Do you find ordering groceries online helps you to not buy "bad" things?

starpoweractivate

Hi, thought I would see what people's thoughts and experiences are with online groceries.

So, it's now very common where I live to have the ability to order groceries online and pick them up from the grocery store all without actually going into the store. I actually really enjoy grocery shopping and picking out my own things and seeing all my options on the shelf, but I know that can be a problem because then I'm always confronted by EVERYTHING which could leads to buying items I shouldn't have at home. My thoughts about online groceries is that I think I would be able to stick to my list of items and not do any "snatch and grab" of bad foods. Has anyone seen improvement in maintaining your grocery list by using online grocery ordering? I'm interested in hearing what people's experiences are. Thanks!

quiksylver296

Yes. It totally does.

hesn92

I've heard a lot of people say it helps curb their spending because there's no impulse buying

manderson27

Yes and no.

It helps because I am not tempted by goodies in the same way as when I wander around the store. It also certainly helps me budget better for the same reason.

But I do like to choose my own fresh produce and today I found a few new products in the store that were lower calorie than my normal brand so I picked them up to try.

kimny72

So I'll jump in with an introvert's perspective - I hate going grocery shopping, I just want to get in, grab what I need, and get out. I rarely impulse buy in the store because my constant motivation is to get out of the store. Once in a blue moon I'll grab something without thinking on a whim because I'm rushing too much to stop and read the calories.

Online is where my impulse shopping happens. I go onto Amazon to buy protein powder, and by the time I'm checking out half an hour later, there's protein powder, protein bars, a book, socks, and three different eyeliners.

So I've never ordered groceries online It's really about knowing what kind of a shopper you are!

reversemigration

I'm more disciplined in online ordering, but I often spend less in person because I'm ruthlessly frugal and pick through the "manager's specials"/stuff nearing expiration/overstock. This also allows me to pick up products that I might want to try but are otherwise too expensive - most recently, a fancy protein powder.

Makaiookami

I go to the store and I look for meat that's on sale. Usually on the way home from a work out or if i'm in the area of a store about to go home.

I don't really impulse buy anything unless it's clearance. Like Starbucks Iced Coffee for $1 a gallon jug. Or Sunbutter, which I probably shouldn't have bought. Some sugar free syrups.

I did splurge and buy a $15 dollar cup blender thing, but that's because I wanted to take my iced coffee up a notch by blending blueberries into it, and I also want to start making my own pre-workouts for fasted exercise, and I can just throw the ingredients together, blend it up, drink it, fill it up with warm water, blend it to clean it, rinse it out, and be done with it till next use.

The thing is if I changed from low carb back to a normal diet, (I did it once as an experiment) everything in my body starts aching, my muscles get sore, I lose my stamina... You have no idea what it's like going from an over inflamed mess of a diet, to a low inflammation diet that gives you plenty of energy and health. Why buy chips when I can get pork rinds? Why get sugary icecream when I like Sola, or I can just blend up some heavy whipping cream and some berries with some sweetener? I love a whole foods way of eating. Bacon is on my health food list XD. I love low carb. Pizza don't even taste like it used to anymore. I've programmed myself to eat like a proper human and it's delicious!

And if life gets crazy, because my body makes all the glucose I should ever need, I can get so busy that I don't eat for 3 days, and as long as I watch my electrolytes my body can rejuvinate itself, I save money, lose fat, and never get hunger pains. I now understand what a hunter gatherer culture is like. Going days without eating isn't that bad.

apullum

I personally don't use online grocery ordering because I mostly shop at cheap places where they don't have it I love, love, love Grocery Outlet. They get a lot of things that didn't sell/were overstocked elsewhere, but each store also has a big "healthy/natural" food section, so you can count on finding really good deals on things like low calorie ice cream, protein bars, protein powder, etc. It's not unusual to find some high quality chocolate bars there either. I go there for the basics and whatever exciting things I can find, and then I usually finish my shopping at Trader Joe's. Occasionally I will buy one or two things at a regular grocery store if I can't get them at the other places.

I think I'm just not tempted to buy random stuff that I'm not sure I'll eat because many of my relatives do exactly that. They will buy things just because it's a good deal, assuming someone will eat it. Of course, no one eats these things and they wind up with cabinets full of food that just sits there until it expires. (Or, if you are my grandpa, until the cans all bulge with botulism and other relatives have to very carefully throw them away.) I learned from those examples.

Throwing food out also bothers me a lot more now. I live in a major agricultural area and I see people working in the fields every day. I teach their kids. Knowing more about all the hard work that goes into producing my food makes me more committed to not wasting it. I don't want to buy things that I'm not confident will be eaten.

Now I'm very careful about what I buy. I evaluate everything that goes in my cart, checking the nutrition and ingredients (to make sure it's vegetarian) and making sure I really will eat it/have a recipe in mind for it.

starpoweractivate

Hi everyone! Thanks for your input so far, very interesting! It's great to hear other's perspectives on things. I totally understand the potential savings that's earned by going in-store to search for clearance and managers specials or the items at grocery outlet. Valid points if being frugal is key, and I mean, I who doesn't want a good deal. I know that going online groceries may be more expensive because you forgo direct in-store savings, but I don't have an issue with money...persay. Meaning that, if I were to spend $25 or however much more for online groceries in order to limit the amount of bad things in my house, it would be worth it. My concern is probably not being able to pick the produce myself. Maybe a hybrid solution?

So another question to pose, does anyone find success in doing a combination of grocery shopping options like online eCart/pick up, farmers markets, once a month only trips to certain stores, etc?

HereToLose50

Online ordering makes me very aware of so many things I never eat. It's so much over processed stuff that is meh to me. If I'm going to spend some calories I want it to be worth it 😋 So much stuff I refer to as coupon items are things with low benefits either nutritional or satiating and they are the things that always seem to have the front and center on websites too.

The real problem I have with local online ordering is worrying they give me quality produce and I'm super picky about meats.

I like it for dry goods. I'd do it for other stuff if I absolutely needed to.

Katmary71

I do a combination as I order a box of produce/pantry staples from Imperfect produce where you can pick from choices offered. I still get other fruits and veggies from stores, plus protein. I stick to my list and don't tend to stay from it so that helps a lot.

carakirkey

I tend to shop online for the pantry items about once a month and yes I very much finds it helps to stick to a budget and buy only things we need. My regular shopping during the week tends to be local shops- produce market- bakery-butcher. Not much for junky options in those stores (fortunately I hate donuts and can easily avoid them at the bakery) and it helps me to avoid the impulse shopping and too many bags of chips! The family gets disappointed I didn't come home with snacks though!

Makaiookami

The only things I really get online are stuff like Lankanto Maple Syrup, Stevia extract drops, or binding agents like Beef Gelatin or Glucommen powder.

MrsTitus2

We have instacart and it's delivery prices are the same as pizza places so yes there's been times when we were going to order pizza but I got groceries instead. Cold cereal is dessert to me . Especially an organic sweet one.

Pamela_Sue

I love shopping on-line and doing the grocery pickup. Before I started eating better, I was an avid eater of processed foods, frozen dinners, etc., which are super high in sodium, among other junk. I had to start cooking in order to get my sodium down. What I especially love about on-line shopping is reading the food labels from the comfort of my computer, instead of mindlessly wandering the aisles. I mark all my favorites on the store's website, and use that as a shopping list, even if I decide to shop in person.

slimgirljo15

I love online grocery shopping and having it delivered to my door. I generally eat better.
Sometimes I still impulse buy but generally by the time I get to the online checkout and review my order I delete those items 😁

AnnPT77

I'd dislike giving up the NEAT calories from inefficiently wandering around the grocery store, carrying stuff in a hand-basket, so I haven't even considered ordering for pick-up . . . but I mostly can stick to a list, and am retired so the time isn't an issue.

I love the farmers' markets, though. Love, love, love. Everything is so much fresher, and sometimes there are strange and interesting things to buy and try. Often there's live music, and calorie-affordable treats I can have there, like fruit-based ice pops. In summer (I live in the US North), there are lots of little ones around this mid-sized city, so I can drop in on one most any day of the week. In Winter, one of them keeps going but moves indoors, and has a small but surprising variety of things people grow in greenhouses or the like, plus things like local cheese, dried beans, etc.

I only order food online if there's a specific thing I really want, that I can't find locally.

earlnabby

I find that having a list and sticking to it does more for not buying treats while shopping. If I go from item to item on the list instead of browsing I get just what I need.

I have tried online ordering/pickup and really like it. I use it when I don't have the time to shop or times like today when I actually was sick but needed food. It is a great convenience but I am picky about my produce and don't want someone else making those choices. Frozen, dairy, and shelf items are fine for someone else to pick out for me.

lemurcat2

I enjoy grocery shopping most of the time. I go to my local meat market (which is basically a small grocery with lots of interesting options) often on my way home if I don't get home too late, since it's convenient. Before I moved my grocery store was between my L and home, so I'd pop in there.

I like browsing, but I don't tend to browse in sections where I wouldn't want to impulse buy and don't have a lot of interest in many types of snack-ish stuff or baked goods or what not (there were aisles of my old grocery that I pretty much never went in, even when I was fat). Instead I'll browse and impulse buy in the fruits and veg or other aisles I go into (the spice store is a bigger problem since I impulse buy spices and that adds up).

I have been known to browse ice cream for sure, but only when I was planning to buy it anyway, and because it was something I planned to have at home.

Impulse buying foods I'd rather not eat just has never been an issue for me, I guess because I tend to be a focused shopper and when I pop in on the way home I'm hungry. (If I go on the weekends it's either early to get it out of the way or it's crowded and I hate it and want to go as fast as possible.)

Currently I do my main shopping at the farmer's market (my favorite one also requires going early or it's too crowded, but it's outdoors, which is nice). So if I go to the grocery it's for specific things or with the intend of browsing something (alternative pastas! yogurts! cheeses! fun sauces/vinegars/kombucha to try!).

I've thought about trying delivery, but actually going is just too convenient.

lemurcat2

AnnPT77 wrote: »

In Winter, one of them keeps going but moves indoors, and has a small but surprising variety of things people grow in greenhouses or the like, plus things like local cheese, dried beans, etc.

My favorite one is open all year long too, although only every other week and indoors as well. It's also a good source for eggs and yogurts, and even grains, and one place does a ton of pickled things which I adore. I totally agree with what you say above.

Normally I'd be getting my CSA by now, but apparently the crazy wet weather has put everything back at the farm I get it from, so not quite yet. Good excuse to buy more at the farmer's market, however.

xNandychanx

There's pros and cons to this. I use the same service usually, primarily because I see the final price in my cart and can budget better. Also, no lists I have to keep checking because I can just add items to the cart as needed and everyone else in my house can log onto the app and add their stuff before I buy.

Cons - if you're super thrifty out of necessity, choosing discount produce, bread, and meat may be worth the effort as you can save a lot of money. Buying things at a single store can be more expensive depending on what you're buying. Yesterday I did my shopping manually and found milk almost $1 cheaper elsewhere, and stew meat was about $7 cheaper at place B. I usually spend about $200 a week on groceries via pickup, and this week I spent about $140 by shopping around.

The only pain with shopping around was traffic and the fact that most stores in my area don't start opening until 8 or 9am and I'm usually ready to get things done at 6 since I get up early.

But for impulse shopping? I don't see a difference with temptation, personally. I'll still look for crap, especially if I'm hungry, but the saving grace is I can see that total in my cart and can remove things if necessary, no checkout line embarrassment required.

Qbaimee

100% yes for me. last week i spent $47 and if i would’ve gone in that store it would’ve been $147 😄

bametels

I save a lot of money by doing my grocery shopping online. I vary between using my local grocery store and Walmart. My local store is typically my go to for meat and fresh produce. Online shopping has helped me to learn sale patterns, particularly for BOGO offers at my local grocery store, which lead to big savings. I'll buy large quantities of meat and repackage based on my typical use patterns, on sale produce, coffee (buy 2 get 3 free), etc. Because I buy fairly regularly, the home shoppers know me and they treat the shopping as if they were buying for themselves. I've rarely had a problem and if I do, they are always good about rectifying it. Plus, I get rain checks for any out of stock items. I've had good experiences with Walmart too. I've learned which of their items are typically cheaper than my grocery store. I use them more often for household supplies and other items that are cheaper or better (e.g., string cheese, sliced cheese, eggs). Walmart has been great in rectifying a couple of small problem that came up. A big plus to online shopping, is almost no impulse purchases!