Watch your budget

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.

“You’re spending more money because it’s a service,” says Jennifer Weber, a certified financial planner in Lake Success, New York.

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.

When using services that charge for pricier replacements, consider opting out of automatic substitutions or allocating a few extra dollars toward your grocery budget as a cushion. Inspect orders closely upon arrival as well and notify the company if you’re charged for forgotten or incorrect items.

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.

“Careful planning and buying only what you intend to is a little bit easier to do online,” says Steve Caine, a partner with the retail practice of Bain and Company, a management consulting firm. “You don’t get influenced quite the same way as you do when you’re walking through a store.”

With no enticing candy displays or cleverly arranged shelves to stroll past, you might fill your cart with fewer items. Plus, Caine says shopping online allows you to better keep a “running total” of your purchase, while in the store, you usually don’t know until checkout.

Online grocery shopping is here to stay for the foreseeable future. These strategies can reduce the strain on your budget.

MAKE A LIST » Check your fridge or pantry and jot down what you need for the week. “You can think ahead and say, ‘I want to spend $100 or $50.’ Then, you can do price comparisons for those items,” Weber says.

COMPARE GROCERY SERVICES » Try building a basket on a few different sites to see which offers the lowest price on items. Explore all the costs involved and look for coupons or promotions before checkout.

SUBMITTED PHOTO When the Movie Tavern theaters open this weekend in Montgomery and Chester counties, customers will be required to wear face masks in the buildings — except to eat or drink.