Aug 12, 20206 min read

6 Amazing Benefits Of Grocery Shopping Online

Updated: Aug 20, 2020

We've all heard the saying work smarter not harder. If you haven't discovered the many benefits of doing your grocery shopping online, here are a few reasons to make the switch. I have to admit, since I've become a convert I've quickly realised its many benefits!

1. YOU SAVE SO MUCH MONEY

Who doesn't love saving money? Since shifting over to doing my grocery shopping online rather than in store I am no longer visually bombarded upon entry which makes it so much easier to stay on budget. There's no temptation to impulse buy those "unbelievable" special offers or grab an item "just in case". I can't recall the number of times I have been in shock at the checkout because of all the sale items, extra treats and special offers that I or the hubby carelessly threw into our trolley thinking we were "saving" so much money on all these amazing deals.

Probably one of the best features of an online shop is the running tally of your spend which gives you a real time account of what you are spending. Recently I decided to give myself a challenge to only spend approximately $100-120 a week and it's been achievable thanks to the running tally that lets me assess if I really need an item in that week's shop. If I have extra items on my list that are over budget I then decide if they are necessary or if they can go into the next week's shop and place them on the new list for the following week and I have to say, overall, it's been a system that's been working well.

It is also comforting to know that if there's a mistake with your order (e.g. wrong item or quality control) you can simply call customer service and they will promptly credit you the cost of the item back to your online account to use on your next shop without having to drive all the way back to the store to get things sorted out. (This has happened to me a couple of times with my Coles shop.)

And last but not least, the specific "specials" section allows you to check for specials in any category and easily compare for the best possible value which is so much easier to do from your computer than having to worry about being in someone's way or feeling rushed to make choice.

2. IT IS HELPS YOU EAT HEALTHIER

Another huge benefit of grocery shopping online is that I find myself mainly buying whole foods because we (and by we I actually mean the hubby) is no longer tempted by the bakery, junk and processed food sections or treats that are strategically placed to grab your attention. Our online shop is now full of nutritious foods and unless I have a special occasion to plan for I am not the least bit tempted to add snack and processed foods like potato chips, biscuits, ice-cream etc. to our shop that would probably have ended up in our trolley had we been walking through the aisles in store.

3. IT IS SAFER & MORE HYGIENIC

Have you ever considered that that trolley you're pushing around is handled non-stop and most probably covered in bacteria? Yep think about it, people who might not have washed their hands after using the restroom, people who are dealing with a cold or flu and then handling the trolley you have next, trolleys with kiddie seats that are probably NEVER sanitised and even parents who allow their kids to ride in the trolley shoes and all - you can quickly see how shopping trolleys can be literally teeming with germs and bacteria. While it is good that some grocery stores have introduced hand sanitiser and wipes (that I hope stay forevermore) grocery stores generally have a high density of people throughout the store making it a hot spot to catch something, especially during cold and flu season. And the checkout is another germ fest to be wary of because the self-checkout requires you to touch screens that aren't regularly sanitised and a checkout with a person means that person has to touch thousands of items a day and be in contact with hundreds of people, so for those who have serious health conditions, an online shop makes a much safer option.

4. LESS STRESS

When you have small children, every moment in your day is precious and an online grocery shop can save you a world of stress because you can avoid the epic task of of getting the kids ready and in the car, then getting them in the trolley or ensuring they are staying close to you the whole time and then explaining to them why they can't have 10 packets of Cadbury chocolate and then dealing with their tantrum when they don't like your explanation of why they can't have 10 packets of Cadbury chocolate, followed by getting your groceries and everyone packed and back in the car to go home again - doesn't it all sound so exhausting. Why not do yourself and your sanity a favour and do an online shop!

It's also a great choice if you work crazy hours and don't have the time or energy to do an in store shop and because I hate leaving my fur baby home alone too much (yep, I am THAT crazy fur-baby Mum) an online grocery shop is ideal because I would rather spend my time with him than in the grocery store any day.

5. YOU SAVE SO MUCH TIME

Time is a precious commodity for all of us and when you consider you don't have to put on your face, drive anywhere, find a park, deal with navigating through busy aisles or in my case debate with the hubby if we really need 36 cans of Coca-Cola on sale or the newest flavor of potato chips ( we don't) as well as wait in long lines to check out, well online shopping just begins to looks better and better!

Whether you opt for click and collect (where the food is packed for you and ready for collection) or delivered straight to your home via home delivery, either way it helps you add valuable time back to YOUR DAY to do the things you WANT to do.

Also some online grocery stores have handy time-saving features like "bought before" so you can quickly add your regular items to your cart as well as convenient "have you missed" reminders for your frequent purchases before checking out which is brilliant because it saves you having to make that annoying trip for that one item you really can't do without - which in our case is eggs and sourdough bread.

And one last thing - I don't know about you but I often find when I do an in store shop I "suddenly" remember I need to go to other stores in the mall which soon turns an intended quick shopping trip into a full-blown afternoon out spending spree.

6. IT'S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Less cars = less pollution right? If you opt for home delivery that's one less car on the road (and more fuel in your tank) and every little bit helps especially when multiple people opt for home delivery. Both Coles and Woolworths offer a free delivery on your first online shop (over minimum $100 spend I think) and if you choose off-peak times or are flexible with times delivery costs can be very reasonable.

Oh, before I go I just want to share that if you keep a running list, (I like to keep mine on my fridge), it makes it super easy to blast through your online shop and most major online grocery stores allow you to pay with PayPal as well as your credit card so you have a couple of options too. You can also link your rewards cards (e.g. FlyBuys & Woolworths Rewards) to your account, so you can continue to accumulate your points - yaay!

HAPPY ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING!

P.S. I'd love if you'd show me some love and click the heart at the bottom of this post or leave a comment!