Money saving strategy tested: Online grocery shopping.
I was tipped off to a great idea to save time and money: online grocery shopping. In Victoria, we have a number of grocery stores that offer this service with delivery ($4.95 for the store I chose) or pick-up. I won't say my first time was a success, so here's a review to learn from my mistakes.
The grocery store's online site is well laid out and creating an account was easy. I searched by sale items and also by department. I really needed milk, olive oil and some yoghurt drinks for the kids. $50 later, I had placed my order for pick-up the next day. There are two pick-up locations in town and I was going to be near one running errands.
The next day: I forgot to pick-up while I was nearby so when I remembered, I had to drive all the way across town to pick-up. You have to use the drive-through lane and buzz someone (I tried to park and go in) and my order wasn't found right away.
For me, it's questionable if I saved money; I enjoy grocery shopping and pick up things I see on sale, but I don't think I *splurge*. I did do the same "oh, it's on sale!" thing online that I do in the store. In this experience, I definitely didn't save time ordering online then driving across town and back to pick up when the same store is blocks from my house.
Bottom line: This is a fantastic resource for new moms (drive-through pick-up while baby is sleeping!) or anyone unable to get to the store because of mobility or time ($5 delivery!). It's also good for those who make a list and get distracted in the actual store.
