Need new grocery shopping strategy- Amazon?

[teachermom2834]

What grocery items do you order from Amazon?

I have shopped almost exclusively at Aldi for at least ten years. However, after too many quality issues to ignore I’m giving up on Aldi. I think our specific location has some serious issues. It is silly but I feel like I have no idea how to grocery shop now. I really had a system at Aldi.

I am unwilling to clip coupons and among our local choices I am pretty certain WalMart will be my cheapest option for most things. Going to WalMart is unpleasant and I would like to streamline my shopping there as much as possible. I was thinking that some items would be about the same from Amazon. If I could get a fair amount of our groceries delivered to the house running through Walmart for the perishables would be easier than shopping for everything there. But I am not generally brand loyal so maybe WalMart store brand will be cheaper. Hmm...

For now I am taking my WalMart receipt and looking up prices on Amazon to compare. I’ll keep doing that and make a list of what I can get from Amazon for the same or cheaper. So far I have a handful of things on that list.

Just wondering what grocery items people have found to be a good deal from Amazon. We don’t have pets and are only a household of four now. We don’t need huge quantities of things to store so I don’t want to buy in bulk. 

 

[Junie]

Does your Walmart have online ordering and curbside pickup?  That might be a really good option for you.

I started online grocery shopping last year and it saves me so much time.

[rjand6more]

Another vote for Walmart grocery pickup. Game changer. I can spend days adding to my cart, then place an order for pick up the next day.  I refuse to shop in store, but I love the pick up!

[KungFuPanda]

16 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

What grocery items do you order from Amazon?

I have shopped almost exclusively at Aldi for at least ten years. However, after too many quality issues to ignore I’m giving up on Aldi. I think our specific location has some serious issues. It is silly but I feel like I have no idea how to grocery shop now. I really had a system at Aldi.

I am unwilling to clip coupons and among our local choices I am pretty certain WalMart will be my cheapest option for most things. Going to WalMart is unpleasant and I would like to streamline my shopping there as much as possible. I was thinking that some items would be about the same from Amazon. If I could get a fair amount of our groceries delivered to the house running through Walmart for the perishables would be easier than shopping for everything there. But I am not generally brand loyal so maybe WalMart store brand will be cheaper. Hmm...

For now I am taking my WalMart receipt and looking up prices on Amazon to compare. I’ll keep doing that and make a list of what I can get from Amazon for the same or cheaper. So far I have a handful of things on that list.

Just wondering what grocery items people have found to be a good deal from Amazon. We don’t have pets and are only a household of four now. We don’t need huge quantities of things to store so I don’t want to buy in bulk. 

 

Sometimes I combine The Dinner Daily with Harris Teeter curbside pick-up.  The Dinner Daily is a $4 per month subscription, but it creates a menu and itemized shopping list around what is on sale at your local grocery stores,  I set my store to Harris Teeter because i can shop in the computer and just drive by and pick it up without getting out of the car.  Shopping a sale menu makes Harris Teeter affordable and not going into the store eliminates impulse purchases.  Even when I don't care for certain recipes (you can switch them out) I can tell by looking at them what is on sale and what I can make instead.  I don't use it every week, but it helps when I'm in a rut.

[teachermom2834]

I do need to check out the online ordering and pickup. I don’t know why I have been reluctant to do that. Maybe because I don’t write a list. At Aldi I could just walk through the store and grab what I needed because the store is so small and there are so few options. But if I could get organized the pickup could help me avoid the unpleasantness of the store and the impulse purchases. 

[rjand6more]

5 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

I do need to check out the online ordering and pickup. I don’t know why I have been reluctant to do that. Maybe because I don’t write a list. At Aldi I could just walk through the store and grab what I needed because the store is so small and there are so few options. But if I could get organized the pickup could help me avoid the unpleasantness of the store and the impulse purchases. 

And Walmart keeps a list of what you have bought before, so you can just click to add to your cart.  

[Liz CA]

I have been ordering certain things from amazon for some time, however, fresh produce and fruit I would always want to buy locally. Do you have small market that could fill that need and buy paper products and other stuff from amazon?

[wendyroo]

I find Amazon's prices on most things are more expensive (sometimes significantly) than what I can get locally, especially for "reasonable" quantities.  For example, a staple like brown rice - Amazon offers a 5 lb bag by the brand 365 Everyday Value for $5.99.  I can get 5 single pound bags at Target for $4.25, or $4.04 if I use my Red Card.  At Walmart I can get a 5 lb bag for $3.42. 

We do use Amazon's subscribe and save for some things...but mostly specialty items like gluten free cookies and Pediasure with is ridiculously expensive, but my kids need for medical reasons.

One way that we simplify our shopping is by doing a lot of it at Sams Club.  Like Aldi, it has limited choices so we don't have to spend a lot of time debating options.  There are things that we cannot get at Sams, so most weeks we do 95% of the shopping at Sams (with a list that is 95% the same every week) and then pop into either Aldi or our local grocery store to pick up a dozen or so items that Sams doesn't carry.  We pay the extra for a Plus/Business membership at Sams.  That means 1) we get to shop during the early morning hours when the store is fairly empty, and 2) we get cash back on all of our purchases that more than pays for our membership each year.

Wendy

[alisoncooks]

Amazon prices fluctuate so much. Often they are the best price but not for food items. That can be hit or miss. 

I order groceries online (Harris Teeter) and drive through to pick them up. 

[teachermom2834]

Okay, I’ve been on the Walmart website creating a list of favorites so I’m getting excited about trying curbside pickup. Thanks everyone! 

[MercyA]

Another vote for Walmart pickup! A mom in my co-op told me "it changed her life." She wasn't exaggerating. 😉 Love it!

[Momto6inIN]

I don't do pickup at Wal-Mart but may try that now!

I go to Wal-Mart once a month and stock up on nonperishables. Then I go weekly to Meijer, which is more expensive but has great produce, for milk/eggs/produce. I don't know what the difference is, lighting or acoustics or clientele or a combination of those, but Wal-Mart makes me jittery and raises my blood pressure while Meijer I keeps me calm.

[Carrie12345]

I have pick up options at both my regular supermarket and at Walmart.  I find myself doing Walmart more often these days (including today.). My supermarket has much more variety, but I don’t need variety as often as I need inexpensive. (And Walmart doen’t charge, whereas my supermarket does, unless there’s a promo going on.)

Funny enough, we have an Aldi opening soon.  I plan to check it out, but still assume I’ll just hit them up for a few specific things on my way through the Walmart pick up.

[Familia]

I have done Walmart grocery pickup dozens of times now - mostly as a secret shopper.  I am super impressed.  Previously, I loathed Walmart.  Their app is great, and their customer service at pick up is even better!  A few tips:  My items are consistently ready 15 minutes prior to my time.  The customer service rep told me that they pull the items from the holding areas at that time, so if I am late, the items are getting warmer...I try to never be late, as I am a stickler about food safety.  Also, I check my 'order is ready notice' as soon as it arrives so that I can run into the store to get the few (if any) missing items right before I pull up to get my order.

I have also used Amazon; prices are usually the same as Walmart.  Due to limited items (especially no fresh/cold items), I have stopped using this since beginning Walmart Grocery Pickup.

[athena1277]

OP, I am in full agreement on the dislike of Walmart.  I hate going there.  Also, it’s not always cheaper.

Do you have a Kroger?  I know you said you don’t want to deal with coupons, but with Kroger you can us their app or website to add e-coupons to your account.  No paper to forget or lose.  They have some that are exclusive to their curbside pickup or delivery that are really good.  I haven’t used the delivery, but I have used the pickup several times and really liked it.

[teachermom2834]

1 hour ago, athena1277 said:

OP, I am in full agreement on the dislike of Walmart.  I hate going there.  Also, it’s not always cheaper.

Do you have a Kroger?  I know you said you don’t want to deal with coupons, but with Kroger you can us their app or website to add e-coupons to your account.  No paper to forget or lose.  They have some that are exclusive to their curbside pickup or delivery that are really good.  I haven’t used the delivery, but I have used the pickup several times and really liked it.

Thank you. I had a Kroger in my previous city but I don’t have one now. I did find I could do well there with sales and coupons.

[teachermom2834]

I am going to give the Walmart pickup a good try to see if I can adjust to that. I think what has held me back was just the adding everything to the order seemed overwhelming. At Aldi I really didn’t need a list. I could just walk through and grab what we needed as I saw it. Even dh did a pretty good job shopping this way. But once I have a routine with all our regular items saved as favorites I could see how it could really work well.

A couple of questions. First, I’ve been adding favorites on the website. Should I get the app? Is that easier? Also, what about produce? I’ve been reluctant because I want to see what I am buying. Of course, I could always run in just for produce if necessary. Just wondered what luck all of you have had with that. I pretty much hate returning things so I can see myself highly aggravated trying to return ugly produce while the rest of my order is getting warm.

[hjffkj]

1 hour ago, teachermom2834 said:

I am going to give the Walmart pickup a good try to see if I can adjust to that. I think what has held me back was just the adding everything to the order seemed overwhelming. At Aldi I really didn’t need a list. I could just walk through and grab what we needed as I saw it. Even dh did a pretty good job shopping this way. But once I have a routine with all our regular items saved as favorites I could see how it could really work well.

A couple of questions. First, I’ve been adding favorites on the website. Should I get the app? Is that easier? Also, what about produce? I’ve been reluctant because I want to see what I am buying. Of course, I could always run in just for produce if necessary. Just wondered what luck all of you have had with that. I pretty much hate returning things so I can see myself highly aggravated trying to return ugly produce while the rest of my order is getting warm.

 

I've never used the app so I can't speak about that. I've been doing Walmart grocery pickup exclusively for a year and won't go back. For produce, I'd say 95% of the time they do a great job of picking produce. On  the rare occasion that they picked poor quality stuff I either shoot them an email or chat with someone and they immediately refund my money.  No returning groceries required.  On occasions they have also offer me a $20 credit on my next order for the inconvenience of not having the produce I needed for a meal.

[Familia]

17 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

... I could just walk through and grab what we needed as I saw it...

Should I get the app? Is that easier? Also, what about produce? 

I like that the favorites on the app are by food section, so, I will put things in I know I need first, then 'walk the aisles' by scanning down my favorites list in those food sections.

Also, I am shopping for other adults, meaning husband and grown part-time-at-home children, so I have asked them to put the app on their phone with my login & they can add things, like deodorant or a snack I never would check, whenever they decide they need it.  Your cart just keeps building until you ask for a time slot.  And beyond.  It will save your time slot for about an hour while you finish 'shopping'.

It is great to build my order over a few day's time by adding to my cart as I think of things.  Although I still do keep a running list of items getting low, on the fridge.  If I decide at night I want to run errands the next day, I can, quite late, reserve a morning slot, sit on the couch and finish my shopping - such ease!  I always think of something a few minutes later...the app gives you an hour or so to change/add things.  It is intuitive, so it will automatically ask if you want to add a new order you create to your existing order....other grocery stores in my area did not do that.  And, the customer service reps at the other chain stores complained when I arrived and picked up multiple orders.  Really, the Walmart people are just so nice.  It is like they hire a completely different crew for the pickup...which I suppose, they did.

I am quite finicky about my produce, and it has been good overall.  I consider the potential for problems a tiny sacrifice.  And that says A LOT if you knew me=)

Edited June 18, 2019 by Familia

[rjand6more]

I suppose the produce quality is related to the person picking it.  You can ask to see the produce when you pick up and refuse what you don't like.  That's what I do.  I have only refused produce a few times.  The shoppers must be trained well at my store.

They show you any substitutions and you can refuse those as well.They take it off your bill right away.  

[Momto6inIN]

Ok so I tried Walmart pickup today.

My.Life.Will.Never.Be.The.Same.

On the list of world's greatest inventions this is right up there with menstrual cups, you guys! What on earth would I do without the Hive????

[marbel]

8 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

Ok so I tried Walmart pickup today.

My.Life.Will.Never.Be.The.Same.

On the list of world's greatest inventions this is right up there with menstrual cups, you guys! What on earth would I do without the Hive????

Inspired by this thread, I just placed my first order, to be picked up tomorrow.

It's mostly personal care stuff, and the grocery items are all nonperishables.  I can't believe how excited I am about picking up my order tomorrow!  

[teachermom2834]

I am glad people are trying out the Walmart pickup 🙂 I am excited to try it but I won’t need groceries for awhile. I do keep adding things to my favorites so I am ready to go.

I do think this could be really good for me. Scrolling through it on my phone gives me a chance to comparison shop and read labels. I do that in store too but it can be overwhelming. I can never remember some of the specific toiletries dh uses but I handed him my phone and had him mark them for me. Once we get the hang of it I can see it would be a real time and money saver. 

[EmilyGF]

On 6/17/2019 at 9:29 PM, athena1277 said:

OP, I am in full agreement on the dislike of Walmart.  I hate going there.  Also, it’s not always cheaper.

Do you have a Kroger?  I know you said you don’t want to deal with coupons, but with Kroger you can us their app or website to add e-coupons to your account.  No paper to forget or lose.  They have some that are exclusive to their curbside pickup or delivery that are really good.  I haven’t used the delivery, but I have used the pickup several times and really liked it.

When I've price compared Walmart, I've found it is pretty expensive. It just feels cheap because of how poorly the stores are run.

Good luck. I shop at Aldi, but I also find the quality varies so much from one store to another. One thing I've done is to rotate Aldi in for imperishables once every few weeks, stock the freezer with meat somewhere else every few weeks, and then only go to the inexpensive produce store during other weeks.

Emily

[marbel]

So, I just got back from my first Walmart pickup.  Oh, so easy.  And the employee who brought my order out was so sweet and polite, so different from the store people.

The only thing I didn't like was that the stuff came out in single-use plastic bags. I am not sure what I was expecting. Of course they have to bring it out in something. 

I still don't think Walmart is an awesome company, though I have known a few people who would have been, shall we say, hard to employ without Walmart. And one person in particular to whom Walmart and her store management has been extremely kind and helpful.  But I hate shopping at my local store; it's just so frustrating. The place is always a mess and there are huge swathes of empty shelf space all the time. Like, bottled water unavailable at random times (not related to storm sellouts).  Most of the employees and many of the customers are rude and just hard to be around. But for convenience* and pricing, it is hard to beat and in this time of my life convenience and price are pretty important. 

So, I'm sold on pickup. I've already thought of some things I should have added so I'm starting my next list.  

*By convenience I mean it is close to home, easy to park, and if I have a varied list of items it makes the most sense. Sunscreen, a t-shirt, socks, protein bars, hand soap, windshield washer, frozen pizzas all in one place.  Though I don't generally find decent produce at my local store, and their meat is expensive compared to the big "regular" grocery store in my area. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by marbel

[rjand6more]

2 minutes ago, marbel said:

So, I just got back from my first Walmart pickup.  Oh, so easy.  And the employee who brought my order out was so sweet and polite, so different from the store people.

The only thing I didn't like was that the stuff came out in single-use plastic bags. I am not sure what I was expecting. Of course they have to bring it out in something. 

I still don't think Walmart is an awesome company, though I have known a few people who would have been, shall we say, hard to employ without Walmart. And one person in particular to whom Walmart and her store management has been extremely kind and helpful.  But I hate shopping at my local store; it's just so frustrating. The place is always a mess and there are huge swathes of empty shelf space all the time. Like, bottled water unavailable at random times (not related to storm sellouts).  Most of the employees and many of the customers are rude and just hard to be around. But for convenience* and pricing, it is hard to beat and in this time of my life convenience and price are pretty important. 

So, I'm sold on pickup. I've already thought of some things I should have added so I'm starting my next list.  

*By convenience I mean it is close to home, easy to park, and if I have a varied list of items it makes the most sense. Sunscreen, a t-shirt, socks, protein bars, hand soap, windshield washer, frozen pizzas all in one place.  Though I don't generally find decent product at my local store, and their meat is expensive compared to the big "regular" grocery store in my area. 

Agree with the bolded.  I don't know exactly how this can be fixed. It would be time consuming to rebag curbside.

And I agree that Walmart is not an awesome company.  Other stores need to take this model and expand to online shopping.  And they will as they see Walmart's success.

I DO find Walmart to be cheaper on most things(except Aldi, Costco for some things).  And I don't buy meat there.  But, for toiletries and everyday stuff, they are usually the cheapest.  If I have to go inside a store, it is rarely Walmart.  I pay the Meijer or Target "pleasant experience" tax.

[ksr5377]

I am also a big fan of Walmart's pick-up system.  I just started using it 2 months ago. I do NOT like shopping AT Walmart. The pick-up is a completely different experience.  Also, even though overall the prices are a bit higher than Aldi, I find it's worth it.  I have an easier time sticking to my grocery budget with it because I don't even go in the store.  Their website and the app are extremely user-friendly.  Instead of making a list through the week I just add things to my cart in the app.  It also made grocery shopping while on vacation so easy!  I set it all up three days before we left and my groceries were ready for pick-up our first morning there.  Counting travel time, I was there and back with $200 worth of groceries in 15 minutes.  

I don't like the single-use plastic bags.  I have thought about asking them to just bring things out in the crates but I could see how that would make loading my car take quite a bit longer.