I’m beginning to get back on my feet over the past couple of days. We’ve made a couple of changes in the house which means that I’m getting more time to rest and that in turn means I’m feeling an awful lot brighter.
When I’m under the weather the last thing I want to do is to go traipsing around the shops, trying to pick up bargains and figure out calculations in the aisles. I either get my hubby to do the shopping for me, which runs the risk of us ending up with loads of contraband in the trolley, or I do an online shop. There are a number of supermarkets in my area that offer an online shop, however I’ve been using Tesco’s online shopping and home delivery service for a number of years.
I first used the delivery service when my eldest boy (now 5) was born and used it nearly twice a week when I was pregnant with my second boy. The beauty of using this service is that the drivers will bring your shopping into your home, and will put the shopping on a high surface in the kitchen, then take away the packing crates. When you have a bad back or have problems lifting and carrying this is a huge bonus.
This past couple of weeks excluded, I don’t use the online delivery service so much anymore. It’s impossible to pick up last minute bargains, yellow sticker items and to see the condition of fresh food items for yourself online. I do however use it on a regular basis for pricing up ingredients, seeing what the best value is and calculating what my dishes cost. I can only order a delivery when I check out so I make the most of the online store for blog research purposes.
As we are on such a tight budget, I find the cost of delivery a concern. How the heck can I justify spending nearly a whole day’s food budget (up to €7) on delivery alone? I know there are cheaper options but there is still a charge and obviously I would rather use the cash to buy groceries than on delivery. If I lived further away from a large Tesco store I think this wouldn’t be so much of a concern as I’d have to use fuel to get there and back. We do live extremely close to one of the largest stores in Ireland though, in fact our very friendly driver knew us to see!
So will I use the Tesco Online Shopping service again? I’ll use it a few times a week! Will I order using the service? Only if, like in the past while, there is a reason that prevents me from walking up the road to the supermarket and saving the money.
Tesco are offering €20 off when you spend €60 or more on your first online grocery shop at Tesco.ie which will expire on 1st November 2013. To claim this free credit, simply visit the following address: www.tesco.ie/groceries and enter the eCoupon code: RXXF4NC.
Full terms and conditions can be found at www.tesco.ie/groceries
Disclosure: Tesco.ie provided me with a voucher to test their online service for the purposes of this review. My opinions remain my own.
i ordered maybe 3 weeks ago with the same €20 off and was thrilled with the service… granted we only shop for two! I found it helped me only buy what was on my list and no naughty treats. After i purchased my first order, i got an email with free delivery codes for 3 weeks and €25 off over the course of 3 weeks… we live 16k from tesco and were aldi shoppers so they have won us over for a month at least (im 3 weeks shopping with them now.) I still get my water, clothes washing gel, toilet paper and some doggy denti stix in Aldi as they cant be beaten on price with them items.
That would certainly make it worth your while alright! I love a bargain too!
Interesting blog post, most people seem to have your experience but I could rant about Tesco’s delivery service for hours! The crux of the problem is that they hate coming into the city centre I think. Other than meat and veg I buy everything from Tesco Online but I only order once a month. It means that the delivery charge is spread out over more time so becomes more reasonable in the long run. I know not everyone can plan meals for a month but I hate doing my meal plans so I spend one afternoon doing the next months worth and then I don’t need to think about it again. As I see it Tesco Online is a necessary evil for me! 🙂
Oh hey if it works! The local shop is incredibly convenient for me so I guess if I lived further away I’d be more inclined to use the delivery service.
My son-in-law in New York wanted some Quik Banana flavored powder and they only sell it in the UK. So I ordered some from tesco, had them deliver it and pahe did only 2 pounds for them to bring it to me which is a round trip of 30 miles! I could have opted for the 1 pound delivery but that would be from 10-11 pm which was a bit late. I am excited to order and entire shopping list! The delivery driver could not have been nicer! On time too!
Well now that’s ingenuity for you. A great use of the delivery service!
I’ve used online ordering quite a bit over the years but don’t use Tesco as they’re not close to me and when ordering frozen food, I prefer to use the nearest store! It’s very handy when you’re under the weather for sure but I learnt the hard way that you need to accept what you order and what you’d choose yourself may not be the same. You learn! Hope you’re feeling better soon!
Thanks Paula, I’ve found that myself. I far prefer shopping in person but still it’s handy to have an alternative.
Hi Caitriona,
Just had my first ever online shopping delivered after deciding to try it based on your post (and based on the €20 discount if I’m honest). I have to say that I would shop that way again purely for the experience of the super lovely delivery man who could not have been more pleasant! However, pretty sure that Aldi was still cheaper for a lot of items and I was surprised at the items that weren’t available, no beef mince for example, seems a bit of a basic item to be out of! Have decided that it’s definitely going to be something I’ll do when I have a super busy weekend planned though, very handy!
Goodness that’s very odd that they had no beef mince in the store. The €20 discount did come in handy, and I agree it is great when you are busy or when you can’t make it to the supermarket. I far prefer a real shopping experience all the same. I’m glad you found it useful!
Hi
Just started with Tesco online grocery shopping three weeks ago and unfortunately have had major issues with their fresh veg and poultry. Twice had to return goods and today was the final straw ordered broccoli, carrots and chicken fillets. Broccoli was soggy as hell, carrots sell by date was today and one of the pack of four chicken fillets sell by date was today also. Fed up complaining so going to do in-store shopping from now on. Waste of time and money so far.
That is so disappointing. I do find that if I want decent fresh produce I have to go and buy it instore myself. It can be the luck of the draw whether you get somebody who has a good eye for freshness and quality or not – filling out your order. Mind you, for large, heavy non perishable items the delivery when it’s on discount is fantastic.