This Is the Biggest Downside of Grocery Delivery

Grocery delivery has been a great thing for my bank account. When I don't go into the store, I am not tempted by impulse buys. As a result, my credit card bills have been lower due to reduced food expenses.

But, while I love grocery delivery, there is one huge downside I've had to deal with. Here's what I've found to be the biggest disadvantage of having groceries brought to my home or selected by a shopper for me.

This is the one thing I really don't like about grocery delivery

To me, the biggest downside of grocery delivery is when you're brought the wrong product or brought an unusable version of a product you really need.

When this happens, you can get your money back for the incorrect item -- or at least get credit on your grocery delivery account. But, the big problem is, you most likely needed the item that you ordered. So, if you get cottage cheese instead of sour cream or a package of moldy blueberries, you are going to be left without food you expected to have.

If you were making a recipe with the missing or incorrect item, or counted on it to be a part of your breakfast, you aren't going to be able to have the meal you planned. This could mean you have to run to the store anyway -- the very thing you were hoping to avoid -- or you end up eating out because you can't make the meal you wanted.

While this doesn't happen to me every time, it happens enough to be more than just an annoyance. Of course, it hasn't made me abandon the idea of getting my groceries delivered as the convenience is just too great -- especially with toddlers I'd have to drag to the store -- but it has made me a bit more careful about when and how I use a delivery service.

How to minimize this downside of grocery delivery

There are a few different ways I minimize this downside. One is that I pick and choose which stores I get grocery pickup and delivery from. I've noticed that I get far better service at some stores than others so I try to order from them most frequently.

I also have automatic substitutions turned off in my grocery delivery accounts and ask the shopper to text me with substitution suggestions instead. This helps ensure I don't get an unsuitable alternative product when something I want is out of stock.

Finally, I try to make it a point never to plan a meal around a grocery delivery I'll be getting that day. In other words, if I need something for dinner tomorrow, I'll get the groceries delivered a day before rather than waiting until the day of. This way if there is a problem, I can usually find time to run into the store to get the one or two missing items.

By being strategic about how to use grocery delivery services, I can reap the benefits they offer while minimizing this downside. This strategy has worked out well for me, and could be a good one for others to adopt if they also find their shopper sometimes sends the wrong items home.