After my post a few days ago on the subject of doing your weekly grocery shopping online, a few more thoughts drifted lazily into my head that might help you make up your mind. Firstly, I confess it took me quite a while to start using this sort of service regularly because I was so used to trudging up and down the aisles with a wayward trolley and finding on-the-spot inspiration for the week's food in the things I saw on the shelves. And I suppose pushing a heavy trolley is worth a good twenty minutes on the weights at the gym! However, now that I am used to sorting everything out in 10 minutes flat in my pyjamas and fluffy slippers I would not go back to the old way.
How to choose between them? Well, that's up to your personal preferences of course. The big supermarkets all have online deliveries as an option so that's not a problem. You could always try a website called mySupermarket.co.uk. mySupermarket.co.uk allows you to compare the same basket of shopping from 4 different supermarkets. Obviously you may think that with competition the way it is these days you are probably only going to find minimal differences in the overall cost, but that's where the surprise is. You need to try the "swap and save" options where you can see alternate choices for each item based on either lower cost or lower calories (and that's both the alternate trolley in the other three supermarkets listed, and within the shop you are "in") - now that's the part that is a real eye opener and could really save you some serious money over the course of a year. I've just looked at a recent shop and it is suggesting I could save over £13 (on a £70 trolley!) simply by making substitutions. Naturally you might not want to make all of their swaps. The cheaper brand may not be worth the reduced cost to you - but many probably will be. £13 over 52 weeks is a whopping £676 and that alone has to be worth a visit - so here's the link again mySupermarket.co.uk
It occured to me that there would still be doubts and queries despite my enthusiam, and here are a few that came to my mind:
- "What if I have forgotten something, or want to change my order?" - well, all of the supermarkets have their own rules for a cut off time for amending your order, usually sometime the day before. Apart from that, you just log in, make any changes and resubmit the revised order. Simple. (and the process also allows you to nail a delivery spot quickly with a basic order if you have absolutely no time at all, and then go back later to knock your online trolley into shape).
- "I can't tell you a week ahead what I'll feel like eating the week after - I've hardly made up my mind about tonight never mind next Thursday!" - I used to feel that way too. I'm not sure words can do the trick here. You'd just have to try it and see if it works for you. All I can tell you is I have soon become very used to it and I can't really work out now what seemed so difficult.
- "I don't like the idea of the supermarket choosing substitute items for me" - OK substitutes are not that frequent. This week's shop had none for me. If there are any it's rare for there to be a lot. Mostly their substitutions are fine - but you have the option to accept or refuse them. You can also tick the option to never have substitutions made for you if an item is out of stock. So its your choice, but although this could be a problem a few years back I don't find it so now.
- "I like picking up a bargain instore" - Good for you! But you do get special online offers, that aren't available in store so it's swings and roundabouts.
- "Christmas!" - As long as you keep an eagle eye open for the delivery slots becoming available and nab one asap, Christmas is a doddle. Ideally I try and get as much as possible some days before in case of things being out of stock with a last delivery on Christmas Eve ... ideally. Missed it altogether last year because I was not concentrating!
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