What saves more? Grocery pickup or going INSIDE the store

...the answer might surprise you

Because the answer is - it depends.

I’ve been “deal shopping” for groceries and other items since I got married in 2003 - I learned from my mother, who taught me the art of double-coupons.

When I first started, I knew I could get the best deals by hopping from store to store and using their coupons - most of the time, that was my shopping DAY and I was gone most of it. It was almost a job for me. And I taught others to do it.

Fast forward and I started having children. I found that I no longer had the time to hunt deals for hours - so I started doing more frugal things at home and making a lot of our food from scratch. That was how I saved.

These days, I find that I save the most money by going in the store and keeping it to Aldi for 90% of my shopping and filling in the gaps at Walmart and Kroger (we just got a Grocery Outlet so I am pumped to try it out!).

I’ve had to learn that for MYSELF, I save the most money this way. It was through examining my spending habits in the Grocery Budget Bootcamp class that I found what worked for us.

But, I have friends who save loads of money by shopping online and picking up their items. I do not save that way - I miss deals and clearance AND find that it’s way too easy for me to add things to my virutal cart. It’s like a game. I can’t see it adding up - I don’t know how full it is. I can’t see what I am missing.

Each person is different - so how can you know what’s best for you? You need to test it.

Is it easier for you to pop OOOOOO-LA-LA items into your cart in the store? (Not for me, because I see my buggy filling up).

Or is it easier for you to add things to a virtual cart that wasn’t on your list (that “you might like” category gets me every stinking time).

You cannot know until you test it - and what works for one person won’t work for another.

But I can promise you this - it’s worth the test to find out. Try ordering online one month and compare it to the next month, going in the store.

If you’re interested, I post my weekly grocery Aldi hauls on Instagram. :-)

Soli Deo gloria,

Stacy