JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Grocery shopping has become more worrisome during the pandemic and has shined a light on buying groceries online. Subscription grocery services have gained popularity, but are they good for your wallet?
I often find myself hovering over the keyboard debating for weeks on whether to add to cart and give these boxes a go. The problem I find with some subscription services is the information you want is behind the pay wall.
You are forced to commit to buying before you can find out what you’re getting. As people avoid grocery shopping in person during the pandemic, I set out to see if these grocery subscription services are cost saving or merely convenient.
Misfits Market sells organic produce that looks a little different. They say that’s why they can sell it at a lower price. After some research on Youtube, this is what you might get for $35: 2 zucchinis, 5 oranges, 2 mangos, 1 lb of beets, 5 apples, 1 lb of carrots, 4 onions, 2 cucumbers, 5 potatoes, a head of lettuce, and 2 bundles of kale.
Take note: Misfits Market gives you a random selection of produce every week so boxes will vary.
I added the same organic items in my cart at Whole Foods. It came to $34.84. Not much of a difference.
Now for meat, which usually is the majority of my cost of groceries, ButcherBox offers 100% grass fed and humanely raised products. I got meat for eight weeks for $149. The products included: 2 10 oz NY Strip steaks, 3 lbs of chicken breast, 1 10 oz pack of bacon, 2 lb ground sirloin, 1 2.25 lb chuck roast, and 2lbs ground sausage.
I added the same amount to my online cart at Whole Foods. All the products are pasture-raised or organic. It came to $97. A more substantial difference.
Though you can get a random assortment of meat from ButcherBox for less money, it was still less expensive to order from Whole Foods.
While you may save money on certain items, it turns out these subscriptions may be merely convenient.