My Mom’s Smart Tip Is Saving Me $82 on Groceries Every Single Month

My husband and I moved into our first home in early July. To celebrate this incredible milestone, my parents wanted to get us a housewarming gift. There was just one issue: They just weren’t sure what to buy us. 

After searching high and low (and doing quite a bit of scrolling), my mom finally settled on a unique idea: a year of Walmart+, the mega retailer’s membership program. It’s only been a few months since we’ve become members, and service is already extremely useful — not just for groceries, but fast deliveries of other household items, too. 

Walmart+ offers free same-day delivery on orders that are at least $35, including groceries, and the online prices are the same as the ones you’ll find in-store. I’ve used other online grocery companies in the past and noticed significant upcharges on items. While I understand I’m paying for the service, it’s still frustrating to know I’m shelling out those extra dollars.

In general, we’ve found staples are cheaper than at other retailers: A package of sliced cheese is less than $3, and a dozen eggs is around $2.50. Even produce is more affordable; honeycrisp apples are just $1.17 each on Walmart’s site (and in the store). At our local grocery chain, the price was over a dollar more — $2.18 — for the very same type of apples. By my calculations, we’ve ended up saving about $20 or so on each grocery order ($82 in the first month!), and that includes service and delivery fees. 

The delivery drivers are also always kind and friendly. They bring the bags inside and drop them off in our kitchen for us to unpack. They’ll also leave them at our door at our request if we’re not home (similar to how other companies operate). 

In addition to groceries, Walmart+ has other perks we’ve used, too. Those who sign up for a year get Paramount+ and delivery on additional items. We’ve already started using Paramount+, watching a comedy special and some old South Park reruns. Also, without a car, it’s hard to get to our neighborhood Walmart to grab last-minute items. When we realized our guest bedroom did not have a TV and my husband’s parents were headed to visit in August, we ordered one with our Walmart+ membership and it came within hours — with no delivery fee. You can’t beat that!

After a few deliveries, we realized the best way to stretch our budget: We order the majority of our weekly haul — milk, eggs, cheese, butter, cereal, and produce (though we more fruits than vegetables) — and stock up on canned goods like soup, beans, or sauces at a discount (a can of Progresso chicken noodle soup is currently $1.98). It’s also helped us save when we’ve placed a second order during the week for items we forgot we needed or unexpectedly ran out of. Remember, orders $35 or more ship free, so we don’t have to add unnecessary items to meet a certain minimum like we’ve done with other platforms.

We still shop at other retailers, like Costco or Sam’s Club for meat and some produce because we like the quality and can find good deals with bulk shopping. 

We haven’t decided if we’ll renew our membership next summer just yet (we still go back and forth about it, and are waiting to see how the savings add up over the next few months, especially the upcoming holidays). I still think it’s a great gift for new parents, anyone who’s just moved, doesn’t drive, or can’t as easily travel to the grocery store on a weekly basis.

• Express deliveries do have a fee. While the membership includes free same-day deliveries for orders that are $35 or more, if you need something within an hour or so you will be charged a fee: $10 for deliveries in an hour or less and $5 for deliveries within three hours. 
• Read up on all of the perks. There are a lot more benefits beyond free delivery, including streaming subscriptions, auto care, and travel and gas savings. New ones also periodically get added; I recently noticed members now get 25% off Burger King purchases.
• Keep an eye out for discounts on new memberships. While writing this story, for example, there was a limited-time promotion: 50% off for students.

Do you subscribe to any grocery membership programs? Tell us about it in the comments below.