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Here’s a novel way to save money on groceries. Type your grocery list into GroceryServer.com, then watch as it matches sales and coupons to your items. To use the site enter your zip code – full registration is not required. A search near me returned more grocery stores than I realized existed in my town! I submitted this list, which I plan to buy later today:
Woolite
salsa
peanut butter
apples
chips
carrots
hummus
string cheese
chocolate chips
grapefruit juice
The site found 10 stores with items on my list that were on sale, plus one coupon. It broke down my list into categories of items, then showed me which supermarket had the best prices for each item. It even had a date when the sale price was going to end! I can uncheck stores I’m not interested in, and save my grocery list. GroceryServer currently works with 200 grocery flyers from stores across the country and covers all 55,000 zip codes, according to the FAQ page. You can print coupons directly from the site, though that requires you to install a bit of software and to connect with the site through Facebook.
Ok, now for the downsides. I couldn’t specify which brand I wanted to buy, and returning only one coupon is measly. Seriously, there are no other coupons available? To fully use the site, you must connect via Facebook. Bummer there is no option to register directly with GroceryServer.
The site was founded in August 2010 and is based in Michigan. To read more about GroceryServer.com, see their FAqs page. The site makes a little bit of money each time you print out a coupon and is working with brands for additional revenue. If you’re interested in saving money on groceries, you might also check out Flyerside, a site that lists grocery sales or my weekly roundup of grocery coupons for 12 different markets.
February 15th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Thanks for the post! Here’s a link that loads your list directly into Grocery Server:
http://www.groceryserver.com/groceryserver/gs/index.jsp?items=coupons|Woolite|salsa|peanut+butter|apples|chips|carrots|hummus|string+cheese|chocolate+chips|grapefruit+juice&run=true
Included the magic word “coupons” to show ALL the coupons in the system – not just the ones that happen to match items on your list (be sure to click the “show more” link to see all of them).
Tip: you can create these “prebuilt list-links” using the “Share” button at the top of your list. Every Friday we share the weeks coupon matchups this way on Facebook.
Thanks again – we love your site!
The GS Team
February 16th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
I didn’t see a place to type in MY grocery list. I input my zip code, checked possible stores, but the lists were already provided. I also didn’t see where to input “the magic word ‘coupons’ . . .” I fail to see the value of this, perhaps because it’s not clear to me how it works.
February 17th, 2011 at 11:23 am
@Diane It’s easier than you think. Click your mouse where you see the existing list. Then just delete what’s there to add your own grocery list. You can also copy and paste in from another place. You don’t type in coupons. The site automatically searches for coupons for everything on your list.
February 18th, 2011 at 9:43 am
looks like a cool site, but 2 of the stores it shows, one has been closed for years (brunos,) and the other kroger is not in my area at all, and it doesn’t show walmart which is right down the road, can you either delete the stores that are not in your area or find out where they are supposed to be?
February 18th, 2011 at 10:20 am
@debbie Yes, you can delete stores you’re not interested in. Look for an X mark next to each store and click on it to remove it. As far as adding stores, I’m not sure. Try emailing the site and asking them to add it.
February 18th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Thanks for checking out Grocery Server and providing us feedback!
@diane: bargainbabe is right, the items that show up on the homepage are only suggestions from a basic preloaded list, and can easily be deleted. Once you type in your zip code simply delete the items in place and start adding those you would like to search for, hitting enter after each item to add another. The magic word “coupons” is to pull up ALL manufacturer’s coupons without searching item by item. Just type in “coupons” to the bottom of your list in the same entry box and voila!
@debbie: We are currently indexing more than 200 grocery retailer’s weekly circulars across the United States and adding new chains every day. Because we are a new website, if you don’t find deals from the store down the road, we just haven’t quite gotten to it yet. Specific requests can be e-mailed to coverage@groceryserver.com – make sure to provide the store name and its geographic location and we will get on it!
February 19th, 2011 at 12:33 am
@BB and GroceryServer: Neato (about typing in my products, that is)!
No coupons appeared, but I was able to specify brands, and some came up.
How often are the products updated? I would guess daily, but please confirm.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:51 am
Not so neato. The list I created disappeared. I re-created it. Got a bonus–a coupon I will use which didn’t appear the first time. Tried to print the coupon and was told I’d “reached the limit of coupons [I'm] currently eligible to receive.” Huh? So now my list is gone (and I don’t want to create it again for the third time), and apparently I’m eligible for zero coupons. Help!
February 19th, 2011 at 10:51 am
I had problems with it as well. I heard about a new site at Church. http://www.mygroceryspy.com It compares prices at the top stores here in Atlanta. From what I’ve read, it updates twice a week and shows where the lowest prices are on a few hundred items. It helps me build a menu around the lowest prices. You can print out your shopping list or have it sent to your phone. (I’m not savvy enough for that though) I love using this site.
March 1st, 2011 at 12:30 am
@GroceryServer: Where are you? A couple of us need your help!
March 1st, 2011 at 9:30 am
@ Diane: Sorry about that! There is a software that must be installed once, and then you should be good to go on printing! If you need to edit your shopping list, instead of using the brower arrows, simply click on the tab that says “Edit List” after you’ve searched. It will be to the left of the “My List” tab. Please let me know if there are other questions and you’re welcome to e-mail the info@groceryserver.com address for more questions. Thanks again for the feedback!
March 1st, 2011 at 9:31 am
@ Diane: Sorry about that! There is a software that must be installed once, and then you should be good to go on printing! If you need to edit your shopping list, instead of using the brower arrows, simply click on the tab that says “Edit List” after you’ve searched. It will be to the left of the “My List” tab. Please let us know if there are other questions and you’re welcome to e-mail the info@groceryserver.com address for more questions. Thanks again for the feedback!
March 2nd, 2011 at 12:53 am
@GroceryServer ~ So %&*#! frustrated! Why isn’t it stated upfront that software must be installed?!! Why isn’t the site to do this clearly indicated? I got as far as Catalina something-or-other and then somehow got diverted to somewhere else. Also can’t find the coupon I found previously. It’s just as well because, even if I did, I can’t print it!
March 2nd, 2011 at 10:51 am
@ Diane – Once you hit print on the coupon it should automatically prompt you to install a printer application. You shouldn’t have to leave the site to complete the process. The installation is a one time deal, and then you can print seamlessly from then on. Which coupon were you having trouble relocating? We understand frustration with computers and will gladly walk you through the process or any additional questions you have!
March 2nd, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I was trying to print a Lean Cuisine coupon, $1.10 off 3, or something like that. The problem AT HOME required the “administrator’s” approval. While I know the administrator name on the computer my husband and I share (other applications needing approval automatically bring up the Administrator window and I simply click OK or something similar), neither he nor I knows how to go there on our own.
I just tried installing the printer application here at work. It went well (no administrator requirement), I got the message the installation was successful, and my coupon would print as soon as I closed out of the application. That didn’t happen either, and I am clueless as to why.
Last night I sent a message to the URL you provided for assistance, but I am tired of working so hard trying to use the Grocery Server site. And now with obstructions both at home and at work–enough is enough. Thanks anyway.
March 2nd, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Here we go again. I wrote a detailed comment, wanted to edit one little item, and it literally went dark and then was no more.
So, again:
@GroceryServer ~ The problem with the computer at home is the administrator’s approval was required to install the printer application. While I know the administrator’s name on the computer I share with my husband, I don’t know how to call the administrator directly for approval. Generally, the window comes up automatically and I click OK (or something like that) for approval.
However, I just tried to install the printer here at work. It went well and easily–no administrator needed. I was told the installation was successful and the coupon would print as soon as I closed out of the installer. Yay! EXCEPT NOTHING PRINTED. (The coupon was for Lean Cuisine: $1.10 off 3, if I correctly recall.)
Finally, last night I even wrote out my woes to the e-dress you provided. No response as yet, but it doesn’t matter. I am tired of working so hard to use the Grocery Server site, and I have WASTED too much precious time in the process. Thanks anyway.