There are several ways to save money on groceries. One way is to purchase your groceries online.
Here are a couple of tips to consider.
1- Search for Coupons
Before smartphones became the norm, super savers had to clip their coupons. Even with those coupons in hand, super savers had to figure out how to save on fresh produce. Coupons for fresh items were not readily available. Today, things have changed. Even the casual saver can come across attractive discounts by doing a quick online search for coupons.
The internet has brought about several conveniences like online shopping for groceries. Marketing teams figured out how to capitalize on this fertile ground. As you shop online, your habits are tracked through cookies. The cookies allow marketing teams to present online offers you are more likely to redeem. Offers they hope you take will also be presented. As the experts from coupons.com point out, you can easily clear the cookies out. Next time you shop, it is like starting as a fresh user again.
“When you clear your data, every website will treat you like a new customer, including the deals that go along with that. Just go to your browser settings and click ‘Clear Browsing Data.’ Your history will be like new.”
If you have a favorite grocery store that offers online grocery shopping, create an account. Often, you can hook up the account to their loyalty program. Every program is different. Generally, you will be presented with basic digital coupons. Then, you will also receive coupons based on your shopping habits. This is a great route because most grocery loyalty programs offer coupons on fresh items, too.
2- Shop Carefully by Buying the Things You Need
It is easy to get a little carried away when you shop online, even for groceries. It is most likely because you do not see a physical cart filling up. Once a week, you are probably going to purchase fresh items. So, focus on getting those items first. Next, check out what is on sale. Without overdoing it, are there really good deals you can take advantage of on that purchase?
For example, is there a really good sale on dish soap, detergent or paper towels? If yes, stock up. When you can stock up at a deep discount, you save money online shopping. If you stock up enough, you will not need to purchase those items again at full price. Instead, you may be able to get to the next time they go on sale.
Shopping for groceries online means you also have to be mindful of expiration dates. Because you are not going to haul the groceries yourself, it is very easy to purchase more than you need. You do not want anything to spoil, though.
3- Utilize Curbside Pickup instead of Delivery
The large grocery chains are in competition with each other every day. That is one of the reasons why online shopping for groceries has taken off. When this service first launched, selection was limited. It was also limited to just a few stores in certain cities. Today, you can purchase just about any item in most stores in the majority of cities, online.
One more way you can save is by utilizing curbside pickup instead of delivery. When you pick up curbside, you are saving by avoiding the delivery fee which varies based on the miles from the store to your location. Some chains offer an additional 10% savings if you pick up your items as well.
Shopping for groceries online is convenient. It also saves you money if you shop correctly.
