Have you ever used the Grocery Game? It’s a site that helps reduce your grocery bill by highlighting which items are at their full price, which items are on sale, and which items are on super sale or free. The idea is you stick to the Grocery Game list religiously and stock up your pantry, only buying fresh produce or necessities off the lists, which are organized by store.
The catch is that membership to the site costs $10 every 8 weeks for one store list and $5 every 8 weeks for each additional store. Grocery Game offers a four week free trial to newcomers.
I tried the Grocery Game more than a year ago and had mixed results, but a long time reader named Tina swears by the Grocery Game. Her receipt is shown above. Notice her overall savings – 61% off her bill! She says:
By the way…. I saved $43.81 (61%) on my groceries last night by using my Albertson’s card & my coupon list from the Grocery Game. I’ve been using “The List” for a few years now. I’m a single Mom (widow) of a teenage boy so I sure love a deal at the grocery store but – I’ve always loved a deal – my Mom says I have “radar” in my head that just directs me to the deals in stores & always has!
Would you use the Grocery Game?
Related: How to spot a fake coupon (updated today!)
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
I tried the Grocery Game, but they don’t have my store. The only store that was of any use to me was Walgreens, and I’ve found that I can get basically the same information for that and many other stores for free on other sites. (iheartwags.com, iheartcvs.com, and totallytarget.com are 3, moneysavingmom.com has a huge list of stores containing links to sites that do the same thing.) I have to do my own match-ups for my primary store because I’ve yet to find anyone else who does, but it doesn’t take that long.
I tried the Grocery Game. In all honesty I didn’t feel the lists were any better than the FREE lists at CouponMom.com. They only cover a few stores in my area, too. While they did update their process to provide lists at the beginning of the shopping cycle, instead of half way through it it, I still decided it wasn’t worth the $$. I use a variety of sources for deals that others have already published and I do my own for Harris Teeter when they have triples (was too busy to do one during last week’s super doubles). There’s a gal locally that does an excellent list for the other large grocery chain (Farm Fresh), she can be found at thecouponconsultant.com (I hope it was okay for me to list these sources, didn’t put real hyperlinks so my comment doesn’t get filtered out.)
Using the free lists available, saving 60% or not isn’t even a stretch IMO.
OTOH, if someone really isn’t going to check out multiple sites for good lists, then paying for the list might be the way to go. Especially if they have the best list for the stores in your area (good reason to check out the free trial).
I tried The Grocery Game for a little bit, and even paid for a month of it…I won’t do it again. There are too many blogs out there that offer this for free. Yes, maybe there are a few things that are on the list versus other blogs, etc, but it’s not worth it for me.
I used the grocery game for years but I could not get all the deals others got because we only have a HEB and a Walmart for grocerys. And no double coupons here either. I use the free services for Walgreens and CVS and save there.
I have been using the GG for 4-5 years. I’m addicted to it. While it is more time consuming than just going to the market, I think it is less time consuming than searching around at all the blogs out there to come up with what the list gives you concisely. I use Albertsons and Ralphs and between the 2, I always have a well-stocked kitchen for under $100 for a family of 4 weekly.
I used the Grocery Game but found it difficult to run around to different stores with my then infant son. In addition, the deals are usually on a lot of processed foods. I just don’t want to feed my family biscuits, cookies, cereal,and crap like that a lot. I figured that in the end this was not worth it in both time spent and the food I’d be feeding the family.
as far as I can see, I get the same info free at Couponmom, so I cannot imagine spending for it. There are also blogs which list deals for the drugstores and such.
If you sign up for the Free Trial on the http://www.grocerygame.com website please use my email for the person that referred you as I am a current user & will get referral credits 🙂 I will check out those other sites too – they sound like a great deal. I use all the store cards, etc. too….every penny helps that’s fer sure 🙂 Oh! & if you’ve stopped with the GG due to your store not being on the list – check it again – they are constantly updating their site 🙂
I’ve been using the Grocery Game for years too. There is NO way I would ever give that service up! It saves me sooo much time then going to the free websites and deciphering what to get what not to get, writing it all down, going to another website, etc. I just quickly login each week, click the items I want and then print out my customized List. There are over 200 items on my List. When I go to the free sites every now and again they don’t post near the amount. They miss so much. I think it is because The Grocery Game posts all the unadvertised stuff not just the stuff on sale in the ad. I pulled out one of my recent receipts. Okay, the receipt shows I bought 91 items. Before savings $324.40 after savings $102.02! I saved $222.38 (69% of my grocery bill!!!) Serious! Plus, I do that almost every week! The $10 paid every eight weeks is the best deal in town! Anyhow, that is my 2 cents! My grocery bill is about 400.00 a month for a family of four! Not bad.
The Grocery Game appears to be a very viable method for a lot of folks, which is great. However, with a bit of discipline and the adoption of eating whole rather than processed food, it is entirely possible to slash the monthly food bill without having to “play the Game”. Have been spending $150/m for 2 people for 7 yrs. Anyone can do it.
I would not pay for a grocery store shopping list; I do this myself from the weekly ads, for free!
However there is one more very vital way to save on groceries – and that is, by going to select ethnic grocery stores! I do this with amazing savings results. Pluck up your courage and enter a Mexican, Armenian or Iranian store – you are in for some great bargains on fruits and veggies and you can try some amazingly yummy cheeses meats and other foods!
@ Marie, you are so right about the ethnic grocery stores. I go to an Armenian market in Atwater Village CA and they are sooooo cheap and good. It’s Super Ranch Market. They also have one in Altadena. You almost feel like you’re stealing something. Ie you can get feta cheese for $2.29 lb, 7 bunches of parsley for .99 cents, avocado for .69 and the deals go on and on.
@Marie Aivazian and Jenniffer Ditto! I love local ethnic grocery stores because the prices are amazing and the quality is as good as the regional chains. The experience is totally different, but not in a bad way. Just different. If you have an open mind and want to save, I highly recommend it.
I agree with the other comments, I have used the grocery game, but find coupon mom.com to be a better site for free.
I’ve used the grocery game when I first started couponing, and it helped me to start noticing how the stores cycle their sales, but after a couple of months, I was able to do that on my own for free and also check out free blogs, so I don’t think I’d ever subscribe again. I go to Saving Addiction and Money Saving Mom, as well as some others. They have lists to the stores I want, but also give links to all of the online coupons to help maximize savings.
I love the Grocery Game! I’ve been using it for at least a year and save a ton that way! I’ve used Coupon Mom site before, but it is not as well laid out and not as accurate. I save at least 50% each time I shop. Before the stores changed their double coupon policy to up to a dollar, I saved even more. I will definitely continue to use it.
Sounds like folks either love the Grocery Game or find it unnecessary because there are free sites that offer similar info. Thanks for all this great feedback!
Evidently, many of your readers do not have anything else to do with their time. My time is valuable so not only does the grocery game save me money (hundreds of dollars every year according to my husband with the MBA) but it saves me hours of work. After looking at all the websites which supposedly give me the same information; I have learned that getting all the unadvertised sales, figuring out what is a good deal and matching sales with coupons is a very time-consuming process. For $1.25 per week, the grocery game makes my trip to the grocery store so easy, fast & cheap that I can’t imagine not using it.
I think that “sharon” didn’t need to put that rude comment about some of your readers “not having anything else to do with their time”. No reason to be rude EVER
I agree, Sharon was rude. I hope your MBA husband uses his degree for more than to figure out if the grocery game is worth it. I know I put my Master’s to much better use.