Community Chat

[Spurt]

---

@songbird wrote:

@qbetzforreal @Kachina624 @GenXmuse @Spurt I got my complete order.  Everything this evening betwwen 8:30 and 9:00.  They came after each other.  The only thing I didn't get was EGGS!  Stripped clean.  Both stores.  But I have next week or so & who knows maybe I will get eggs.  I got some Wegman made things too.  They look yummy.  Love the prepared salad bowls!  Fresh fruit, Pineapple, watermellon! Milk.  Wegans' fried chicken.  Some unprepared meat (ground beef, chicken & Lamb.

I don't think they will have any trouble with Instacart.  These drivers are like Ubers.  They have jobs now!

---

@songbird 

Glad everything worked out!   Yep, that was the only thing I didnt get in my order last week---EGGS!!! Cleaned out here too....

[Spurt]

---

@juperier3 wrote:

I've been using Instacart for well over a year. I'm one of those rare individuals who has never driven. I'm retired and well past the point where I can haul groceries home using public transit.

Yes, food does cost more than when purchased in-store. But I don't have to get to the store, then haul everything home. I can also purchase food from Costco without a membership. To me it's well worth the added cost. I did decide to subscribe to Instacart a few months ago save enough to more than pay for the monthly fee (on the other hand, if I wasn't a regular user, I'd probably find it cheaper to just pay by the order).

My experience is that overall the shoppers doe a wonderful job. I've had one that just didn't have the best attitude for a delivery person. And one newer employee that was still not sure where to find certain items. But there was one who was a culinary arts student and we'd chat about food and cooking. Others have gone above and and beyond. With the increased business, there are no doubt many new and inexperience shoppers, so any given shopper may not be representative of more "normal" times.

Also, availability is tied to when you place the order. I've still had really good luck when I've been able to place an order to be delivered withing a few hours. But I have read of people having problems with orders that were scheduled for several days later. Hard to know what the supply of an individual item will be at a future time

I've been trying to tip a bit more than usual during these difficult times (Instacart allows you to adjust the tip for a brief period after delivery). I do the same for the restaurant delivery drivers. These people aren't making all that much. They're out there standing in lines, placing themselves at greater risk of exposure, etc. 

---

@juperier3 

I'm tipping a bit extra too.....  And I agree the days of me hauling the 30 lb tub of cat litter are over...Instacart is such a blessing especially for those heavy items...  My shoppers/delivery person (mostly the same one these days---try their darndest to please ....)

[Spurt]

---

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I did an Instacart order this past week for Aldi.  This was my first experience with food delivery and happy to say it was a good one!  Since demand is so high for delivey service right now, it took 4 days for the delivery.  I just placed another order and it will take 5 days!  Unfortunately, there are several things we use that Aldi just does not carry, so it will still be necessary to go to another store.  

I see on t.v. and read that many stores are putting into place some safety measures, such as restricting the amount of customers that can shop at one time, plexiglass shields  in front of cashiers, signs, tapes on the floor for social distancing, wiping down of carts, etc.  I have seen almost NONE of these measures around here!  I don't understand it.  The store which has seemed to take this situation the most seriously that I have been in is Big Lots!  

Still not finding toilet tissue ----- really?  Surely you would think that people would be having enough stockpiled soon?????

I looked into the Walmart food delivery here but they don't seem to have as many food delivery personnal as you would think and information states that your time slot can be bumped at any time.  As for ordering and going and waiting in the lot for them to drop it to your car, we don't have a smart phone, so they can't text us to tell us when and where to park, so that's out!

Who knew that we would be back to the time of foraging for food????

---

@AngelPuppy1 

Our stores here in Texas are taking all those measures....

The CEO of our major grocery store chain, HEB, said they have told the toilet paper manufacturers to package the TP in smaller quantities instead of packs of 16 or 18 that way there would be more available for everyone (GREAT IDEA!) 

Even Walgreens had places marked off for distancing....no one in the Walgreens store (you can even get things through Pharmacy drive-through), but I went in to see if they had hard to find items....cleaning products, paper products ---GONE!!!  Plenty of Easter candy and snacks!!!...

[Spurt]

---

@songbird wrote:

@juperier3   i noticed one of my store selecion was Costco!  I thought they wouldn't allow you to buy anything without a membership.  I just looked at the stores.  Whole bunch of them, inluding an "Aldi"!  I've never shopped there.  I'll take a look at them.

---

@songbird 

With Instacart they can shop at Costo even if you dont have a membership....

. Grocery delivery service Instacart offers delivery from Costco, no membership required.

[Spurt]

---

@Deree wrote:

I will continue to go to the supermarket and take precautions.  I don't use the store cart. I use my own from home.  I wear gloves, mask, safety glasses, even a hat. I go directly to the items I need.  I use the Self-Scanner.  I will bring Clorox wipes to wipe down the touch pad and scanner.  And I shop on the last day of the store's sale week.  I figure I will do this every 3-4 weeks.

What I DON'T want is some stranger handling my groceries right before I get them. At least they've been sitting on the shelves for a longer period of time.  I still re-package all food when I get it home and for now I'm staying away from fresh produce.

That's the best I can do.

---

@Deree 

Im surprised they let you bring in your own cart....even resuable bags have been banned....

[Spurt]

---

@luvmyteddy4 wrote:

I found a small co that shops and delivers groceries. She told me Instacart adds 20% to each item on the grocery order and then the fee they charge and tip on top of that.

The girl I hired, actually an older lady, went to 5 stores to get all my groceries. I got everything on my list which was a big list. I paid 20% to her and the food was the actual cost of the food. I could tip her if I wanted to. I didn't have Clorox wipes on my list, never used them but this woman came by a few days later and dropped a container of wipes on my porch no charge.

---

@luvmyteddy4 

That was so nice of that lady to bring those Clorex wipes to you.... One of the Instacart Shoppers (I had her go to Petco to get cat food and flea treatment.)...she's delivered my groceries before too....she always writes a note and includes a Kind bar and an extra treat for my kitties too...).....

The tips with Instacart are optional, now I always tip....the service fee is like dollar and some change.....and the membership works out to around $9 a month and with it I pay no delivery fee....the pricing varies depending on their contract with the store, some prices are the same, some more, I do utilize the coupons they have also....To me Instacart is worth it..... 

[Deree]

---

@Spurt wrote:

---

@Deree wrote:

I will continue to go to the supermarket and take precautions.  I don't use the store cart. I use my own from home.  I wear gloves, mask, safety glasses, even a hat. I go directly to the items I need.  I use the Self-Scanner.  I will bring Clorox wipes to wipe down the touch pad and scanner.  And I shop on the last day of the store's sale week.  I figure I will do this every 3-4 weeks.

What I DON'T want is some stranger handling my groceries right before I get them. At least they've been sitting on the shelves for a longer period of time.  I still re-package all food when I get it home and for now I'm staying away from fresh produce.

That's the best I can do.

---

@Deree 

Im surprised they let you bring in your own cart....even resuable bags have been banned....

---

@Spurt  I don't understand your question.  Lots of people bring their own carts/wagons to grocery stores so that they can wheel their groceries home if they live within walking distance of the store.  

[goldensrbest]

From our local paper this morning ,the store that i placed a order with from instacart,has 4 employees that have this virus.

[Spurt]

---

@Deree wrote:

---

@Spurt wrote:

---

@Deree wrote:

I will continue to go to the supermarket and take precautions.  I don't use the store cart. I use my own from home.  I wear gloves, mask, safety glasses, even a hat. I go directly to the items I need.  I use the Self-Scanner.  I will bring Clorox wipes to wipe down the touch pad and scanner.  And I shop on the last day of the store's sale week.  I figure I will do this every 3-4 weeks.

What I DON'T want is some stranger handling my groceries right before I get them. At least they've been sitting on the shelves for a longer period of time.  I still re-package all food when I get it home and for now I'm staying away from fresh produce.

That's the best I can do.

---

@Deree 

Im surprised they let you bring in your own cart....even resuable bags have been banned....

---

@Spurt  I don't understand your question.  Lots of people bring their own carts/wagons to grocery stores so that they can wheel their groceries home if they live within walking distance of the store.  

---

@Deree 

Because of possible contamination---- unless they wipe down your cart, in addition to their own carts (most grocery stores are thoroughly wiping down each of their own carts)....The stores dont know if your cart may have been exposed to the virus

[Deree]

---

@Spurt wrote:

---

@Deree wrote:

---

@Spurt wrote:

---

@Deree wrote:

I will continue to go to the supermarket and take precautions.  I don't use the store cart. I use my own from home.  I wear gloves, mask, safety glasses, even a hat. I go directly to the items I need.  I use the Self-Scanner.  I will bring Clorox wipes to wipe down the touch pad and scanner.  And I shop on the last day of the store's sale week.  I figure I will do this every 3-4 weeks.

What I DON'T want is some stranger handling my groceries right before I get them. At least they've been sitting on the shelves for a longer period of time.  I still re-package all food when I get it home and for now I'm staying away from fresh produce.

That's the best I can do.

---

@Deree 

Im surprised they let you bring in your own cart....even resuable bags have been banned....

---

@Spurt  I don't understand your question.  Lots of people bring their own carts/wagons to grocery stores so that they can wheel their groceries home if they live within walking distance of the store.  

---

@Deree 

Because of possible contamination---- unless they wipe down your cart, in addition to their own carts (most grocery stores are thoroughly wiping down each of their own carts)....The stores dont know if your cart may have been exposed to the virus

---

@Spurt  There is FAR less chance of my cart from home being used only by me being contaminated than the carts in the grocery store that are handled by thousands of people a day and certainly not wiped down after each person uses it.  In any event I wipe down my cart for myself.