marcicat | question of the week

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This week's Big Question: when will I do the grocery shopping?

I was trying to get into the habit of getting groceries on Sunday, because that means I don't have to go after work, but yesterday it was raining, and I didn't want to go. Also, I'm not out of bread or cheese, so I must not need more food, right?

And of course yesterday I was like 'no problem, I'll just go Monday after work,' but now today I'm more like 'that's a terrible idea and I'm definitely not doing it.' Which I sense may be a theme this week.

I might be able to just not go at all until the weekend rolls around again. That wouldn't be impossible, although it's too bad I'm out of crackers. We'll see! I like to have something easy to worry about, when I need a break from worrying about scary things.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

glymr

Grocery delivery service? I'm signed up with all of them ^_^;;;

From:

marcicat

That is a very good idea! I am within sight of a grocery store, so for me it’s less a ‘I need this to be more convenient’ thing and more a ‘sometimes I don’t want to do anything at all’ thing. But I should definitely look into delivery services in general!

From:

glymr

I totally understand! I have definitely ordered from such services when I have no spoons, as well as during the busier times. They tend to be pricier than doing it oneself, but sometimes that's worth it!

I don't remember if you are in the US - if you are, and you want links for various services, let me know.

From:

marcicat

Thank you! I am in the US, though not in an area super likely to have a lot of delivery services available. If there are a few you particularly recommend, I'm definitely interested!

From:

glymr

Let's see...

Full disclosure: These links all give me a benefit if you use them, but don't worry about using them if you don't want to! I picked them because they have a benefit for you as a new user, but do look for better deals if you can find them!

One thing I really like about grocery delivery is that I can start a cart and keep adding to it as I think of things, then finally place the order even days later. They're nice for when I've got a lot going on. But in every case, you'll be paying more than you would in-store (unless you do the Pick Up option of Walmart Grocery).

Walmart Grocery's not bad, other than the fact that it's, you know, Walmart. You can have them delivered (for a fee) or pick them up (for free) - I've found picking them up has always gone surprisingly smoothly, since they have special parking spots for the purpose. The prices are, as far as I have been able to tell, the same as what you would pay in-store. They have a "$10 off your first order of $50 or more", which may be useless to you depending on how much you usually spend on groceries at a time.
Walmart Grocery Link

I like Instacart a lot. At least where I am, there are a good variety of stores to choose from, and they often have specials where you can get the delivery fee waived. The prices seem the same as you'd find in-store; where you pay the premium is the delivery fee (if you can't get it waived), "service fee" and the (optional) tip. I use them fairly often when I have a lot going on and can't get to the store. They also have a "$10 off your first order" deal, but I'm not sure what the minimum is to get the discount.
Instacart Link

I wouldn't recommend Shipt. First of all, they charge an annual membership fee of $99 (you can get this down to $49 with the right promo code, but it's still ridiculous). The only reason I joined was because I had a deal where I was able to get the membership for free AND I got a discount on my first order. You'd think that with an annual fee, their prices would be decent, but I've noticed that they are consistently 10-20% higher than in-store prices. I once made a comparison cart on Instacart and Shipt with the same products, and the Shipt was higher, even though I had the extra fees on the Instacart (full tip, service fee, etc). The only benefits of Shipt are that they service different stores from Instacart (at least in my area) and that they have a broader selection (I was able to get plenty of non-grocery items from Target, for example - this can save one's ass when one needs a last-minute gift for a party.) But for a standard grocery run, Instacart is better, cheaper, and doesn't require any money up front. I will put a link here anyway, but I'd look for a better deal that waived the full first year fee if you can find one. This link only discounts the membership fee by $50:
Shipt link.

I...never knew I had so much to say about grocery delivery services. *blinks* I hope it helps!