Grocery Game Update: Still running strong!

I now have and maintain a good supply of food around the house. I have a well stocked fridge/freezer/pantry and could probably go a month without grocery shopping at all if I had too. I am now to the point where I snap up good deals on things that last a long time and buy the basics and meat as I go for the most part.

I also have a big stock of frozen chicken that I use regularly and replenish during sales. I still snap up the free or almost free items to add variety and save even more. I have a big supply of coupons and continue my weekly trips to make sure I make the most of it. I even get the free items I do not want and donate them. I pay $0 and get a small tax write off!

Overall I am very happy with the grocery game that simplifies my chore of food shopping. Before I would just buy what I needed at whatever price from week to week. Now that I have the database backing me up I have actually cut my grocery bill in half. Well worth the small fee of $10 per 8 weeks!

If you haven't tried it yet I strongly recommend it: http://www.thegrocerygame.com

They have a free trial and you can see for yourself how well it works. Even if you only use fresh ingredients you still stand to save money because of the weekly sales that are tracked and the coupons that can go with it. Just another way to free up more monthly budget!

Kroger: No Longer Accepting Printable Coupons?

I got a printable coupon for a free Digiorno pizza the other day from a Facebook promotion. I was at my local Kroger and attempted to use it. I used self checkout as I always do and I was informed that they could not accept the coupon. I questioned it and the clerk brought over the manager.

He proceeded to tell me that they are no longer accepting printable coupons due to the amount of fraud. I was surprised and told him that I will most likely have to take my business to Publix (big competitor down here in Atlanta) since they do accept them. He seemed unphased by it.

This upsets me as I am an honest person and I have truly legitimate coupons that I print from coupons.com all the time. In order to save money on groceries I may now have to go to a store further away in order to use my online coupons.

At the end of the day I don't really care where my food comes from. Publix and Kroger carry more or less the same products so that is not the issue. I am just annoyed that I have to change because of a few bad apples out there. Such is life!

Coupons + Deals This Week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• FREE cookie from Atlanta Bread Company @ coupon cravings. Become a facebook fan and get a free cookie coupon. No purchase required.
  
• $1.00: 2-pack of Cat5e 7' network patch cables from mwave.com @ slickdeals. June 28 2010 deal. A great deal if you need to network some computers!
  

I can't wait to see what next week brings!

Coupons + Deals This Week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• FREE slice of pie from Waffle House. No purchase needed. Visit wafflehouse.com and sign up to receive their emails to get the coupon!
  
• Earthfare: FREE 1lb of pork chops with any $5 purchase. This was great. I bought 2 pounds ($4.99/lb) of pork chops and got them for $5.58 out the door @ coupon cravings.
  

I can't wait to see what next week brings!

The Grocery Game: Update

It has been nearly 3 months since I started using the grocery game to save money on food. I was skeptical at first since it is a paid service. I decided to use the 4 week free trial and see if it really worked for myself.

The result: I save a lot of money. I pay $10 for 8 weeks access to the database. The coupons, sales, and tracking make it well worth my while to invest in it. I also subscribe to the local Sunday newspaper to automate getting the coupons each week.

According to my Kroger receipts I save 45% to 60% on my total bill. This does factor in their "regular price" so after looking at coupons only I save around 30% or more each time I go. I now have a decent stockpile of food and simply stock up on what is on sale this week when I run low.

Overall I have to save it is worth the investment. I am saving a great deal of money that I otherwise would spend even after the cost of newspapers and the website access. Give it a try yourself and you will see how much of a difference it makes!

Coupons + Deals This Week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• $0.30 Dial Liquid Hand Soap @ Kroger. I found this myself! The 6/13 Red Plum insert has a coupon for 0.35 off which doubles. The soap is on sale for $1.00 this week at Kroger.
  
• Fuddruckers: Buy one get one free Prime Burger @ coupon cravings. I love their burgers and I like half off too!
• FREE toothbrush from Walgreen's after coupon @ coupon cravings. Just in time because I need one!
• $0.42 (each) after coupons for 2x Kraft Macaroni and Cheese from Walgreen's @ coupon cravings. I love Mac N Cheese and at this price I had to jump on it!
  

I can't wait to see what next week brings!

Coupons + Deals This Week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• FREE Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cup @ CVS. Get printable coupon @ coupon cravings.
• FREE Bayer Aspirin @ Walgreens. Use in-ad (at store) store coupon + printable coupon @ coupon cravings.
• $0.74 Dawn Dish Liquid @ Walgreens. Use in-ad (at store) coupon + P&G 6/6 0.25 off coupon from Sunday paper insert @ coupon cravings.

I can't wait to see what next week brings!

Coupons + Deals This Week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• Redbox Text Club: Sign up here to get a free movie rental every month from redbox!
  
• Target: Eggo waffles for $0.75 with printable coupon @ coupon cravings.
  
• Waffle House: FREE fountain Coke. No purchase required!
  

I can't wait to see what next week brings!

Coupons + Deals This Week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• WalMart: $1: 40 oz Heinz ketchup. I love ketchup! I also love cheap ketchup! No coupons needed just go stock up!
• WalMart: $0.19 Corn on the cob. This is as cheap as it gets folks! 19 cents an ear is a really good price!
• Arbys: FREE Jr. Chicken Sandwich with any purchase @ Coupon Cravings. Follow directions on the blog post to get the coupon.

Deals seem to be picking up! I am looking forward to more this week!

Coupons + Deals this week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• Free Kotex Sample Pack @ Coupon Cravings
  
• 2 FREE Suave deodorants from Dollar General @ Coupon Cravings
• Free Full Size bottle of Suave Shampoo @ Money Saving Methods
  

It has been a little better this week with the deals. Things look to be picking up for the summer. Bring on the freebies!

Coupons + Deals this week

This is a weekly post of all the good deals that I have found online that are of note. They usually include free or deeply discounted items. A lot of them require coupons that are printable. Easy and free is the goal here!

This Week's Findings:

• Walgreen's: Schick Hydro 3 or Hydro 5 Razor for $2.99. Requires Sunday paper. Use $5 off coupon from 5/9/2010 Smart Source Coupon insert. Good deal! @ Coupon Cravings
  
• 5/11/2010 ONLY: QuikTrip: FREE 32 oz fountain drink. No purchase required. Simply "Like" them on Facebook and print coupon. @ Coupon Cravings

It has been a thin week of deals. It seems that this time of year has companies in a lull as far as great deals are concerned. Hopefully more next week!

Coupon deals this week

This week has been a slow one for coupons but I still got a couple great deals.

Here is what I found this week:

• Buy one get one Lay's Kettle Cooked chips. (Free printable coupon from Facebook fan page via coupon cravings)
• FREE Rayovac batteries. (Via printable coupon for Walmart at coupon cravings)
• $0.25 each for (2) Green Giant frozen boxed veggies (Via cellfire and printable coupons thanks to the grocery game)

This stuff adds up! I used to think coupons were a hassle and not worth the time or effort. I now utilize them, the grocery game, coupon cravings, and my own research to save me hundreds per year. Every coupon I use efficiently is more money for savings and debt reduction!

Coupon deals this week

This week I got a couple great coupon deals. I plan on doing more regular posts like this to share the extremely good deals that I find online and utilize. I am always on the lookout for great deals that save me money.

Here is what I found this week:

• FREE TGI Friday's frozen potato skins at Walgreen's (after printable coupon at coupon cravings)
• FREE Scotch-Brite sponge at WalMart (after printable coupon at coupon cravings)
• $1.99 cooked rotisserie chicken at Kroger (after $2 off eCoupon loaded onto Kroger card at Kroger.com)

This stuff adds up! I used to think coupons were a hassle and not worth the time or effort. I now utilize them, the grocery game, coupon cravings, and my own research to save me hundreds per year. Every coupon I use efficiently is more money for savings and debt reduction!

Target: Free CFL Light bulb and Airwick this week!

Lately I have been really into coupon deals and this is one of the best I have see in a long time. All you have to do is print off the coupons from the 2 sites and you get the items for free (plus tax). In my case I got the CFL bulb and Airwick for 35 cents out the door!

Follow the instructions here to get you free stuff at Target!

Enjoy!

Coupon Cravings!

In light of my recent pay drop I am looking heavily into coupons and cutting down my variable costs. CouponCravings.com has allowed me to do exactly that. They post great deals every day that I otherwise would not know about and possibly miss out on. It updates throughout the day so I recommend checking at least twice.

Here is a few examples of what I have gotten from the deals:

• FREE Arby's Sandwiches w/drink purchase
  
• FREE after rebate Windex and Scrubbing Bubbles
• $0.25 per can for Campbell's "Cream of" soups
• FREE movie premiere passes
• Various free product samples
• Lots of printable coupons for just about anything

This site is a great resource for saving money on everyday items. They do a lot of the homework and math for you. It saves time and money!

The Grocery Game!

Over the weekend I decided to give the Grocery Game a try. It has a 4-week free trial so I have nothing to lose. I was very impressed with my results so far. If it is consistent enough I could save a lot of money every week!

Here is the idea: The webmaster of the site, Teri, does research into all of the major chain grocery stores and drug stores including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Publix, and the list goes on. She has a database that tracks prices and trends every week. She combines this data with available coupons from various sources to save lots of money. It works!

Aside from the site you will need these to get started and maintain the grocery game:

• Loyalty card from your store of choice (if they have one)
• The sunday paper every week (buy it or subscribe)
• Visit her online coupons section for printable coupons and electronic coupons
• Discipline to keep track of all the coupons available and collect them
  

The "fine print": Teri claims it takes about 12 weeks (the alleged cycle of pricing at grocery stores) to fully utilize her system to save the most money. The service does cost money. It is $10 every 8 weeks ($65 a year) for 1 store's data. The price goes up in smaller increments if you want to track more than 1 store. I am running on a 4-week trail (free) on Kroger to see how it goes.

Every Tuesday afternoon she releases the list for that week. She color codes the items. Some are free after coupon(s) (you just pay tax) and others are highly discounted when using more than one coupon. It is a very interesting concept and I am willing to try it. She denotes the items that are near the historical "rock bottom" and you should stock up on them that week (Saturday is the last day for weekly prices).

My experience thus far? I have saved a good bit already. I got 8 cans of Del Monte tomatoes for $0.37 each and 2 boxes of Success boil-in-bag rice for $1.50 per box. Versus the normal prices my first $10 fee is already "paid for" via the savings. If this keeps up I will continue to utilize the system indefintely.

The only downside I see is that every week you MUST get a Sunday newspaper to get the coupons. Obviously you will save more than the cost of the paper but it takes time to clip and sort them and build up inventory. I will be slow at first but will get faster as time goes by. I will report again after my 4 week trial (April 26th) with my true savings.

Have you tried this?

Saving Money: Groupon.com

Recently I have become a big fan of Groupon. The server many large cities around the USA and offer great deals. Recently I landed $10 for $25 at one restaurant and $15 for $35 at another. This brings the cost of eating/drinking out down to a very reasonable level.

Groupon is great as the deal changes daily. They do a lot of bars and restaurants but also do spas, stores, car care, etc. It is a great way to save money on the things we enjoy. They also make great gifts and a cheap way to try a new place without paying full price. If I am traveling to one of their covered cities I will monitor that as well to see if I can pick up some deals before I go.

The coupons allow me to plan ahead and bank a few pre-discounted meals and outings. I can go out with friends and not spend an arm and a leg. Suddenly places I could not normally afford are affordable. I like investing in experiences and this is one way to do it cheaply! Check it out today!

Saving Money: Coupon Resource

Lately I have come to love my coupons. I have found some great ones that I have taken advantage of such as free sandwiches at Arbys, Groupons for restaurants, Restaurant.com 80% off deals, and the list goes on. This stuff adds up fast!

I found a site that is updated constantly with great deals. It is actually a blog that I found out about from a friend and I find myself checking several times a day now. Their are many great deals to be had. Here is the site:

Coupon Cravings

This site has printable coupons that are on popular items such as food, household, travel, and many others. Some of them can be a little tricky to get but always worth the trouble. In today's economy I am always looking to save a buck and this helps a lot. It takes care of a lot of the searching for me!

Have a look and start saving more today!

Great Arby's Coupon!

I have found this coupon for Arby's online and have used it multiple times. You get a free RoastBurger sandwich of your choice with any drink purchase. Total cost is $1.59 plus local sales tax and is a good deal. The sandwiches are pretty good!

The coupon expires on July 16, 2009 but seems to keep changing expiration dates every few days. I am not sure how long this will last so get it while you can!

On a side note they also currently have freebie Wednesdays where they offer some sort of free item with purchase (usually a drink) and it changes every Wednesday. This is a great way to have a quick cheap eat on the go. For example, this week's freebie is a regular roast beef with drink purchase.

Enjoy!

Rebates on Beer!

I bet the title of this post got some readers' attention! I was at the grocery store the other day here in Atlanta and I discovered that both Coors and Miller products had rebate forms attached to the 12 packs. It is summer time so this is a good deal for those having backyard cookouts with a group of people.

I read the details of the $15 rebate and found that you have to buy a combination of any 3x 12 packs (bottle or cans) of either Miller or Coors beers. After tax this works out to be about 50% off or $5 per 12 pack out the door! Not bad!

The stipulations of the offer here locally stated that all 3x 12 packs must be on the same receipt and you have to save the UPC's from the boxes. The original receipt must be submitted with the form. Pretty standard rebate stuff. This particular offer ends 7/12/09.

I had friends over last weekend so this worked out well for me. It will be nice when the $15 check shows up, most likely unexpected, and I will throw it towards debt payment.

Their are quite a few different rebates on beer out there at the moment. I have seen many including: $15 back for 3 Bud Light products, the 2 mentioned above, and $15 back when you buy $15 or more worth of steak or seafood AND 1x 12 pack of bud products. $15 will get me some good steaks for free so I will definitely do this one next! This offer ends 8/2/09.

Note that these rebates were not available in all states. Most likely due to state laws prohibiting rebates on alcohol.

Any other cool rebates out there that I have missed on beer? :)