Grocery Game

I joined Grocery Game to help save money at the grocery store. The trial is for 28 days and costs only $1. After that they will charge you every 8 weeks, $10 for the 1st store and $5 for each additional store.

They tell you the weekly sales for the stores in your area (you pay by the store). They also tell you which coupons to use to maximize your savings (and when the coupon ran). They also give you links for printable coupons.

For the trial, I signed up for all the stores in my area, but will probably whittle down to 2-3 when I start paying full price. How many stores I sign up for will depend on how much I save between now & then.

If you sign up, please use my email for a referral. cats75@embarqmail.com

Thanks so much.

Grocery Challenge

Ok, this year I am also vowing to spend less at the grocery store. I found a blog Jane4Girls that she feeds her family of 4 for $800 or less a year. Now, I know that we can not do that with 7 of us. But, I am going to try to do it for no more than $1600 per year. In 2007 I spent that much in 2 months, so it will take some buckling down.

My first strategy is to use what we have first. After I've done all I can do with what we have, then I will buy groceries....buying on sale items and using coupons.

DH went shopping yesterday (not my best move if I'm trying to save money), but he did want to eat out, and I nipped that in the bud by making breakfast.

Once, I locate the receipt, I will update this post.

I will also take the cost of my Sunday paper out of the budget, because the only reason I buy it is to get the coupons.

$1600 - $1.50 (paper) = $1598.50 left in budget for 2009

Grocery Shopping

Just spent 3 hours and $250 grocery shopping.

Our freezers, pantries, and fridge were basically already full and stocked, but I don't want tohave to go shopping again until at least July. Plus, we've ordered the box & all 3 specials for the Angel Food for May and will also place a June order, so I am sure we will be fine.

Our freezers were already full of meat, so all I bought meatwise was 20 more pounds of ground beef and sandwich meat.

I focused mainly on breakfasts, lunches, and sides. Any produce we need dh can go get once a week, or as needed.

I saved $30 in coupons, but did not play the grocery game this time (just no time). Have unsubbed from GG until July.

I also have not had time to OAMC like I wanted to, due to all the decluttering/rearranging/organizing I've been doing, but at least I know we have food & I don't have to go shopping.

My pantries (3), my freezers (2) and my fridge are all filled to capacity (we didn't think it was all gonna fit, but thank God it did......nothing like buying too much perishables and it going bad or having to eat it right away).

Tomorrow I am goign to marinade chicken breasts for dump chicken (to just throw in crockpot or on the grill) and we've also got a bunch of other meat that can just be thawed, marinated & tossed on the grill.......so dh can do the cooking until July. I think I can handle the breakfasts, lunches and sides:) We usually have salad every night at dinner, so that's a quick & easy one. I also have homemade bread already baked & frozen for dinners.

Grocery Game 2/3

Last week at one of the grocery stores:


2 free clorox bleaches (reg 2.19 each)
4 clorox floor cleaners for 60c each (reg 2.39 each)
2 automatic air fresheners for $1.50 each (reg 11.99 each)
2 cottonelle fresh wipes for 1.00 each (reg 2.39 each)
2 pks. shout stain removing wipes for free (reg 2.49 each)
2 scrubbing bubbles flushable bathroom wipes for free (reg 2.99 each)
2 pledge furniture polishes for 60c each (reg 4.29 each)
an endust starter kit for 1.30 (reg 4.79)
5 sunsilk shampoos for 40c each (reg 3.99 each)
2 sunsilk styling product for .49 each (reg 3.99)
2 post shredded wheat cereals 1.50 each (reg 3.59 each)
6 swanson pot pies .50 each (reg. 1.00 each)
6 swanson mac & cheeses .45 each (reg 1.00 each)
4# chicken leg 1/4's .27/# (reg .69/#)


spent $ 23.73 including tax......wouldve spent $145.25 w/tax.......saved $121.52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4/8 Grocery Game (post 1/2)

Don't know if any of you know about this website www.grocerygame.com ...

I paid $1 for a 4 week trial. What it does is matches the stores in your area sales (advertised & unadvertised) with coupons that come in your Sunday paper, store coupons and shelf coupons (you know those that you pull out of the little red machine at the store?).

It shows you things you can get free (sale & coupon together to make it free) and things that are worth stocking up on. Some things even with a sale don't make it worth buying (or she tells you to wait b/c there is a coupon coming up soon). Anyways, long story short after the trial period, it's $10 for the first store every 8 weeks (1.25/week) and $5 for each additional store (.625/week). To me, it's worth it, b/c I save over that Wednesday when I shopped.

Here's what I got at the 1st store:
2 6oz. Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice on sale 89c each and had 2 coupons for 75c off each = .28 total for both (14c each)
4 2-4ct. Orville Redenbacher popcorn on sale 1.25 each and 4 coupons (shelf) for 40c off each = 3.40 for 4 boxes of popcorn (16 packs) (85c each box)
2 rolls Bounty Basic Paper Towels 1.00 each 2 coupons for .25 off each = 1.50 total (75c each)
1 32oz. Greased Lightning 2.50 each w/ 1.00 off = 1.50
6 XXL Hungry Man Dinners 40% off each price varied - 2 1.00 coupons = ???(cant find receipts...will update later)
6 Totino's Party Pizzas 1.00 each = 6.00
34 6oz. Breyer's yogurt 50c each X 34 = $17 - $5.50 worth of coupons = 11.50 (or .338 each)

total including tax $38.47 total saved with sales & coupons $38.50.....I saved more than I spent.


2nd store:
3 6oz. Chex Mix sale 99c each 3 50c off coupons = 1.47 (or 49c each)

total spent = 1.53 including tax............saved 3.50 (again saved more than i spent)

I went to 2 other stores, but will post about those later.

I didn't go "grocery" shopping, will do that Saturday at w-m. I did pick up lots of cleaners & some other stuff that we could use.