With winter upon us and knowing that the snow will be falling soon, it was time to make a plan for grocery shopping. We do have quite a stockpile but there are still fresh things that we will need and some things that our “Resident Chef” will need to make his recipes.
So I took a look at the Walmart + plan and decided to join it for one year. I was able to get a 30 day free trial and pay for one year the amount of $ 98. up front because it is much cheaper than paying monthly at $ 12.95. They tell you that you get a 15 day trial but when I signed up they asked three questions in a survey which gave me 15 more days. They also have discounted gasoline at certain gas stations none of which are around here. However since I can get discounted gas at Top’s or BJ’s, it was not important to me. They also will deliver other things besides groceries. If I happen to shop in the store, I can just scan and go – no check out.
I needed the fresh mushrooms for a recipe this week and we got some more creamer because we are low.
Hubby loves onion rings so they are a treat for him. We love their chicken wings that we use for making Buffalo wings. They are meaty and delicious. I also picked up a few boxes of Kleenex and some quart size freezer bags.
I tried it out yesterday to stock up on some more things that we needed. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. They let me know in the morning what they were out of and the substitutions that they made. There were only 3 and I was happy with all of them. One was the pizza which is an I don’t want to cook tonight item. They were out of the pepperoni but substituted the cheese. I have plenty of pepperoni here that I can throw on it before it goes in the oven. They substituted tomatoes on the vine for 1 other tomato that I had ordered. But I got 4 tomatoes instead of 1 for less money. They substituted 2 other Knorr Asian sides for 2 that they were out of which were ones we do use.
I have been paying $ 1.99 to $ 2.49 on sale for SF Cool Whip at Top’s. I was so pleasantly surprised to be able to buy 4 for $ 1.00 each. It freezes well and we use it on SF Jello and SF puddings for desserts. Hubby was out of corn which is his favorite veggie and they were $1.00 each. Cucumbers were only $ .62 each and I eat them for snacks and in my salads.
I do not buy bread ahead. It does not keep well in my freezer. So I got the buns for a chili hot dog meal this week. The Knorr sides were cheap and are a stockpile item. Hubby loves them and now that I am eating carbs once in a while, I like them too because they are easy. We love these ice cream sandwiches occasionally for a quick ice cream craving. The Craves and the Doritos are a Hubby snack. I buy snacks ahead and I keep them in a huge Rubbermaid tub in the basement to keep bugs out. They keep a few months; much longer than the expiration dates.
99% of these items are cheaper than my regular grocery stores and taste better too. Yes, I do keep a price book so most of the prices I already knew. The SF Cool Whip was the big surprise. I also love that I can get most of my frozen veggies for $ 1.00.
I know that this Walmart plan will not work for some people and there are some who like to shop. For us, it is perfect since I do not like driving in the snow and we are supposed to have more than plenty of it this winter. That said, I buy very little meat at Walmart so I will continue to stockpile meat elsewhere when I see a good sale. My Aldi’s is good for that when they have a sale. I just never pay full price at Aldi’s for meat. Their meat is delicious but I can buy it on sale at Top’s, Wegman’s, BJ’s, or Niagara Produce cheaper. When I buy I try to buy in bulk. I can just drive to those places when I need meat or see a great sale and it is not snowing.
This order cost me $ 68.46 and a tip for the driver. I was very happy with that.
Have any of you used the Walmart plan or delivery?