I do the shopping in our house. My partner is happy to do it, but it is just something that I have always done, especially as I am the one that drives. It is quite funny at supermarkets when the cashiers offer to pack my shopping and I say no. I am so bad that when the cashiers that think that all men are useless and ignore my request continue to do pack my bags, which I promptly unbag and arrange in a “proper” manner to my strict, slightly odd standards! I am probably just like thousands of dads out there that are somewhat a pushover in some ways. I am quite like this during one of the worst times – when I am shopping. I am doomed when I am shopping locally in 2 ways.
My own weakness for bargains
I must confess; I am just a sucker for bargains and if I am wondering around the supermarket, I must walk every single aisle. I do not know why, and I know to some it may be odd, but I must walk every aisle in order, covering the store pretty much end to end. I know where everything is in the store and have no issues finding stuff. It means that shopping for me is never just a quick 10 minutes! This of course means that I get so see any potential bargains and if I can get some that save me money in the long run I am right there.
My weakness when it comes to my kids
I am quite a softy and my kids know it. My seven-year-old son has perfected the art of giving me a cheeky grin followed by the elongated pleeeeaase that I am sure every parent can relate to. Inevitably this leads to me buying extra biscuits, snacks and toys that soon add a fair amount to the final shopping bill.
Saving money shopping online
My solution is to shop online. The money I save easily covers the delivery costs and I have signed up to the Tesco delivery saver, which means I get 4-5 shops minimum delivered every month for six pounds a month. This is probably less that my old, knackered car drinks in petrol when I go to the supermarket in person. Shopping in this way means that I get much less pressure from the kids, and I even resist random deals and bargains, my shopping is much cheaper in the long run.
My plan isn’t fool-proof
While I save a lot of money, I am still a sucker for a bargain and if I see some good deals, I am happy to stock up, especially as I do not have to carry the bags! Items I am terrible for stocking up on are coffee, soap powder, pet food and fabric softener. Anything that does not have a short shelf life is game. My logic is that I am paid monthly anyway and if I can spot a deal and by something in one go for the month rather than weekly it must be done!
Do you shop online or in store, and are you a sucker for special offers? Either way, this is how I save money by shopping online.
Image credit: Carl Spencer