Customer Reviews

Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey: Save Big Money & Make the Grocery Aisle your Catwalk!

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a mother of three trying to cope with cutbacks in our family income. I got wind of couponing from some of my friends and after browsing many coupon websites, decided I needed to read some books to learn more as quickly as possible! I read three books: The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half: The Strategic Shopping Method Proven to Slash Food and Drugstore Costs, Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey, & Shop Smart, Save More: Learn The Grocery Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month. Each book was very different, so I thought I'd share my opinions- I hope they can help you!
Let me first say what each book had in common: they all promoted their own coupon websites and they all taught about how to get coupons, organize them and shop with them to save on your grocery bill. Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey as you might infer by its title, takes a sassy approach to couponing which, for me was totally refreshing. I flew through these 246 pages & laughed out loud along the way! This book is very visually appealing, with hilarious cartoons, including my favorite "You might be a Krazy Coupon Lady if. . . your idea of date night is casing the neighborhood dumpsters and recycling centers." The book effectively motivated me to print some coupons and try it out first hand, and I saved 71% on my first trip!
This book did the best job of explaining how to checkout with coupons. If you've never done it, you don't know how stressful it can be! Other favorite chapters included "Anatomy of a coupon", "building a stockpile to `beat the joneses!'", and learning the different kinds of coupons to indulge your "coupon fetish". The book stays focused through Chapter 12 of 15, the last few chapters talk about how to increase your income and get of debt, particularly for stay at home moms. Some good info mixed with some stating the obvious that I could have done without.

The Best reason to buy this book: It has clear focus and doesn't have too much fluff. The focus remains on saving with coupons and getting items for over 70% off or free! Plus it has great humor and is an easy read.

The best reason to pass on this book: If you're looking for lengthy info on organic deals or how to cook, or how to entertain, this book doesn't talk much about it. And this book costs more than the other two.

"Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey" is everything you ever needed to know about using coupons to save big. I have to admit upfront I was skeptical at first that coupons could provide the kinds of savings the authors promise, but as I read through the secrets in this book, I was completely won over. These ladies know what they are doing with coupons--it's completely ethical, really not that "krazy" at all except when it comes to the gigantic savings, and some of the shrewdest business advice imaginable.

I'm not going to give away all the secrets here. I'll just say that these really aren't "secrets" and the Krazy Coupon Ladies are not selling anything other than this book--there are no gimmicks, no additional purchases necessary, no expensive special kits to buy, and no overpriced seminars to attend. Everything you need to know is in this book. And it's more than just advice on how to use coupons to save a couple of dollars on peanut butter, mayonnaise, or ketchup--it's practical financial advice on how to protect your wallet, how to stockpile for emergencies, how to prepare for your future, how to provide you with lasting financial security in times of adversity, and also how to have some extra money for fun--to take vacations or whatever you want to do with it. Coupons are vital for such times as when the economy is bad, or as the Krazy Coupon Ladies explain, when gas prices are high:
The price of oil directly affects the price of groceries. The more it costs to transport groceries, the more you'll have to pay to get them. The shipping and oil industries are often unpredictable, so it's comforting to have a stockpile. If truckers go on strike, if gasoline prices quadruple, you can insulate yourself from the effects by having a stockpile. It's nice to think that if gas prices jumped to $15 per gallon tomorrow, I wouldn't have to drive to the store twice a week for overpriced cereal. I could just walk out to my garage and congratulate myself for stocking up when boxes of cereal were $0.50 each.

What I didn't expect from this book was to find out that Coupons Are Fascinating!--really! I had no idea about the history of the coupon from its origins in the late 1800s to its Internet printable versions and the fraudulent scams they have engendered. Did you know there are coupon clearinghouses operated by prisoners? Did you know what all those numbers and symbols on a barcode mean? You will learn all this and more in "Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey."

And what about that title? It's funny. It describes how shoppers will have to wait a little longer while you use all those coupons, but so what? You'll be saving tons of money. The authors' many stories about their shopping and couponing adventures are equally priceless for their humor. And throughout are numerous wonderful cartoons depicting Krazy Coupon Ladies doing what they do best--savings tons of money.

Every step from finding great coupons, to how to use them to double and triple your savings, and what to do when checkout cashiers and store managers argue with you--how to educate them actually since you'll know far more than any store manager about coupons--is all provided here. And to top it all off, a lot of additional and completely free information is available on the Krazy Coupon Ladies' website.

This book may be the best financial investment you will ever make. You can easily earn back one hundred times the price of this book within one year--and if you follow all the advice in "Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey," you may even earn back five hundred times the price. So get ready to save, and even make money.

-- Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. and author of the award-winning Narrow Lives

I've been following websites on super-couponing, and still found this book packed with information I hadn't picked up elsewhere. A fun read -- loads of attitude -- couldn't put the book down. Enjoyed it so much that I wrote the authors to tell them "good job!" I've never done that before. Seriously. Authors were very thorough and ideas and instructions are easy to follow. I recommend it highly to anyone wanting to save money on purchases and have a good time while doing so.

I've just recently started doing some hardcore couponing...I started about four months ago, and I picked up this book hoping it would be full of useful information I hadn't thought of myself. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed.

The book itself is very easy to read. The authors have a very light-hearted, fun writing style. However, I felt like the book was geared towards people who'd never used coupons before. Over and over again throughout the book, I felt like the authors were trying to convince me to jump on the couponing bandwagon. This was frustrating to me, because given that I spent over $15 on a book about couponing, I don't really need the authors to convince me that using coupons is a good idea.

I could have lived with "preaching to the choir" sort of feeling if their had been more useful information in the book, but honestly, I didn't learn that much. Most of the information provided was stuff I had figured out all on my own just by using common sense. I don't really need a book to tell me that some products are still over priced even with a coupon or that you save more money if you use a coupon on something that is already on sale.

There is some information in the book that isn't purely common sense stuff, so I did pick up a couple of new tricks. That's why I gave it an average rating of three stars rather than a lower rating. However, my gut reaction was that this book was not worth the money. When I reached the end of the book, I actually let out a frustrated sigh and said "that's it?!"

My opinion is that this book would be great for a total couponing novice...someone who has never seriously considered how to use coupons to drastically lower their grocery budget. But if you've already been using coupons somewhat effectively and have a few of your own tricks, you may find this book is full of information you've already figured out on your own.

This may sound dramatic, but this book really has changed my family's life. At least, our financial life. If you are like me and have found yourself facing a financial change and you need to make cutbacks fast, this book may be your best resource. It was for me. I've had this book for only a few weeks and have brought home all my regular groceries plus two weeks worth of food and toiletries for almost free, just from couponing the way they teach you. And I saved $400 in the process! The peace of mind this new way of shopping has given me and my family is priceless. If you're like me and know little about couponing, get ready for an education.

This book reads like you're having a conversation with a girlfriend. It's a very fast read, with to-the-point information, funny illustrations, and very easy to understand explainations. It covers everything from the different types of coupons, the places to get your coupons, how to store them, how to take them with you when shopping, how to use more than one coupon per item (it's called 'stacking' and I never knew about it), and how to stockpile items when you find an item for almost free. Also, it covers how to deal with uninformed checkers with ease and why you should befriend your store manager. I took the authors' advice and am now friends with mine, which has helped me streamline my shopping immensely.

Another plus that I really appreciate is that, unlike some other couponing books, you can use this book in conjunction with their website, which is totally free. Everyday I find new deals at all the national stores, which gives me the option to pop out and stock up on things I need for almost free. This is wonderful, as it saves me having to do all the research to find the deal myself. And it's not just deals on food and toiletries! It's also online stores, restaurants, clothing stores, you name it, they will pass on the deal info to you. I've also bought clothes, restaurant gift cards, and even stationary for less than 25% of its original retail price. But don't skip on buying the book. It has even more info than the website, and will pay for itself in your first shopping trip.

The only negative thing about this is that you must set aside a little time every week to sort out your coupons, but if one to two hours of work a week saves me at least $600 a month, it's worth every minute to me. Also, pace yourself! All this new coupon shopping is so exciting, you really can overdo it, and you can experience coupon burnout. The authors are right when they say that couponing isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, and if you want to save yourself thousands of dollars a year, this is the only book you'll need.

"Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey" is the Bible of couponing! [...] is the site that got me into couponing in the first place, so when I learned that the witty & Krazy authors behind it had written a book, I was thrilled and ordered it immediately. I had finished it within two days, and after learning a lot- and laughing a lot- I felt like Heather & Joanie were my bestfriends. They revealed all of their "secrets" to getting things for free and almost-free and shared such personal stories that I felt like they were old friends of mine, and I even felt compelled to email them and thank them for writing the book! If you have even considered couponing- scratch that, even if you never gave it a second thought- pick up this book. It WILL change your life. Just today I went to the store and spent $6.59 with a savings of $27.56, and I owe it all to them! If you still don't believe me, check out their website, which is just a small example of what you'll learn from this great book!

Shell Fruscione
[...]

I decided to start couponing after my boss mentioned her daughter only payed around $20 of a bill that would have been over $250 on her very first trip!

After browsing the internet, i came across their webpage thekrazycouponlady.com and this book. Although the site is indeed VERY helpful, it can get a bit confusing and overwhelming, especially for newbies which is why I decided to buy the book.

I found it to be very homorous and easy to read, I mean, after the first few chapters I was hooked! but it has about 85% of the exact same content of the articles in their website! All you really have to do is go to the "beginners" section of the page, click on the articles and you have read just about the whole book! Without some of the cute cartoons, though.

I did learn a couple of facts about coupons from it, but once you finish it, you're stuck with the irritating feeling that your expectations were not met and that something was probably missing.

The book was very entertaining, but it did not really do its job, so it's not worth the money, especially when you can get the info for free on their own web page.

I was already checking out the Krazy Coupon Lady online, but I decided to get her book as well. I'm glad I did, it really explained the whole process for me in a way that the website did not. As a result, we've gotten really Krazy in our coupon use! Notice that I said "we". My husband picked up the book out of curiosity, and now has gotten even more into couponing than I have! He now thinks shopping using coupons is like a game for finding free stuff and extremely good deals, that coming from a man who used to HATE shopping! So to the Krazy Coupon Lady, thank you for helping me create a coupon monster!

If you watched TLC's Extreme Couponing, you may have seen the pilot episode with Joanie dumpster diving. I think she calls herself "crazy" so it's no surprise that this book, written by herself and best friend Heather, is cute and entertaining. But more than that, this book explains how to save a fortune. First they explain the concept of stockpiling, not like you saw on TLC with 1,000 tubes of toothpaste, but a reasonable amount. They tell you all the ways to get coupons; newspapers, internet, catalinas, etc., how to use register rewards, how to handle yourself at the register, store policies and even how to organize your coupon binder.

If you haven't already, get this book and then go to their website and subscribe to their daily email. Then "Like" them on Facebook. THEY DO THE WORK FOR YOU! Yes, you can find additional deals at your local stores, but 9 times out of 10 they have already found the deal and explained how to get it, so you don't have to spend hours and hours figuring it out. The book is a must-read though so you truly understand what this "krazy couponing" is all about. I've printed out a a copy of the cover and put it on the front of my coupon binder and I refer to it all the time when people ask me what I'm doing in the store (and someone always does). My son tells me, "I love you crazy coupon lady!" ... he loves that I bring him candy and gum now. :)

Just finished reading this book, I purchased this just for getting a different perspective. I have been couponing for over 3 years and have an average savings of 55-100% each shopping trip. The information provided in this read was good, but I felt like it jump around to much. While reading it felt like I had just read this in a previous chapter. I would recommend this book to a real newbie but encourage them to not get discourage if it gets to confusing.