Groceries To Go

Save money and gain time!

Have You Considered Grocery Shopping Online?

Recently, a client of ours was in the office for a meeting, and Bob asked me to give them some tips about the online grocery shopping services that has dramatically changed the way I shop. If you haven’t tried it yet but are curious, then read on ?.

I have been filling my virtual grocery cart with groceries weekly for about a year now, and I will never go back to my old ways. The primary reason I started using this service is because it saves me so much time, but an added and welcome bonus has been the money savings. I save anywhere from $25-$50 per week! I don’t know about you, but I usually have all good intentions to sit down and make a grocery list before heading out to the store, but inevitably I run out of time. Kids’ schedules, work schedules, exercise, sleep, and laundry come before, and I find myself in the grocery store with either a partial list or no list at all. This usually means I buy items that I may or may not need because I don’t remember if the pantry is stocked with what I need to make dinner that week. I don’t want to get stuck on Taco Tuesday and find that we are out of salsa! When you stock up from home, you can check the cupboards and fridge while you shop, avoiding buying items you already have (and emergency salsa-less taco nights)!

Do you have to bring your kids shopping with you? Here’s a tip: grocery shopping online from the comfort of your home saves your sanity, avoids buying sugary cereals and other unhealthy snacks the grocery store purposely places at kids’ eye level, and leaves more money in your pocket! Speaking of impulse purchases, we adults are not completely devoid of guilt. You won’t be tempted to buy things that look and smell delicious but that you don’t necessarily need. Dieting? You don’t have to walk into the smell of fresh-baked goodies they pump into the store to make you feel hungry and thus buy more food.

The Major Benefits Of Groceries To Go

A super perk of shopping online is that you can see your total as you add items to your cart, which keeps you in check if you work with a weekly grocery budget. Over budget? Then you can easily remove a few items that you know you don’t necessarily need until the following week. You never have to stand in the check-out line googly-eyed at the grand total as you pull out your credit card.

I am guilty as charged when it comes to coupon fumbles: 95% of the time, I forget them at home or even worse, in my pocket – ugh! Some online shopping services allow you to clip paperless coupons, which are redeemed automatically when you pick up/pay for your groceries. You can also earn rewards when you purchase store-brand products and redeem quarterly – a win-win!

Maybe you already have the coupon savings down and are more disciplined than I am when it comes to impulse purchases. If so, then consider the significant time savings and convenience. I use the Hannaford to Go online shopping service, which allows you to create multiple grocery lists depending on what your meal plan is for that week. Perhaps you travel for work or know there are some weeks that will be lighter and you just need the basics. Being able to create different grocery lists that you can tweak as often as you wish makes life so much easier.

Plus you can drive through the healthy way! Pick up your order during convenient hours seven days a week. You never have to get out of your car. They pack the car for you, which is perfect for New England weather, sick kiddos in the back seat, busy work weeks, etc. You never have to come home from a long weekend away or vacation to empty cupboards. Just place your grocery order before you leave for vacation or a day or two before you return and pick up on your way home!

Final Considerations

Still not ready to hop on the bandwagon? Perhaps you are concerned that someone else may not choose the same cuts of meat or the right produce for your family? I’ll be straight with you. There have been times that my order is not 100% what I would have chosen; however, the value of time and money savings far outweighs any issues I’ve had. The system allows you to add notes to items so if you want smaller cuts of meat, a certain expiration date, or green bananas, they will do their best to accommodate or offer an alternate option that you can take or leave.

Lastly, as we get older and have some financial success, time becomes even more precious, in many instances more important than money. For this service YOU GET BOTH. Happy saving time and money!

With these tips about online grocery shopping services, I will leave you with the following links to other online grocery shopping sites for your information. I realize this list is not comprehensive and the service and options vary between each service, see what works best for you!