Grocery shopping online is a game changer in our busy society. How awesome is it that we live in a time where we can tell someone what we want from the store and they will do the shopping for us. Many times, they’ll even do it for free. Crazy right?
In addition to grocery shopping online, you can have groceries delivered to your front door, too. It’s no secret that grocery shopping online can make life easier, below are some of the ways it can help.
Benefits of grocery shopping online
There are many benefits to grocery shopping online. Saving time just might rank at the top for most. Some other pros include:
An Unforgettable Thanksgiving Starts with premium turkey and ham, sides and desserts from Perdue Farms!- You can shop from the comfort of your home. You don’t even need real clothes on to do your grocery shopping.
- You don’t have to spend any time in store. No browsing aisles or waiting in line at the check out.
- No check out line waiting means no impulse buys in the checkout, either. Your budget will thank you for that.
- Your favorite groceries are saved for you. Purchase history allows you to easily buy your staples each week without trying to remember or needing a list.
- You can easily see how much you’re spending as you add things to your cart. This can help you stick to a budget.
- You can compare prices without worry. No more moving around in the aisle to make space for others while you’re trying to see what pasta sauce is cheaper.
There are some cons to grocery shopping online. For example, you might not always get exactly what you ordered, and you can’t pick out your own produce.
Related: How to Start a Grocery Budget
However, as a busy mama of four, grocery shopping online is a complete game changer. Gone are the days of figuring out how to put two toddlers and a cart full of groceries in the same cart.
Nope, now I have Walmart Grocery Pickup for that. But still, I keep reading of these services that could deliver groceries to my door. In rural Nebraska, grocery delivery isn’t a thing, yet.
Until I stumbled across Imperfect Foods.
Why you should grocery shop online
Imperfect foods is a grocery subscription type service that allows you to purchase “imperfect foods” and have them delivered to your doorstep weekly or bi-weekly.
They specialize in foods that were rejected by grocery stores but are still perfectly good. Things like blemished produce, surplus products, or discontinued products, those are just a few of the reasons stores reject products.
Related: 3 Tips for How to Stick to a Grocery Budget
Shopping with Imperfect Foods allows you to help prevent food waste by buying items that stores can’t sell. Of course, those foods come to you at a discount, saving you money.
Intrigued?
So was I.
Is it cheaper to buy groceries online?
I thought it was too good to be true until I ordered a large box of produce. Before I purchased, I price compared to Walmart just to make sure it was cheaper.
My Imperfect Foods items came in at about five dollars cheaper than Walmart.
The catch? The Imperfect Foods included a $5.99 delivery fee. So it was actually more like $10 cheaper AND was delivered to my doorstep!
You can go here to sign up for your Imperfect Foods delivery. Maybe you’ll get the world’s largest carrots in your shipment, too. Seriously, I’ve never seen bigger carrots in my life, those suckers were massive!
Don’t worry, there’s no pressure. You can cancel your subscription, skip deliveries, or change the size without any extra fees.
They also offer a reduced cost box for those with lower incomes. Typically, those that meet the income requirements for some sort of government/state food assistance would qualify for a discount.
Related: How to Meal Plan on a Budget
Grocery shopping online can help you save time and money, if you do it right. Utilizing the convenience of these types of services while still being mindful of discounts and sales is a recipe for grocery shopping success.
Is grocery shopping online worth it?
Absolutely. Time and money are precious. Here are some tips for making the most of grocery shopping online.
- Purchase staples from your cheapest store overall and utilize that store’s pickup option. I choose Walmart because I know I can get most of my regular items cheaper there than anywhere else in my area.
- Use browser extensions to find even more discounts. Ibotta is my favorite browser extension for grocery shopping online. You can earn cashback on your purchases even though you’re shopping online.
- Use apps to save even more. Fetch Rewards is one of my favorite apps for grocery shopping online. Fetch allows you to enter your receipts for points that you can then use to redeem rewards. Now, you can sync your email so that your eReceipts are counted, too.
- Utilize online grocery subscriptions or discounted markets. Imperfect Foods is clearly my favorite. But, there are other online markets that offer foods at better prices than the big stores, especially if you follow a specific diet. A quick google search will show plenty of options for where to go grocery shopping online.
Related: How To Use The Best Cash Back Apps To Save Extra Money Every Month.
Grocery shopping online can save your time and it can save your money. But don’t forget about How to Save Money on Groceries no matter where you shop. No coupons needed.
There are so many ways to save money, grocery shopping online is just one of those ways. Do a little research. Get creative. You can do it!
