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Save Money Playing Grocery Game

Stockpiling Is Key To Saving Money

POSTED: 7:59 pm EST January 26, 2006
UPDATED: 11:18 am EST January 27, 2006

What if you could cut your grocery bill in half without cutting out the stuff you love and without buying only generics? It can happen.

The Grocery Game
For Christine Albani, saving money on groceries is her top priority.

"As most families are, we're on a budget and it's really nice to get a good value for your money," Albani said.

Albani said that she saves a bundle playing the Grocery Game.

"I save about $30 a week for our family," Albani said.

Albani took Consumer Alert to a Web site called TheGroceryGame.com.

Once logged on, the Grocery Game site tells you what is on sale that week, what coupon to use and how many to buy.

"I used to spend hours the night before I went to the grocery store, making my list, deciding what I would make during the week and then going through the flier, going through the coupons. Well, the list tallies everything," Albani said.

Terri Gault created the Grocery Game. She said that the trick is tracking trends.

"This week we're going to see a toiletries trend and, actually, a cleaning products trend -- a whole lot of cleaning products -- and we're going to be stockpiling those at rock-bottom prices and that cycle will repeat in about 12 weeks," Gault said.

"We know that we don't need this much toilet paper, but when we combine the sale with the coupon, we're going to get this for $4 each," Gault said.

In fact, stockpiling is key to the Grocery Game. She said that the biggest tip she has is to clip coupons, but don't stop there.

Check the coupons against your store's weekly flier.

Don't use a coupon until an item goes on sale, and when something is on sale, buy several.

"You're going to build a stockpile, and to find out what you're going to make for dinner, look at your stockpile. Very rarely will you need to run out and get things, except maybe the fresh produce for that particular recipe," Gault said.

Here are some of the deals Consumer Alert found:

Nabisco Graham Crackers:
Regular price: $3.39
On sale: $2
With coupon: $1.50

Ragu Pasta Sauce:
Regular price: $1.69
On sale: 99 cents
With coupon: 66 cents

With a coupon, we got three jars for 66 cents each.

Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt:
Regular price: $3.99
On sale: $1.99
With coupon: 99 cents

In fact, Consumer Alert racked up about $129 worth of groceries, but paid just $50.

"At first, I thought, 'Is it really going to work for our family? We have a small family. Is it something that will work?' It really does. It really saves us money. It's fun," Albani said.

The Web site costs $1 for a four-week trial, and then $10 for every eight weeks after that.

Related Resources:

  • The Grocery Game
  • WOW Coupons

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