This post contains referral links, but it is *not* a sponsored post. I was not paid or compensated to write this and opinions are all my own. Happy reading!
I used to love grocery shopping. Before I had kids, a trip to the grocery store was fun. I would peruse the aisles for new, interesting foods and spices. I’d come home from the store inspired to make some sort of Chopped-style creation. I took great pride in making meals and organizing my kitchen. While I still love to cook and eat, grocery shopping has become an irritating chore. Why? Well, this may not make me Mom of the Year but I’m totally blaming my children.
Taking a 2.5 year old and a 10 month old to the grocery store is insane. For starters, grocery carts just aren’t equipped for 2 small children. And those beast monsters that do seat two kids? Well, next time you’re at the grocery store you try pushing one of those things out of the cart rack. It’s like pushing two full carts at once. It doesn’t turn well. It’s full of yucky germs. It’s – you get the point.
For the record, I’ve tried every trick under the sun when it comes to shopping with two littles. I babywear my daughter and put my son in the cart. I’ve put my daughter in the cart and let my toddler walk. I’ve even tried those little toddler carts, and my son got very upset about putting any actual groceries in the cart. I’ve taken my husband with me. I’ve sent him to the store alone. I’ve gone to the store alone. And, there’s just no way around it: grocery shopping in-store just isn’t fun anymore.
I avoided ordering my groceries online for a long time. I thought, “This is stupid. Why would I pay to have my groceries delivered? How lazy am I?”
Then, my kids got sick. I was sick. And I got a coupon for FreshDirect. It was the perfect storm.
Here’s what I learned:
1. I Saved Money
Yeah. I thought it would be more expensive to have my groceries delivered. But in reality being able to organize my purchase and take advantage of deals without impulse buys saved me a ton. I saved over $75 on my first order compared to my regular grocery bill and I got more food. It wasn’t processed junk, either. I ordered all whole foods with the exception of 2 boxes of cereal and 4 packs of juice boxes. Also, the “delivery fee” was only $6.99. I thought it would be way more expensive to have someone shop for me and have my food delivered to my door. But for less than $7 it’s a total bargain.
2. I Stayed Focused
Instead of being distracted by displays and new food items, I was able to focus on the groceries my family actually eats. I didn’t add a bunch of unnecessary new things to my grocery cart.
3. Meal Planning was Easier
Because I was able to stay focused, I was able to actually plan out my meals. I could look up recipes and make sure I had all the ingredients in my cart and my kitchen without doing the whole iPhone at the supermarket routine. (Am I the only one who always forgets 1 or 2 important ingredients and then has to go BACK to the store? Ugh. No more.)
4. No Impulse Buys
I mentioned it before but it’s so important: no impulse buys means eating healthier and saving money. Win-win!
5. Groceries Came to my Door
Instead of loading my kids in the car, parking the car, taking my kids out, getting them into the store, loading all my groceries in the cart, unloading my groceries at the register and then reloading those groceries into the cart, then going to the parking lot, getting my kids in the car, loading my groceries in the car, driving home, taking my kids out, taking my groceries inside, and putting my groceries away….I just answered the door and put my groceries in the fridge. Yeah. Saving all that aggravation is totally worth $7 to me.
6. I Saved Almost 3 Hours
See #5. All that junk takes time. Getting myself ready. Getting my tots ready. Actually getting to the store. Actually shopping. Loading and unloading. I saved almost 3 hours and what did I do with that time? I spent it playing with my littles. I would rather spend time on the floor or outside playing with my kids then under the florescent lights and stale air of the supermarket.
7. Less Stress
It was so nice to just put my groceries in a virtual cart and get them delivered to my door the next morning. I saved money and time.
8. I Didn’t Forget Anything
The virtual grocery cart allowed me to check over my purchases. I was able to show my husband the cart and ask him if he wanted or needed anything else before I hit “buy”. When you’re at the grocery store and everything is piled in your cart, you can barely see what you have. I am terrible at sticking to lists in the grocery store because quite frankly my lists are made quickly and I often forget to write a few things on my list. With this order, I didn’t forget a thing. Awesome.
9. My Kids Were Happier
My kids like the grocery store for the first 10 minutes. Then they get bored. While I’ve tried grocery games like “name that vegetable” and “oh, look at that new thing!”, my littles are maxed out of grocery store shopping by 17 minutes. I can’t get all my shopping done in 17 minutes (even though I’ve tried so, so hard). So, even though my kids are too young to realize we skipped the grocery store drama this week, I know they preferred the tickle fights and superhero games we played instead.
10. 3 Stores in One
There are a lot of different grocery delivery services, but so far I’ve just tried FreshDirect and I was happy with it because for me, it was like visiting at least 3 stores in one. I got groceries, baby goods, paper products, and you can even get wine. And hard liquor or beer if that’s more your style. But, um, hello….you can get wine. Delivered. To your door. Wine for your whine.
11. It Made Grocery Shopping Fun Again
I loved the online grocery shopping experience. I was able to get excited about food shopping again, and for me that was priceless. If you want to try FreshDirect, use my referral link to get $50 off your first two purchases. You literally have nothing to lose! If you want to save $50 off your groceries this week, click here.
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