Hey-oh!
I've got another good quality option for you that will help you stick to your budgets each month!
Online grocery shopping has been a huge game changer for me in sticking to my budgets with groceries and toiletries each month. I used to do price matching but even with that I was still always going over the set dollar amount, and because I'd spend all of this time at the register listing the cheaper prices so the cashier could type them in, if I was over my budget after they said the total, I'd feel embarrassed to then say "oh, take off the chips then" or "I guess I don't want the sippy cups this time." I had my grocery list and was tallying up the prices by each listed item and was even rounding up for taxes, but I could never get the accurate amount totaled beforehand. (And let's be real, I've always been more of an English girl, Math is not my strong suit!) But don't get me wrong, I do enjoy price matching and I think it has saved me a lot of money over the years, but with price matching alone I still struggled to stick to my food budget month after month.
So what's a girl to do in order to stick to her grocery budgets?! Online grocery shopping, that's what! My days of being over budget with groceries are now looonnnggg behind me, thanks to this beautiful creation.
There are a few options of stores that let you grocery shop online now: Walmart, Winderfarms and Macey's. (Possibly more, but let's just focus on these ones!) Some may charge a fee each time (ex: Macey's is $2 each order) but I shop with Walmart and their service is free.
#Realtalk: Everybody loves to hate on Walmart, but truthfully, if you want to stick to a tight food budget, this place is often going to be your best bet. Their prices of items per ounce etc is the cheapest on pretty much every single item, so without couponing or price matching elsewhere, I personally think it would be hard to get the same low price for the majority of your groceries. Some people prefer the less hectic, less crowded atmosphere when they shop at other groceries stores and to them that is worth the price of paying a little extra with each item, but if you are sticking to a tight budget, paying a little more for each item may very well not be what you can afford. (Although shopping online would save you from their stores, while still enjoying their prices.) I've also heard people say that they don't think that Walmart's produce is as good as other stores. I personally have always thought our produce from Walmart has been just fine, but if you disagree, I'd suggest purchasing all other groceries at Walmart and getting your produce where you prefer. In my opinion, the more you can purchase at Walmart as opposed to a different store, the more you'll save. Hate 'em all you want, but they are the kings of low prices.
What I love about Online Grocery Shopping:
-It shows you your cart total at all times, and before you purchase your groceries, the website lets you check through your cart and change amounts or delete items that you don't really need or have too much of. Now I know exactly where I'm at within my budget and I can easily see when I'm going over. No embarrassment at the checking line when I need to take off an item or two, huzzah!
Those innocent little faces could break out in fits at any moment.. 😉
- I don't have to entertain two children while pushing them through the store for an hour or two. Oof. Going out in public by myself with my two little ones is still just hard for me. Sometimes it's great, other times it's terrible, and I just prefer to avoid it when possible. With online grocery shopping I just order my groceries, call when I'm on my way, and sit in my car while they load them up for me. No drama, no tears!
- It's SO fast! It takes me about 15-20 minutes to grocery shop for two weeks worth of food- amazing right?! I just pull the link up on my phone, order from my "essentials" (the groceries I tend to buy each time) and boom. Done. The first time I did it it took a little over an hour because I had to search each item, but I was able to save each item I bought regularly and now they list those items all in one place for me, so it's crazy fast.
Things to be aware of:
I've only had experience with Walmarts online grocery shopping, so I can't vouch for any other store, but I have heard people have been very happy with the other options.
Keep in mind that every location for that grocery store may not do grocery pickup. For example, I live inbetween two Walmart's. The one south of me does not do grocery pickup, but the one north of me does. Make sure to pay attention to which address you are choosing so you don't accidentally order groceries 4 hours away from you.
If you order online and then notice a product is damaged or some fruit that doesn't look the best at pickup, don't be afraid to say something. You don't want to be over the top of course, but if you notice the potatoes you just bought are already molding, tell the employees and they'll switch it out for you.
Well, there you go! Online grocery shopping has helped me stick to my budget time and time again- in fact, ever since I started online grocery shopping 9 months ago, I haven't gone over my food budget once. It's kind of a miracle. Try it out!