Channel 11 Tests 'The Grocery Game'

Do you want to save money on your groceries and have fun doing it? Then check out The Grocery Game. It could cut your bills by 50 percent or more.

Target 11 consumer investigator Robin Taylor said she was skeptical at first, but after she found people who swear by the game, she changed her mind. The average savings for a family of four is about $500 a month.

VIDEO: Woman Saves On Groceries

Teri Gault is the founder and CEO of The Grocery Game. She went shopping with Channel 11 at the Giant Eagle in Wexford and demonstrated how it works. Her goal was to save $100 on about $150 worth of groceries, so Channel 11 put her to the test.

“Today we got a great BOGO on these strawberries," Gault said. "BOGO means buy one, get one free, did you know that?” Gault loves a BOGO.

She uses a list available to The Grocery Game members that combines store specials with manufacturers' coupons. Shoppers pay about $5 a month for an online membership.

"A lot of people think that coupons are for junk food, but there we have a coupon for organic pretzels," Gault said as she loaded up the cart.

She stocks up on non-perishable items when there is a special, because they go in cycles and probably won't go on sale again for another three months.

"Organic is organic,” she said. Gault said there’s no need to buy the brand name product when the generic costs less and is the same quality.

Surprisingly, Gault isn't a big fan of Costco or Walmart. She prefers the supermarket because stores like Giant Eagle will double coupons.

"People think that going to Costco is the way to go and it's not, because for one thing, when you have a sale here it's typically going to beat the Costco regular price, plus we're able to double coupons," she said.

And she showed example after example.

"Seven cents an ounce at the grocery store, at Costco, the same Hidden Valley Ranch (salad dressing) is 21cents an ounce,” she said. “It costs three times as much at Costco."

Gault boasts she never pays full-price for anything except milk and eggs.

“If they ever say 'limit two chickens at this price' or 'limit four roasts,' buy the limit, because it's a great deal," she said.

After the shopping cart was filled, came the true test: Could The Grocery Game deliver $100 in savings as promised?

It seemed doubtful. The grand total is $139, but then coupon after coupon brought the price down, down, down.

The cashier said, "You have a total of $39.41."

Amazing! She spent $39 for a cart full of groceries.

"I have a little bit of an endorphin rush right now. What can you do? It's always fun to save money,” Gault said with a big smile on her face.

Channel 11 also talked to a stay-at-home mom who has been playing The Grocery Game for the past four years and she swears by it. But it does take time. She spends about an hour a week making up her grocery list.

Another downside is that you can’t be loyal to certain brands. You have to buy what’s on sale, but unlike the shopper’s clubs, you don’t have to buy large quantities.

For more information, go to the Grocery Game website.

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