With the social distancing currently required in all grocery stores, you’ve probably switched to online grocery shopping now. It’s a convenient solution if you don’t want to risk going out during the pandemic.
However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, online grocery shopping can also be a challenge. The additional costs such as delivery fees and slightly marked-up prices can slowly take over your monthly budget.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to save money while buying groceries online.
In fact, to help you spend wisely, we’ve come up with some of the most useful tips to keep yourself safe from excessive costs — especially for those with large families that need to balance their finances.
1. Take advantage of coupons and promo codes
Enjoy big discounts and on-pack promotions at the supermarkets? You’ll also love using digital coupons and promo codes, then!
These are given by the online shopping platforms to encourage people to buy from them. They’re usually seen on the homepage of the particular store that you’re buying from.
Most of these coupons and promo codes are applicable upon checkout. If you use them then, you’ll see how much you’ve saved and the reduced total cost of your purchases.
2. Avoid possible delivery fees when you can
Delivery fees may vary depending on the location, service, or order size. To keep delivery fees low, look for delivery deals offered by the platform that you’re shopping on.
Some of them waive fees if you buy a specific number of items and there are also services that offer free delivery charges on the first three orders. Aside from coupons/promo codes, things like that can also help to reduce your total costs.
3. Meal planning
This tip is not only applicable to online grocery shopping but also to everyone’s usual supermarket spree. By having a list of meals for the whole week, you’ll easily know what to buy instead of browsing for hours.
You can buy a selection of breakfast and lunch food items to mix and match for daily meals. Moreover, with a variety of fruits and vegetables, you can do several meals and even drinks!
As much as possible, don’t sacrifice your health just so you can save a little extra cash, though. To be precise, don’t opt for a poor diet just because it will cost you less than a balanced one.
According to the doctors at Cardiologist Singapore, it’s more important than ever to have well-balanced meals now. A healthy diet is one of the necessities for a healthy immune system, which is vital during a pandemic.
Besides, it makes more economic sense to eat healthy, in the long run. The doctors also noted that what people may end up paying for healthcare if they get sick will negate savings they make by skimping on the quality of their meals, anyway.
4. Compare prices
We can easily get swayed by the first item displayed on the results page and buy it because we think that it’s the best deal. However, this is not always the case.
So, make sure to take your time in comparing the prices of items and go for the one that balances cost with quality. Since you’re shopping online, you can always go back to your cart before placing an order and replace the item that you’ve already added.
5. Choose curbside pickup
If you prefer not to pay for delivery fees, you can opt for a curbside pickup service. As soon as you’ve placed your order online, the supermarket staff will arrange your orders and let you know when you can get your groceries at their store.
There’s no need to worry because they follow safety measures for both you and your groceries. Your groceries should be clean and handed to you safely.
Don’t be tempted to break distancing or safety rules yourself when you pick up the groceries, though. According to the physicians we talked to at ENT Doctors Singapore, keeping a clean environment and limiting physical interactions is especially important in the current pandemic.
Following those rules can help you avoid contracting COVID-19. That’s why all stores are practising social distancing while serving customers.
In any case, that wraps up our list of online grocery shopping tips to save money. As you can see, shopping for groceries online can be cost-effective if you know your way around the special deals/promotions and practice some smart strategies. You don’t only save on item costs, but also on travel expenses and time.
Do you also have your own tips when doing online grocery shopping? Feel free to share them with us!
