We are often asked “How is SavingsAngel better than the fee sites?”. Here are some of the responses from our members when asked that question:

I love my free blog sites and I use them more for quicker notification of high value coupons, deal scenarios and advance notice of the coming week's deal match ups...BUT I still find using the features of enlightened shopping for speed of it's use, for finding the best deal on items that may not be on sale and for organizing my shopping lists of great value I continue to use SA for that purpose.     -      miloandotis in Jackson, MI

Reliability. I find that many of the free coupon match-up sites don't keep their printable coupons up to date. They also do coupon match-ups with regional coupons which can be hard to find. Those types of things are really frustrating when you have kids running around you in circles and you need to head to the store and get back before nap time  I also like that the site is not cluttered with ads all over it. I could go on forever!      – pythagoras345 in Iowa City, IA

Speaking strictly for myself, I think the free blogs and SA serve two different purposes. The blogs are great for pinpointing hot scenarios and getting straight to those best of the best deals. However, when it comes to doing a comprehensive shopping trip, I think SA wins hands down. It is so easy and convenient to review the entire ad and get everything I need. If I shopped exclusively by the blogs, my family would be eating toothpaste and vitamin water each night.  So I think they complement each other. And maybe it's because I am relatively new, but I don't get a 'only us' vibe from SA - in fact, we've partnered with a lot of coupon bloggers in the past. 

So again, that above is just me Maryalene talking, but now I am going to put on my Social Media Angel hat.  I've cut and pasted a note I published to Facebook just last week on the subject at hand. Hope this helps the OP! 


Why pay for a coupon-matching service?

With so many free couponing blogs and deal sites out there, you may be wondering why you should pay to be a member of SavingsAngel. That’s a fair enough question, and here are a few of the reasons why we think you’ll find SavingsAngel is worth every penny… 

Comprehensive ads and complete coupon match-ups: Certainly, there is no shortage of places on the web where you can find coupon match-ups. However, many sites only provide a few deals or cover a limited territory. With a paid staff, we can promise comprehensive match-ups that are accurate and up-to-date. For major chains such as Meijer, Publix, Kroger and others, we provide you details on the entire ad – including produce, meat and bakery products which you may not find on the free sites. For each item, SavingsAngel provides all the information you need to plan your shopping trip and maximize your grocery savings:

• Retail price
• Sale price
• Final price after coupons and promotions
• Percentage saved
• Complete list of all matching coupons and promotions for each item
• Clickable links for all printable coupons

Regional ads for major chains: Meijer doesn’t have just one ad for its entire chain and neither does SavingsAngel. We provide weekly coupon match-ups for 5 regional Meijer ads. We also match 5 Whole Foods ads and 4 Kroger ads. Other stores with multiple ads supported include Albertsons, HEB and Safeway. 

Personalized shopping lists for as many stores as you like: With SavingsAngel, you aren’t limited to just one or two stores. You can create lists for any of the more than 50 stores we track. They are all included as part of your membership! Not only can you create and save customized shopping lists, you can also print a separate coupon list to go with each shopping list. Your coupon list groups together your insert coupons to make clipping a breeze and also provides a complete listing with links for all the printable coupons you’ll need. 

Resources for couponers both new and old: If you are new to couponing, we have got you covered! Start with the SavingsAngel Academy where you’ll learn the basics of couponing and then request a call from an Angel Mentor who can answer your specific questions. New and experienced couponers will love our Help Desk which includes a collection of knowledge base articles that cover coupon policies, time saving tips and more. And our Angel Community offers a place for members to come together to discuss deals and exchange coupons. Also, don’t forget our meal plans that help you take those bargains from the grocery store to the table!

Still not sure?

Well consider…

How much is your time worth?

Just watch the extreme couponers on TV, and you’ll see that finding deals and clipping coupons for some people can mean putting life on hold for 20, 40 or even 60 hours a week! But at SavingsAngel, we don’t think couponing should consume your life.

We believe in EXTREME savings without the EXTREME lifestyle. Wouldn’t you rather spend time with your family instead of chasing deals? SavingsAngel brings all the deals and coupon lists together in one place so you can quickly plan your shopping trip and then move on with your day. We are committed to helping you save money AND time.

Is it worth $5 a week to cut your couponing time and save 50% or more on your groceries? 

Give us a try…it’s 100% risk-free! If you don’t think SavingsAngel provides you with $5 a week in saved time and money, let us know within two weeks. We’ll issue a refund – no questions, no hassle!     -      Maryalene in Lowell, MI

IMO a blog site, by "definition", would be more apt to "zero in" on a few good deals. They serve a purpose by doing what they do. Depending on where you live and where you shop (as well as your shopping habits), blogs can be a great main source of limited info.

A note from some of my experiences:
I have known people (not SA members) who get overly concerned with what's going on in SA (have to keep looking so they can point out the flaws), why not join? I have no desire to go to their web source(s) to see what I'm missing.... KWIM?

I think it's possible, since SA is unique, that we tend to be pretty strong in our defense of it. Since it is a membership site, it is possible that we view it more as a "personal friend" rather than "just" a tool. Just my 2 cents.     -      imagirl In Rockford, MI

Savings Angel is worth the money - period. Fast, easy, reliable. I just don't have the time to keep up with all the free blogs. In my life, SA is worth the expense. -      27traverse –in Alto, MI

Thanks-keep the comments coming! I just want to clarify, I enjoy the highlights of some of the free coupon sites too, and don't think it is an either/or situation. I just want to be prepared to answer that question of why we pay for a service when we could get it for free. As for myself, once I started keeping track of how much money per year we were saving WITH SA, I realized we couldn't live WITHOUT SA.      -      berrygirl3 in Hudsonville, MI

I would also not state it as "a service you could get for free". You can't get anything anywhere close to SA for free. I was amazed when I first joined how I got a phone call where they were 'Just checking in' to see how it was going. And then had someone (now that I know you all so well I wish I remember who it was!) spend an hour with me on the phone showing me how to navigate thru the site and use the community section. I had never been a part of an online community before and really never thought it would be something that I would in to. (Boy was I wrong!) I was also impressed with the personal note card I got via snail mail a month or so later welcoming me to SA. I am really big on customer service. I don't shop at Walgreen's because I hate the way the employees treat customers there (at least at my local one) even though I know there are good deals. It is just that important to me. SA has awesome customer service. 

The coupon search feature is also something that you just can't get at a free blog site. At least I can't find one that good. I know the data team works really hard to make sure it is as accurate as possible. It is a HUGE resource. Especially if your favorite grocery store is on in ES. Also, I know many free sites give advice to newbies. But what free site lines you up with a mentor who is there just to help you out when you have questions? That was huge to me - Sarah was there to help me out, even though I don't know her she would take the time out of her day to answer my questions. That was a huge benefit to me. 

As I said before, I could go on and on...     -      pythagoras345 – in Iowa City, IA

I have never had a question go unanswered.

I have found deals on not just my groceries, but on saving during my vacations, phone bills, Printers, paper, ink, canning supplies, toys, clothing, school supplies.

Tips on storage, expire dates, product recalls and incredible Online Discounts.

This is just in this Community. I have probably saved thousands and thousands of dollars just by reading posts in here. This Community is what sells me, every time, hands down!

All of you is what makes SA amazing.     -      grnmom – in O’Fallon, MO

I use both the blog sites and SA. 
For me the GIGANTIC advantage to SA over the other sites is that I can search, all of my local stores, then I put them in order by product, which is alphabetical, and decide what I am getting where. Then I just save it all to one list, sort that by store, and print. I get all of the deals from all of the stores, all on one list. 

Much easier than what many other sites offer. Add to that the great community with people looking out for people and everything stated in this thread before makes it well worth a few bucks a week.     - shawneyboy - Saylorsburg, PA