, looking for these links. I really like your question and it's a major concern for me, too [I want to eat healthily, but I'm broke]. Here's what I'm finding.

HH on the blue
and a second time
semi-related askme thread about cheap basic diets
another semi-related askme thread about being vegetarian because of cost

I realise I haven't answered a single bit of your question about The Grocery Game or whether or not there are decent coupons available. So I'm sorry about that. But I hope this helps on your alternate question.
posted by mosessis at 7:32 PM on October 12, 2006

mosessis: your links are fantastic -- there's a lot of strong content on those webpages... I'm particularly impressed with the Hillbilly Housewife's emergency menus. I'm sure my mom would have appreciated some of those ideas when she was raising her five kids!

And both not that girl and GaelFC are really helping me with my decision about the Grocery Game. It is good to hear that it's only worth the time you put into it, GaelFC. I also appreciated knowing that it gave you some knowledge of the sales cycles, not that girl.

If I were to start looking at saving money on the grocery bill as part of the "saving money game", I could probably really get into it and devote the time necessary to succeed. As of now, I'm thinking that I'll arm myself with those emergency menus, which would be traded off with regular weekly menus (that currently involve a lot of Indian, Mexican, and Chinese-style cooking) for maximum variety and savings.
posted by parilous at 9:01 AM on October 13, 2006