Giant, safeway roll out electronic coupons
For the first time in my life I’ve been clipping coupons as I try to become more responsible with my money. But being the disorganized person that I am, I often end up at the store and the coupons are still sitting at home on my kitchen table.
Some area grocers are now giving shoppers like me another way to get coupon savings – electronic coupons. Now you can download certain coupons onto your grocery store value card. That way when you go to pay, the cashier swipes your value card and you get the savings. Convenient.
This doesn’t mean I’m advocating people stop cutting coupons from the newspaper. Electronic coupons are still in the early stages and somewhat limited. For one, not every grocery store offers it. Giant and Safeway do, for instance. Wegmans doesn’t and has no immediate plans to change that. ShopRite is exploring the option. You’re also not going to get the same variety from electronic coupons. But electronic coupons can enhance your coupon cutting.
To get Giant’s coupons you have to sign up for their electronic monthly newsletter, which the grocer will email to you. The newsletter will include monthly coupons you can download. A recent special was three free ears of locally grown corn.
Safeway rolled out electronic coupons to all its stores in June. Safeway partners with shortscuts.com, cell fire and P&G eSaver – all providers of online coupons. Consumers log onto Safeway’s website and connect to the couponLink page. They then browse coupons on the above sites and download them to their value card.
I haven’t tried either service yet, but plan to do so. Have others out there tried electronic coupons? What do you think? Any tips for us newbies? What other advice do you have for using coupons?
Categories: Budgeting, Cheap/Frugal, Food, Shopping
Comments
Wonderful idea, wonderful timing what with print advertising and the green movement and all. Now if these folks could just figure out a way to have coupons that could be used on a smart phone ...
Evan, you're just going to have to wait until next week's Consumer Web Site of the Week, the smart phone edition --- lfk.
Posted by: Evan | August 6, 2009 12:22 PM
My big debate has always been, do you save more money shopping with coupons than you do buying store brands? I feel like most of the things on my list aren't promoted with coupons ... other than essentials like soap, shampoo and deodorant, of course.
Posted by: Liz Kay | August 6, 2009 2:02 PM
I can't believe they haven't done it earlier.
We signed up a month or so ago. The coupons are limited, but useful. You can also double/triple dip. We've bought items that were reduced by the Safeway club, with an electronic and a real coupon, we received the item for free. Hopefully, the system expands. I probably waste half of the savings I get from coupons clipping, filing, finding, using, and throwing away old ones...
great tip on triple dipping. Superfresh also just announced it is adding electronic coupons. look for the post in a couple of hours. AKW.
Posted by: Cheese | August 7, 2009 10:43 AM
Liz to answer your question on coupons vs. store brands the answer is sometimes. Sometimes a brand name is on sale AND you have a couon thus it is less expensive than the store brand. Other times, the store brand will beat out the brand name item even if you have a coupon.
My advice? If it's a product you like and use, clip it and compare when you get there. If it makes sense to use it that week, do it! Otherwise go generic. But save the coupon until it expires b/c the next time you go in, you might find you need it.
Posted by: holly klarman | August 11, 2009 3:57 PM