& Get $10!Interview with Teri Gault from The Grocery Game
Published July 2, 2010
Teri Gault is the founder and CEO of The Grocery Game, a website designed to provide its users with with the week’s best advertised and un-advertised grocery deals around, as well as any coupons that accompany those deals. Teri’s desire to help others save money on their weekly grocery bill emerged from her own efforts in cutting down her family’s spending. Today, The Grocery Game is available in all 50 states and seven countries.
Although Teri found much success in business, she takes pride in her role as a wife and mother of two sons.
Interview Transcript
BeFrugal: Tell us what The Grocery Game is all about. How did it come from being an idea to a full-blown business?
Teri Gault: I was always good at maximizing my coupons, combining sales, both advertised and un-advertised, every week. I learned lots of strategies that involved investing in food and household products during Categorical Sales Trends, holding a coupon until the right time, etc. These methods translated into over $100 a week in savings, but it also meant that I had to spend 4-6 hours a week putting together my game plan, my weekly shopping list every Saturday.
On one such Saturday, I was sitting at my kitchen table, as usual, with my calculator, coupons spread out, sales ads strewn all over the place, and feverishly working to win the grocery game that week. At one point, I thought surely there were others out there every Saturday with the same coupons and same sales ads, and if they were as smart as me, they were probably going to end up with the same list. I wished they would just email me their list, and save me the trouble.
Then, I had my “aha” moment: I wonder if I could put my weekly list on the Internet. And if so, I bet people would love to pay me a little to help them save a lot! An idea was born in November 1999. After testing my idea through email with family and friends, I rolled coins to buy my business license on my 40th birthday in February 2000. Not knowing anything about the Internet, I built my own free website, as I didn’t have any money and was rolling coins to buy my groceries.
I posted my weekly grocery list for shopping at Vons, a Safeway store. The LIST was comprised of advertised and un-advertised sales and coupons to go with those same sales.
Within a few months, happy shoppers told their friends, and I had received emails from all across the US: I want Teri’s List! I began to look into the idea of franchising. We started expanding through franchises in 2003, and had grown to almost 50 grocery lists, serving 26 states. Now we are in all 50 states, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Puerto Rico, Canada, China, and Japan. As of today, we have 197 grocery and drugstore lists each week, which save the average family of four about $512 a month.
BeFrugal: You’ve done a lot of different things in your life? Where do you rank The Grocery Game?
Gault: The Grocery Game has dramatically changed my life, as well as the lives of my employees, and members who benefit from the savings of time and money.
But the most monumental achievement, if I could take the credit, is to see my two sons grow up to be fine young men. In August, I’ll be sending my youngest son off to college. Definitely, I would rank my life as a mother as number one on my priority list. And The Grocery Game would rank right under that.
I feel I’ve always managed to keep my family first, even when I was very busy, and it felt nearly impossible to keep them as a priority. But when push comes to shove, my family has been my greatest source of strength. So it’s reciprocal. At the moment, I’m sitting at home, and I have asked my publicist to keep me from traveling for the press until Christian is off to school. It may not sound like the smartest business move, but it’s a decision I’m sure I won’t regret.
BeFrugal: Clipping coupons is becoming more popular. Why do you think that more people are taking the time to do so?
Gault: I think the receding tide of the current economy has been an eye opener for all of us. We’ve been wasteful as a society. For the first time, many are struggling and trying to learn to save. Those who have been smart shoppers and savers are now the voice of experience. And some polls show that even more affluent sectors of society are starting to cut coupons and shop sales and bargains.
I think this is a trend that will last at least for a generation. Typically, some of it will be passed on to the next generation as well, as we learn from those who have gone before.
BeFrugal: What is the one area where most people can easily become more frugal in their lives?
Gault: Definitely groceries. I can buy the same things and same quality, maybe different brands, and maybe on different weeks, and spend 67% less than the regular price. Playing The Grocery Game involves a strategic plan to have more for less. It’s the only line item in the family budget where you can save significantly without sacrifice.
BeFrugal: How do you think the Internet has changed the way people can save money on things they need, such as groceries?
Gault: The Internet has helped a lot! But just like any info on the Internet that’s readily available, some of it is not good advice or even accurate information. So it’s important to know that when looking for savings advice or facts and figures, that you are using sites that are trusted and reputable.
BeFrugal: In your opinion, what is the main reason most people pay more than they need to on many products?
Gault: Habit! If we constantly buy the same things without looking for better deals, we WILL be wasting money. Sales change and products change. Coupons are often for new products, and those same items go on sale. So we have to be willing to move out of our comfort zone and try new things.
BeFrugal: Being in the grocery coupon business we have to know, do you have a favorite recipe you would like to share?
Gault: My family LOVES chicken fried steak. I love it too, but my middle doesn’t! But I make it for my family (wink). And the roots of the recipe go back to the depression, when a lot of good lessons on frugality were learned. People like my Grand-Mommy were adept at taking less than good cuts of meat and learning to make something delicious out of it. Beans and ham hock, scrapple, sausage, and lots of other favorites came about out of necessity to make the best of what we have.
Chicken Fried Steak has to be one of the best good things to come out of bad times! We have it for special occasions. It’s the “filet mignon” of our house!!! So here’s my Chicken Fried Steak recipe. I use no measurements, but it works.
When I see round steak on sale, I buy it and ask the butcher to run it through the tenderizer twice (no charge for that). I freeze it for the next “special occasion.” My family likes it cut in strips, about 1-1.5 inches wide and 5 or 6 inches long. I also trip away the fat and gristle and use it for stock.
I have two bowls with the following: glue and powder.
Glue: flour, salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder. Add enough water and stir with a wire whisk to make something that is the consistency of school glue.
Powder: flour, salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder.
Dip the strips into the glue, then into the powder, and fry in about ½ inch oil in an electric skillet on 400. Turn when it’s golden brown. Then drain on paper towels.
I also make white milk gravy. That’s something that’s hard to describe, as you learn by watching. But I’ll give it a try, as I figure your readers are probably adept at lots of things!
After the steak is removed from the pan, I carefully pour off most of the oil, reserving all the “drippings”. These are the crumbles and browned flour at the bottom of the pan. You want ALL of that. So in order not to lose any of it, you’re still going to end up with about 3-4 tablespoons of oil in the pan.
Turn the heat to about 350, and sprinkle enough flour into the oil until the oil is just absorbed. You can use any leftover “powder” from the preparation. But I would advise you to put it through a sifter, in case of clumps.
Using a wire whisk, stir the added flour until it’s brown and bubbly. While stirring constantly, begin to add milk until desired thickness. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder to taste.
Of course, I make homemade mashed potatoes to go with it! Yum!
****End of Interview****
To find the best grocery deals around, check out The Grocery Game. And if you’re interested in hearing more advice about saving money from Teri, make sure to visit her new blog.