Do you spend more on groceries online or in store?

[BeMintBiscuit]

Without a doubt, food is biggest expense and I'm really trying to conciously bring it down. Our big fall down seems to be the 'popping out' for a couple of bits or a single thing that we're missing for dinner and coming out with a basket. I've just done what I think should be a generous weekly online shop (and maybe just need one small top up) and I was pleasantly surprised with the cost in comparison to in store.

Do you think you spend more online or in store? Always interested in how differently it works for each family.

I’ve done a weekly on line shop at that very little helps place for years. It’s now just the 3 of us at home (all adults) and I still think it’s better to have my shopping delivered.

i find I can put what I need into the basket along with what I would like 😂, then I can play around with it before I check out so I keep to budget. In store I tend to get a bit carried away and find I go over budget so easily

i tend to have a delivery on a Thursday morning and it covers everything we need for a week. That doesn’t stop me going out occasionally and picking up some odds and ends especially if the family suddenly decides to come and stay,

I do have a well stocked larder and a chest freezer I’ve got to the nice position of really just replacing what we’ve had and buying some extras on offer and what have you. I more or less just buy the same fresh stuff every week and then run the fridge down so by Wednesday night it looking rather sad.

i think it saves my a fortune shopping this way. My son and DIL would shop as they needed and were spending a fortune, I understand, they don’t have the money to stock a larder and bulk buy. So in January I gave them the money todo just that, they had a massive order to completely stock the cupboard and since then have started doing click and collect once a week, they have said the savings are amazing. Also using my mums old saying of “you can only eat it once and when its gone it’s gone” eat all the treats by Sunday that’s tough no more until Thursday that step alone saves money.

its amazing what you can produce from the end of week fridge if you have a well stocked larder.

I found online grocery shopping both more expensive than in person + incredibly frustrating. Without fail every week I was forced to spend unwanted time/money on top up shops due to silly substitutions or short dates. Drove me mad and I was very glad to be back to in person shops once recovered from surgery - I don’t understand how anyone does online!!

I feel like I’m able to find better deals in person, plus I’m not particularly impulsive re: food and can stick to a list quite easily, even whilst wandering around the shop.

When I shop online there are less 'impulse buys' but sometimes I find it difficult to reach the threshold for free delivery. Or with Ocado for example they charge for delivery and also charge for a small shop fee if you don't spend, I think £75 then also charge for bags. The reason I use Ocado is that I've never had a substitution or something that's become out of stock, like the other supermarkets.

In person I tend to pick up things impulsively such as chocolate or biscuits, so less careful. But as a whole probably spend more online, especially Ocado as you've got bags, delivery and 'small trolley' fee that can add a bit to the total.

I’ve never got the knack of shopping online - I forget stuff that I would have thought of instore, I buy the wrong sizes, and the substitutions drive me mad. I end up having to go to the shop to pick up missing things anyway, so there’s very little benefit to it.

I do a big weekly shop, and get a milk delivery to avoid needing a top up shop. The milk is more expensive than it would be picking it up myself, if I could be disciplined enough to only buy the milk. I figure it saves me a good bit by keeping me out of the shop, plus petrol.

I shop online to a strict meal plan. I rarely have daft substitutions, but sometimes items are very nearly out of date, which is annoying. I can normally swap meals around so it doesn’t matter, but I do send things back if necessary.

I rarely do top up shops, mainly because I’d have to drive a considerable distance to do so.

The rare times I go to a supermarket, I spend considerably more than I do online, even with paying for an annual delivery pass.

I think that's a wonderful idea to help your son and DIL out with that. It makes complete sense and helps them in a practical way to get on track. Lovely thing to do!

I find online shopping to be expensive - for me

I like to go in store and look , and see where the bargains are and work my meal plan around that

Im often stood still looking at recipes online when I see a good bargain

I found that shopping online took a flipping age looking through everything and adding to basket, and having a list stores ment I was gathering up stuff I might not have eaten in weeks

Definitely spend less online and less calories too as a bonus. I can check my cupboards & recipes as I go and save myself buying a whole load of tasty crap that I'm notorious for spending on as i always seem to be starving when I'm in store.

Also means I can't nip across the road from Tesco to M&S for overpriced but super tasty treats 😋.

Ocado have a £40 lower limit, not £75. You get the bag charge refunded when you hand them back.
I’ve been with them for years, it’s easy.

I find shopping online so much cheaper then shopping in store. We spend about £150 a week online where as in store it’s closer to £200 due to impulse buys etc. plus online I don’t have the hassle of taking kids/husband with me

If I do a big weekly shop that's where I over spend or food ends up going off before we can get to it. Both in store and online I've noticed a lot more short daye ranges on products especially meat and some dairy.

We tend to do one online shop delivered for a Monday and then a small in store top up on Saturday morning for the weekend.

We find doing this keeps our spending on track and wastage low. I hate wasting food. Also, means we can take advantage of any discounts/offers and stock up if needed or wanted

There is a charge of £2 I think if you spend over £40 but not £75. Delivery, sometimes it's £5 or £6. The bags yes but I still have them stuck in the drawer from last time and I don't have any upcoming deliveries at the moment. Anyway trying to do in person shopping as it works cheaper for me.

If you buy extra things when you go in for one thing, doesn't that mean you can spend less later on, because you've got all the things you've bought to use? Or is it more expensive because you bought it at a convenience store, so more expensive than a proper supermarket?

Like others, I rarely shop online because we shop as and when, rather than a regular 'big' shop. But this works out cheaper for us because it means we can buy what's on offer, yellow stickers etc and don't have a week's worth of fresh stuff that needs using before it goes off. Plus online supermarkets are usually more expensive than Aldi/Lidl, which don't have online shopping. Also no delivery fees - going in person doesn't usually cost anything because I usually go on way home from work, or when out and about anywhere.

Online on ocado is best for me

I very rarely spend more than £100. (I often end up adding stuff to get over the £75 small basket charge)

Then get it delivered on a Wednesday for £1

I get a free smart pass trial every year, which I always use, as does DH with his account.
We get the same with morrisons....
so for 4 months a year i get free deliverys.
8 months of the year i pay £1 a week

(I live in the middle of nowhere and the petrol to get to / from a supermarket would cost a lot more than £1)

I'm a family of 2 adults, 2 teenagers and spend around £100 / week on ocado
£25 every 2 weeks with odd box
and £20 every couple of months with smol for household cleaning and detergent
then about £1 / day with my milk man
We grow as much fruit and veg as possible but this is very seasonal, so i buy a lot as well.

I've never shopped online. I like to shop instore so I can look at the quality of the fresh food and get the longest best by dates.
Because I don't have a car my shopping is limited by what I can carry. And that's quite a good way of limiting the amount I buy and therefore spend!

£75? I have Ocado with a midweek pass. Minimum order is £40.

No charge on mine

I spend more online because there’s no yellow sticker shelf.

I’m going back to shoooing in the store.
I just can’t think what to order online. And im much more creative when in store. So I THiNK I save money by going in the shop as the idea is shop once shop smart - and I see the offers, size of items. I’m very good though and won’t buy rubbish - so if you are likely to pick up cake, crisps in the shop - avoid

I did online for a while, but over time I wonder if you spend more due to substitutions, ordering the wrong size thing, minimum spend to get free delivery etc. I’ve now gone back to shopping in-store, where I can more easily see a choice of what to buy, offers etc and physically pick up what I need so I know I’m getting the right size etc.
Also I have 2 big supermarkets literally just down the road so hardly costs any fuel
or time for me to get there anyway.

Although Ocado is more expensive somethings, I actually spend less online as I am not tempted to add stuff. Sometimes the quality of the fruit is not good but they refund without a quibble.

Milk from Ocado is exactly the same as in Aldi. It shouldn’t cost more from any store online

£40 is min order for a smart pass

when paying for delivery (as i do) £40 - £75 is an extra £2 on top of the delivery charge, so if you dont have a smart pass you need to spend £75 for a £1 1 hour delivery (or for a 50p 4 hour slot)

Nonsense. They're very different business models with huge differences in costs that have nothing to do with the milk itself, which I agree could well be identical, come from the same farm etc. Aldi may even pay the farmers the same amount for milk.

Off the top of my head:

Ocado have a massive range, Aldi deliberately sell a very small range.

Ocado bring it to your door, often for free. With Aldi, you have to pick, pack, checkout and transport home yourself.

Aldi customers are likely to be more price sensitive than Ocado, so will notice and care about prices.

Having said that, milk is a known cost item, so does probably cost the same in all supermarkets for 'standard' milk ie normal non organic milk. But other items are likely to be more expensive to make up for that.

I agree with this, except I prefer to shop in store. I shop once, early Saturday morning, meal plan for the week and then don't go near a shop again.
@Grumpynan is right. I often make a meal out of left overs on a Friday night and still have one meal in hand for the following week. It saves on waste and money.