I used to spend hours in the supermarket every weekend doing my food shop, elbowing my way round the busy aisles and feeling frazzled before I even got to the till.
But a few months ago, after I had to abort my weekly mission after forgetting my £1 trolley deposit, I switched to ordering online and I’ve not looked back.
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Not only is it way easier as I can do it from my sofa in my PJs, but I reckon I’ve saved myself hundreds of pounds too.
Supermarket deliveries boomed during the pandemic, and an estimated 60% of people now do at least some of their food shopping online, according to Mintel.
Here’s why I plan to never do my weekly shop in person – and how you can use online shopping to save you money too.
I’ve stopped my worst shopping habit – the double-up mistake
While I’m watching the telly on a Sunday morning, I’ll book a next-day delivery slot from Asda or Sainsbury’s and plan my meals for the upcoming week.
One of my worst shopping habits is buying things we already have in the cupboard.
Unlike in the supermarket, I can check my fridge and cupboards as I write my meal plan and it’s stopped me buying ANOTHER bottle of ketchup or tin of tomatoes that I don’t need.
I think one of the handiest things about shopping online is that you can see how much you’re spending as you go along, so you know if you need to cut back or swap out some products for cheaper alternatives.
That’s why lots of supermarkets have introduced scanners which allow you to monitor the total while you shop.
Of course, there’s the online delivery fee, which costs around £4 on top of my food shop but I estimate I’ve made this back through other savings – and I’ve made my life much less stressful.
Plus, there are ways to save on the delivery fee. Most big supermarkets offer delivery passes, where you pay a monthly or yearly fee to avoid delivery charges.
If you’re doing a weekly online shop, this could save you over £200 a year.
If you’ve got a car, you can swerve the delivery fee by doing click-and-collect, which is normally free once you spend a certain amount.
One thing to watch out for if you’re budgeting is the minimum spend for online orders – usually £40 – and if you don’t hit this you may be charged an added fee of up to £7 on top of your delivery charge.
However, with the cost of groceries having soared in recent years, I’ve never had any trouble reaching the minimum spend, even when I‘m just buying food for myself.
And remember – many supermarkets will let you hand back anything you don’t want to your delivery driver when the shop arrives, in exchange for a refund.
Supermarkets want you to shop in person
Supermarkets WANT you to go into shops as it makes them more money.
Firstly, in-store you’re more at risk from temptation.
Essential items, such as bread and milk, tend to be stocked near the back of the store so you have to walk past the tempting deals and displays to get to them.
Even the music supermarkets play is chosen strategically to slow you down and entice you to browse for longer.
Enticing displays and hidden adverts are all over stores to try and make you spend more money, and it’s far too easy to grab a chocolate bar or expensive magazine while you’re queuing at the till.
If you shop online, you’re not out of danger. Supermarkets will still try and trick you into spending more – but I find it easier to manage as I rarely ever browse the different sections.
Instead I use the search bar to type in whatever item or ingredient I’m looking for, scroll through to find the one I need, then add it to my basket.
Most will also show you a list of the items you order regularly – so you can make sure you’re not forgetting anything and it helps you keep an eye if expensive products like washing powder and cleaning products are on offer.
One trick to watch out for is supermarkets showing you a list of items “you might also like” – which are often more expensive – just before you check out to try and tempt you to add more to your basket.
Don’t let the ‘sponsored’ trick catch you out
I certainly find it easier to shop around when I’m ordering my groceries online.
Never again will I trek down the World Foods section to see if the spices are cheaper compared to the own-brand ones several aisles away.
While supermarkets will tend to show you more expensive products, like premium or organic range items, first when you’re shopping online, there are simple ways to get around this.
After you’ve searched for something, you can choose to reorder the items from lowest to highest price.
And if something you’ve bought is substituted for a more expensive product, you won’t have to pay the difference.
I’ve often got luxury products on the cheap thanks to this rule.
However, beware of “sponsored items” – often expensive or new products that brands have paid supermarkets to display first in the search results.
I got £15 free shopping and it was so easy
Supermarkets regularly offer discounts and vouchers exclusively for online orders.
Some also offer money off for new customers to try and attract more shoppers.
Not only can this save you even more on your groceries, it’s also a good reason to try out different supermarket deliveries to see which you prefer.
For example, I recently got £15 off my Morrisons online delivery through my Amazon Prime account.
Ocado also offers 25% off your first order and three months of unlimited free deliveries.
To find these, you can check supermarket websites and sign up to their email lists for exclusive offers.
You can also use websites like VoucherCodes or moneysavingexpert.com, which regularly post the latest deals.
I also find it incredibly easy to use my loyalty cards when I’m shopping online.
I often get my groceries delivered from Sainsbury’s, and I’ve linked my Nectar card to my online account so I automatically get points when I shop.
My discounted “Nectar prices” also automatically appear when I’m shopping, so I can easily compare prices and I know exactly how much I’m saving.
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