〜ついでに means "while I''m at it" or "taking the opportunity to." You do action B because you''re already doing action A.
Opportunistic action - Since I''m doing X anyway, I''ll also do Y
Convenience - Taking advantage of already being somewhere/doing something
While I was out shopping, I stopped by the post office.
The secondary action is usually smaller or less important than the primary one.
Formation
- Verb た-form + ついでに
- Verb dictionary + ついでに
- Noun の + ついでに
Implies opportunism — the second action wasn''t the main purpose
While I was at the convenience store, I withdrew money from the ATM.
While on my walk, I took photos at the park.
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