Using the Internet to maximize your coupons:
(I have to apologize...we have been having major computer problems and I have not had access to a computer.)
There are some wonderful websites that will do all of the work for you in sorting and letting you know what deals are available. I am going to review the ones that I have visited or used. If you have any others that you would like me to check out, please let me know and I will be happy to do so.
The grocery game: This is a FEE based service. The first month is $1, then depending on how many stores you want to have information about it is $10 for the first store and $5 for each store after that.
Pros: It sorts deals by color. Black means you should buy only if you need it, blue are the best deals for stockpiling, and green means FREE. You can create a shopping list and sort in five different ways, but you can't customize your sorting criteria.
Cons: Cost. For me to do all of the stores around me it would be $35 a month! That does not include all of them. It also does not appear to be up to date. This week stores are doing triple coupons and that is not reflected in the stores' ad.
Bottom line: If you need to be told, "Go and get this." This may be the option for you. The trial month includes all the stores in your area, so you may try it out and see if it is for you. The cost and the fact it does not include all of my local grocery stores deters me from using this site.
I give it 1 out of 5 Stars.
Coupon Mom: This is a free service. It is divided up into grocery deals by state, restaurant coupons, free stuff, blog...
Pros: It is free. There are also a lot of articles written that cover different aspects of saving money. You can create a shopping list. It also lists coupons you can use for deals.
Cons: For the state of Arizona, it has one grocery store. I do not personally care for the set up. For each store it will list each deal on one line, but there is no way to sort. There are also more ads on this site than any other I have seen.
Bottom line: If you want to learn about saving money, this is a good place to start, otherwise I would frequent other sites.
I give it 1 out of 5 Stars.
A Full Cup: This is forum based. They sort their forums by drug stores, grocery stores, other stores and then coupon forums and such.
Pros: It is Free to use. I find much better deals with the drug stores and larger chain stores. Their Target coupon generator is great, as well as their coupon database.
Cons: Their local grocery stores for my area is really lacking. This is also due to the fact that it is based on people contributing. You cannot create a shopping list.
Bottom line: I frequent these message boards to find the best deals at drug stores and Target and Walmart. I also LOVE their coupon database. I have not found it very good for weekly grocery deals though (for Arizona).
I give it 3 out of 5 Stars.
Pinching Your Pennies: This is a forum based website. All of the deals that are posted are done by other people. It is sorted by online, brick and mortar, state, freebies and other categories.
Pros: It is Free to use. They do match coupons to products making it easy for you to plan your grocery shopping. The site also gives great forums for emergency preparedness. For those living in Arizona, they also offer a special rate on Sunday newspapers to get multiple sets of coupons.
Cons: You cannot create your own shopping list. I find a lot of information slated towards one state on the boards that are not for my state. The quantitiy and quality of the information varies significantly from state to state. Since it is free to use, some of the states are not very well maintained for local grocery stores.
Bottom Line: If you are looking to maximize your weekly grocery shopping, don't want to spend a lot of money, and live in a frequented state (just visit the site and see when the last updates were) then this is a good value for you.
I give it 4 out of 5 Stars.
Coupon $ense: This is a FEE based service. The first month is $4, and then it is $14 (+ tax for AZ). They also have a forum. Coupon Sense is based in Arizona, but they are also in other western states and are expanding.
Pros: If you are into organization, this is the site. You can sort anyway you would like to (by price, category, coupon, etc...). There is also a savings spreadsheet, so you can enter in your receipts and see how much you are saving. You can also customize your shopping list to give you only categories that you need or want to shop for. There is also a "my alerts" button that you can program certain items you are looking for like "milk" and put the price you are willing to pay. Coupon sense will send you an email when that item is on sale for the price you entered. They also have online training classes to help you learn about their website. You can also have an "instructor" help you if you need the one-on-one help. For those living in Arizona, they also offer a special rate on Sunday newspapers to get multiple sets of coupons.
Cons: It is a Fee based service. There is a learning curve involved with the website which can be overwhelming for many. You do not need to live around the major grocery stores, but it is helpful since you will see deals for all of the stores.
Bottom Line: If you want something that will keep you organized when it comes to grocery shopping, as well as keep track of spending and future deals this is a great place. I really like the fact that they have classes on how to utilize their website, as well as teach you how to use coupons in your area.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
Next: Why buying multiple sets of coupons are worth their weight in Gold!
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