Save Time Grocery Shopping

Author: Heidi Suydam

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Grocery shopping, I also refer to this as "household shopping" because it includes things like toilet paper, trash bags, toothpaste....you get the idea. Not my favorite task but one that comes with my favorite job - being a wife and mom!

Even though I do use Instacart regularly now (and highly recommend it, if you follow the link here you get $10 off your first order!), as a mom (aka home manager) I still have days that require me to shop for the home.

I am a creature of habit, meaning I rotate between 3 stores for just about everything and get to know my stores inside and out but sometimes find the store has been rearranged or I am looking for an item that is not always on my list such as light bulbs, or an unusual ingredient for a recipe (fish sauce?).

I used to wander the store for hours (that’s a little dramatic...maybe lots of minutes but either way it was a frustrating waste of time) looking for said items and would be come frustrated due to the wasted time until...

I discovered most stores I shop in have store apps that will actually tell you the aisle to go to when you type in the item! Amazing! No more wasted time.

Wegman's, which is a local grocery store here in Northern Virginia will not only tell me the aisle but will actually arrange my list in the order of the store! Yes, you read that correctly. I type in my list into the Wegman's App any order and then it will arrange the list in the order of the aisle. That is a real time saver.

Target, one of my other go to stores does not arrange my list in the order of the store aisles, however, the Target App does let you know which aisle you will find your item in your particular store!

Time Saving Tip – use the store app for the specific stores you shop in regularly! It will save you tons of time and frustration.

Chances are, whatever store you shop in has some type of app. If the app doesn't tell you the aisle numbers, request an update to the app! All stores are trying to make our in store and online shopping experiences as pleasant as possible.

Here is a list of other stores that sort by aisle and/or show aisle location:

Walmart App – according to an article in Forbes, the Walmart app will actually organize your items as you take pictures and use bar codes from home, lead you to the aisle in the store and tell you when something is out of stock!

Kroger App – according to Retail Dive, the Kroger App allows shoppers to sort their lists by aisle and includes aisle location.

Publix App – includes aisle locations.

The overall time saving tip is to look in to your specific store's app, chances are they have tools that can help you save time (and possibly money with coupons and rewards) as you shop.

Please let me know if you try your store app and if it includes aisle location!
I would love to ad more stores and app info to this list!

Happy Shopping!

Wegman's Image Credit: DC Traffic Cameras Location / Target Image Credit: Mike Mozart via Flickr  /
Walmart Image Credit: Yelp Biz Pictures / Kroger Image Credit: Bossier Press / Publix Image Credie: Phillip Passar via Flickr