Bargain hunt done for you
Web site tells its members best deals via sales, coupons
Mary Ethridge
Beacon Journal
 |
Michael Berberick of suburban Columbus,
co-founder with his wife of the Grocery Advantage, shows
groceries priced at a total of $50.02 that he bought with
coupons for $14.42. |
Michael Berberick and wife Montelle LeVering of suburban
Columbus have seven children, ranging in age from 2 to 20.
Yes, they say, their life can be exhausting. And expensive. But
the couple -- who were high school sweethearts -- have learned not
just to pinch pennies, but to wring them mercilessly.
Berberick and LeVering have developed a system they say can
save people between 40 percent and 50 percent off prices at
bargain giant Wal-Mart stores, and 75 percent to 100 percent off
regular prices at mainstream grocers such as Giant Eagle and Tops.
For $10 a month, the Grocery Advantage provides subscribers
with access to a weekly list of the biggest bargains in Northeast
Ohio, taking sales and coupons into account. The list contains
both advertised and unadvertised sale items. (They find those by
roaming store aisles.)
On its Web site --
www.thegroceryadvantage.com -- subscribers can search area
deals several ways, including by store chain, product category or
percentage saved. You can also eliminate categories. Turn off the
baby items if you're childless, or cut out the pet food if you
don't have animals.
The savings can be substantial. Here's a typical scenario:
Garnier hair color usually sells for $7.39 a box at Tops, but the
chain has it on sale for $4.99 this week. There's also a $1.50
coupon in a recent circular. That means you'll pay only $3.49, a
savings of $3.90.
Northeast Ohio residents can sign up for a 30-day free trial of
the service.
I've seen a lot of so-so Internet coupon sites in the past few
years, so I signed up for the trial with skepticism. I ended up a
convert. It's not really a coupon site. It's a tool for precision
shopping.
Susan Ward, a mother of two in Rootstown Township, has been
using the Grocery Advantage for several weeks.
``Every time I go grocery shopping, I'm saving $60 to $70,''
she said. ``It's worked out well for me.''
Theoretically, you could do what the Grocery Advantage does on
your own -- research all the bargains, match them with coupons and
rank them various ways. But most of us don't have that kind of
time. Even if we did, who'd want to spend it doing that?
How the system works
You don't need a credit card number for the trial, but you'll
need one if you decide to subscribe after the trial.
There are a few shortcomings to the system. For one thing, the
service for our area includes only Giant Eagle, Tops and
Walgreens. Other stores, including Acme Fresh Markets, will
probably be added when more Northeast Ohio subscribers sign up,
Berberick said. (The service was just launched here a few months
ago.)
Wal-Mart isn't included because it doesn't double coupons and
has few sales, Berberick said.
``Stuff that's on sale with coupons is almost always cheaper
than Wal-Mart's everyday low prices,'' he said.
Not all brands are listed -- only those on sale or offering
coupons. However, if you're willing to change brands for a week --
for instance, buying Suave shampoo instead of Prell -- you'll save
a bundle.
The site often refers to coupons in circulars from several
weeks ago, so you'll have to save them from week to week. That's a
drawback for those of us who hate clutter. And when you're just
starting on the service, chances are you won't have those past
coupons on hand.
Nevertheless, the site is well worth the price of admission. On
my first trip through, I put together a list of of groceries that
would cost $201.83 at full price at Tops. Using coupons and
finding sales through the site, I discovered I could purchase them
for less than $80. I would save more than $120 if I followed
through. That would pay for a year's subscription to the service.
Worth investing time
It takes a while to read the reports and create a shopping
list. Carve out at least a half-hour to an hour for the task,
depending on how extensive your list is. After that, you'll still
have to cut the coupons, but the site tells you the name and date
of the circular and the page number where each can be found.
The reports on each grocer are updated once a week, when stores
announce their sales; the information is accessible on the Web
site within 24 hours. Live help is always available.
Berberick designed the software for the Grocery Advantage. An
electrical engineer by education, he worked for years revamping
processes for companies, from customer service to shipping. He is
constantly updating the site, adding ways to search and retailers.
The Grocery Advantage is worth a look. The free trial will be
over in a few weeks, so now's the time. Let me know how it works
for you.
'
