Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Are Grocery Delivery Services Worth It?

| Leave a Comment

grocery delivery service
As the gig economy continues to grow, more and more services are being offered to provide you with the opportunity to never leave your house. One of the delivery services that continues to grow and is being provided by more and more companies is grocery delivery. Some of the top companies are Instacart, Shipt, and Walmart.  Thrive Market is a great organic option.

But the big question on our minds is – is it worth it?

Does Grocery Delivery Service Save Time?

Yes, it does.

Consider the time it takes to drive to the grocery store, plus park, grab a shopping cart, and walk up and down the aisles. Depending on the time you visit the store, you may have to stand in line, then walk back to the car, load up your groceries, and drive home.

With grocery delivery service, you need to spend a few minutes with your computer, selecting your items and putting them in your virtual cart. Thus, the time doesn’t decrease from 60 minutes to 0, but the savings are tremendous.

Does it Save Money?

The short answer is it depends. Considering it saves time, then yes, because time is money.

Yes, if you’re an impulse shopper. Having your groceries delivered can bring savings to your budget. Consider how often you’re going down the aisle and toss a few things in your cart. Each time you deviate from your list of groceries, you hike up the total cost — usually resulting in exceeding your food budget.

Where I believe a grocery delivery service does not save money is if you are NOT an impulse buyer and are good at spotting deals, shopping from the discount aisle (especially meat). Or, if you’ve got the time and the desire to shop multiple stores.

Also, any fees you pay for the service and any tips you give to your shopper will eat into your savings and possibly cost you more. In this case, it will be your decision whether the time savings, avoidance of crowds, and convenience factors make it worth it. At this point, it becomes a personal preference.

Because personal finance is personal.

An Alternative to Grocery Delivery Services:

If you love the convenience of grocery delivery services, but don’t want to pay the fee, or the tip, consider something similar – grocery pick-up services. Walmart, Target, and Harris Teeter all offer grocery pick-up service. Walmart and Target are free; Harris Teeter charges a nominal fee.

It follows the same concept as a delivery service – you order your items online and schedule a time for pick-up.

Pick-up is my personal preference as I’m an impulse shopper. Ordering online allows me to avoid purchasing things I don’t need, yet I still save time. I pick up my groceries while I’m in the area. Often there is a longer wait than I prefer, but I use that time to read a book or get some work done.

Do you use a grocery delivery service? Let us know in the comments below.

Read More:

The Average Grocery Bill for a Family of Four (and How to Save on Yours)

Meal Planning For A Family On A Budget

How to Become a Couponer: A Beginner’s Guide to Help Get Started

The Average Grocery Bill for a Family of Four (and How to Save on Yours)

| Leave a Comment

average grocery bill

Do you ever read those outrageous headlines that read, “How I Feed My Family of Seven on $75 a Month” or something similar? They always manage to make me feel like I’m missing something. The grocery bill for my family (of four) would never come close to being that small for one month. Therefore, it got me thinking.

What is the average grocery bill for a family of four?  

The Food and Nutrition Service of the US Department of Agriculture provides guidelines based on “a nutritious diet where all meals and snacks are prepared at home.” The guidelines are based on four levels of spending: thrifty, low-cost, moderate, and liberal. Furthermore, they are divided by age and gender.

According to the FNS, a four-person family made of one female age 35, one male age 37, one boy aged five, and one girl aged eight would have an average monthly grocery bill between $612 and $1,707. By comparison, the break-down between plans is $612 on the thrifty plan, $792 for the low-cost plan, $989 under the moderate plan, and $1,207 under the liberal plan.  

Admittedly, $1,000 on a moderate budget for a family of four eating solely at home seems high to me.

However, if you factor in organic food and the cost of living in highly populated cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and NYC, this seems more reasonable.

Three tips to decrease your grocery bill

Each year, the cost of food rises. Typically with the cost of inflation, but often more due to the state of the economy and other factors such as natural disasters and other weather-related incidents. However, when trying to cut expenses in our budgets, groceries are one of the first places we look.

If you find yourself on the high end of the averages listed, here are three tips to help offset some of the rising costs and/or bring down your grocery bill.

1. Meal Plan

Meal planning is one of the best things you can do to eliminate food waste and to spend your grocery dollars with intention. Try planning one week at a time, including multiple meals with the same type of protein, which allows you to buy the most expensive item on your meal plan in bulk.



2. Use Money Saving Apps

Couponing has gone digital. Specifically, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Checkout51 are a few of my favorite money-saving apps. Sit down with the meal plan you created above and add any items on your list directly through the app. Scan your receipt after you shop and instantly save. After you’ve accumulated so much in savings, you can transfer it in the form of PayPal or gift cards. It takes some time to get used to, but I’ve found them to be worthwhile.

3. Shop Your Pantry

Before you sit down to meal plan, take a look around your refrigerator, your freezer, and your pantry. I guarantee you have enough for one meal. You may have to get creative and hodgepodge a few items together, but you’ll be surprised how much you already have on hand. Not only is it a great way to reduce your grocery bill, but also be a good steward of the environment.

 

How much is your average grocery bill in your family? Let us know in the comments below.

Read more:

Meal Planning For A Family On A Budget

How to Become a Couponer: A Beginner’s Guide to Help Get Started

Experts Say That These Are the Most Unique Ways to Save Money in 2020

What Is a Speakeasy? 5 Common Questions and Answers

Extreme Couponing ~ How do These People Do It

| Leave a Comment

extreme couponingHave any of you seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC? I’ll go ahead and admit that my husband and I are not great at using coupons, we aren’t even really good at it. We try to use them occasionally — but we either forget to use them, or we end up spending more than we wanted to, because we end up buying things we probably wouldn’t have purchased. It just never seems like there are ever coupons for the things we actually do use.

This is why, when I watched Extreme Couponing I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. How on Earth do these people rack up a $300, $400, $500 or even $1000+ grocery bill and get away with spending $40 or less? In some cases they even get money back! It is crazy!!! Not only that — but they shop in some of the more expensive grocery stores that we try to avoid — especially when we are doing our weekly grocery shopping.

The drawbacks of extreme couponing

As far as I can tell, there is a lot of research that goes into extreme couponing. The people who are master couponers — have to know what the coupon policies are for each store, they need to know what is on sale, what coupons can be double and those that cannot. Also, extreme couponers have to be very organized and most put in as many hours (or more) as you would at a full-time job! This is not an activity that you can do, and do in an extreme way, unless you are very dedicated and super organized. I think it also becomes a sort of game and in some cases an obsession.

In doing some research, I was disappointed to learn that one of the extreme couponers featured, has allegedly committed coupon fraud and apparently did so on the TLC show. I won’t go into all the details – because there are a lot of them – but if you want to read about it, visit Jill Cataldo’s blog.

Another thing I noticed – is that when they show the homes of most of these couponing people – they have their own little mini-mart set up. They just have so much stuff and it’s everywhere. My husband would seriously freak out if we had that much clutter around our house — but I get it, they are saving boat loads of money so it makes sense to buy 70 bottles of mustard at one time…right?

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with extreme couponing. I think it’s great! If people can do this (if they do so without committing coupon fraud, which I think is how most people do it), I think they are very smart and dedicated individuals.

It would sure be nice if there was a show teaching people how to properly and effectively use coupons, instead of a show where we just stare at the screen – eyes wide is disbelieve – as these super couponers work their magic. It probably wouldn’t be as entertaining though.

Since I’m not great at coupons, I don’t have any fantastic advice on the subject. Do you?

How do you use coupons most effectively? Do you buy a bunch of Sunday papers to get coupons? Do you spend hours searching for deals on line?

10 Ways to Save on Your Next Grocery Bill

| 1 Comment

Save money when filling your grocery bagWe are all looking for ways to make our dollar stretch further. I shared some ways to save money at the pump a few weeks ago; today we’ll look at ways to save even more money but in a different area of your budget. Are you saving all you can on your grocery bill? Do you clip coupons, and shop sales, but still feel like there might be some other ways you could still save? I have some some tips to share that I hope will help you spend less and save more.

1. Have a snack before heading out

You can save money at the grocery store simply by eating, before you go. You are less likely to pick up items that are not on your list, or items you don’t need, if you have a full tummy!

2. See if your favorite store price matches

If you go to the grocery (or any other store for that matter) and know that an item is less expensive elsewhere, many store will honor the competitors price. This is fantastic because it saves time and fuel — so just ask!

3. Plan your meals and make a list

Okay —  this tip consists of two things, but they do go hand-in-hand. If you plan your meals in advance you will save later on. Maybe you won’t see the savings at the grocery store, but during the week you won’t be eating out, or making unnecessary trips to the store — where you’ll end up spending even more money. After you plan your meals, if you make a list and stick to it, that will also help you to remain focused on the items you do need — then you be less likely to over spend.

4. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season

We all know that fruits and veggies that are not in season usually cost a lot more and often times, they don’t taste as good as when they are in season. If you want something that isn’t in season, buying it in the freezer section is the next best option.

5. Buy in bulk — but be sure to compare prices

Sometimes buying in bulk can save you money. We actually buy pasta, rice, and spices in bulk and we save a lot of money this way. If you buy at the big club stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, be sure to compare what you are getting there with what you find at your regular store. Often times you can save money but sometimes, it can actually cost you more. Another thing you should always do is to look at the price per unit on the grocery self. This lets you know if buying the bigger bag is really the best deal. It also helps you compare prices between different brands. When buying meat you want to compare price per serving and not price per pound.

6. Go meatless a couple of times a week

If you can make a couple of meatless dishes during the week, that can help save money too. Need some yummy ideas? Delicious Vegetarian Recipes

7. Say no to drugs

Of course you should, but I’m talking drugstore items. Many times over the counter drugs, cosmetics, shampoos, etc. are more expensive at the grocery store; so do your research before buying those items.

8. Cut out soda and cut back on juice

For kids, you can water down their juice – which is better for them anyway – and it makes the juice last twice as long. Cutting back or cutting out soda is good for your budget and your health. Drink more water and if that bores you to death — put a lemon or cucumber slice in it for a tasty addition.

9. Do it yourself

Instead of buying grated cheese, sliced and peeled carrots, cookies, muffins, etc.  – if you have the time – do it yourself. It can save a lot of money in the long run.

10. Buy store brands

Store brands have come a long way. Many of them are just as good as some of the higher priced name brand products BUT some are not so proceed with caution. It’s worth a try though because you can save quite a bit if you do end up switching.

How do you save on groceries?