Tomorrow (the 24th) is the last day of my free trial period of The Grocery Game.
For one month, I’ve used the lists as a springboard for saving money.
You have all been reading about my shopping adventures.
Remember…I am not a celebrity. I’m just a regular gal…the kind you run into every week at the grocery store.
I have not been paid by anyone to try this thing out, nor am I being paid to promote various web sites.
As I said, I’m just your ordinary blogging friend.
What have I learned this month?
- Saving money takes some work. Is it worth it? Heck yeah! I used to loathe shopping. Just ask my family. That’s one reason why Chicky started doing it for me.
- Repeat after me: “Thank you, Lord, for technology.” Thanks to the Internet, there are loads of resources available to help you. Remember…Google is your friend. Need a coupon for Kotex (as I did this morning). Just Google it. What about Scotch Tape? I Googled and found a great coupon that I used at CVS this week.
- Stacking coupons saves you even more money. Keep in mind that you can use a store coupon along with a manufacturer coupon on the same item. Use two coupons on B1G1 (buy 1 get 1 free). You’re getting two items, so you can use two coupons. This is in addition to any store coupons you might have.
- Stock up when prices are low. Web sites such as Frugal Coupon Living, Southern Savers, and I Heart CVS put out lists of weekly store sales. Make sure you click on coupon links! Also be sure to check out the comments under these sites’ posts. There are people just like us trying to figure things out. In my case, a coupon wasn’t available at the link provided, but I found it at a different link and posted the information. It’s all about helping out one another.
- Subscribing to the RSS feeds of shopping web sites such as those above saves a lot of time when hunting for new posts. Google Reader is my personal favorite.
- Don’t buy what you don’t think you’ll use. This is something I’ve done a good job of. Although I’ve been uber-excited about all of my savings, I have honestly asked myself questions such as, “Will my family eat this?” and “Will this go to waste before we eat it?” and “How many school supplies do the kids really need this year?” Don’t buy what you don’t need. Or, if something is free, and you can’t use it, consider donating it to a food bank, school, or homeless shelter.
- You will, initially, spend the same amount of money as before. However, as your stash grows, you’ll notice that you don’t need to buy as much. They say it takes about three months for this to happen. I think in my case, it will be about two.
- Save your coupon inserts and write the date on them. Don’t cut them out before you need them! Frugal Coupon Living and Southern Savers refers to the name and date of each supplement when providing coupon information. Trust me. It’s much easier to find coupons this way. And, just because you don’t think you’ll need something, you might change your mind later.
Ok…time for some hard-core evaluating. Will I pay for my Grocery Game subscription?
No.
Here’s why.
After recently discovering the Frugal Coupon Living and Southern Savers web sites, I think I can save money without paying for the “lists.” These sites put out very similar lists only in a different format. Their lists come out the first day store sales begin.
Southern Savers put out this post today that explains that they only list sales that reflect best prices, so if something is on sale but not on their list, try to hold off. Chances are great that the item will be cheaper the next time it’s on “sale.” This is, essentially, what The Grocery Game does only in a different format.
I will, however, continue to read The Grocery Game’s forums. They are free. The ladies there are awesome and will answer your questions quickly and in a friendly manner.
I am so glad my neighbor told me about The Grocery Game. Her small comment got the wheels in my brain turning, and it piqued my curiosity. They say curiosity killed the cat.
Well, in my case, curiosity saved me enough money to buy an entire litter, if I was a cat person!
Quite simply put, shopping will never be the same for me. I like challenges, and that’s how I approach each planned trip to the store. How much can I save? Just how close to free can I get something?
It’s addicting. And it’s like a virus that spreads to those around you.
The gal who bagged my groceries last week watched my bill go from $115 to $37. She asked if I used web sites, and I gave her three to write down.
Today she bagged my groceries again. You could see the look of anticipation as she waited for my total.
$54.55…before coupons.
After?
$16.43.
For this:
I had a coupon for every item in that picture. In some cases, I had two or three coupons.
The Chef Boyardee was free…even a money maker of $.15 after my $1 coupon.
I got six packages of Carefree for $.34…total. That’s $.06 a piece for a savings of 96% on that item alone!
The bagger was amazed…once again…and told me she had visited the sites I gave her and was planning on giving it a shot. I wished her well.
I hope I haven’t bored you with my shopping adventures. I will continue to update my total on the sidebar of my blog. And there will be posts where I can’t contain myself and will just have to share stories of my latest shopping trip.
I hope I’ve inspired you to start saving. If this poor economy does nothing but causes us to be more mindful of what we spend, then at least that’s one positive, right? Why waste money if you don’t have to!
Oh, and for the record, since June 30th, I’ve spent $445.56. I saved $519.12. So, WITHOUT the coupons, I would have spent $965.08. My savings was 54%.
With the numbers laid out like that, I find it a bit disconcerting to think about how much money we’ve been wasting the last few years.
My ultimate goal is to cut grocery and “miscellaneous (i.e. Target/Walmart/CVS)” shopping in half. I think I’m on my way!
Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: couponing, cvs, frugal coupon living, grocery shopping, Saving Money, Southern Savers, The Grocery Game | 2 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 