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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To do my online shop at Ocado even though I am supposed to be on a budget?

52 replies

BupcakesAndCunting · 04/02/2013 11:35

I usually do my online shop with Ocado but DH says I need to cut the food bill for the next few months so I tried Asda. I wasn't impressed with the two deliveries I got from them; there were loads of substitutions, they were 20 minutes late, they charged £6 delivery because of the bad weather but the roads here had been clear all week, and I sent some substitutions back for a refund but I haven't had the money back yet (over 10 days!) They haven't responded to my email either asking why I haven't had a refund...

I've just done a shop at Ocado again and managed to do two weeks worth of food shopping for £104. Yes I have bought loads of Waitrose Essentials stuff but I think they're good anyway and I haven't bought loads of the crap that I usually buy with an Asda shop but we could do without that anyway!

DH thinks IABU and that actually because we aren't buying the branded stuff a lot of the time from Ocado that it isn't actually cheaper?! I think that he is wrong. I came in at budget, we have food for two weeks, the Waitrose Essentials stuff is better in some cases than some branded stuff (I can't find a better disinfectant than theirs! Or juices/tinned tomatoes)

AIBU?

OP posts:
showtunesgirl · 04/02/2013 11:36

YANBU, I find I save money on my Ocado shops as I use up everything as it's nice.

I think maybe your DH just thinks that Ocado is automatically more expensive but their Essentials range is very good value.

showtunesgirl · 04/02/2013 11:37

However, do you have a Lidl near you? Their tinned tomatoes are awesome.

SPsFanjoIsAsComfyAsAOnesie · 04/02/2013 11:38

So technically that's £52 a week then?

I spend up to £40 a week for me and the toddler.

Asda is best if you go into the shop. I got a full shop including 4 mugs and a toastie machine for £30 in Asda

mumblechum1 · 04/02/2013 11:39

YANBU, I use Ocado a lot and find that if you get the vouchers it can work out a lot cheaper than Tesco.

I've stopped using Asda online as they messed up almost every time. Last time I got someone else's shopping mixed in with mine.

CanIHaveAPetGiraffePlease · 04/02/2013 11:39

Sainsburys have a much better delivery system than asda (and free midweek over a certain spend) and their basics range is also really good.

DameMargotFountain · 04/02/2013 11:39

send DH out with the same amount in cash and see what he comes back with

YADNBU, he is

i buy almost all 'essentials' range, and agree, it's bloody brilliant - especially the cheese

worldgonecrazy · 04/02/2013 11:40

YANBU. Put the same things in to another supermarket and see what the actual difference is, though I think you would need to make allowances for quality too, so Waitrose Essentials does not automatically equal Tesco Value or whatever.

I'm impressed that you managed to do a 2 week shop for that! We've always found Waitrose to be better value simply because we don't throw anything away.

yaimee · 04/02/2013 11:40

Yanbu, don't see what your dh has a problem with, loads of branded stuff is shit anyway and you're paying for the name not the quality.
Waitrose still do deals on brands and often have a price match with Tesco anyway so buying brands won't be much more expensive, it's the difference I price on the unbranded stuff that will make the difference.

IDismyname · 04/02/2013 11:46

I would check out this site:
www.mysupermarket.co.uk/

You should be able to get a fairly accurate idea as to the difference in costs between most of the supermarkets.

Original poster
BupcakesAndCunting · 04/02/2013 11:46

That's good going, SP! I can't bear to go to our local Asda though. It's awful :(

We do have a Lidl and Aldi fairly close by and I do use them if ever I run out of essentials mid-week (DH uses A LOT of loo roll) and I actually really like Aldi stuff but I can't do a full shop there and I like to get it all done in one go.

OP posts:
Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 04/02/2013 11:49

Yanbu.!! It's hardly a saving if u can't use what you get due to the rest of the ingredients being substituted. And cheaper is no use if it tastes like crap.

AvonCallingBarksdale · 04/02/2013 11:52

YANBU!! I do all my shopping with Ocado, and they give you money back if they aren't cheaper than Tesco, which doesn't happen very often!j Their food is good, and I buy loads of Essential Waitrose stuff - all gets eaten and arrives in good condition. BTW, I am envious of £104 for a 2 week shop - I'm usually topping £140, and I try really hard!

TattyDevine · 04/02/2013 11:53

YANBU. I recently reduced my grocery bill by a fair bit partly by cutting back on wine Sad but also by "going back" to Ocado (have been doing dribs and drabs shopping at various supermarkets in person since the children started school) and having a menu plan of the week. Its not rocket science, and yes, if you did that in person at a supermarket once a week and stuck to it and didnt' have to travel far etc you could argue you could get it even cheaper; but not by that much, and if you then dont actually do it, for whatever reason, you are better off having a firm plan with Ocado you stick to than ease back into dribs and drabs shopping with extras you don't need and wine that's reduced by £3 but still costs £8, etc etc...

Original poster
BupcakesAndCunting · 04/02/2013 11:54

And, IME, a lot of Asda stuff is rank. Their own stuff that is. I don't deny that they're great for deals on brands but their own stuff is not good. I bought a bag of pre-cut butternut squash and sweet potatoes (don't kick me) and I opened them the day after I bought them and they were sludge.

OP posts:
BlueberryHill · 04/02/2013 11:55

I use them too, love them, on time, there is a price match to Tesco and the quality is great. I get the waitrose essential or own brand Ocado and the prices are better than a lot of branded stuff, esp tinned tomatoes. I get the delivery card, so delivery charges work out cheaper, I've only ever paid £6 delivery for the Christmas shop.

The food it nicer as well, we don't get many treats so I like to make sure that our food is one.

Let him do it for a couple of weeks it he doesn't like it.

Original poster
BupcakesAndCunting · 04/02/2013 11:57

Avon, how many people are you feeding? There are only 3 of us. What I do is try to buy things that I can get two meals out of. I go through my recipe books and see which meals use the same ingredients. I buy a 1kg bag of chicken thighs and I can get a three or four meals out of that. I do plan every day what we will have as well which helps. Didn't realise how much shit I bought that I didn't need until I started doing meal plans!

OP posts:
Flobbadobs · 04/02/2013 12:18

YANBU. I use Ocado a lot and DH still thinks I'm trying to be posh! They pricematch the own brand with Tesco I think.

Nospringflower · 04/02/2013 12:35

No YANBU. Food shopping is bad enough but at least Ocado / Waitrose makes it more bearable Wink

PicaK · 04/02/2013 13:45

I think sometimes you miss out on deals in Ocado but I think the essentials range pretty much matches price wise. I did a tesco shop instead yesterday and spent way more than ocado. I think and real £ savings come down to meal planning not where u shop.

Inertia · 04/02/2013 13:55

Our shopping is invariably cheaper with ocado than if I go to the supermarket (any one) - with Ocado I meal-plan carefully and don't go off-piste. The costs mount up when we go several times a week to buy groceries for a few days.

Ocado/ Essentials stuff is fine, and also Ocado price match to Tesco and have a lot of special offers on - so if you're prepared to chop and change with brands you can save. Also you can get free delivery if you get the timing right.

EmpressMaud · 04/02/2013 14:00

That sound fine to me. Yanbu.

Though I find I spend more than I'd intended at Ocado because I'm tempted by the speciality foods, and other products, more difficult to find in other supermarkets.

forevergreek · 04/02/2013 14:03

I have done several of our online shops with money supermarket to see who is cheaper. It is always ocado.

Like you say they match tesco, are on time, always give me 15% off vouchers. And I managed to get unlimited deliveries for £1.99 a month.

We spend about £60-70 a week with I them. 4 of us, buy lots organic and fresh products. Don't really buy snacks etc

becstarlightstarbright · 04/02/2013 14:10

I use Ocado and we're on a budget. When times are really tight I buy pulses and no meat. I did try with Asda and Tesco but I found their lateness/daft substitutions/spoiled food etc. so time-consuming to deal with that I figure DH and I can both work an extra hour per week if we use Ocado and that offsets any extra cost! Anyway, we economise on everything else (no holiday, tiny flat, no car, no TV, no alcohol, no cigarettes, etc). But we hang on to a few little luxuries - Ocado, turning the heating on, and having broadband. It would be pretty dispiriting otherwise.

Sugarice · 04/02/2013 14:17

I've just done my first Ocado order and it was no dearer than my usual Sainsburys plus I had £15 off as a first timer, yay!

I did look at their beef joints which had me a bit Shock at the price but everything else was fine.

AvonCallingBarksdale · 04/02/2013 14:18

Avon, how many people are you feeding?

There are 4 of us, so I guess it's going to come out at more. However, I used to do the meal plan once I'd got my shopping and I've got out of the habit of doing that. Really, I need to plan before I place an order. Thanks for the reminder Smile

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