I used grocery delivery services intermittently over the last 2 years, usually during busy periods, but I recently decided to subscribe to Instacart for the next year because I realized I was saving more money using them than going to the actual store. There are three main ways I save money by using a grocery delivery service and you can too! 

You’ll Stick to Your List

Say goodbye to impulse buys when you get your groceries delivered or you schedule a store pick-up. When you don’t walk into the store, you eliminate all those extra items that end up in your cart but you really don’t need. (I’m talking to you Skinny Pop and  Grapefruit LaCroix!)

You also avoid the dreaded “I went grocery shopping while hungry so now we have enough snacks to last us until Easter”. Shopping when hungry is always a recipe for disaster but sometimes it just happens. Using Instacart, it’s no longer an issue for me.

Additionally, you no longer end up with a bunch of household items you didn’t need. Why is that every time I walk into Aldi, I walk out with a new candle, a pair of slipper and a new piece of Tupperware. It’s because I’m out sans children and I love to browse. But I also have no willpower so I can’t help but let that new over-the-door mirror hop into my cart.

AVERAGE MONTHLY SAVINGS: $100

You’ll Actually Make a Meal Plan

When someone else is actually going to the store to buy your groceries, you kind of need to tell them what to buy. It’s not as if you can telepathically tell Elizabeth, your Instacart shopper, what you think you might want to have for dinner this week. You need to make a plan so you can actually log the ingredients into the app.

Taking 15-20 minutes a week to make a meal plan will save you hours throughout the week. Below you can grab my $100 Aldi Meal Plan and give that a try for your first week. See how easy it can really be! Or follow my basic formula to make a SUPER easy meal plan:

• ♦New Recipe 
• ♦2 Standbys (can be as easy as grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup)
• ♦Freezer Section Freezer Meal (FSFM)
• ♦Breakfast for Dinner
• ♦Leftover Night 
• ♦Take-Out Night (or additional FSFM)     

 

AVERAGE MONTHLY SAVINGS: $150

 

Saves Time and Time is Money

You can save anywhere from 1.5-2 hours a week by using a grocery delivery service. Unless you’re a pro or previous contestant on Supermarket Sweep. That’s time that can be spent on a plethora of things!

Here’s a list of things you can do with that time to make some extra cash:

• ♦Gather stuff around your house to sell on Facebook
• ♦Return items to stores that you haven’t gotten around to
• ♦Set-up auto-pay for some bills so you forgo the late fees
• ♦Work on a side hustle
• ♦Do consulting work similar to your own job for extra money
• ♦Offer to do some online social media work for local businesses

 

AVERAGE MONTHLY SAVINGS: $80

Savings VS Cost

Okay so if we add up my conservative estimate of savings for a month of using a grocery delivery service, we’re at $330. And if you are used to eating out way more or you have more profitable “side hustle” skills, the savings will be much more than that.

The cost of Instacart, if you choose the yearly option is $8.33. Tipping and “food surcharge” was coming out to approximately $15/week for me. So total cost a month is $73.33

You’re still saving $256.67 a month! All while not going to the store and having your groceries conveniently delivered to you. What could be better than that?!

So go ahead and give a grocery delivery service a try and see what you think. I’d love to know about it in the comments. If you are interested in using Instacart specifically, click here to get $10 off your first order.

If you guys would like me to do a Facebook LIVE detailing the differences between popular grocery delivery services, I’d love to do that. Just let me know in the comments below.