Hi, Reader!
I don't think spending less simply for the sake of spending less is something to celebrate. If it's less spent with less value in exchange, it's not necessarily a good trade-off. If it's a little bit more of a cost, but comes with higher value, it can be a wise financial choice!
I want to get maximum value for my money spent, not avoid spending money. That's why I've run the math for my family and found grocery services to be worth every penny. I can budget ahead of time for the once a year membership fee and then from that point on take advantage of grocery shopping from my couch or a park bench.
The value of memberships like Instacart+ and Walmart+ depends heavily on how you use them, so I’m breaking down the actual costs, how each service works, extra perks, and credit card math so you can run the same kind of calculation for yourself!
Instacart+
HOW IT WORKS
There are a lot of stores that all offer delivery and sometimes pickup through the Instacart app. You can see in the home screen which stores offer in-store pricing. If the store label doesn’t say this, it means there’s a small upcharge on the prices you see on Instacart compared to the in store prices.
For delivery, as an Instacart+ member you only need a minimum order of $10 (or $35 for Costco) in order to get free delivery. There is still a service fee (it varies by order, location, etc. but ranges from 3-8% in most cases).
My Quick Thoughts on Tipping
I view grocery delivery as a luxury. It didn't even exist when I had my first several babies and I made it work. At the point that I'm deciding to take advantage of this luxury and use the convenience to make my life easier, I need to make sure I'm not making other people's lives harder. I tip based on whether or not they did my shopping. If it's only a delivery driver, I tip a few dollars (I live very close to these stores). If they're doing all my shopping and delivery, I tip 10-20%.
I especially make sure to tip well when the weather is bad or the load is really heavy because they deserve to be paid well. I know the privileges and gifts I have to be able to pay for these services and it doesn't personally sit well with me to be stingy on tips for someone who is going out in the heat, snow, late at night, etc. to bring my food to me while I stay cozy inside especially when I know they aren't paid a high hourly wage.
That's entirely personal preference and you have to choose your tipping philosophy for yourself, but I have decided I only have the money to place an order if I also have the money to tip the hard-working people making my life easier as well.
For weighted items, I leave notes and they are generally followed! For example, when I make birria beef I want as much meat as possible. Since chuck roasts are weighted, I’ll include a note on that item for the shopper to choose the largest chuck roast available and I’m happy with what I get every time! Just this weekend, I ordered donuts from the bakery case at Schnuck's and put a note for which kind I wanted - it worked perfectly!
One thing I will add: I sometimes get bad produce. Maybe once every other month. Instacart app makes it extremely easy to submit a problem with the order, select which item, include a photo, and every time I’ve done this it has been an immediate refund of the item. So while it may be an inconvenience or risk to have other people shop for you, don’t let it deter you because it doesn’t happen all that often in my experience and it’s also a problem that has a fast remedy.
EXTRA PERKS
- Peacock Premium membership included (with ads) $109.99/year
- NYT Cooking Membership valued at $50/year
COST
$99/year or $9.99/month ($120/year)
HOW I USE CREDIT CARDS TO MAKE INSTACART+ WORTH IT
- This is why I’ll always have Instacart+ as long as this setup still works!
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I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards card.
- CSP gives me $20/month credit on Instacart when I pay with this card. This is a direct discount on my order at checkout! Worth $240/year
- Southwest gives me $10/month credit as well. Worth $120/year.
- This is enough to cover most if not all of the fees/tips I may pay when I use instacart for delivery and the slight increase in prices.
- CSP also gives 3% back online groceries and I get this on Instacart when ordering from grocery stores like Aldi or Schnucks. Walmart doesn’t register as a grocery store in credit card transactions so the max cash back I can get there is 2% on my Capital One cards that are 2% back on everything.
SUMMARY OF THE BENEFITS
- $99/year or $9.99/month
- $0 grocery delivery fees on eligible orders of $10+ ($35+ at Costco)
- Access to groceries from many different stores through one app
- Some stores offer in-store pricing, while others may have a small item-price markup
- Service fees still apply
- Peacock Premium included (ad-supported) — currently advertised as a $109.99/year value
- New York Times Cooking included for eligible members
- Particularly valuable when paired with credit-card benefits, such as eligible monthly Instacart credits
Walmart+
HOW IT WORKS
I would not have paid for Walmart+ if I had not been given a one year subscription for being a Walmart creator. But now that I have it? I appreciate it so much! I use it to get free Walmart delivery of groceries without any item up-charge. In a pinch, it’s also fantastic for quick deliveries. I used it a few months back when 2 of my kids started puking right after Kyle had left for a work trip. I paid $6 for express delivery of some meds, crackers, gatorade, etc. and it came to my house in about an hour.
Unlike Instacart, Walmart online charges in store prices. Additionally, there are no service fees and the delivery fee is waived if the order is over $35 for Walmart+ members.
I looked up info about exactly who does the shopping for Walmart+ because I was unsure. What I found online tells me that if you choose an express delivery time, then the contracted driver will also go inside the store and do the shopping (I therefore tip accordingly). If you choose a standard $0 delivery timeframe, then a Walmart employee does the shopping and the contracted driver simply delivers the order from the store to your home.
EXTRA PERKS
- Free next day or 2 day delivery on online orders for shipping without order minimum
- Choose Paramount+ or Peacock subscription (both with ads) for free. I chose Paramount+ since I get Peacock with Instacart+
- 10 cents off per gallon at participating gas stations including Walmart, Exxon Mobil, Murphy, and Sam’s Club stations.I don’t really use this feature because I don’t have participating stations close to me but I have used it on a road trip before: You open the Walmart app, get a discount code under your account profile, and enter it at the pump.
COST
$98/year or $12.99/month ($156/year)
If you’re on government assistance, you get 50% off which makes it $49/year.
My link gives a 30 day trial for $1
SUMMARY
- $98/year or $12.99/month
- Free grocery & merchandise delivery on orders of $35+
- Walmart charges the same prices online as in-store
- No delivery fee on eligible $35+ orders
- Free next-day and 2-day shipping from Walmart.com with no order minimum
- 10¢/gallon fuel savings at participating Walmart, Exxon, Mobil and Murphy stations, plus member pricing at Sam's Club fuel stations
- Choose Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential, both ad-supported
Will I keep both?
I am not sure yet! My gifted Walmart+ membership has 2 more months left. I’ll need to run the calculation on its benefits compared to its annual costs for me specifically.
Because of the $30/month credits between my 2 credit cards as well as the Peacock subscription, Instacart plus is a no brainer. I am grandfathered in to the plan rate from when I subscribed several years ago so my plan is actually only $79/year.
$360 in credits + $109/year Peacock - $79/year membership = $390 in benefits.
Even if that all goes to driver tips and item surcharges, that means I get the benefit of someone else taking care of my grocery shopping for me for close to nothing out of pocket which is more than worth it to me!
How to Choose for Yourself
How to decide if one, both, or neither is right for you:Write down the value of the benefits you would actually use from each membership and subtract from that the annual membership.
Divide that out monthly so you have a more concrete chunk of time to think about. For example, if Walmart+ is $98/year but you currently pay $109/year for Peacock, you would be net positive $11 per year by signing up for Walmart+.
Once you see the monthly cost equivalent minus the value of any perks you would you, ask yourself: would this cost in exchange for not going into the store and doing my shopping be worth it to me? Would this add value to my life that's worth at least that much - if not more?
Things to keep in mind:
- Is grocery shopping in stores currently a pain point in my life? I don’t want to fix a problem that isn’t actually there to begin with.
- Would I use the benefits like free delivery?
- Would the cost of tipping the driver a few bucks each time be worth it to my life and something I could work into my grocery budget?
- Am I willing to adjust my budget if it adds the value of time and convenience? Or am I currently in a season of reducing the costs and taking on the tasks and time for myself?
If you think through those things and decide that the value is worth the cost, you can learn more about each and sign up below!
Sign Up Links
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I use several for monthly credits on Instacart+
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