Don’t forget fees for grocery delivery

I haven’t set foot in a grocery store in nearly four months.

With a 10-month-old baby to think about, my husband and I have kept trips to the store to a minimum out of an abundance of caution during the pandemic.

We’re fortunate to have just about every grocery delivery service at our disposal — and we’ve taken advantage.

In between orders from Costco, Whole Foods, Imperfect Foods and more, I’ve noticed our virtual shopping habit is changing how we budget.

We’re accounting for new grocery-related expenses. We’re also more deliberate about what we buy.

Here’s why online grocery shopping could affect how much you spend — and ways to keep your budget intact.

Markups

You could pay more online than in the store for the exact same item. That’s because some delivery services, or the retailers they partner with, inflate grocery prices to cover fulfillment costs.

On Costco’s website, I was met with the message “item prices are marked up higher than your local warehouse.

Instacart uses the markup to pay for their delivery service.” The exact price difference wasn’t specified.

Same-day delivery service Shipt says its members can expect to pay about $5 more on a $35 order online than in the store. Plan that you will spend a few extra bucks every time you buy groceries online.

Extra charges

At the grocery store, the price you see is typically the price you pay. But online, fees for delivery, service, alcohol, memberships and subscriptions could be tacked onto your bill. Extra charges could range from a couple dollars for a service fee to about a hundred dollars for a membership.

How you use that service can also affect the cost. Often, you’ll pay a premium for quicker or high-demand delivery times. Then, there are tips. Tipping, while optional, is a simple way to support the workers risking their health to provide you with an essential service. Many grocery services set a default tip, so make sure to pick the amount you prefer.

Substitutions

Items could be unexpectedly out-of-stock, incorrect or missing from your delivery. Certain services allow substitutions for unavailable inventory. However, that can come at a higher cost. When the conventional tomatoes I ordered sold out, I ended up with organic tomatoes for $1 more.

Impulse purchases

Getting your groceries while sitting in front of your screen isn’t all bad news for your wallet: 46% of consumers say they’ve made fewer impulse purchases since shifting to online grocery shopping in the spring, according to a survey from Magid, a business strategy and research company.

With no enticing candy displays or cleverly arranged shelves to stroll past, you might fill your cart with fewer items.