This is the 5^th part in my series “One Hour With Teri Gault”, the result of a fantastic telephone interview with Teri, the founder and CEO of The Grocery Game and TeriToday.com.

Disclaimer: Please note that I did not use a voice recorder for this conversation, so all of the answers are paraphrased from memory and very detailed notes, not direct quotes.

I’ve seen several news articles recently about a significant increase in shoppers opting for store brands or generics. How do you see this impacting the availability of good coupons and deals for name brand items?

I haven’t really seen anything about that. I do know more stores are rolling out private label brands, but you use The Grocery Game and know that with The List and coupons you are consistently getting far better deals on name brand items than the store brands.

I really do like the store brands for organics and health foods. I stockpile lots of Muir Glen and Cascadian Farms products, but when I shop for organics that I don’t already have stock piled, the store brands are usually good buys.

I used to only buy generics. Even shopping for the store brands, I ended up spending $250 to $300 a week to feed our family. Now that I use The Grocery Game and other blogs and message boards, I don’t pay full price for anything and have cut our costs down to less than $100 a week.

Do you use private store brands? Are you finding the deals on them to be as good as shopping with coupons or shopping sales?

***If you sign up for The Grocery Game, give me a hand and tell them  sent you.

Don’t forget to leave a comment here or link to my contest for a chance to win a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System with OVER $1000 worth in coupons included.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

This is the 4^th part in my series “One Hour With Teri Gault”, the result of a fantastic telephone interview with Teri, the founder and CEO of The Grocery Game and TeriToday.com.

Disclaimer: Please note that I did not use a voice recorder for this conversation, so all of the answers are paraphrased from memory and very detailed notes, not direct quotes.

What are the trends you see in couponing moving forward? Are paper coupons giving way to printable internet coupons? Are store coupons becoming more widely used? Do you think discount grocery stores like Aldi are changing the way your typical subscriber shops? (ok, that was TECHNICALLY more than one question, but I asked them all at once, so that has to count!)

Aldi has been around for a long time. Their prices are higher at regular price than The List prices are with sales and coupons. It’s a really great place to go for NEEDS items that aren’t on the list, but as your stockpile grows, you’ll find that your needs items will be fewer and fewer and the need to go to Aldi or other discount grocery stores will be less and less.

Paper coupons will always have a place. Clipping a coupon out is like the company putting a business card in your hand. The companies are counting on their coupons to make a lasting impression on the consumer so that when you’re shopping, whether or not you have a coupon, you’ll have that picture in your head and will be more likely to buy that brand of product.

Internet printable coupons have changed drastically over the last few years. They are rising in value, as much as double or more their original values. By providing printable coupons with higher face values, it incentivizes the consumer to print the internet coupons. This lowers marketing costs on printing, shipping, and insertion into the newspapers. This is really a win-win for everyone.

We’ve seen supermarkets change over the last few years, not really as a result of rising prices as much as, in response to stores like Wal-Mart Supercenters. Cub Foods, for example, have begun accepting expired coupons. Many supermarkets have rolled out incentive programs such as their loyalty cards and gas rewards. More stores are doubling coupons that haven’t in the past.

Yet more proof that competition is great for the consumer. I never realized how big an impact Supercenters have on the grocery chains. Teri was definitely right about the stockpiling. My needs list has gotten smaller and smaller over time. Maybe soon, it will be a thing of the past.

Convinced to give The Grocery Game a shot yet? The coupons are calling to you! *Totally shameless Momma again: If you sign up for The Grocery Game, give me a hand and tell them  sent you.

Don’t forget to leave a comment here or link to my contest for a chance to win a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System with OVER $1000 worth in coupons included.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

This is the 3^rd part in my series “One Hour With Teri Gault”, the result of a fantastic telephone interview with Teri, the founder and CEO of The Grocery Game and TeriToday.com.

Disclaimer: Please note that I did not use a voice recorder for this conversation, so all of the answers are paraphrased from memory and very detailed notes, not direct quotes.

With food prices rising at such a faster pace, how does The Grocery Game’s database still accurately determine what is a rock bottom price?

Since the beginning of The Grocery Game, things have been constantly changing. Since trends, shopping habits, eating habits, coupons, and marketing are always changing, we’ve gotten use to being on the move.

We can see how much regular prices are rising because we track over 10,000 items in more than 100 markets and 170 lists. (Uhm.. WOW!) Different categories actually rise at different rates. Take Dairy, for instance. Dairy prices have risen quite a bit faster than other categories.

One interesting thing is that although prices have risen, a lot of the sales prices are the same as they were a year ago.

In a market that seems to be primarily reactive, it was a breath of fresh air to speak with the head of a company that is built on being proactive. Speaking with Teri about their research and development teams, and how they are always on the move, really impressed me. It gave me even more confidence in their product and made me feel like I am always going to get the best deals out there with Teri’s List. There aren’t a whole lot of products out there that give me that confidence.

What are you doing to stay Ahead Of The Curve with the way prices are rising? What tricks are you using to adjust and go with the flow? Seeing new trends? We’d love to hear them!

Don’t forget to leave a comment here or link to my contest for a chance to win a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System with OVER $1000 worth in coupons included.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

After many (many… many… MANY) hours of watching Wes wrestle with Photoshop, I spotted a link on Plurk for logos and entrecards and decided to try an alternate route. If you don’t know, Pete from Bible Money Matters does some pretty spectacular work. Check out some examples here.

Not only was the work done quickly AND beautifully, but the prices are unbeatable. So, if you’re looking for a logo or entrecard graphic for your blog or website, give Pete a try. I did, and I couldn’t be happier.

He even did the new cover for Momma’s Coupon Management System. Can’t wait to roll that one out! See his fabulous work below.

So, THANKS PETE! I hope you get a ton of business.

Don’t forget to leave a comment here or link to my contest for a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System with OVER $1000 worth in coupons included.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

I was so excited when I finally got my Coupon Management System finished and ready to ship that I just had to give one away. In July, Michele of Creative Writings 101 won the first one. This is what she had to say about it on her blog:

“In a couple days I am going grocery shopping with the $100 Visa I won from the My coke rewards site and am getting together my coupons and stuff. I was lucky to win a coupon organizer from http://www.3princessesmomma.com/2008/07/contest-winner-announcement/ and it is just awesome! I am so busy this time of the year and have been meaning to get all my coupons together, and am so lucky I won this because this system is perfect for me! I can find my coupons I need quickly, efficiently, and make the most of the deals to stretch my dollar the furthest. I also put my weekly flyers in the binder, and added pockets for coupons expiring this month, No expiration date coupons, and loose coupons expiring later than this month. I frequently order from coupon services, and plan on adding a pocket for those coupons (since I paid for them I want to use them ALL) and refund forms/cash register receipts and proofs of purchases. If you are pressed for time, and want to start saving money, her system works great. You can do as she suggests or add more according to your own needs, like I did. I also subscribe to the Grocery Game for CVS/Shaws’s Supermarkets, so those weekly lists will be printed out and put with the weekly flyers. There are so many things you can do with her system, and customize it basically to suit you. Go check out her site, and her coupon system. She also has links to other frugal websites which help you to find the best deals.”

I LOVE that Michele has customized the system to suit her needs. When was the last time you had an organization system that you used “out of the box”? I can’t remember any instance where I didn’t add my own touches to it.

I have to admit that I’m tickled pink that I got the color right for her! Michele says “Mine looks exactly like the one above, only the color binder is different, wonder how she knew we liked pink?” Well, one peek at her awesome blog can tell you the answer to that one.

Want one of your own? Leave a comment here or link to my contest for a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System with OVER $1000 worth in coupons included.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

Stop the presses folks, I finally agree that a big corporation’s advertising slogan is right on the money. I hate to shop, or at least I thought I did. I’ve always been the person to go to the store, grab exactly what I need, get to the cash register as fast as I could… and if I forgot something, I’d get it next time. Recently though, I’ve realized that I LOVE shopping at Publix. Why? Well, because of the BOGO offers and my coupons.

This is what I bought this week:
14 – Old El Paso Dinner Kits (reg price $2.95 each)
2 – Honey Bunches of Oats (reg price $3.89 each)
1 - Ziploc Easy Slide Bags
2 – Yoplait Kids 6 pack (reg price $2.79 each)
2 – Pkgs of ink pens
2 – Banquet Chicken Nuggets (reg price $4.99 each)
2 – Baby carrots (reg price $1.69 each)
7 – boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars (reg price $2.89 each)

Total Reg Price: $98.42
I paid: $27.37

I have to admit, while the Drugstore Game is fun and all, I hate shopping at my CVS. They are disorganized, not really sure what their company policies are, and the store isn’t particularly well stocked with advertised items. However, I still get some REALLY good deals there.

This week I got:
3 – 12 packs of Diet Coke
2 – Packages of Lamasil

Total Reg Price: $31.15

• -$4.97 for sale price
• -$5 on $25 order printed register coupon
• -(2) $4 coupons for the Lamisil
• -$12.00 in ECB

I paid $1.18

Kroger deals have been getting scarcer by the week, or maybe their cycles just aren’t including much of what I want for our stock ups. Or maybe I’ve been too spoiled by Publix! Whatever the reason, I’ve pretty much knocked my Kroger shopping down to basic needs in order to continue to get my $.10 off per gallon on my gas. I got two good deals this week, my Pure Protein meal replacement bars and the yummy Pillsbury crescent rolls and pizza crusts. Otherwise, I just picked up things I had to have because Aldi was already closed.

Total Reg Price: $102.81
I paid: $52.11

Hmmmm… looking back up, I realize that maybe I AM spoiled! I just said meh to saving 50% on my Kroger grocery bill. Either way, if you want to save this much money on your groceries and stock up without breaking the bank, consider getting a $1 4-week trial to The Grocery Game (make sure you tell them Momma sent you ) and check out my giveaway for a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

As I mentioned previously, I got to sit down and have a fabulous telephone interview with Teri Gault, the founder and CEO of The Grocery Game. Because she was such a wealth of information, I really can’t dilute the interview down to just a few little quotes. And so… we start….

I did a Google Search for the phrase “The Grocery Game” and it returned 2.85 million search results. Most of those are references to your website. I’ll admit that some of those are from my own blog. How does it feel to know that what started as a way to feed your family on a limited budget is now a household name?

*Please note that I did not use a voice recorder for this conversation, so all of the answers are paraphrased from memory and very detailed notes, not direct quotes.*

It feels really good. I just realized within the last six months that we’ve reached this level of branding. I am thrilled that I’m fortunate enough to have a business that not only makes me money, but it makes me money by doing good for other people.

When I read the book Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich back in April, I read that women shoot themselves in the foot by believing that they can’t “Do Well” and “Do Good” at the same time. So many of us, especially moms, try so hard to Do Good for others that we don’t realize that we can do well for ourselves at the same time. I believe that Teri’s success with The Grocery Game proves that, we actually CAN do both. We can do Good and do Well at the same time.

As I launch my own coupon organization system and begin taking on household finance coaching clients, it’s such a confidence booster for me to know that other women (and men) are doing it. People are making a living by helping improve the lives of others. Not only can it be done, but more and more of us are doing it every day.

Have you found that doing Good is exclusive of doing Well? Have you found ways to do both? Know someone who is doing both? Want to give a reference to a business of someone trying to earn a living by providing help to others? Leave a comment and share.

Don’t forget to leave a comment here or link to my contest for a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

I got the opportunity last night to interview Teri Gault, the founder of The Grocery Game, the system that has changed my entire way of thinking about coupons, saving money, and shopping. I don’t tend to be a skittish person, especially when it comes to talking to strangers, but last night was different for me.  I’m sure she has answered these questions so many times that she repeats them in her sleep. I, however, have only ever interviewed prospective employees and PTA board members.

At 6:45, Wes packed up the children and took them out to dinner and I poured myself a glass of wine and settled in at the kitchen table with my laptop, notebook, ink pen, and telephones. The call was scheduled from 7 to 8 PM, but I totally didn’t think to ask if that meant that the call would COME between 7 and 8 or START between 7 and 8. When the phone rang at 7PM sharp, the butterflies in my stomach took instant and determined flight.

When I answered, within seconds I felt as though I was chatting over a glass of wine with an old friend. Teri has a pretty straightforward manner of speaking, a fabulous sense of humor, and I never once got the feeling that she was watching the clock or was less than completely engaged in our conversation. I would have to say that this was a smashing success for a first interview for me.

We talked almost non-stop for the entire hour, and I wouldn’t be able to do Teri’s interview justice with a few cherry picked quotes in one post. Instead, I’m going to share with you her answers and my thoughts one question at a time in this series. I hope you’ll stick around and share your thoughts on this fantabulous interview with me.

*Shameless Plug* If you sign up for The Grocery Game, please list  as the referral email address.  Thanks bunches!

Last night I shared some pretty exciting news with one of my sisters. News that I hadn’t actually shared with anyone but Wes (and can’t share with you until later this week!!!). She said “wow, I want to be you when I grow up!” Her praise caught me completely off guard and instead of just shutting up and saying thank you, like I should have, I went with my knee-jerk self deprecating response. I responded to her sincere compliments by listing reasons why it wasn’t a big deal and why I admired her so much too.

Folks, I made my sister feel like I didn’t appreciate her admiration and encouragement. I suspect that I also made her feel like I was deflecting her compliments as false, while paying her my own compliments. As soon as the conversation was over, I realized what I’d done. Of course, by then it’s a little too late.

It really made me think about how I view myself and my contributions. Why don’t I see the same value in what I do that others see? I am always so darned flattered that you keep coming back to read the stuff I put out there, but in the back of my mind, I do wonder why. The dreaded “negative self talk” has reared its ugly head.

I’ve spent some time thinking about the negative self talk when it comes to other areas of my life. I talk myself out of going to the gym. I talk myself out of snowflaking that extra $5 toward the bill I should pay. The excuses are many and varied. They all end up the same way though, negatively impacting my ability to move forward in a healthy manner. It struck me like a ton of bricks that I am my own biggest barrier to success. What a huge revelation!

Today, I’m going to remind myself that I AM talented. I AM making a difference in my life and sharing those experiences to help make a difference in the lives of others. I AM smart. I AM worth the extra effort to get my butt to the gym. I AM going to continue to make an income and CAN find the extra $5 in my budget to snowflake toward our debts. We ARE going to get out of debt completely and it’s going to feel fabulous. This is not because of luck, but hard work and perseverance. Those are admirable traits and I need to remind myself that being complimented isn’t a bad thing.

And to my sister, I AM thrilled that there are parts of me that you admire. There are parts of you that I admire too, and I’m glad we can share those differences to enrich one another’s lives.

How do you talk to yourself? Are you encouraging yourself to achieve your goals, or setting up invisible roadblocks?

Don’t forget to leave a comment here or link to my contest for a Free Momma’s Coupon Management System.

As always, if you like what you read here, I invite you to sign up for the RSS Feed, or just Subscribe via Email.

It was Back To School Shopping weekend for us. YL10 is the easiest to please. She declared that she had “outgrown” the Tinkerbell, Disney Princesses, and Hello Kitty phase. Instead, she was all about some monkey and just pretty flowy clothes. She loved everything and was tickled when I offered her a blue jean blazer to “accessorize her separates.”

YL12 is the one who needed the absolute most but found the least to appease her sense of style. She doesn’t like Skinny Jeans (guess what’s “in” right now?). She doesn’t get off on Hannah Montana or any of the other tween stuff. She did go gaga over a $3.99 t-shirt with a robot on it, straight out of the mid 80s. Go Figure. I think we ended up with 4 pairs of jeans and 4 shirts for her.

My biggest challenge is YL15, who is officially a sophomore in high school and desperately needed some more flattering clothes. She isn’t one of the “in” crowd and has taken to wearing a uniform of black or dark slouchy clothes that help her blend in to the walls. I talked her into some really fun tops and two casual dresses. The most expensive part of my weekend was when I realized that YL15’s bras did not fit, as she claimed. It was painfully obvious when she took her shirt off in the dressing room. So, although we were 40 miles away, we cashed out at the first store and headed across town to my favorite lingerie shop to get her a proper fitting.

$100 and 2 new bras later (the fittings are free.. the bras are EXPENSIVE) we were on our way to finish up our shopping closer to home. As always, there are a few things we didn’t manage to get in time for the first day, but we’ll get to it.

I’m so glad school started today. Looks like our regular routine will be back underway soon!