The Surprising Way Grocery Delivery Could Save You Money

You could end up spending less, despite the fees.

When the COVID-19 outbreak first erupted, many people were scared to enter a supermarket. As such, they turned to grocery delivery as a more health-conscious alternative.

Of course, grocery delivery existed well before the pandemic. But the COVID-19 outbreak definitely spurred an uptick in online grocery orders, and it's a habit you may have adopted in 2020, too.

Now that health concerns are less of an issue for a lot of people, you may be inclined to do all of your food shopping in person rather than order your groceries online. But here's why you may want to uphold the practice of getting your groceries delivered to your door.

You could reap savings

These days, the cost of gas is soaring. While you'll be charged fees to have your groceries delivered, and you'll incur the cost of whatever tips you choose to give out, you'll benefit from not having to fill up your car as much.

But that's not the only way you might reap savings in the course of shopping for food. If you purchase your groceries online, you may be less likely to fall victim to impulse purchases. The result? A lower credit card tab.

Think about the in-person food shopping experience. When you roam the aisles of your local supermarket, you'll often see new items or sale items out on display. And it's hard to resist the temptation to stock up in that scenario.

Similarly, you might happen to stumble upon a new brand of cereal or bread that looks interesting to you in the course of your regular shopping. And you may be tempted to add that item to your cart, even if it means going over budget on that week's food run.

When you order your groceries online to have them delivered, that same temptation doesn't exist. Generally, ordering groceries online involves browsing by category and selecting items you need from a list. In that situation, you're far less likely to buy something on impulse.

There are indirect savings to consider, too

Ordering groceries online for delivery could also save you money indirectly. Imagine you're self-employed, and so the more hours you work, the more you can earn. It might take you 20 minutes to put together an online grocery order, as opposed to the hour or more you might spend driving to the supermarket, finding parking, filling your cart, waiting on a checkout line, and driving home.

Plus, in some cases, you might be able to do your online grocery shopping at a time when you wouldn't be working anyway -- such as when you're in the waiting room of a doctor's office or are sitting on hold with your bank trying to resolve an issue. And if that means not having to take separate time out of your day to buy food and getting to work more hours instead, there's a clear benefit.

Grocery delivery is extremely convenient. Even if it doesn't prevent you from making impulse buys, it can still be a huge time-saver. And there may be a lot of value in that.