Grocery shopping is a necessity for every home, but most of us find it difficult to make a trip to the supermarket every time we need someone. No one likes lugging a cart down the block or hopping on the crowded bus with heavy bags. Moreover, grocery shopping can turn out to a big chore for people living in cities that are devoid of convenient stores. Even the thought of standing in long checkout lines can be tiring!
This is precisely where online grocery shopping comes into play. Such services can be a godsend to people who hate the idea of heading to a brick and mortar supermarket. Now, it’s pretty obvious that you can easily shop around and place items into your shopping cart while sitting on your couch, but it’s also easy to end up buying things you don’t need or won’t finish.
Want to give online grocery shopping a shot? Here are some handy tips to get you started:
Create a List and Stick to It
It’s never a good idea to visit the online grocery store without making a list of things you need to buy for the next couple of weeks. That’s probably what you’ll do when heading to the city supermarket, so be sure to maintain the habit when shopping online.
Now, there’s a good chance of being tempted to click on other items while shopping, maybe some discount offers or some other thing you forgot to put on the list. However, it’s in your best interest to stick to your list and get it over with. Don’t impulse buy!
Don’t Just Hit the Reorder Button
There are several different services that make things convenient for you by giving you the chance to get previous invoices so you can just reorder the items. Now that’s pretty good, but it also means that you won’t get to shop around or take advantage of specials to see if there are discounts on similar products.
Plan Lunch and Dinner Around Sales
It’s also an excellent idea to plan your meals around what’s on sale on the site, just as you would when shopping at a brick and mortar grocery store. In essence, try to be on the lookout for coupons and online discounts to fire up your recipe plans.
Buy Less Fresh Produce
It’s pretty obvious that you won’t get to smell or touch the produce you’re adding to your online shopping cart, so it’s in your best interest to pick fruits and vegetables that are unlikely to get bruised in transit. Pineapples, oranges, and corn should be on your list. You can quickly head to farmer’s market to get the rest!
Say Something
Now that it’s clear that you’re paying for your food online, you can’t be certain that it’s going to arrive your doorstep in tip-top shape. If you find that the produce or other items are bruised or battered upon arrival, be sure to contact your online store’s customer service number or email and let them know about the issue. You’re likely to get reimbursed for the cost of the product or receive credit for your upcoming purchase.
Consider the Unit Price
Most of us can relate to how daunting it can be to compare unit costs at the supermarket primarily because the cost per pound happens to be unclear in many stores. The good thing is, most online grocery stores make it easy for customers to compare unit costs, so be sure to take advantage of this information.
Be On the Lookout For Expiring Offers
Who wouldn’t like to buy around sales? Doing that is great! However, you should be aware that there are times when the on-sale period expire by the time the groceries are charged to your card. Once this happens, you won’t get to enjoy those expected discounts. The thing is, there are retailers that will alert you about expiring offers before taking the plunge, but others might not do the same. The bottom line; always check sale expiration dates before hitting the checkout button.
So there you have it! These are just a few tips that can make your online grocery shopping a whole lot easier. If you’re looking to switch to online shopping, be sure calculate your savings and compare it to how it is with the old-fashioned way of hitting the grocery store by yourself. If you find that there are no significant savings, then you may want to give it a break for a while. Happy shopping!
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