CLEVELAND — The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we shop for groceries forever. About 43% of shoppers used online services last year and many say they will continue using them post-pandemic, despite increased costs. But, there are ways to work the system and cut your bill significantly.
While shopping for groceries online doesn't get much easier, you may find you've been paying a little more. But for Theresa Sweeny, who's tried every delivery service, it's still a deal.
"We don't impulse buy as much online," she said. "You're not entering a store hungry or suddenly you smell everything, and you're like, 'Oh that smells so good. Now I want a pack of cookies.'"
And Sweeny knows the tricks to really save, like, buying a subscription. For $10 to $12 a month there's no minimum purchase for free delivery. Some services even give extra discounts on items, including the membership cost, according to Julie Ramhold from DealNews.com.
"They like to cut like up to 50% off their annual membership," Ramhold said. "Sometimes, we saw it back in November, they dropped to $50 a year."
To really get a bang for your buck, use the services for more than just groceries. Some service drug, beauty supply and household goods stores. And make sure to sign up for emails to get coupons or other discounts.
You can also cut costs by searching the site for promotions and sales. Just like in-store circulars, there's a section for deals. And if they're promoting a particular item, buy it and you'll get free delivery, even cash back.
"They are trying of course to entice you to buy new things, novel products that have come out," Sweeny said. "So those items sometimes will have really big rebates." You can also find promo codes that offer all kinds of savings.
If you don't have a membership, don't order during peak hours.
"Just like with your ride share apps like Uber and Lyft, some of these programs will charge surge pricing or busy time pricing," Ramhold said. "It's basically, you know, Sunday evenings, if they're getting a lot of orders, those delivery costs might go up."
You definitely want to use cash back apps and browser extensions too, with Ibotta, Fetch and Checkout 51, you'll earn money just for shopping. Fetch will automatically scan your email and give you points for gift cards if you shop at their affiliates. And they all work even if it's curbside pickup, which of course is a cheaper option.
"So sometimes, you're stacking two, three, four apps at a time ang getting, again, it can be a significant amount of money back," Sweeny said.
Sweeny sad these tricks save her about 35% on every purchase.
One more tip - comparison shop. Create a free account for the different delivery services and see who has the better deal or even which app is giving the best rebate that day on the items you need, because the delivery and service fees are virtually the same.
"There's so many different places out there that you can go to save money on pretty much any purchase that you can imagine," Sweeny said.
More info on online grocery shopping:
- Cheapism — Online Grocery Service Comparison
- US News — How to Save Money When Online Grocery Shopping
- Univ. of Southern California — Pros and Cons of Online Grocery Shopping
- Blythedale Children's Hospital — Top 4 Pros and Cons of Online Grocery Shopping
- The Kitchn — Seven of the Best Places to Buy Groceries Online in 2021
Editors Note: The video in the player below is from a previously aired story.