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The thing about budgeting is it doesn’t always line up with the conveniences we may or may not have previously enjoyed. For me, it’s losing housecleaners, picking less expensive grocery stores (that are more crowded), and making coffee at home rather than purchasing it at the coffee shop. Today, however, I want to highlight two ways you can stick to your budget and still embrace convenience at the same time: store pickup and online grocery shopping.
Tip: Creating and maintaining your family budget shouldn’t be hard. Grab my FREE Family Budgeting Workbook to help you get (and stay) on track! Find it HERE.
Store Pickup
Store pickup is my new favorite way to ensure I get all of the groceries on my list exactly when I need them. It’s as simple as it sounds and there are many stores that offer this type of service, including Fred Meyer, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, Meijer, Publix, Rosauers, and Whole Foods. Each grocery chain has their own guidelines and convenience fees, so I highly recommend checking those out specific to the store in your area.
I personally enjoy using the Fred Meyer/Kroger Clicklist program, mostly because it’s close to my home. I head to their online site, sign in with my email address, and select the groceries I want to purchase. Upon checkout, I request a time for pickup (within 48 hours) and enter my credit or debit card number to pay for the order.
When I arrive at the store during my scheduled pickup time, I pull into one of their designated parking spaces for Clicklist customers and dial the number on the sign to let them know I’ve arrived. A store associate brings my order straight to the car, lets me know of any products they may have substituted due to quality or quantity available (they always find me a better deal!), and loads my groceries straight into the car.
It’s super easy and I’ve never been disappointed by the quality of products received, even when it comes to produce.
While I personally prefer to order from my desktop computer, Kroger has also made it easy to order from a tablet or phone using their app. It’s free to download and free to sign up, making the process even that much more convenient. Have store rewards? They will link directly to your account as well, meaning you get all of the perks, with little to no stress involved.
Is It Really Worth It?
After about a year of using the Clicklist program, I’ve found that it is worth more than just the convenience.
Follow Your List Exactly
I don’t know about you, but I rarely leave the store with only the things on my list. No matter how hard I try, something always sneaks in that doesn’t belong and I always leave a necessary item behind. (Normally because I’ve been down every aisle two to three times and have simply given up.) With online shopping, that’s not the case. I am able to stick to my list and get everything I need.
Using Clicklist as an example, I am not only able to find each and every product using the search bar (and without walking up and down every aisle), but I can also perform my price and ingredient comparisons directly from my computer. Also, if I search for a specific product, the online search will bring up comparable products at better prices. It’s so simple, and I don’t have to worry about being in someone’s way while I compare.
Stick to Budget
One of my favorite parts of online shopping is the running tally of the total cost of the items in my cart. I used to carry a calculator around the store to make sure I was staying within my budget (no joke!), but I no longer have to do that or put back items at checkout that I can’t afford to buy. Instead, I can add all of the items to my online grocery cart and add or remove items depending on the total cost. That alone has saved me tons of time and money.
No Temptations
If I’m not in the store, I am less likely to add items to the cart that I don’t need, especially that last minute snack, candy bar, or container of ice cream, which I most often add because I’m shopping while hungry. When I shop from the comfort of my own home, I can munch on something from my own fridge if I’m hungry, rather than grab something at the store that is not only a danger to my budget, but also to my waistline.
Reuse Your List
I’m not an expert on all of the store pickup shopping programs, but I love the fact that Clicklist retains my shopping cart from my last purchase. In fact, it will suggest the same items I purchased last time, or I can pull up that specific transaction and add all of the items to my current cart. This works really well when I’m creating a weekly or bi-weekly meal plan that repeats itself. (Something we do frequently in our home). It takes the guesswork out of what to purchase and what to eat, and then I can take that grocery “cart” list and walk through my kitchen to decide if I still need everything on it. (For example, I may have purchased an extra can of tomato sauce last week, so this week I won’t need one.)
Delivered to Your Car
At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is head to a crowded grocery store and walk up and down the aisles. Ordering ahead of time for store pickup means that, even when I have a full car of kids, I can simply pull into the parking lot, call the number, check my email on my phone while I wait or respond to a text message, and have the groceries delivered right to me.
I may have to break up an argument in the back seat, but the grocery part of the experience will be stress-free.
Cons of Store Pickup
The only drawback I’ve found to store pickup is that if I’ve forgotten to put an item on my list, there is no end cap with peanut butter on it to help me remember. Additionally, if you shop by looking at all the items in each aisle and determine what you need that way, ordering online for store pickup might not be for you.
Just a thought.
Order Online for Mail Delivery
My absolute favorite place to order online from is Amazon and their relatively new Amazon Fresh program allows you to add all of those fresh ingredients to your Amazon order and have them delivered free directly to your front step. It’s a monthly fee in the range of $15, but if you dislike grocery shopping as much as I do, this might be just the thing for you. Click here for a free month trial. (You can cancel at any time!)
I also love to use Amazon’s Prime Pantry for my pantry staples, including paper towels, laundry detergent, cat food and more. It’s easy and I can set it up on an automatic shipment to receive monthly, bimonthly, or even less frequently if necessary. It allows me to save up to 15 percent on my favorite products as well! You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime here and get access to Prime Pantry at the same time.
The only drawback to purchasing products from the Amazon Prime Pantry is that often you only get the great deals when you purchase it in the larger quantities (think Costco or Sam’s Club). Before I began making my own laundry detergent, it was one of my favorite things to order online, and yet, I had to order three months (or more) worth of product to get it to the right price. Sure, it might be a great price, but it’s hard to do on a monthly budget if you don’t have a large family, so unless you are good at purchasing in bulk and making it work for your budget in the long-term, it’s not always the best option. As always, check the prices to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Order Online Locally
A few local grocery marts in our area also allow online orders for delivery, but they are typically high-end stores and come with a sizeable delivery fee. I’ve considered it in the past and may use it on occasion in the future, but for now, I don’t mind driving to the store to pick up my groceries or ordering from Amazon Fresh. If you have mobility or health issues, the delivery service fee might be completely worth it, though, and I highly recommend that you check out the stores in your area to find out if they offer delivery.
Is it for You?
So, there you have it, my reasons for ordering online and either waiting for delivery or choosing store pickup. It saves me multiple hours a month grocery shopping, not to mention the stress of trying to wrangle the kids while following the list in a loud and busy store. The convenience fees are typically minimal and are a small tradeoff for the convenience.
Tell me what you think: have you tried online or store pickup programs? If so, what was your impression?
Have a wonderful day!
Tip: Creating and maintaining your family budget shouldn’t be hard. Grab my FREE Family Budgeting Workbook to help you get (and stay) on track! Find it HERE.
