I have just completed my first ever online supermarket shop - it was great! It did take a while, being as I don't have broadband, but still a heck of a lot faster than driving forty minutes each way to my nearest supermarket. It's a great way to shop, the kids thought it was hilarious asking them which kind of cereal they would like from my computer and were also extremely grateful not to have to be dragged around the supermarket to get boring old food. I found the whole experience quite empowering! I could see at a glance what the specials were and what products were the best value for money - some of them were a real surprise and I discovered that not all generic items are cheaper than the top brands.
Living in a rural area as we do, there were some items that I could not purchase online, such as bread, milk, fruit and vegetables and frozen items - but that didn't matter as I never buy those from the supermarket anyway! I only bought exactly what I wanted - no convenience items; I don't need to buy those since I've been menu planning, and no impulse buys. No kids' magazines or lollies at the checkout either - hooray! It was also great because if there was anything I wasn't sure if we needed or not, I could just go and check, meaning no forgotten items and no overstocking. I couldn't believe how cheap it was to deliver everything to me either - just $19.95 to courier to the back of beyond! I could barely drive to the supermarket and back myself for that price!
Online shop done, the boys and I zipped to the local store to stock up on any remaining items that we couldn't get over the Internet. All up, we managed to shave more than $100 off the usual supermarket bill. If I were to shop the same way every month, I would save $1200 a year - hello new water tank! I've also been learning quite a bit from Maxine about supermarket shopping. We have two supermarkets very close to one another in the same town where we usually shop and she has found by checking the specials at each supermarket before she sets out and dividing her shop between the two retailers, she can save up to $70 on her groceries. I'll be giving that a go when I can drive that far with my leg, but for now I'm happy to shop from the comfort of my own home!
