Grocery Pick-up

This is a very small portion of my recent grocery pickup order from Walmart

I might be in the minority but I am one of those people who actually enjoys grocery shopping. As a meal planner, I make my meal plan and corresponding grocery list the night before I shop. Then I can have a easy and efficient shopping trip while enjoying my time out of the house without kids.

BUT ... there are times (like these crazy days of COVID-19) that your available time is short, or you have a cranky toddler or you don't feel well or the weather is bad or you simply don't like to grocery shop. And in those times, grocery pick-up can be a lifesaver! Typically, I only use grocery pickup either from Walmart or our local City Market (a Kroger brand store) when life is crazy and I really need the extra time in my day. But with all the Corona virus "stuff" going on, I've found myself using it regularly in the last few months. Not only has it kept me from spending so much time in the store but it has also allowed me to grab my groceries quickly first thing in the morning (I usually choose the 8-9am pickup slot) so that I can get home and help get my kids started with school.

Here are a few tips I've found:
1. Download the app for the store you use most regularly for grocery pickup. Most stores have their own app so find it and keep it handy.
2. Know if your store has a minimum amount needed for grocery pickup or charges a pickup fee so that you're not surprised when you go to place your order.
3. This may take a few weeks to figure out but know how far out you need to place an order to reserve the pickup time slot that works best for you. Depending on demand or your particular store, it could be anywhere from 1-5 days.
4. With most pickup orders, you can edit/add to your order up until the day before or even a few hours before (find out for your particular store). This will allow you to put in an order several days before your pickup date (which you might need to do to reserve a time) with just your regular staples and then add to it later based on what your family needs and the following week's meal plan.
5. Know that there may be a few items that you cannot find within the grocery app. For me, I usually have 4-5 items that I have to go into the store to grab myself. If you have a baby or toddler with you, you may decide that you'd rather go without those items than wrestle the kids into the store. In these recent times, I have found that I can't put toilet paper on my pickup order but the toilet paper aisle is once again stocked to full capacity.
6. Lastly, there will be substitutions when the original item you ordered is not available. In my experience, the substitutions are usually acceptable but you can usually decline the subs if you're not happy. For instance, I've had cream of mushroom soup subbed when I order tomato soup and cabbage subbed for lettuce!

If you have a Walmart near you and haven't tried grocery pickup yet, you can use my affiliate link - http://r.wmt.co/v/stacy_1658  to get $10 off your first order (and I get $10 off too when you use my link!)

Let me know in the comments if you've used grocery pickup before and what you thought of it at your store. Share a tip you've found helpful to you!

This post contains affiliate links which means if you decide to use Walmart grocery pick-up using my link, I get a little bonus (and you do too!). There is no additional charge to you. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!