Groceries are insane right now. They’re spiraling out of control and making it tough for EVERYONE to cover their basic needs.
As a single mom, I refuse to let the grocery aisle boss my budget around. After 210+ Instacart orders (!), I’ve figured out a simple system to get free groceries again and again—without cheating the system (we never wanna do that) or spending hours couponing.
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how Instacart works, how to know if it’s worth it for your family, and the hacks I use.
If you’ve never shopped at Instacart before, I bet you have a million questions on how to get your groceries free.
- Is shopping at Instacart worth your time?
- Will it save you money?
- How does it work?
- How do I get started?
- What’s a fair and reasonable price to tip Instacart shoppers?
- How to get your groceries free? Can I REALLY get my groceries free with them?
Today I’m gonna dish the real dirt about why Instacart is hands-down my FAVORITE way to shop for groceries and why it saves so much money!! PLUS, once you learn this system, you can apply the same model to any of your other favorite companies to get free stuff because the truth is, I do this with my essential oils to get all those free AND my household products to get those free as well!
Today, you’re not just learning how to get your groceries free, but you’re learning how to get a lot MORE stuff free too! 🥳
How to Get Your Groceries Free
First, let’s tackle all your questions, and then we’ll dive into how to get free groceries online. This way, you’ll have a clear, solid understanding of what to do and how to do it!
What is Instacart and how does it work?
Instacart is a FANtastic way to get your groceries and a great hack for how to save money on groceries. You order online, much like Amazon and someone ELSE shops your order. Easy, peasy lemon squeezy!
Instacart+ is their optional membership program that gives you perks like $0 delivery fees on eligible orders and lower service fees. At the time I’m writing this, it runs around $79-$99/year or $9.99/month in most areas, but prices and promos can vary, so be sure to double-check the current rate in your account before signing up.
Is Instacart Worth It for Your Budget?
Is shopping on Instacart worth your time (and money)?
Well, that depends. Do you ever buy things you don’t need when shopping? This is on sale, that is on sale and you come out spending $500 at Costco when you went in for a toothbrush?! haha. No judgments here! Stores are DESIGNED to get your money and they are good at it.
So if you overspend to “save money”, then yes, it’s worth your time. You put in the cart what you want, that’s it. Very simple. Very easy. No distractions. This is how Instacart saves you money, each and every time!! 😊
What is the monthly/yearly costs for Instacart?
I currently pay $79/year and they discount the fees for me. All in all, I know that I save well over $79/year in groceries shopping with them, so basically think of it like your Costco card. There’s a membership fee.
Is paying for Instacart worth it?
It definitely is for me. They are great if someone doesn’t get you the right thing or if you buy strawberries and they are moldy. Instacart will give you a full refund for it. If you walk into the store and shop yourself and bring home moldy strawberries, you’re not getting a refund. So it’s almost like an insurance plan. You’ll get exactly what you want, everything is good! That’s what I love most about Instacart to be very honest.
How much time does it save you?
It doesn’t save you a whole lot of time really. Instead of shopping and looking at things in the store, you have to order them online. There are little cheats though. You can add all the items you got last time to your shopping cart again and just delete what you want. That’s a real time-saver. Other than that, it’s about the same in terms of time.
Will it save you money?
Let’s break down one of my shopping trips in a detailed way so you can see exactly what’s going on with their pricing.
On 11/25/25, I shopped an order from Albertsons through Instacart. Usually, the shoppers don’t leave a store receipt, but my shopper happened to put the receipt in one of my bags, which is perfect for this post. ❤️
They paid $54.04 (they get a tax exemption so there was no tax for them).
The reason I made this shop is because in stores, a 5-pound bag of potatoes is $2.97 here at Fred Meyer. Even in the stores in Albertsons, they are usually $1.99 for a bag, but online, on Instacart, I noticed that the 5-pound bags of potatoes were only 99¢!! So, I stocked up and got 3 bags. 🥳
My total, if I would have shopped this in the store on that day (with her receipt of what she paid), was $54.04.
My total through Instacart for that shop was $54.44 for groceries + $2 tip + $3.27 service fee. The total I paid through Instacart was $61.71. So it wasn’t a big markup on the actual food part (sometimes there is, depending on the store you shop. Fred Meyer is THE worst with the MOST exorbitant markups in an outrageously high markup and greedy way. They are more expensive than Albertson’s here in my area and they used to be cheaper, so watch prices over time) and then plus the tip and service fee. I paid, total out-the-door, $7.67 more to have it delivered to my door than for me to shop the order myself.
Considering time, gas, and energy, for me personally, paying $7.67 is well worth it! You definitely want to determine that for yourself. Each person’s answer may be different and each shop is different, but I wanted to break it down and show you the exact numbers so you can get an idea if this is something that will work for you and your family. 🥰
How do I get started?
Just sign up here (you’ll get $10 free when you do!!!) Pick a store where you want to shop and put things in your cart and pay.
Here are the stores you can choose from (based on your location):
- Albertsons
- Fred Meyer
- Costco
- Lowe’s
- Target
- Big Lots
- CVS Pharmacy
- Walgreens
- Michael’s
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Staples
- Best Buy
- The Vitamin Shoppe
- ALDI
- Dollar Tree
- Family Dollar
- Rite Aid Pharmacy
- Natural Grocers
- Petco
- Chef’s Store
- Office Depot
- Office Max
- Sephora
- 7-Eleven
- DICK’s Sporting Goods
- Jackson’s Food Stores (Mini-Mart)
- The Wine Shop
- Bath and Body Works
- Grocery Outlet
They are constantly adding more stores to the list too, so if what you want is not currently there, it could be in the future. 😊
Step-by-Step: How to Place Your First Instacart Order
Let’s break it down a bit further so you feel comfortable placing your first order…
Once you sign up and log in, you can choose a store you like. Then you can start selecting items. If you have ordered previously, there’s a Buy It Again section, which is really helpful (I use that ALL. THE. TIME!):
If you’ve ordered previously, you can also go to your orders and add everything to the cart again and then just delete what you don’t want (this can be faster if you order a lot of the same things, but it’s not as cost-effective because you should shop what’s on sale). 😊
Here’s how to add them all to your cart if you want. Just go to Orders in the left-side navigation bar.
Then click, Add all items to cart:
If you’re new, just hit the +Add green button and then you can see your cart when you’re done.
Sometimes as you’re ordering, they will make a pop-up and you’ll get a sale or better deal. This makes your money stretch even further. Here’s an example:
Here are more real examples of ways to save:
The restaurant order discount is partnered with Ubereats. Instacart also does restaurants (which I do NOT recommend that section. Instacart goes through Ubereats and Ubereats is just a massive scam. I’ve had so many issues with Ubereats and hate them.
GrubHub is a great alternative to order from if you want fast food delivered (I’m always very happy with GrubHub), but they are not on Instacart).
Once you have everything in your cart you want, click the green shopping cart icon in the top right.
Next, once you’ve looked over your cart (I’m shopping Fred Meyer now), click the green button that says, “Go to checkout”.
Then just continue to checkout. Pick your delivery address, and how fast you want the shop to take place, then review all the fees. Add your delivery tip (I always add $3-$5 as a general guideline). Delivery is free since you pay the $79/year membership cost.
Once you’ve reviewed everything and everything looks great, click “Place order”.
If you forget something, you can always go back and add it later, so, not to worry! 😊
That’s it! You’re done. You want to be available when they shop the order and you definitely always want to pick replacements in case your item is out of stock.
I try to order at 6 pm in the evening or if it’s a bigger order (think: $100+), in the early mornings around 9 am. I find that when I do, I usually have a higher chance of getting a guy to shop my order and while women are great, men are more of a “get in, get out” kinda thing with shopping and so the shop goes so much more streamlined and less hassle for me. 😊 So, if you get a guy, it’s usually a good thing!
Alright, now that you’re familiar with ordering, let’s get you those groceries FA FREE, okay?!
How to Get Free Groceries with Instacart Referrals
Where to Find Your Instacart Referral Link
When you’re logged in, click “Account”.
Next, scroll down and you’ll see “Invite friends, earn money”. This is your beautiful little secret trick!!!
Here’s where you get your link to share Instacart with others!
For each person who orders and uses YOUR link, you get $10. Share with 10 people, they sign up, you get $100 free groceries! The sky’s the limit too because there’s no cap! So you can share this in a blog post, on social media, anywhere really, and get your groceries absolutely free!!!
You get $10, they get $10. Who wouldn’t want to join?! It’s a no-brainer. It adds up super quick and there’s no cost to you to share your link and earn money!!
Simple Ways to Share Your Link (Without Feeling Salesy)
- Always focus on the other person FIRST (not yourself). Their needs, their wants. If it’s not a good fit for them, don’t share it. When you focus on the other person first, they see that, trust you, and take your advice/buy from you.
- Add a “Try Instacart” P.S. statement byline in your emails
- Put the link in your family Facebook group, homeschool group, or small church group where it’s genuinely helpful to people.
- If you have a blog or social media, share a practical “how I grocery shop” post or “day in the life of…” post.
Here’s a post all about how to rock marketing without being icky! 🥰 This way, it feels natural to you and comes across naturally.
How Many Referrals Do You Need to Cover a Month of Groceries?
It really depends on your grocery bill. I spend about $300 in groceries a month currently, but your grocery bill may differ than mine depending on how big your family is and at what season in life they are in (for example: teen boys eat a lot more than say a baby).
If your Instacart grocery bill averages $300/month, and you earn $10 per referral, then 30 referrals in a month can wipe out your grocery bill. Even a couple of referrals each week adds up fast and has a snowballing effect!
This is a fantastic way to get your groceries free, but you can do this with SO many different companies! I do this same process with Grove Collaborative and never pay for any of my household products. Here’s a link to the step-by-step tutorial on that one!
Repeat this process with as many companies that you purchase from as you can and pretty soon, you’ll be getting so many of the things you buy ABSOLUTELY FREE! It really is the coolest thing, ESPECIALLY in our day and age right now where groceries are just SUPER expensive. This will cushion that blow for you and help your family save money!! What a Proverbs 31 woman thing to do!!! ❤️
Other Easy Ways to Stretch Your Grocery Budget
Another thing I do to save money is to purchase some groceries on Amazon with my Prime account (they deliver to my door with no tip/service fee, so this really helps cut costs too). If you don’t currently have Amazon Prime, you can try it free for 30 days at the above link! 🎉 I’ll link to some staples that I tend to purchase there that are usually cheaper on Amazon than in the store.
One thing to note before I link to things is that on Amazon, I don’t purchase anything that is fresh, frozen, etc. Only canned/boxed stuff. The pantry staples type of things. I’ll also list the prices of what it is RIGHT NOW for me, so you can compare pricing. If it’s way higher, don’t pay it.
- BBQ Chex Mix (so delicious!) – $3.41
- Diced Tomatoes with Chiles (has a good kick to it, spice-wise) – $0.98
- Green (String) Beans – $0.75
- Kraft BBQ Sauce – $1.98
- White Chicken Pouch (add mayo and put on crackers; healthier than tuna, great for a quick kids lunch) – $1.25
- Olives (these taste “plasticy” to me so I won’t buy again, but if you don’t care about that or if it’s for kids who don’t have a more discerning palate, etc.) – $1.79
- Saltine Crackers – $1.84
- BBQ Lays Chips – $1.50 (but they are usually $2)
- Corn (tastes “plasticy” to me so I don’t buy unless I’m in a pinch, but if you don’t care about that or if it’s for kids who don’t have a more discerning palate, etc.) – $0.89
- Trix with Marshmallows (my favorite cereal) – $3.52
- M&M’s Mega Sharing Bag – $3.99
- Campbell’s Turkey Gravy (they have beef flavor too for $1.69) – $1.59
- Knorr Pasta Sides (like mac n cheese type of thing, great for kids or the base of a skillet meal when adding meat/other ingredients) – $1.24
- Campbell’s Chunky Soup (all the soups are usually cheaper here than in stores) – $1.98
- Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base (use a teaspoon of it in soups, comparable to beef broth)- $4.48
- Campbell’s Clam Chowder – $1.99
- Progresso Clam Chowder (Pack of 4) – $7.92
- Knorr Tomato Cubes (Base of soups) – $1.08
- Chef Boyardee Raviolis (Pack of 4) – $3.88
- Cereal Bars (great for kids lunches) – $1.79
- McCormick Grill Mates Smoky Montreal Steak Seasoning (use on steak, 1 tsp in beef stew, etc. is really yummy!) – $2.29
- Pink Himalayan Salt (way healthier than regular table salt) – $8.95 for a 2-pound bag
You can get some of these items for cheaper with “Subscribe and Save”, just be sure to turn OFF the subscription after they are delivered. Also, if you like a different flavor of those items listed above, you can search for the specific flavor you like to see if they are cheap too. 😊 You can sort it by lowest price and then add the filter “All Prime” to get free shipping if you have Amazon Prime.
If you want your money to stretch even FURTHER, be sure to check out all my ways to save money on groceries. These tricks will help you DRASTICALLY!
- Save Money Buying Groceries Online (Schwans, Albertsons)
- Meal plan (here’s my free printable meal planner and more free printables for meal planning in my Free Household Binder)
- Save $100+/month with This Simple Trick
- Save $125/month with This Trick
- Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
- Portion Controls No One Will Notice
- Start a garden (by doing this, you’ll get lots of produce free!)
- Regrow food scraps (you don’t have to have a full garden, try this trick here)
With all these tips, you’re well on your way to never paying for your groceries again!!! ❤️
Ready to Take Your Whole Budget to the Next Level?
Getting free groceries is amazing, but it’s just one piece of your financial puzzle. 💯 If you’re tired of wondering where your money goes each month, my Budgeting Money Binder walks you step-by-step through tracking income, expenses, debt, savings, and goals—all in one beautiful system.
