In Case You Missed It ...
Jul 9, 2009 10:00 pm US/Central
Save On Groceries By Building Shopping List Online
RICHARDSON (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Do you make your shopping list before you head to the grocery store? If not, you could be missing out on big savings. In this Survive in '09 report, learn how some North Texans are getting half off just by creating a list.
When Stacey Thomas of Richardson shopped for groceries, she never put much thought into her list.
"I'm what you would call the lazy stay-at-home mom," she said. "If it's going to take me more than an hour a week to do something, it's not for me."
But, when the economy declined and her husband's salary was frozen, she decided to re-examine her spending habits.
"It was like diving into the deep end of the pool trying to figure out where we could save money," Thomas said.
That's when she discovered an online grocery list and coupon site to designed to help build your shopping list based on the best deals.
"I'm all for having someone else do something for me," Thomas quipped.
Armed with her new money-saving mantra, Thomas uses the site to compile her shopping list to match the deals and coupons each week. She's now cut her shopping bill from more than $650 a month to just $350 a month.
There are many shopping list sites to help you out. Take a look at
Ziplist.com or
GroceryWiz.com. On each of these sites, you can build your list after checking the sales and add notes about coupons for extra savings. Once your list is done, you can email it to your smartphone or Blackberry so you don't have to worry about forgetting your list at home.
"In today's economic times, it is more important than ever for grocery stores to make it easy for their customers," said Connie Yates, spokeswoman for Tom Thumb.
Tom Thumb and
Kroger stores have both made saving money even easier...and digital. Instead of clipping coupons, you can now log onto each store's website and download coupons directly to your reward card.
"If you've got an infant at home, there's baby products," said Rebecca King, a spokeswoman for Kroger. "There's dog food. There's all sorts of different products."
The process for each card is simple. First, you have to register with the store's website. Then, click on one of the three links they've each set-up to other coupon sites. You'll need to register your card on those sites so they know where to load the coupons.
"I don't stress anymore about our budget," Thomas said. "I know I'm never going to be over budget. I know I'm always going to come home with stuff to get us through more than a week's worth of food."
Thomas says her online list and coupon planning has done more than just save her money. She says it's given her peace of mind.
"It's really empowering to just go in and feel confident about the money I'm spending and the food that I'm getting," she said.
During the trip to Kroger with our cameras, Thomas' total bill added up to $157. With the coupons and deals she got by compiling her list online, she only paid $80. That's a savings of more than $75.
Check these sites out to start building your list:
Ziplist.com
GroceryWiz.com
GroceryGame.com
Kroger.com
TomThumb.com
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
RAW VIDEO: 100-Mile Police Chase
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments