Online shopping isn't easy?

[Newcornishmama]

I hope I am being unreasonable!

Going back to work after mat leave. Any posts looking for life hacks state that online shopping is a must. I had a go at the weekend and it took me AGES scrolling around to find each product, checking deals etc. In the end I gave up as it would have been quicker to go to the shop.

Am I missing something or do people actually do this every week?

For info I am usually a Lidl shopper, tried to online shop with Tesco.

It depends on your approach I think. If you just scan read the items on a "shelf" it in a section in the same way as at Lidl, you'll be much quicker. Thinking of items you need and searching for each one is long winded.

Start with fruit and veg, meat, bread, dairy etc and look through the topics and it speeds it up. If you try to manually hunt for every item in a 60+ item shop then you'll be there all week.

The furstvfewcshops take time them you get to know what you want better and things will be in your favourites so less searching. I hate going to the actual shop.

Once you’ve used Tesco once it stores your favourites/usuals/last order so it does get quicker. I actually prefer searching for items individually rather than scrolling through as you can specify Tesco own brand and I’m a cheap skate!

Also once you've done it once, it saves your orders and you can easily just add your favourites each week. What do you mean by checking deals. If a deal happens to be on something I'm buying, great. But I don't go searching. But then I don't in the actual shop either.

Also I hate actually going to the supermarket even ore-covid

I'm a lidl shopper too, but have used online shopping a lot in the past. The first few times are a pain because you have to search for everything individually, but it gets much easier after this because everything gets saved to your favourites so you can add all your regular items with one click.

The more you do it the quicker it gets and your favourites will be saved
I book my slot put some of the regular items in the trolley then adjust it during the week before collection/delivery

Depends how you shop, if you buy the same things most weeks then after the first time it gets easier because your purchases are stored as favourites.
I also browse the offers, and search for specific items.
I like being able to add things through the week as I realise we need them, and edit my basket the evening before collection.

I usually shop in Aldi, because it is generally cheaper AND it is on my way home from work. I top up at Tesco with things I can't get in Aldi every month or so.
Since lockdown (and working at home) I've been getting click & collect from Tesco. Since they introduced their Aldi price match I'm finding a lot of the things I buy are a comparable price, and it is a lot more convenient than Aldi (when I'm not going past on my way home from work) for me.

It’s the waiting around during the 2 hour delivery slot that I find annoying.

If you use a loyalty card normally, then link your card to your online acvount. Then your shopping history will show under 'Favourites' (definitely works for Tesco and Sainsburys).

Otherwise, do as PP says to streamline. Once youve had one order, then that will be in your shopping history for future use.

Takes me about 10 mins to do a weekly shop online, compared to 1hr15m in real life (incl travel to and from).

I found it so difficult the first few times. Bear (bare?) in mind there's fewer deals online at the moment so that's not just you. I do a separate list on a page and search for the item and if it's not coming up in a search then browse. And once I'd done a few shops my main dinner basics were saved as favourites so I just go to that list now. I defo found the shops easier at first

Well of course it takes ages the first few times!

I use Ocado and don't know how Tesco works - but assume there's a similar "Favourites" function. As pp have said, pretty soon you'll only need to add seasonal or occasional items.

Lovely as it is/was to stroll around a farmers' market or linger in an artisan bakery, there's no way I'd ever choose to lug milk and loo roll from a supermarket again ...

Maybe try each online site and see which suits you best?

Agree with PPs - assuming you don't buy wildly different things each week, it becomes quicker after the first few times as it knows your "favourites".

I don't think it's quicker going to the supermarket even the first time though. It's easier to search for what you're looking for by typing it in a box online than trying to work out which aisle Tesco have put something in! - I think the layout of supermarkets is a part of adulting I've never quite got the hang of

Yes, it gets easier - I have the Tesco app and will add stuff on the fly as I notice we’ve run out.

Little hack: if you search for Aldi in the Tesco app you get all the price-matched things - I use that as a starting point because I’m cheap!

i prefer to go to lidl or aldi and save money but will sometimes do a shop at asda online for heavy things i cant carry (bad back). I tend to just target stuff and search for it then use my frequently bought list each time now, much easier.

When it comes to tech and clothes etc online if the best for me

It gets quicker you learn what works best for you too.

I now treat my basket like my shopping list and add to it whenever I notice I'm running low on something. We are currently getting online shops at irregular intervals once the basket gets to a certain price I then sit down and go through the basket and add in more staples and regular items.

It does seem like more work but the reduced mental load of having to remember that we still have 3 carrots left but desperately short of onions means it is worth it. I have less post its too lose too from when I'm sat at work and remember we desperately need y because I can add it straight to the shop.

Now and then (less than once a year) I do a big stock up shop and have baskets with two companies on the go to work out which is cheaper for what etc. This is more work but is done so infrequently the reward of saving money is worth it!

Thanks all, I'm going to try and persevere with it again.

With both myself and DH working full time with a young DS I really want to get into it and make it work.

@Superscientist that’s how I do it too - it’s so much easier to just stick something in the next order as soon as you see you’re running low than have to try to remember it. Because since lockdown I’ve tried to avoid top-up shops I also call a brief “family meeting” (well usually I just ask at the end of dinner!) the day before the delivery to ask if anyone needs/wants anything I didn’t know about - kid’s toothpaste, shower gel. That way there can be no “you never get me any X” whinges afterwards!

Once you have done a few shops you will have most of your frequent purchases stored in favourites, which you can then filter to only show what's on offer. Quickest and easiest way to see what offers you are most likely to want to buy.

With most you can also 'shop from previous order' and then quickly select everything you want and add it to your current order basket.

Check when offers start/end, often it's the first or last Tuesday or Wednesday of the month. You will notice some products are regularly on offer, so stock up on extras if storecupboard/ long life.

Thursday is a good day for Sainsbury's deliveries if you have the Nectar card and app as the extra points offers overlap and the new offers appear on Wednesday morning, so you can use both last week's offers expiring on the Thursday and current offers starting on the Wednesday. (Order can be amended until 11pm on Wednesday for the next day).

It's easy once you've done it a couple of times.

The first shop takes longer.

Subsequent shops take less time than driving to the shop let alone going round it.

It's so much easier, and you can do it when you have time, late at night/ watching telly etc

Yes it does take ages the first few times but then it saves your favourites so you can quickly whizz through them and check what you want and then search for other items. It takes me about 10-15 mins which is considerably quicker than going to the supermarket!

I’m a recent convert. I usually write a list anyway and just search milk yup click that one, bread; scroll down till I find what’s on offer etc and it takes me 10 mins maybe. I then go back in the day before my delivery and double check I’ve got everything I need and double check any offers. Much easier than supermarkets. If I get strawberries and the date is only 1 day left not 2 days then tell me and I can choose to keep or return.

I’ll just leave this here.