Online Shopping - WHY!!!

I used to be that person who truly enjoyed going to the grocery store, walking the aisles, perusing the new items and deciding what was for dinner by grabbing whatever struck me at the moment....that was before 4 kids.  That does NOT mean that I don't still enjoy yummy food!  These days, I would rather take shopping for food off my plate (hee hee), so that I can do the fun stuff AND gain that saved hour for me time!  Wouldn't you rather get an hour of "fun" shopping or an extra workout than casing the grocery store?  That's why I strategically purchase food and shop for other stuff!

This week I did all my planning and purchasing on Saturday; it didn't take that much time at all!  About 45 uninterrupted minutes, I had my menu done and had placed my online shopping order for the bulk of my menu.

Online shopping is available in most areas these days.  I realize it's not for everyone and some people don't realize how much it IS for them!  At first I was skeptical about someone selecting my produce and meats, but my grocery store definitely gives extra attention to their home shop customers! So....you generally get the best of what they have!  They always check dates on every item and if anything is short dated, they give it to you free.  Generally if a produce item doesn't look great, they give you 2 for the price of 1, or give you the option of subbing something at no charge.  If a particular brand is out of stock, they sub the next best thing at no cost to you.  Many times they have your meat custom cut by the butcher and they always call and ask if you want the short dated clearance meats or long dated ones.  It's like having a personal shopper!  So the quality is there!

Yes, there is a cost involved, but it's definitely worth the small expense.  Harris Teeter, my store of choice, charges $99.95/year for unlimited online shopping, or $16.95/month.  Do the math, if you shop only 1 time per week at the yearly price that's $1.92/week.  That gets you someone to spend an hour or more shopping your order, bagging it in nice paper bags separated by perishable and shelf stable, storing it in the fridges ready for you to swing and pick it up at your convenience!

It's fantastic to be able to swing by right after school or soccer practice, not get out of the car or haul all the kids in, begging for this and that; and simply drive through and have your groceries loaded. Wonderful!  Plus, it goes without saying that it's a real convenience to place an order that your husband can easily pick up on his way home from work, without worrying about what he might actually show up with!  And better yet, when you have a sick child and just need a can of soup and a jug of juice, unlimited orders at no extra charge!

When the girls were little I remember placing an order for 3 gallons of milk, and loving what headache it saved me, not having to get all those babies out just to get milk!  And...one weekend while I was away for a girl's weekend, my husband called in a frenzy about something, I hopped right online from out of town and voila, groceries ready for him to pick up!  I placed my order at 5am this past week and it was ready by 10am, and I got a call from my shopper letting me know what the out of stocks were and offering options for those items. So the convenience is fabulous!

Moreover, and my FAVORITE thing about online shopping...it saves all your purchases!  You can click on a list of your purchases from the last 90 days, both online and in-store, and simply check next to the ones you want, enter the quantity, and press go!!!  In this list all sale items are highlighted in red! It is so fantastic to scroll down just checking by the items on your menu and add them to your cart!  It even simplifies menu planning because you can use that as a guide to jog your memory on things you've made recently and plan around the most cost effective ones!  Talk about $ saving, you can jump right into the weekly ad, and shop from there!  I usually use this to help me keep my menus close to the source by adding meals that include the most seasonal produce!

And...if you tend to forget things, problem solved!  There is an app that you can shop directly from!  When I think of something, I hop into my or pen order and add it right away so I don't forget later!  OR, you can shop directly from your past purchases, just scroll through and look for anything you might have run out of!

So, yep....I am a huge fan of online shopping...hahaha, can you tell??!!

In addition to my online order, I make a Costco run for the things we only get there every couple of weeks.  These items are VERY specific, mostly organic greens, eggs, some cheeses, some kids snack items, paper products, wild caught frozen fish, organic chicken, etc. Over time I have realized what to get here and what not to get here!
(Tip: Don't send your husband, unless you want him to come home with socks and underwear for the family, along with whatever athletic equipment is being advertised that day! ;)

Last, I hit Whole Foods for certain organic/grass fed meats and items that I can't find at HT.

I know that seems like a ton of info, but mostly it's WHY purchasing online saves $, time, listening to your kids whine and throw unwanted items into your cart, and adds a bit of convenience to your life!  Please let me know any questions!!!


Online Shopping WHY

Time:

• It keeps me from making multiple trips to the grocery store, driving, walking the aisles, waiting in line...
• I can start an order early in the week with things that I think of as time goes on, and then complete the order on Friday morning when the E-vic items come out and it's ready for pick-up before the kids get out of school!

Money:

• Less trips to the store, less impulse items in the cart!  Online shopping, much less impulse items!
• Planning ahead = no dump - You throw away much less food if you plan and buy for those meals and nothing additional! 
• You can shop the ads and use them to start your menu.
• If you sign up for the yearly subscription, the cost is only about $1.92 per week, and you are allowed unlimited orders!  

Calories:

• I know that if I hit the store hungry, my cart seems to somehow fill itself with random stuff that I don't need, and probably isn't the best deal!  If the Oreos aren't in the house, you won't eat them!

Convenience

• I can shop from my bed before I go to sleep and it's ready for pick-up by 10am.
• Now there is an app for online shopping!  I can sit in pick-up line and add things to my cart, and pick up my shopping when and where I have a minute!
• I keep an open order going in the app, so that when I think of something we need, I hop in and add it to my cart, so that I don't forget about it between then and the rest of my day!
• Hitting the drive thru at Harris Teeter beats the heck out of taking 3, 6 month olds into the store...unstrapping, finding a cart and another apparatus, re-strapping, etc.
• Time, time, time!  I run short on time everyday!  With online shopping I can fold that load of laundry when I would otherwise be searching!