Online grocers

[*bejeweled*]

Hello, does anyone use an online grocer or use a grocery store with shopping service? I have been really tired and want to find a shoping service.

[kdabbler]

The first two that immediately come to mind:
Amazon.com
Peapod.com (affiliation with Stop & Shop)

Also, some grocers will deliver if you ask. Our little town grocery store (non-chain) will deliver if you give them a list. They then charge $10 or $15. I don't recall the amount.

[treegardner]

I use alice for household and personal items. They have some pantry items, but not groceries. It has helped a lot with not having to run to the store for TP or the like.

[Grace and Granola]

One of our major grocery chains offers online shopping with delivery for a fee of $10. I also found a small natural food store that will deliver for $10-20. I hate to pay that delivery fee, but the one time I really felt like I needed it, it was worth it!


ETA: The one positive thing I found with the online shopping at the big store was that the shopping I did was more mindful. I could really focus on buying the things I needed, and then choose the best priced item. That helped me decide that the $10 fee was worth it.

[*bejeweled*]

This information is so helpful. Thank you ladies. It's awesome that Alice has zero delivery cost.

[NicaG]

I use Shoprite from Home, and it is a godsend! It costs $10, but it's so worth it. I pick up the groceries at the store, rather than having them delivered (more $). I find that I'm able to plan meals more effectively (because I have the whole list in front of me, and I don't forget items). Also, it's easier to comparison-shop in many cases, because the website shows all the options, all the sizes, the price-per-ounce comparisons, what's on sale, etc. If you go into the store, you have all this information, but you have to hunt around for it, and it takes a lot of time and energy. If I went to the store with my 4 year old, I'd probably end up buying $10 of items I didn't want anyway, just because I wouldn't have the wherewithal to fight battles over every single thing he asks for. Our grocery store is always extremely crowded (they have the best prices in the area), and it was getting so stressful to shop there. Online shopping is fast and pleasant, and I get the same prices as if I were physically at the store, and I do think it saves me money in the long run. I also love it that they load all the groceries into my car! And they're divided into refrigerated bags and unrefrigerated, so I can take the refrigerated bags into the house immediately and leave some of the others for dh to carry in later. Grocery shopping used to be such a slog--took hours, took so much time and energy. Not any more. I sound like a commercial. Give it a try! If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again (though I became hooked on it when I was pregnant with #2 and never looked back).

I still occasionally run into the pricier neighborhood store near me to pick up milk or fruit when we run out.

[bumblecat]

I don't know where you live, but in my area we have both Safeway and New Seasons which deliver or prepare orders for pick-up. I agree with PP about how you end up at least breaking even because you only buy what you need and it's easier to comparison shop. I think the time and effort you save is worth something too. The only thing I don't really like to do is order produce. I like to choose my own. But in the warmer months we go to the farmer's market for that anyway.

[Dakota's Mom]

We use Peapod from Stop N Shop. I totally love it. For months my husband has been doing the shopping because I just can't walk around stores any more. I have had trouble for a long time due to arthritus. But now that I am recovering from cancer, I have no energy at all. The problem with my husband shopping is that he doesn't always buy the brands I want. Also he will buy all kinds of extra stuff that we don't need. So it is just better for me to do it. With Peapod, I can sit at the computer and pick out exactly what I want. I plan my menu and then shop from that. I get the brands I want and my husband doesn't have to go to the store after work and fight the crowds. To me it is the best thing ever. They only charge $6.95 if your order is over $100. And the first two months was free. I also like that you can put things in your shopping cart as you think of them. Then you can go back and add to your order until you are ready to check out. Last night my son asked me for a particular item. I put it on the list for next week. This way I won't forget to order it.

I don't know how we got by without this service. My only complaint is the plastic shopping bags. I wish they would come up with a way to reuse bags instead.

Kathi