SKIP THE STORE – TIPS FOR GROCERY SHOPPING ONLINE
This isn’t a “coronavirus” thing. This is a “I hate going to the grocery store” thing. I stopped the old school method of driving to the store and browsing through aisles about a year ago. Not only does it save me time and money, it’s so much less stressful skipping the store! Keep reading for all of my tips for grocery shopping online!
TIPS FOR GROCERY SHOPPING ONLINE
Whether you hate grocery shopping or are dealing with crazy lines and empty shelves at your local supermarket, I’m sharing some of my top tips for getting groceries online (and stocking up on necessities).
There are so many awesome grocery delivery and meal delivery services out there. Regardless of shortages or what’s going on in the world, they’re amazing options for getting food & household supplies delivered straight to your doorstep.
Amazon
Amazon has so many amazing delivery options. Most of us know that if you sign up for an Amazon Prime membership, you get free 2 day delivery. But did you know that Amazon also has services called “Amazon Fresh” and “Amazon Prime Now“.
I recommend using Amazon for ordering supplies, regardless of the service. Standard Amazon has so many options for keeping your pantry and cleaning closet stocked. Not to mention you can order items from batteries and laundry detergent to board games and bubble bath.
Amazon Fresh
Prime members in select cities can shop for groceries, everyday essentials, and more with Amazon Fresh. Amazon Fresh offers Attended Delivery and Unattended Delivery.
All of the items you’d normally stock up on at the grocery store are available, at the same (if not cheaper prices). This is key – they’re not marking up prices for the service. You’re literally getting the same choices, at he same prices, delivered for free.
Amazon Fresh also accepts SNAP EBT in select cities. They provide free access to Fresh with special deals on Amazon, Amazon Fresh & Amazon Pantry items. This is the only online grocery shopping
site that I’ve seen that offers this service.
Amazon Prime Now
Amazon Prime Now offers same-day and next day delivery of fresh produce, groceries, within two hours of when you order. Same-day, one-hour delivery is available in select zip codes for an additional delivery fee.
Like I mentioned above, you pay the same prices you would in store. Basically, you browse through available items at your local stores & the Amazon warehouses. Add items to your cart. And someone goes shopping for you and delivers it to your door.
You can even order items from Whole Foods and Keg n’ Bottle. Meaning, you can order all of the awesome fresh, healthy items from Whole Foods. And stock up on booze from Keg n’ Bottle (just show an ID upon delivery)!
They give you options for different delivery times & days, so you can make sure you’re available and can get the items inside!
Shipt
Shipt started as Target’s delivery app. We all love Target – and we all know how hard it is to go in and leave without spending $100 on random things.
It’s kind of like the missing link between Amazon Prime Now & all of the other stores you want to go to when grocery shopping online.
The app (which you can also use in browser) connects members to fresh groceries and everyday essentials. Saving time, fuel and headspace with next-hour, same day grocery delivery.
Some of the stores you can shop at using Shipt:
- Target
- Costco
- CVS
- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
- Publix
- Winn-Dixie
- H-E-B
- Office Depot
- Safeway
- Kroger
- Smart & Final
- Petco
- Sur la Table
- And many, many, many more…
Shipt offers a free trial membership & you can get $50 off of your annual membership (normally $99 – so only $49).
It works the same way as the Amazon services. You pick the items you want & create a shopping cart.
Someone shops for you and delivers it to your door. Just like Amazon, your shopper will communicate with you via text if anything is out of stock. That way, they can send you alternative options for you to approve or deny.
Instacart
You guessed it… Instacart is very similar to Amazon & Shipt. You create your shopping cart & checkout online. Someone shops for you and delivers it to your doorstep! It makes it easy to stick to your shopping list – which I find saves me money.
You can even use store coupons on the site – shopping for deals by store and department.
One thing I love about Instacart is that you can create “group carts”. So if you’re grocery shopping online with family or friends, you can all add items to one cart. You can track who adds what & split the cost easily. Then, have everyone’s items delivered (normally within one hour).
Instacart also offers different promotions from stores & on certain brands, so if you buy at least a certain $ value (normally $25), you get free delivery.
There are tons of stores available depending on your location in the US and Canada. So you can shop at grocery stores, drug stores, pet stores & even for prepared food.
Some of the stores you can shop at using Instacart:
- Aldi
- Smart & Final
- Kroger
- Sprouts
- CVS
- Petco
- Costco
- Target
- Food for Less
- Bev Mo!
- Albertsons
- And many, many, many more…
The prices you see listed on the Instacart website or app are sometimes different from the prices you see in the store. Each retailer determines how much they charge on Instacart. Some stores use the same prices in-store and on Instacart. Others set their Instacart prices a little higher.
Thrive Market
One of my favorite spots to grocery shopping online, Thrive Market caters to people looking for health food & diet specific products.
Thrive Market curates the highest quality organic, non-GMO products (food, beauty, cleaning supplies) for you to shop from at 25% – 50% off retail prices.
The annual membership is $59.95. If you don’t save at least $60, they’ll give you the difference in credit at the end of the year after you renew. But you also get 25% off of your first order, so it’s a great time to stock up on necessities!
85% of orders ship in two days or less. Orders over $49 always ship free. Shipping times have been a bit delayed, but it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for diet specific foods. You can actually filter food items and products by diet, like gluten free, paleo, AIP, Keto or low food map items.
I love that you can buy bulk value packs of meat or seafood. You can literally order and ham and turkey dinner to serve 20 people if you want!
Thrive also sells vitamins and supplements, cleaning supplies, baby products, wine and bath & body items.
BOXED
Boxed is kind of like the online Costco. With Boxed, you can make sure you’re all set with supplies by taking advantage of big sizes, all while saving money.
Boxed.com has reasonable prices. It’s normally cheaper than warehouse stores and often cheaper than Amazon. Plus, every order comes with two free samples, which you can choose!
To put it simply, they offer low prices on big-sized grocery and household items with no membership fee and mostly free shipping. Like Instacart, you can also create group orders – in case you don’t have space for a mega pack or refried beans.
Membership is free, and you can also get $15 off of your first order!
Meal Kit & Food Delivery Services
As far as I’ve noticed, all of the major meal kit delivery and food delivery services are still in business! Which is great news if you need food, even better news if you’re looking to improve your cooking skills!
Meal Kit delivery services are convenient because they deliver weekly menus and preportioned ingredients. This is great if you don’t have a ton of space or room in your food to stockpile. Even better news if you’re trying to learn how to cook, because they portion out ingredients and send you step by step recipes.
In addition to grocery shopping online, here are a few of my favorites (that I’ve tried) and link a few others at the end in case you’re having a hard time finding options.
Home Chef
Fun fact, Home Chef offers a 50% discount on your first order if you’re a student! Not a student, no worries… you can still get $35 off your first order.
Meals start at $9.95 per serving and you can order different numbers of meals and servings depending on the size of your family.
Every week, they offer different menus to choose from. You have the option of picking classic meals (ingredients ready to cook up), quick meals (easy to prep with a pan included) and ready to grill meals (ready to throw on to the grill).
Freshly
One of my all time favorite meal delivery sites, Freshly is so easy and tasty. No prep required, you just pick the meals you want and they deliver them. Ready to pop into the microwave and ready in 3 minutes.
Unlike packaged food you find at the grocery store, these are all fresh recipes made by a chef for you.
Plans range from 4 – 12 meals a week and can be scaled for the number people your feeding. They also have different categories, like takeout twists, one bowl nourishers or comfort food.
You can sign up and get $40 credit on your first order!
SAKARA
If you’re trying to stay healthy, Sakara is an amazing option. The Sakara Life organic meal delivery program is based on a whole-food, plant-rich diet that includes fresh, nutrient-dense, and delicious ingredients.
Their meal delivery focuses on:
- Over 100% of your daily requirement for protein, essential vitamins and minerals
- More than 15 cups of leafy greens to heal your gut
- 100+ disease-fighting, youth-promoting phytochemicals and antioxidants
- 200% of the fiber you need daily to support digestion
- More than 100 unique ingredients for ultimate health
Meals are ready to eat and delivered to your door. You can choose options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And choose the number of days a week you want food delivered.
I like that you can add meal modifications if you have food allergies. Since I’m trying to stick to the Auto Immune Protocol Diet, I can have them eliminate nightshades, nuts & grains. Prices are a bit higher, but you can get $50 off on your first order.
HungryRoot
I love how easy Hungryroot is to use. They handpick a line of brands and products based on your preferences and delivery the groceries and recipes to you.
It’s kind of like shopping for groceries with an assistant. They can shop or you can pick your ingredients. They also include easy, healthy recipes that you can make in 10 minutes.
Plans start at $59 per delivery and you can get $25 off of your first 2 deliveries. It’s so easy to use and awesome knowing there’s one less thing you have to stress out about.
Other Great Meal Delivery Options
The Farmer’s Dog (don’t forget about your dog!)
Looking for More Helpful Content?
IN A PINCH? HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN DIY HAND SANITIZER
