How to Grocery shop online (And save a ton of time and money)
Online grocery ordering is one of my absolute favorite ways to save time and money every week! I actually started shopping for groceries online when I was an overwhelmed mom of one adorable baby. My husband was traveling most of the week back in those days and I just could muster the energy to go to the grocery.
Shopping for groceries online totally saved the day! Once I realized how cost effective it can be to shop online, I was hooked. I’ve paid for an annual “membership” to online ordering and store pickup for the last five years at least, and I’ll never give it up.
I know some people are pretty skeptical of online grocery ordering, but I think it’s honestly life changing for busy families. This is one of the first things I recommend outsourcing if you’re an overwhelmed, busy mom.
Here are some tricks to make the most of your online grocery order every single week!
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Best way to grocery shop online
There are a couple of different options for online grocery ordering. Your decision might depend on the grocery store choices in your town, your commute, and how picky you are about produce.
Delivery
Grocery delivery is the most convenient option. Your can order your food online and it will be delivered right to your door! Delivery is an amazing option for people who work from home or don’t have a grocery store on their commute. If you don’t have time to stop at the grocery store, delivery is also a fantastic choice!
Most grocery store chains offer grocery delivery for about $10. If you live near a Whole Foods and are an Amazon Prime member, you can take advantage of free two hour delivery. Services like InstantCart also deliver groceries. Keep in mind that your grocery delivery person usually shops for your order and delivers it, so you should expect to tip them on top of the delivery fee.
Pickup
Grocery order pickup is a very inexpensive option. It adds about 10 minutes to your daily commute or errands if you have a convenient grocery store. Online ordering and in-store pickup is usually less expensive than delivery. Most local stores charge around $5 for one-time pickup or $99 for a year of unlimited orders.
If you do online grocery pickup, you don’t have to get out of your car and go into the store. This is key when you have little kids. Literally nothing is worse than trying to shop for groceries with little kids, so save yourself the time and hassle by ordering groceries online.
Order non-perishables online
Some people are picky about meat and produce. If you’re one of those people, you could still do a large portion of your grocery shopping online. Consider ordering online either from a grocery store or an online store like Amazon for your non-perishable goods.
Amazon sells household products, like toilet paper and laundry detergent. They also sell many shelf-stable food products. You can order pet food and pet treats from a site like Chewy. Use online grocery ordering to stock up on the staples, then you can visit your local grocery store or farmer’s market to buy meat, fruits, and vegetables. This is a time-saving compromise for people who want to pick out their own meat and produce.
8 tips for successful online grocery shopping
Wondering exactly how to grocery shop online? It’s pretty simple, but these tips will help you improve your experience and avoid issues!
Tip 1: Choose a store convenient to your commute or to your home
If you usually shop for groceries on the weekend, pick a store that’s close to your home. For people like me who shop on Monday, a store on your commute is the best bet. It’s also helpful to pick a store that has multiple locations in your area.
The stores I use have always allowed me to use my yearly online grocery order pass at any local store. This is occasionally really handy if I have an event (or even go on vacation) and need to order from a different store!
Tip 2: Get the annual pass
Most stores offer an annual pass for unlimited online grocery orders for around $100. If you find a store you like, you should definitely take advantage of this! It only takes 20 orders at $5 per order to make that worthwhile, and most of us will do at least 50 orders a year.
If you’re unsure about online grocery shopping, definitely try it out once or twice before you buy the online pass. Then, if you’re happy with the service, you can commit to the annual fee with certainty.
Tip 3: Build a long term relationship
It really, really helps to go to the same store and build a long term relationship. Although shoppers do turn over frequently, most of the shoppers at my main grocery store still know me. This helps in a few ways.
First, they know my preferences now (like my weird aversion to Italian parsley). Second, they are really, really nice and sometimes give me random free samples or give the kids a small toy or something. It’s great to have that relationship because I know that they’re doing their best.
Tip 4: Make notes on your order
Don’t be afraid to make notes on your order. The shopper always reads them. If you want green bananas, write it down. If you want ripe avacados, specify that. The notes really help on items that you order frequently.
For a while, my store only had organic bell peppers so I would put a note in saying that organic and non-organic were both fine. Also, as mentioned above, I am generally OK with subsitutions but I HATE Italian parsley and do not want it as a substitute. (I know, I’m weird.)
Tip 5: Beware substitutions
Speaking of substitutions, just be careful of allowing them to substitute. I have checked the box to OK substitutions, but I always note the items I do not want substituted. Here are a few of my own exceptions:
- Parsley (do not substitute Italian parsley)
- Beer (do not substitute)
- Wild caught salmon (do not substitute farm raise..i know, i know)
- Fairlife whole milk (2% ok, other kinds not)
Tip 6: Don’t hesitate to escalate
Most shoppers do a great job with your order, but occasionally there will be a problem. Expect this to happen so you’re not upset when it does. These folks are dealing with probably 10+ orders a day and hundreds of grocery bags, and mixups happen.
My reaction to an error depends on the situation:
- If I get someone else’s bag I usually don’t do anything. They’ll figure it out and it’s not like they want the food back.
- If I get someone else’s entire order, I call the store and ask them what to do.
- If I am missing items that I paid for, I call the store. They usually offer a refund but if I really need the item(s) or I’m missing a large portion of my order, they have delivered the items for free and given me a gift card.
Tip 7: Compare prices but check units!
Shopping for food online is really awesome because you can easily compare prices. There’s one thing to watch out for though. Be sure to check the units before you compare prices! Sometimes the same food in different brands is reported in different units, like ounces vs unit price. It’s silly but there you go. Online grocery ordering is great for getting the best price, but do it with care.
Tip 8: Request paper bags
If it’s an option, request paper bags for your order. This really cuts down on the number of bags you have to carry inside. If you’re trying to save time, having fewer bags really speeds the process of carrying groceries inside. Unfortunately it’s difficult to use reusable bags when you order groceries online, but if you have a way I’d love to hear it!
Finding the best online grocery shopping experience near you
I hope you’re convinced that you need to grocery shop online! If you’re ready to jump on the bandwagon, you might be wondering which stores to look at or how to keep this in budget.
What stores offer online grocery shopping?
Most major grocery stores let you grocery shop online and there are also services that focus on online shopping. Delivery may only be available in some markets, so check your specific location for grocery delivery options.
- Target
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes, via Shipt
- Wal-Mart
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes
- Kroger
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes
- ShopRite
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes
- Safeway
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes
- Albertsons
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes
- Harris Teeter
- Pickup: Yes
- Delivery: Yes
- Instacart
- Pickup: No
- Delivery: Yes
- FreshDirect
- Pickup: No
- Delivery: Yes
- Shipt
- Pickup: No
- Delivery: Yes
- Amazon Fresh
- Pickup: No
- Delivery: Yes
- Sam’s Club
- Pickup: Yes (members only)
- Delivery: No
- Google Express
- Pickup: No
- Delivery: Yes
Which grocery stores deliver to your home?
Most national grocery stores offer delivery to your home or business. It’s a good idea to check out regional grocery chains, too. Many of these stores offer the same pickup and delivery options as national brands. Some of the supermarket chains that offer delivery are:
Grocery delivery services also deliver food to your home:
Cheapest ways to order groceries online
The cheapest way to order groceries online is to get an annual pass. An annual online grocery pickup fee of around $100 at your local grocery store is very cost effective. If you order once a week, you’re paying less than $2 per order. That’s a great deal!
Another cheap way to order groceries online is to join Amazon Prime. Along with your other member benefits, you can take advantage of free 2 hour Whole Foods shipping. You’ll need to tip the delivery person, but this is a steal for grocery delivery!
Don’t forget that there other budget benefits to ordering online. You can easily compare prices and spot deals. You’ll also resist impulse purchases since you’re not going into the store! These savings can really add up, and they usually more than offset the cost of online grocery ordering.
Online Grocery Shopping is the Time-Saver You Need
For busy families, time is precious. You want to be able to focus on what matters, not spend your evenings or weekends doing chores. Online grocery shopping gives back hours of your time each week, and it’s kind to your budget too! With these tips, you’ll be ordering groceries online in no time. I guarantee you’ll never look back.
