How Walmart Gave Me an Extra Hour Today

I am busy.  I know you are busy too.

On some days it appears that I have things under control.  On other days, I forget things and feel like a hot mess.  It is those days that some of the essential “mom tasks” don’t get fully done.

I feel like I get about 80% of the stuff done that I need to do and the other 20% is floating around me mocking its existence.  I blame time.  If only I had an additional hour today, that 20% that I normally drop would get conquered!

And then Walmart gave me an additional hour today.

Thank you Walmart!  I was contacted a week or two ago to do a sponsored story here at Kids Activities Blog on how the new Walmart Grocery Online & Pickup can help busy moms.  I immediately said yes because I am a busy mom.

The first thing I did today was download the Walmart Grocery app (you can also shop online from your desktop).

Pssst…we have a coupon code (more details below) for you to save $10 off your first order of $50 or more:  MOMHACKS.

How to Use the Walmart Grocery App

The next thing was to figure out how to get my grocery list (1/4th written down, 3/4ths in my head).  And then I found something magical…

The Walmart Grocery app has a bar code scanner!

I started grabbing things from the pantry and fridge that were almost gone and with my phone camera scanned the bar code and the items appeared in my Walmart shopping cart.

{insert jumping up and down here}

For those items that we needed that I didn’t have a bar code to scan because we were already out, I simply used the search function and found them quickly.

Once I got everything I knew we needed, I then browsed the different categories to make sure.  I added a few items that I wanted to try.  I also really liked the “Easy Meal Solutions” section that had meal combinations like Taco Tuesday, Crusted Tilapia, Pizza Night, and Pasta Night.  One thing I noticed is that earlier when searching for “beef roast” that several of the results were full easily-prepared meals that featured beef roast.

I was then able to choose an hour window to pick up my groceries.  I chose between 3-4 pm this afternoon.  There were several same-day choices and I noticed that if I had chosen anytime tomorrow or beyond, I could have chosen anytime between 8 am – 8 pm.

My grocery shopping is done in 10 minutes.

Let me just compare how I grocery shopped before today…

I would tote between 1-3 boys through the grocery store looking at a 1/2 filled out list trying to remember the things I had already forgotten roaming the aisles for 45 minutes saying no to candy, cookies and cake that would mysteriously appear in my cart from under age 14 sources.  Then I would go and make the really difficult decision to stand in line or do the self-checkout.  In my experience, both take too long.

I turn my back for a minute and my cart is full of Twinkies.

This all just seems too good to be true…

What is the Catch of the Walmart Grocery Online & Pickup Service?

It is more expensive?  No.  There are no markups on the items.  You get the same Every Day Low Prices found in-store and you pick up for free.

Will they give me the old stuff?  Nope. Personal shoppers carefully select the freshest produce, meats and other items for each customer.

Is this available in my location? Likely!  Click here to see the growing list of Walmart Grocery Free Same-Day Pickup locations.

Will I have to wait a long time when I pick up?  No.  There are reserved parking spaces marked in orange with a designated number to call to alert an associate.

Will I need to get the kids out of the car when I pick up?  Nope. An associate will quickly retrieve the prepared order and load it into the customer’s car.

What if I am not happy with my order?  Walmart always guarantees the quality of the food being picked up or purchased in store through its Freshness Guarantee for meat, produce and bakery items.  If you aren’t satisfied with an item, simply bring back with the receipt for a full refund.

What did I do with my Extra Time Today?

I had so much extra time today, I checked out the Family Guide to the Best School Year Ever.

I also read a chapter to my 11 year old son.

I also got one of the boy’s hair cut.

We had time to take Panda for a little longer walk…

None of those things would have gotten done today without that extra hour.

You Can Save $10 Today!

Try Walmart’s Free Online Grocery Pickup! You don’t even have to get out of your car. That means less stress and more family time after school. Use the code MOMHACKS at Walmart.com/grocery to save $10 off your first order of $50 or more.

Free Family Guide Download

Download a family guide with dozens fun ideas to make learning and school success a part of your child’s life beyond the classroom. Plus, you’ll find a free mini poster for your child, online grocery discounts, and more.

Picking Up My Groceries at Walmart

At the beginning of my hour pickup window, Walmart texted me a notice that I could check-in by clicking on the link in the text.  When I did, this map and estimated time to the store appeared.

I also entered the color of my car (red) so they would more easily recognize me when I arrived.  We pulled into one of the 10 parking places marked clearly as “Pick Up”.

And waited about 2 minutes for a very nice gentleman with a pallet of groceries for me!  The first thing he did was go through the substitutions they had made for items that were not available exactly as ordered.  They were all extremely reasonable and so we started putting the groceries in the back of the car.

Yes, I wouldn’t have made it out of the store without two carts (familiar issue for me with 3 boys in the family).

That was easy.

How I Plan to Save More Time

Both my husband and I have the Walmart Grocery app on our phones.  We looked at our weekly calendar full of work, kids’ stuff, school drop off/pickup and appointments and chose a convenient time to pick up our groceries next week and scheduled it in the Walmart Grocery app.  Between now and then, we will just add to our grocery cart anytime we think of something, run out of something or get inspired to cook.  This will save the time that it took me today to create that shopping list.

A big thanks to Walmart Grocery for giving me some extra time today.  Please check out some additional tips and tricks over at the Family Guide to the Best School Year Ever.

 

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