You’ve likely noticed that a lot of your grocery stores—from smaller markets to mega chains—have started offering delivery. If you live in New York City, ordering groceries may have been a regular activity for you for years (markets here can be so jam-packed that getting in and out with just a carton of milk may take an hour and a half). As for the rest of the country, you’re likely still in the habit of making an event out of grocery shopping. You set time aside for it, you schedule your day such that your groceries won’t have to sit in the car for too long, and you even put on makeup and do your hair to hit the market. You might even enjoy the tradition of grocery shopping! But, have an open mind: here are reasons it’s actually good for you to do your grocery shopping online.

You won’t smell the baked goods section

You go into the store with the best intentions, but the moment you smell that baked goods section, you B-line it for the sheet cakes and the blueberry muffins. The smells of a grocery store are very powerful but at home you’re immune to their power.

You won’t stand in line near the candy

You won’t be forced to stare at the candy and soft drinks that are strategically placed at the checkout line. Oh, and you won’t kill your brain cells perusing trashy tabloids.

You’ll only see the foods you want to see

Admit it; when you go to the store, you end up buying a dozen things that weren’t on your list, just because you passed them by. That temptation isn’t on your computer screen.

You can blow up the nutrition information

You can zoom in on the nutrition information of each item on your computer screen and you won’t feel insecure about standing around in a public place, looking up calorie counts.

Most sites show a price per ounce

Most grocery sites display the price per ounce of their items, so you can find the best ways to save money.

There’s less of a need to overstock

Once you’ve sat in traffic and survived the drama of the parking lot, you think, “I don’t want to come back here for a long time.” And so, you buy way more food than you need so that you won’t have to go back there for a long time. Online, you can just buy what you need, now.

You’ll avoid that clearance bin

Each individual location has a clearance bin. It doesn’t typically have the healthiest stuff—this is where you’ll find things like whipped marshmallow and day-old pastries. You don’t need that in your life, and it isn’t online.

The bright lights of the frozen food won’t catch you

The frozen food aisle is designed to look heavenly. It’s one of the only spacious aisles in the whole place, and it’s lit so beautifully…it’s calling your name. And that’s why you end up with five frozen pizzas when you go to the store. That won’t happen online.

You won’t make other unnecessary stops

Since you aren’t leaving your home, you won’t make the other unnecessary stops you make up, like a visit to your manicurist or a short stop at the clothing boutique you love.

You’ll buy real groceries

You won’t be tempted by the pre-made sushi, wraps, sandwiches, salad bar, deli counter and other tasty but expensive items in the front of the store.

Read full story at www.madamenoire.com.