I would deem my recent online shop with Asda to have been a success. I stayed within my budget, I selected a range of good value products and everything arrived without a hitch. After this experience, I would say that a large, online shop at the start of each month is beneficial to those of us living a thrifty lifestyle. I’ve compiled a post featuring my top five reasons for this. I do hope someone out there finds it useful.
Efficiency; You get what you need and only what you need. As long as you can resist clicking onto certain sections, the lure of temptation is far less. It’s a lot easier to ignore the siren song of unnecessary products when there are out of sight, compared to being blindingly apparent throughout conventional supermarkets.
Sticking to a budget; When I did my Asda shop, I was pleased to see a running total as I added each item into my electronic trolley. After I factored in the delivery cost, I had a clear view of my budget and how close I was to reaching it with each purchase. It was also easy to remove any items I no longer required, instead of walking across the store to return them.
Comparing items; I always want to get the best deals possible. By seeing the items on screen, I could judge which ones where the best value. I didn’t have to traipse up and down the aisles, squinting to see the £ per kg labels. For me, it also helps that I could see the ingredients list at a glance, rather than scouring the packet for the information I need.
Time-saving; All of the above points help to save time. Now, I’m normally willing to sacrifice a couple of hours to get a good job done. But by having access to all of the information, alongside a running total, my shop took less time than browsing a supermarket with a calculator in hand.
Also, it would have taken me two trips to my local supermarket to buy the same amount of groceries I did online. I don’t drive and I couldn’t physically carry £30 worth of produce. No time was spent travelling to and from the supermarket.
Variety; Like I mentioned, I don’t drive, so I’m somewhat limited to my choice of supermarkets. There is the big Sainsbury’s and . . . well, that’s it in practical walking distance. I could get a bus to get to Waitrose or Tesco, but by the time I’ve paid for a return bus fare, it’s more than the delivery cost from Asda.
By shopping online, I was able to get a variety of products. I’ve mostly relied on Sainsbury’s for the past two years, so it was pleasant to get some different items. I was delighted to see how reasonable Asda’s vast range of Free From products is. I’ve never had gluten-free cous cous before!
There are, naturally, downsides to online shopping.
- At Asda, you have to spend a minimum of £25 plus delivery, which is a considerable outlay.
- You don’t get to browse reduced stock.
- You don’t get to choose your own loose fruit or veg, so you are reliant on the integrity of the shopper.
- Substitutions are offered in place of certain unavailable items. I was lucky this week, receiving 4 pints of milk instead of the 2 I ordered. But I have seen this go the other way.
Overall, I think a substantial top-up shop at the beginning of the month is a good idea. It gives you a chance to fill the cupboards with supplies you can fall back on towards the end of the month. Shopping online every week is out of my price range and my needs. I don’t get through £25 groceries every week. But I can see how this would be a valid option for families.
What do you think of online shopping? Yay, or nay?
The Domestic Storyteller 
I think it is very useful for some people. Whilst I do not relish the task of shopping, I do prefer to chose my own meat/fish/fresh produce etc. I have done internet shop in the past, and my main objection is the goods not available and ‘alternatives’ selected, so for me a personal shop is the best. That said, I do drive and for the last few months have been out and about a fair bit, so can just ‘nip’ into a variety of supermarkets. Whilst I prefer Sainsbury generally, I do agree that Asda is very good value for money overall.
That’s the main thing that puts me off online shopping too – unsuitable substitutions. But at the moment, Asda does provide good value, which is a top priority! Thank you so much for your comment.
I’d never even considered online shopping but you make some really good points about it, maybe I’ll give it a go!
Thank you so much for your comment! It’s worth doing every so often I find 🙂 I’ve just checked out your blog, it’s great!
Thank you 🙂