Grocery Game Update

Well, I've used The Grocery Game for my regular shopping trip twice now and I thought I'd post an update on what I think of it.

I have mixed emotions...

Pros:

* I love the convenience of just checking online for the sales and having them tell me which coupons will work, too. It saves me the trouble of digging through ten million coupons (only slightly exaggerating here--I have three Sundays of coupons and there are SO many--it's overwhelming!) to see *if* I happen to have one for the items on my list.

* It is also easier to see what's on sale when it is listed out, versus flipping through the sales fliers.

* Since I am used to using the sales fliers, I don't feel like I am spending much extra time by clipping the coupons, too.

* It is less than $1 a week for me to have the convenience of someone else "flipping through my coupons and sales ads", so to speak. That is a huge pro!

Cons:

* I will never be able to say that I "saved half off of my average grocery bill" because I have almost always made out a menu and shopped off of the sales ads without the coupons. I might save an extra $10 here and there or even $20 sometimes, but not always. I know there are those that have been amazed at how much they've saved by doing a menu, planning a shopping list, using the sales ads and clipping coupons. I'm just not one of them.

* I was under the impression that The Grocery Game people would tell me when would be the absolute best time to use the coupons I had, but they just tell you every time when you can. I might use a coupon one week because crescent rolls are on sale and then, come to find out, they were on an even better sale the next week and would've been even cheaper if I'd saved my coupon.

* I could do it myself, if I was willing to invest the time.

So, I don't know if that helps anyone or not, but it's my follow up on my experience and thought about using The Grocery Game. I do recommend it, especially if you are a "drop by Wal-Mart on the way home from work" kinda person. I also recommend it if you have never used your sales ads. You can save so much by using them, and, as I'm learning, even more using the coupons with the sales ads. I don't recommend investing the money if you aren't a menu-maker. You will end up with a lot of things that you purchased for cheap that will just sit in your pantry. Not much help, really.

So, I guess I give it a thumbs up and a thumbs down, but the thumbs up is more excited than the thumbs down is sad. How's that for clear as mud?!