Switch to online grocery shopping

[TootyPahooty]

Hello, we currently do our main shop at Aldi (as it's the cheapest) with a top-up from Asda to get the stuff we can't get in Aldi. I think it would be cheaper to switch to a main online Asda shop as it would reduce impulse buying, allow easier searching for discounts and enable us to control total spend more easily. Has anyone made this switch and did you save money doing so?

I have and did (albeit 14 years ago).
When I started I tried a few different ones out to see which I liked best, which were best in my area and which had least substitutions but also reasonable ones. In the first area I lived this was asda, now its tesco.
I can actually meal plan and order food for 10 days now so cut my deliveries to 3 a month (and not need to do a top up shop). This happened in covid as I struggled to get a weekly shop delivered and dc1 is immunocompromised we couldn't even go to a shop. I realised I was saving even more money. The trick is to use fresh food at the beginning, then tinned, dried and frozen at the end of the week. Batch cooking also helps. Also you can see what you usually buy and if its on offer buy more.

I tried it (not out of want, but necessity - single mum after foot surgery!) and found the whole thing incredibly frustrating. Was very glad when I could get back to in person grocery shopping. I was spending more than usual as variety is reduced online and you miss out on a lot of the in store deals/bargains. Drove me absolutely insane when items were missing/substitutions would be delivered - completely ruins your meal plan and meant that I was constantly having to get top up shops done elsewhere. At least when things are out of stock in person you can plan around it on the spot!

I do it, but I’ve given up with ASDA - they are pretty hopeless around here.

Tesco, Sainsburys, and Ocado are fine though.

I spend a significantly smaller amount online shopping then in person shopping. I find it's all more organised, I can keep track of what I need and don't need. I can find offers more easily etc. In person I make too many impulse purchases. I'm Aldi's dream shopper, I go in for a something I saw was on the middle aisle and come away with £50 of snacks too. I eat a lot more healthy online shopping too because of those impulse snacks buys aren't in the house, I can't eat them.

Get a delivery pass too. Saves a fortune.

Following for advice. I shop in-store, mostly Aldi to save money, online/delivery seems more expensive. But I don’t have a car and it’s so heavy to carry home 😫 My happiest shopping experience was during covid, I had no choice but to get home delivery.

I did, but switched from Aldi & Asda to Morrisons. They have a lower min order requirement.

Meal planning was key, most supermarkets compete on pricing for essentials. Also helped to cut out impulse buys.

Edited: also got a delivery pass for the year for £40. I order each week.

I changed to online shopping years ago and I find it much easier. I've been using Asda for years and find it's easier to find deals and some of their deals are brilliant value, I don't impulse buy, I have a delivery pass and can store my favourites so that subsequent shops literally take minutes.
I can choose as to whether I want substitutions or not and another thing that I love with Asda (not sure if other stores do it but they probably do) is that I can choose and buy books and most often as part of a deal (books are my passion).

Another bonus for me as I'm pretty much housebound and alone apart from my dogs for 90% of my week is that I've come to know almost all of the delivery drivers over the years and 95% of them, are people who I can actually have a quick chat and a laugh with.

I think it's worth a try just to see if you think it works for you - definitely get a delivery pass though - I save a fortune on deliveries.

It depends on how you shop,
obviously, why don’t you try it and find out?

Try them all out to see which one is best in your area. As a new customer you can usually find an online code for money off your first shops ( for Sainsburys, Morrisons, Ocado). I have a large family and it saves me so much time getting it delivered. I also can go through the order with a fine tooth comb and take out non essentials, no impulse buys. The supermarkets all have Aldi price match items and basics. Meal plan and no waste.
Ocado are great about online refunds for anything you are not happy with. Tesco want you to return items to a store for refund which totally defeats the purpose of a delivery especially if the store is tricky to get to.

I am on a small budget for food, and I shop in person
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for me, online doesnt work

Dont get me wrong I buy the pets food online

I shop in person because we all get in a rut of "meals on rotation" and sometimes what used to be beef mince for example , a cheap option - it no longer is so I shio twice weekly and see what's on special, what in the reduced aisle

Lamb is so expensive this time of year , beef mince as dear as rump steak , so I look at what's afforable and I find shpping convoluted

I used to, then I stopped as it just was not suiting us, we always have to top up anyway, no matter how much I think I planned and I just didnt see the point of the extra cost and then things come in bad condition or things missing with unsuitable substitutes. I didnt enjoy it, basically. My kids do not eat the same as me and dh (autism) so I just kept needing to pop to shops anyway.