3 Reasons Why Grocery Delivery Can Be More Affordable Than You Think

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Is grocery delivery a rip off? Not necessarily. Read on to learn more. 

We all need to put food on the table. Whether you do your grocery shopping in person versus have it delivered, however, is up to you.

You’ll often hear that grocery delivery is apt to result in a higher credit card tab than shopping in person. Often, that’s true.

That said, a recent CNET study compared the cost of doing a grocery run at Stop & Shop, a typical U.S. supermarket chain, with FreshDirect and Amazon Fresh. It found that the cost of a Stop & Shop haul was just a couple of dollars cheaper than FreshDirect, even when accounting for the tip and delivery or membership fee that comes with the latter. The difference between Stop & Shop and Amazon Fresh was a bit more substantial — more like $12.

If you’ve been quick to write off the idea of grocery delivery due to the cost, you should know that it may be more affordable than you think. Here’s why.

1. You can save money on gas

You might pay a delivery fee and get upcharged to have your groceries delivered. But you know what you won’t spend money on? Gas.

If you’re not driving to stores, you’re not spending money on fuel. And that could amount to a lot of savings depending on the price of gas where you live and how far your go-to grocery stores are.

2. You may be less likely to fall victim to impulse buys

When you walk the aisles at a supermarket, it can be easy enough to spot items that weren’t on your shopping list and throw them into your cart because they look appealing. But you’re less likely to fall victim to impulse buys when you’re ordering your groceries online.

Chances are, when you’re ordering online, you’re making a list and inputting the items from it into an app, as opposed to scrolling through the thousands of grocery items your app shows as available. So you might save some money there, too.

3. You can shop at stores that may not be accessible to you otherwise

Shopping at certain stores for groceries could result in savings — provided you’re able to get to those stores before they close. Perhaps there’s a more affordable grocery store in your area, only you can’t get to it during regular hours due to your jam-packed schedule. In that case, ordering delivery could give you access to lower-priced goods, even if you’re spending extra on tips and delivery fees.

Costco, for example, is a great source of low-cost groceries, but your local warehouse club might have limited hours, or it may be too far away to get over there easily. If you order same-day grocery delivery from Costco, you will pay more than what you’ll pay at your local warehouse club store. But you might still spend less than what you’d pay at a different store.

Grocery delivery can be more expensive than shopping in person. But it may not be so much more expensive, depending on where you shop and the items you buy. If you feel that grocery delivery could make your life much easier, then it may be worth it to spend a bit extra for the convenience.

Let’s say grocery delivery costs you an extra $10 per week. That’s something, and if you’re already barely covering your bills, it may be too much extra to spend. But if you’re doing okay financially, you may just decide that $10 a week is worth the convenience of not having to stress about finding time to shop in person.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Maurie Backman has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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