8 Ways Online Grocery Shopping Can Actually SAVE Money

March 9, 2023/Updated February 19, 2024/27 Comments/in Food and Recipes, Shopping /by Mary Hunt

There are few things more annoying than stopping at the local grocery store to pick up a few things then hauling bags of groceries into the house only to discover you have nothing for dinner. Or putting everything away only to realize you totally forgot the one thing that prompted you to stop at the store in the first place.

Might Be For You

Online grocery shopping isn’t for everyone. But if you are prone to impulse shopping or regularly go way over what you intended to spend on groceries for the week—even though you came prepared with a list and a stack of coupons to go with it—shopping for your groceries online might actually save you money. And time.

Best Examples

In this article, I will discuss online grocery shopping with both pickup and delivery options, giving specifics for Walmart and Kroger stores. Don’t assume these are the only food stores that offer these services. They are used as examples for many others now offering basically the same service, which for many has become a significant cost-cutter.

These are the ways that online grocery shopping has become a total game-changer for many, me included.

1. Stop the Impulse Buys

There’s something about a grocery store that opens the door to my inner-6-year-old. Oh look! Donuts, flowers … fresh corn on the cob! Wow, I forgot I need a new Bundt pan. Adding two grandsons to our family has only increased my impulsivity in our town’s mega-supermarket, which curiously has a big toy department. My best intentions are tested and rarely come out the winner.

But discovering online grocery shopping—I don’t even have to walk into the place let alone shop all aisles—has put my inner impulsive self into an extended period of hibernation. I complete my order in the privacy of my home (car, campground, beach, school drive-up line), select a pickup time slot, complete payment and Done!

2. Find the Best Options

I’m still stunned by how cool it is to sit at home with my phone or laptop and have the entire contents of a very large supermarket right there, in front of me. I can search for, let’s say “yeast,” and realize I have multiple options. Who knew?

In-store, when I have yeast on my list, I find three kinds in the baking aisle. But online? There are actually 8 options—some of them not in the baking aisle at all.

Online, I can see all of the options together on one screen. I can find the exact requirement for family members with special diets. I can even zoom in on an item’s ingredients list and nutritional values, taking all the time I need to analyze.

I can easily see which is on sale. I can compare the unit price, I can zoom in on the product label. In only a matter of seconds, I have everything I need to know to make the best choice. I feel smarter and as frugal as I want to be. It really is amazing.

3. Reliable Assistant

I have friends who insist they’d never participate in online grocery shopping because “Who would let someone else pick out my produce or select the right roast or chicken?” Well, I would! And only because I’ve tested, tried, and found that I end up with better results when I have a reliable assistant working for me.

I don’t know why, but when I try to find the best vegetables—especially avocados—they’re not always that great. When I pick up my groceries and discover what my shopping assistant selected for me, regularly I am amazed.

Maybe they keep the best quality choices in the back for the “onliners?” I don’t know, but in more than four years of online grocery shopping in my local supermarket, I’ve never been disappointed. Actually, I’m happy I can’t touch the produce. I know me. Once I touch it, I might as well own it for how impulsive I can be. But online, I stipulate only what I need in the exact weight or number—and that is precisely what I get.

4. Exact Balance

Sitting in front of my computer placing items into my online cart, I can see the running total and at the same time see exactly what’s in my cart. I don’t have to keep that running estimate in my head. I don’t get that unexpected surprise at checkout.

Something else: I can perform tiny tests. Let’s say I’m running low on certain pantry items. I can search, “flour,” see what’s on sale, and make a reasoned decision for whether to buy today or wait for a better sale. Or I can add two bags to my cart to see how that affects my checkout total.

5. Unlimited Do-Overs

Shopping online, I can “put things back” easily with a single click without holding up a line or feeling super embarrassed. I can change my mind a dozen times—and I do. That assures I’m not going to end up with a lot of things I won’t actually use.

Sitting at home, it’s easy to plan the week’s menus without all the distractions, samples, and displays. I can check my pantry, fridge, and freezer, so I’m not re-buying what I have already. I have this sense of freedom and the time to make good choices. I can read recipes, price ingredients, and change my mind a dozen times until the moment I decide to check out.

6. Deals and Coupons

My supermarket, King Soopers, which is part of the Kroger family of stores, has all kinds of deals going on that change every week. And I can see all of them on my computer screen when I open the sales flyer for the week.

I can stack those sales and deals with any manufacturer’s coupons I might have, plus take advantage of unexpected, exclusive perks.

MORE:Dinner-in-a-Box is Not What I Thought

7. Reasonable Fees, If Any

Walmart and Kroger* are online retailers offering online grocery shopping. Both offer either curbside pickup, where you have an appointed time to pick up your order or home delivery. During checkout, customers choose a designated store to visit and select a timeslot to pick up their orders.

Pick-up Fees

Kroger stores. There is a standard $4.95 curbside pick-up fee for Kroger stores (waived in some locations with a minimum order of $35).

Walmart. Pick up orders over $35 for free. Orders that don’t reach the $35 minimum have a fee.

Both Kroger and Walmart have policies that their employees are not allowed to accept tips.

Delivery Fees

Delivery fees vary, so check carefully before you opt for home delivery. Tipping the delivery driver is customary, so make sure you consider this as part of your overall delivery expense.

MORE: 23 Ways to Chop Your Grocery Bill

8. That Spark of Joy

I’m talking about that feeling of being super organized. I get that spark with online grocery shopping. The way my shopping cart is organized as I fill it is right there on the side of my screen with everything so tidy and organized.

Then, when I arrive to pick up my groceries, the nicest people come out with everything organized according to frozen, refrigerated; cans together, produce carefully packed in separate bags, and so forth. I pop open the back door of my car, and everything is carefully loaded into the car. They hand me my receipt, and that’s it.

While stores now offer both delivery and pickup options, I opt for pickup. If my order is more than $35 in total, the pickup fee is waived.

Part of the online checkout process includes making an appointment for the day and time I want to pick up my order. At the appointed time, I pull into one of the special parking spaces reserved just for Pickup and either call the phone number on the sign or use the app to let them know I have arrived.

My Home Delivery Experience

I have opted for online home delivery only one time, which was at Costco. It was only days before Christmas and I was especially slammed for time with a big event breathing down my neck.

This is how it works at my local Costco: I placed my order online (food items only, no 72-inch TV!). Once I completed my order including payment, Costco summoned Instcart (a third party) to send a shopper to fetch my items with my delivery time slot and promise of a 2-hour delivery.

This shopper texted me as she arrived at the store, even making me aware that one of my items was not available and offering a reasonable substitute. Once she had checked out she texted again that she was on her way with an estimated time of arrival.

My Instacart shopper carried everything into the house, making things even easier than I expected. It was a flawless experience as grocery delivery goes, for a delivery fee of $13.95*. That, plus a 20% tip, made the overall fee much higher than my regular pickup service at King Soopers. Still, it saved my bacon at a time I really needed a reliable assistant. I found the experience to be well worth the additional fee.

*(Instacart delivery starts at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35. Instacart also offers a special Senior Support Line for customers over age 60.)

Not So Fast, Guys

The potential 2024 merger between Kroger and Albertsons—Kroger agreed to purchase its competitor for almost $25 billion dollars—received plenty of pushback when it was first announced in October 2022. Consumer advocates speculated that the merging of the two supermarket giants would lead to increased prices in a time of already rampant food inflation

Kroger announced that it is contracting with former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in a lobbying push to win the approval of its proposed merger with Albertsons.

* The Kroger Co. Family of Stores includes:

Kroger
Ralphs
Dillons
Smith’s
King Soopers
Fry’s
QFC
City Market
Owen’s
Jay C
Pay Less
Baker’s
Gerbes
Harris Teeter
Pick ‘n Save
Metro Market
Mariano’s
Fred Meyer
Dillons Marketplace
Fry’s Marketplace
King Soopers Marketplace
Kroger Marketplace
Smith’s Marketplace
Food 4 Less
Foods Co

Originally published 10-24-22. Updated, Expanded and Republished 2-19-24

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27 replies

Jackie says:
August 30, 2024 at 4:50 am

Walmart will no longer substitute a larger item for a smaller item at the smaller item price. I have used their curbside pickup service since pre-Covid. It’s very convenient, but I wonder if they deliberately give the curbside customers the scratch & dent items. As of late, I’ve had smashed boxes, dented cans, leaking canned cat food that was so obvious…etc. I never hesitate to start an online return. Only once have I had to take the item back to the store for a refund. All the other times they’ve issued the refund with no questions asked and no need to return. I did receive an entirely incorrect order once. The kids helped me bring it into the house and were quite excited to see some of the items I “bought” – only they weren’t our items! Called the 1-800 number and was advised that I could keep the entire order for free, but I would need to enter an entire new order if I still wanted my original order. They also have online coupons to cut which get added to the Walmart cash total that accumulates until you want to use it towards an order. Unfortunately, paper coupons can’t be used on curbside pickups.
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Cally Ross says:
February 21, 2024 at 8:12 am

I’ve been using Walmart delivery service for a couple of years. the last time I shopped in-store I bought 3 gallons of water, a gallon of milk, a bucket of cat litter and a big bag of cat food…. loading that into my car and then carrying all of it, and the rest of my purchases, into the house and then putting them all away was too much! that’s when I decided someone else could do the “heavy lifting” and I would bring it in the house! love it!!
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Linda Pries says:
March 19, 2023 at 12:42 pm

I just signed up for Walmart+ and placed my first order. I find that using this service will be few and far between. I won’t be able to afford to buy the minimum of $35 plus a tip more than once every few months. I find that shopping online causes me to buy more and I know that walking through the store even just a couple times a month provides me exercise that I need.
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Sharon Campbell says:
March 13, 2023 at 11:25 am

If you have the Honey or Capitol One app, you get rebates, too.
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Patricia Lavenz says:
March 10, 2023 at 9:05 am

Walgreens is the only store I can shop online with. They are the only one that gives paper receipts to their customers. I use the receipts to get cash back (rebates etc) and then send the money to my bank account. Sometimes I can buy a few things that I don’t need receipts for though so it is a blessing sometimes.
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Robin L Meinicke says:
March 10, 2023 at 6:49 am

I have not had a great experience with Kroger pick-up when it comes to produce but I recently tried delivery and I think I will stick with this. The Boost program is $60 a year and they will drive it to my house!! I really can’t beat that! My only concern is I like to tip in cash and I know they prioritize orders based on the tip. I will figure that out.
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Mary Ann Wendland says:
March 9, 2023 at 6:04 pm

I have been using Curbside grocery pickup at H-E-B for about nine months. It saves me at least an hour per week. In addition, the associates choosing my groceries are even better shoppers than I am! They pick the best quality produce and meats and pack all of my items perfectly. Sometimes they even give me surprise thank you gifts! I am never going back to being the shopper!
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Janet says:
March 9, 2023 at 3:48 pm

Hi Mary,
Kroger: My biggest problem with shopping online with Kroger is typically I spend all this time choosing my items and maximizing my purchase with current sale curricular, then they need to substitute items which totally wrecks the coupons, “buy 5, save $5” etc. I would love if they would substitute with a comparable item and still honor the advertised specials.
Walmart: I love shopping on my Walmart app but it cracks me up when most times I’m told an item is out of stock when I go to pick order up but I leave the pick up spot, go park and walk inside and find the item myself simply because the app is showing it’s in stock.
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Judith E McPherson says:
October 20, 2021 at 9:40 am

I started using Whole Foods home delivery during the pandemic. The store is 17 miles away and they didn’t charge any fees (over $35) because I am an Amazon Prime member, plus we get special discounts. They suggest a tip (usually $7) and I may tip more if there is a lot of heavy stuff. I love Whole Foods for their non-GMO, organic, and grass fed choices and I have found almost all the time they make good choices for me. They let me make substitutions or not and let me know what they are. I can look on a map in Amazon and see where they are on the map. I have them deliver it inside my front door on a bench when my back was bad, and upstairs on the kitchen counter when I was having a knee problem. Costco does the same – they have just made home delivery available in my area. Whole Foods is about to charge a $10 delivery fee so I probably won’t order online very often. I may do pickup as I am usually by the store on Saturday mornings. But I discovered I don’t spend as much money when I order online, and with knee and back problems, and the pandemic it has been very helpful. I love grocery shopping, but likely in the future will continue to shop online because I spend less and it is so much more convenient.
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G Jones says:
May 30, 2021 at 6:17 am

I love Target’s app! It’s the best and if you have a SuperTarget near you the selection is huge. I always use their famous Red Card so all purchases are discounted 5% off the top, and many other in-app specials are available for same-day pickup and more. I pick up and it’s all so slick. No phone calls upon arrival, just use their app. Even my closest Target which isn’t a Superstore carries many groceries,and perishables like milk are all orderable for pickup (or delivery). It’s saved me a ton of money by eliminating those impulse buys!
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Marilyn Eakin says:
May 24, 2021 at 8:18 am

I highly recommend using a shopper through the Dumpling App. I was using Instacart, but they mark up the item price and don’t pay their workers properly. With Dumpling, there’s no membership fee and I work directly with the same (AMAZING!) shopper (who is building his own business) every time. I pay in-store prices, a reasonable shopping fee (there’s a minimum of $20 or 15%) that goes directly to my shopper (who is choosing my groceries with care and will go to ANY store!), and a 5% platform fee to use the app. I have the option to pay a gratuity as well. Total transparency, great communication and customer service. I couldn’t be happier with the process and will never go back to in-store shopping.
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PATRICIA LAVENZ GOFF says:
May 22, 2021 at 5:32 pm

I like going in the stores. I find a lot of clearance items and with the coupons and ibotta a lot of them are free. I can scan items to see if their is an ibotta rebate instore better. I tried ordering online once and half my coupons didn’t work or they substituted items so I had to pay for them instead of them being free. I hate surprises. If I go to the store I can save at least 50-75 % with coupons, cashback, fetch and ibotta. By the time I hit my car I have transferred my savings to my bank account. Love it. I do order online when I have store cash (target, amazon etc.) to spend. I turned in my survey money and replaced a termite infested wall in the garage in the backyard with Lowes and home depot gift cards. I am very savvy with saving money.
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Luisa says:
May 20, 2021 at 10:03 am

I truly love grocery shopping, but have used Kroger for curbside pickup for over a year now. During the pandemic they have waived the $5 fee, so I tip the folks who bring my groceries to my car the $5. I can text them when I’m leaving my house and they are ready as soon as I pull in.
I have had good luck with their substitutions, and they charge the original price if they make a more expensive substitution. A couple of times when they’ve said there was no substitution, I talked on the phone with an associate and found there was. They let me know before I arrive if they’re out of something and give me the option of substituting or not.
The produce, originally my biggest concern, has been consistently good, and dairy and meat have had good expiration dates. They shop like I do!
I love Kroger, and they have further insured my loyalty by the wonderful job they’ve done helping us all during the pandemic.
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Brenda says:
May 19, 2021 at 10:11 am

I LOVE Walmart pickup! I have no plans to ever go back to doing my grocery shopping myself. The app is so user friendly ( I have tried a couple other grocery store apps and I found them hard to navigate).
When I think of something I need I add it to my list. At some point when I’m meal planning I decide what I need and add more items to my list. When I decide I am ready to pick up my order I choose the date and time. So easy! Plus the added bonus of only having to lift heavy bags once to carry in! I’m sold!!!
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- Lynne says:
  May 20, 2021 at 1:07 pm
  
  I go one step further. I make an order for the amount needed and schedule it a couple days out. That way I can add to it as late as 1:45 am the day of pick up. It never fails that I have forgotten something on the original order and it is no problem to add it. I also like it that it keeps the item.in your cart so as you run out if things, you can just add it.
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Rhonda M says:
May 18, 2021 at 2:46 pm

I use the local Kroger affiliate (Dillons) and love being able to see exactly what product a coupon applies towards…or sometimes I have forgotten to clip the coupon in the first place. Also since I am a loyal shopper, they will randomly give me high value coupons. The last few I have received were $18.00 off of an $180 purchase which translates to a 10% discount. The total must be $180 after sales and other coupons are applied. I use these coupons to stock up on things such as dog food, paper goods or coffee to add up to the $180. Every little bit helps when prices are creeping up.
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Kay Jones says:
May 18, 2021 at 9:44 am

One thing I have also enjoyed with online shopping is having the heavier items picked and loaded in my car. When you are older and not as mobile the act of taking things off the shelf, put into a cart, taken out of the cart to put on the movable belt, loaded back into the cart after being paid for, loaded in my trunk, taken from the trunk into my house………….!!! I now only have to take things from my trunk into my house. Little things help my life.
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Kay Jones says:
May 18, 2021 at 9:20 am

I have not had that problem at Wal-Mart if I allow substitutions. The have substituted more expensive brand names for the Wal-Mart brand and given me a larger sized Best Foods mayonnaise when out of the smaller size. All at the lower price. The only time I had a problem was substituting pate style cat food for chunky in the same brand and flavor. Fussy cat wasn’t happy.
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Pat C says:
May 18, 2021 at 8:34 am

I’ve been ordering my groceries online and picking them up at the store for the past 12 months. I admit that I do miss wondering around the store seeing what’s new. But as long as our covid case numbers remain high and our ICUs are over flowing, I’m not setting foot inside a store. I’ve had a couple of interesting very small snafus. Never anything major. If there’s a substitute they get my ok and a couple of times when they said they were out of something and I mentioned a possible substitute that they hadn’t though of, they just had someone run to the aisle and grab is. Overall I’m very pleased. I also found that a Tuesday afternoon pickup works well. (I’m retired. If I were still working, I’d schedule a Tuesday after work/evening pickup.) Thurs-Sun they’re really busy. Monday they may be sold out of things but by Tuesday afternoon, they’re usually back in stock.
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- Jana says:
  May 18, 2021 at 4:51 pm
  
  Great tip about shopping on Tuesday, hadn’t thought of that and i hate when they don’t have what i want!! Thank you!
  Reply
  - Diana H says:
    February 20, 2024 at 6:13 am
    
    Sometimes on Tuesday shopping, you can take advantage of the current sale and the upcoming one that begins on Wednesday!
JudyinAZ says:
November 14, 2020 at 8:25 am

I have used Fry’s(Kroger store) and Walmart in my area of Southern AZ for preordering and drive up/pick up shopping. I imagine it varies from location to location but I have received perfect, efficient service from my Walmart store And always problem ridden, long wait times, less than pleasurable experiences at Fry’s. I always fill out my online opinion forms and try to be positive yet honest in my comments. I believe they are listening to those and are trying harder to do a better job or continue with good service where applicable. I encourage you to fill out those surveys faithfully and see the results. I have also saved hundreds of dollars in purchases by using this method as Mary has shared. Any disadvantages you encounter are far surpassed by the benefits received! I believe this kind of shopping experience is a money, time and waste saver and that if stores are smart they will keep, and beef up this option for us happy shoppers forever more!
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Lottie Parker says:
March 14, 2020 at 6:11 am

my only problem with online shopping is, if they don’t have what brand I asked for, they don’t always substitute something. if you’re in the store, you will make that decision quickly
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- Kay Jones says:
  May 18, 2021 at 9:19 am
  
  I have not had that problem at Wal-Mart if I allow substitutions. The have substituted more expensive brand names for the Wal-Mart brand and given me a larger sized Best Foods mayonnaise when out of the smaller size. All at the lower price. The only time I had a problem was substituting pate style cat food for chunky in the same brand and flavor. Fussy cat wasn’t happy.
  Reply
- Kay Jones says:
  May 18, 2021 at 9:48 am
  
  WalMart has substituted the more expensive name brand items for the WalMart brands when they were out. They also substituted larger size jars of Best Foods Mayo when they were out of the smaller size, all at the lower price. If you check the do not substitute box they won’t substitute. Only problem I had was with cat food. Fussy cat didn’t like the substitution for the same brand, same flavor for a different texture. Not dealing with the crowds was my main reason for trying it but I plan to continue using it.
  Reply
Kat says:
February 19, 2020 at 7:37 pm

I agree. Online grocery shopping saves me a lot of money and costs only $4.95. No impulse buying, great meat and produce selections and a saved shopping list that I can delete or add to as I need. Such a time saver!
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Rachel D says:
February 19, 2020 at 7:20 am

FYI – Ruler Foods is also a Kroger owned store. We love our local Ruler Foods just wish they had more selections at the produce and meat sections. Prices are even cheaper than our local Aldi and we love the Kroger brand of most items.
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