How I Save time, money & calories buying groceries online

You guys, I’ve been a slow convert to the world of online food shopping. I’m a gal who loves to squeeze her tomatoes and sniff produce before I buy it. So the idea of outsourcing it was not appealing to me… until it was.

Online Shopping Saves Time, Money & Calories

I’ve been so busy lately with the website and my day job that I’ve been forced to make some hard decisions about how I allocate time to things. Grocery shopping was just something that I could easily outsource because let’s face it - I could find better things to do with 2 to 3 hours of my precious Saturday.

So a few months ago, while on a trip to New Mexico, I bought my groceries before we boarded the plane to go home, and by the time we arrived, my food was waiting for me by the front door. Boom.

Since then, I’ve been hooked, but the convenience isn’t even the best part. Because I'm not going up and down aisles of interesting food, I’m not dropping things in my cart that I don’t need.

Instead, I’m in my kitchen, searching for recipes on my iPad, checking the pantry and fridge to see what I need and then sharing my list with Alexa to order. It’s so freaking simple! BTW, you don’t need Alexa to order your groceries for you, but it’s pretty damn helpful.

I know that grocery delivery services vary based on where you live, but if you have one, I recommend giving it a whirl. I’ve tried Instacart but found the service to be kinda bumpy. That was two years ago, so it might be better by now.

Personally, my preference is Amazon Fresh (<-that's an affiliate link, guys!). You get Whole Foods quality and variety without the “Whole Paycheck” impact on your wallet. Since Amazon acquired Whole Foods I’ve seen a dramatic drop in prices to the point where they’re now competitive with Trader Joes and Safeway.

There is a cost for the service ($14.99 USD per month), but isn’t your time worth more than $15 a month for about 12 to 15 hours of your month? Mine sure is. You also have the option to tip your driver (I give him the suggested $5 tip), but that’s not mandatory.

Get a free trial for Amazon Fresh

The other great thing about Amazon fresh is that it keeps a log of your groceries, and since most of us buy the same thing over and over, it makes shopping ridiculously simple. I also love that it doesn’t really put many food suggestions in front of you, so you’re not tempted to buy food items you don’t need. When I do this, it’s always a temptation to buy junk food. I mean really, when was the last time you were inspired to impulse purchase more produce? 🙂

Related: Make Any Healthy Food Taste Good With These Toppings

What I Don't Love About Amazon Fresh

They’re still using too many plastic bags. As someone who is concerned about the environmental image of plastic, this bothers me. But the bags are big enough that I can reuse as small garbage bags, so they’re not wasted. Hopefully, that’s something Amazon will continue to improve.

Interested in what I buy on Amazon Fresh? Shoot me your email below ? and I’ll send you my grocery list and a simple low carb meal plan with recipes as well.