New Normal & Shopping Online (Resources)

 So.

Even being a hermit by nature did not prepare me for this "new normal" situation of being locked down. Not only am I shopping online for the usual things I always ordered but now I am having to find resources for extras.

With my health danger level currently set to Defcon2 - or whatever is a step before it gets kinda bad - I am trying to eat better. Whole foods, high-fiber foods, fully-seeded and good-grained foods. Less red meat - bye-bye weekly smoked neckbones, hello fish, chicken, and tofu.

I don't care that Trader Joe's hasn't come online. I have been forced to search out and find other places and products that I can get online.

Now here's the deal: I only have searched these out and not examined them. I'm sharing with you but just know that you will need to do your own homework to discover the details. The list is focused mainly on "healthy"(er) type choices, but there are some general options included.

I will make very minor comments because, well, that's what I do. Here we go:

• Thrive Market. I don't know how I feel about this one. I'm not big on memberships. (If you want a peek without logging in, try this link.)
• Farmbox Direct is another service I probably won't use. I live in the Midwest. I'm good for veggies.
• Natural Food Shop - I am linking to the FAQs because I think that's more helpful.
• I am going to link to the About Us page for Bubble. I found this most interesting, even if I don't need their products. 
• Natural Zing has a narrow inventory but is all about "superfoods" so I think it belongs here.
• I want to love Boxed and I kind of do. It reminds me of a local co-op grocer that would get good stuff sometimes but wasn't the place to go looking for everything. Biggest Plus is that it's like a membership-free warehouse. Of sorts. I'm not immediately impressed by the prices on, say, sparkling water.
• I think vitamins-only when I hear Vitacost so I am linking to their Food section.
• GoPuff is the service I would use if I wanted a bottle of Jack and some smokes at midnight because I can't sleep. That's not what they are limited to, of course, but their delivery area is narrow. Check the very bottom of the linked page to see if your area is covered.
• Amazon Fresh is something I would LOVE to have access to. Alas, my zip code is too hick for them.
• Bob's Red Mill sells mostly in bulk (I can't even afford a handful of his products) but the site has recipes for bread I looked at.
• Grain Place Foods just looked interesting to me.
• Pleasant Hill Grain covers grains, seeds, and even bakeware.

Now, for those of you who missed so many of my other posts,  I will direct you to search back for links to these standard online shopping options:

• Target is on Instacart in most areas or you can use their on-site choice of Shipt.
• Walmart delivers, has curbside, in-store pickup, shipping options, and might even have options specific to your area.
• Instacart is awesome. Even in my small and limited zip code, I have options of Target, Staples, Petco, Hyvee, and Aldis. Choices depend on your deliver-to zip code. My niece in Alaska has Costco as an option. Meanwhile, I can order regular ground delivery from Costco - if I still had my membership.

Check if there are any smaller, local services providing delivery. My best friend and I joked how, back in the day, you could have a taxi pick up cigarettes and bread from the local mart and bring it to you. I kind of wish that was a joke.

Let me know if any of you hear about other places.

To summarize:

Shopping online might be the new normal. Saving while shopping is smart. You can make shopping easier and cheaper. Use the online resource. Use online groceries. Buy in bulk when you can. Get a food sealer or other food-saving process. Health and wellness is more important than ever. 

Peace

--Free

Lazy Shopper's Rejoice

A lot of you know that I am the world's laziest shopper. So far, I depend primarily on Amazon and Walmart for delivery of most goods. Now it looks like those guys are going to have a little more competition.

Without jabbering you to death, I'll just get right to the details. Here are some of the articles I've been seeing about shopper options:

• "Here's how Walmart is taking on Instacart, Target, and Amazon" (Like with most long-distance deliveries, I can get everything but perishables from Walmart. I can order and pay for some grocery items to be picked up at a local store. That option is somewhat limited and, obviously defeats the "home delivery" purpose.)
• Here's a more concise breakdown of the Walmart delivery service. This is still in a test market phase, I guess.
• The Penny Hoarder review, "Shipt Grocery Delivery Service: Is It Worth the Added Cash for Convenience?" lays out some pros and cons of the Target-acquired delivery service. (In my opinion, you have to factor in things personal to your situation. I don't mind the hassle of arranging my budget and splitting my shopping between the different merchants. It's a hassle and there are costs but I also don't pay for a car, insurance, gas, and upkeep. As for my budget, I think that shopping this way keeps me within bounds. It's easier not to impulse shop or go over budget because I am seeing totals and fees before I actually pay. Finally, when I am shopping from home, I can run in and double-check my pantry before I order too much or too little of something.
• It looks like Kroger is testing a delivery service. This is good news for some shoppers. I don't think there is a Kroger's near where I live.

A couple of things that I'm surprised more people don't know is that in metro areas (Hi, Houston, where my best friend lives) you can get same-day delivery of groceries via Amazon Fresh. I was just stunned that my friend didn't know about this. We both shop Amazon so much that we should get alimony if we ever break up with Prime. She lives in one of the WORST places to drive so Fresh should be her new boyfriend.

Of course, as soon as I sign into Fresh, I get notified with a quickness that it's not available in my rinky-dink town. However, if I wanted to order groceries for my elderly aunt, I could do so just by changing the delivery address. In this day of aging relatives and such, that's a nice feature for some of us.

Just choose from your address book or add a new one

I love how they don't deliver to my small town address, but I can choose to ship "outside the US". Really, Amazon? You so trifling...

If the linked articles are on your "read later" list, just know that, along with Amazon, Target and Walmart have or are testing out same-day delivery services. Instacart is another way to get deliveries from local stores. For me, that means Hyvee and Petsmart. Yay.

I hope this was helpful. Now I have to go and read some of those long articles for myself.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I picked 2 videos this time. 

 I love this one because the editing (?) is sheer genius. The old footage is a history lesson of sorts. (And, by the way, we don't need to make America "great again". She wasn't always that great for everybody but we were moving towards better until... well, never mind.)

This one is a favorite because I love the original Glenn Miller recording. Cool how somebody "funked" it up to another level. Enjoy.

Online Shopping in General, InstaCart Specifically

Last year I did a post about online shopping. I also wrote another post that I thought I had published but... it was still there as a draft post when I was checking just now. Of course, the non-published post is the one that was most important. It was all about the perks and erks of the process. Oh well, I will recap the points I wanted to make in that post, then I will get on to reviewing the InstaCart experience.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

To recap the post that wasn't, I talked about the pros and cons of online shopping. Here are the highlights (and keep in mind that I am speaking from the viewpoint of someone who no longer drives.)

• PROS - convenient during inclement weather; for people without transportation; for budgeting (no loitering and impulse shopping); and can be scheduled.
• CONS - lost shipments are a hassle; broken items have to be returned; product descriptions might be deceptive, and there is a wait for delivery.

Overall, though, I prefer online shopping because it helps keep me on budget and - no car. Even though I have family that will jump through hoops to get me anywhere I might want to go, I hate having them out on winter roads any more than necessary. Keep in mind that I live in a tiny town in Iowa. Two things about that: winter and not a lot of nearby stores. The nearest Walmart is less than 10 miles away but it can be a rough 10 miles, depending on road conditions (and out-of-state idiot drivers using the highway). Also, if I am sick, there is no getting me onto a highway even for a short drive.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

So, yes, I am grateful for online shopping. For a long time, I was only using Amazon, Walmart, and ever now and again, Target I was even getting my contacts and some clothing via Costco until that membership fee became a problem. Even my prescriptions are delivered. Pretty sweet, right? And for the most part, I was set for most of the goods I needed. The one thing missing was perishables - meats and dairy. Then I discovered that Hyvee - via Aisles Online - delivers for a minimal fee for orders under $100 (and free for $100+ orders). Perfect except Hyvee can be a little pricey at times.

tracking it

Very recently, I noticed that if I used InstaCart I could order from Aldi. This was otherwise not an option because the store is not listed on the Aisles Online list. InstaCart, however, does list Hyvee (and oddly enough, Petco). I decided to give it a try since there were things I needed from both Hyvee and Aldi.

Since I absolutely want to get the best value, I was comparing prices from both Hyvee and Aldi for each item on my list. Aldi is basically cheaper for most things, especially produce. Then I ran into a problem trying to search for an item that I have ordered from Hyvee recently. It wasn't showing up when I searched via InstaCart.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

Just to make sure that I wasn't having a brain issue, I opened up Aisles Online in another tab and searched the item. It was there, like always. Hmm... I did searches for a couple more random things. Not everything that comes up in the Aisles came up in the Insta.

What I ended up doing was creating 2 carts - one for Hyvee via Aisles online and the other for Aldi in InstaCart. I don't have the time or the energy for frustrating myself.

About Delivery Fees & Other Charges

InstaCart has a cheaper delivery fee ($3.99) than Aisles Online ($4.95).

With InstaCart, customers can sign up for InstaCart Express for $99/yr and get all deliveries free, no matter how large or small the order. There is also a promotion where if you order $35 or more from certain retailers, your delivery could be free. That might be a great deal for me if there were more stores in the network in my zip code. I just don't see the value in the Express service when my choices are Aldi's, Hyvee, and Petco.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

My InstaCart basically included the following charges:

• Checkout Bag Tax or Fee $0.42 (but those Aldi bags are awesome)
• Delivery Fee $3.99
• Tip $1.00 (you can choose the tip amount)
• Service $2.75 (I guess this is for the shopper putting the order together)

I can't be mad a that "bag tax". Those Aldi bags are awesome and I will be re-using them for sure.

There were options for the Tip. You could select from set percentages or type in an amount. I felt that with all the other fees, a minimal tip was appropriate. However, because of the quality of service, I will tip more in the future. After all, I didn't have to get out and warm up a car, drive into town, shlep through the aisles, cart up and unload bags... Yeah. God bless that Tammi who did that shopping for me! I think she is covered by the service fee and the tip must be for the driver.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

Ordering from Hyvee is much more straightforward but kind of set. If you need to make changes to your order once it's been placed, you have to call the store. The fees are also right up front. You order and as soon as you pay, that amount is what is charged to your card. If something is not in stock, your card is refunded quickly. The service is also a bit more local-friendly. By that I mean your shopper sends handwritten cards and information. When I first moved used Hyvee I wanted to take advantage of the store's fuel/club card. My family could use the fuel points and I could use the coupons. Of course, I wasn't able to get to the store to pick up a card and my family was out of town. I simply mentioned this in the comment section of my next order. The shopper sent the fuel card inside a card with a kind note to always let her know if I needed anything else.

If you order $100 or more from Hyvee via Aisles Online, you get free delivery. Again, this would be great if I ever ordered that much. As it is, I don't think the delivery fee is too much. It's a bargain when you consider all the trouble I'd go through getting out in the weather and on the roads. Never mind on the days when I am sick.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

Now, just because I don't want to leave anything out, but I am really tired today, I am just going to list some little tidbits in no particular order.

• InstaCart has a sweepstake every month. Entry is by taking a survey that is mailed after your shopping experience. I entered to win the $200 Visa Gift Card for this month. Fingers crossed!
• InstaCart fine print mentioned that on my $63 purchase, my card would be authorized for $75 for up to 7 business days. However, when I checked, my card was only processed for the amount I spent. 
• Depending on where you live, you will have more or less choice in stores to shop your InstaCart. I do advise that you double check the available items. Remember, my Aisle Online items that were not available via InstaCart. I didn't see any price differenced though when there were items available in both apps.
• Don't limit yourself to InstaCart and Aisles Online. Keep in mind your location. I found both my delivery services by Googling for the ones available to my zip code (and I live in a tiny town 2 hours away from a major city). 

That's it and I hope that this helped someone. I personally don't know what I would do without these services.

By the way, I tried to do the "share" thing via social media to win referral money but the InstaCart page just kept glitching on me. If you do decide to use it, consider using the referral codes I'm posting all over this particular post. Please and thank you.

Peace
--Free

Amazon's Prime Wardrobe

If you guys have NOT heard yet, Amazon really is about to take over the world.

Remember back when we were just ordering our books from Amazon? And then they started selling all that other stuff - stuff to use with our cellphones, stuff to get our kids for holidays, stuff to organize and clean our houses, etc.? Remember that?

When I moved here, I actually ordered a bed and mattress from Amazon and a sleeper futon from Walmart. The mattress, by the way, came in a freaking box no bigger that could have fit in the back seat of a mid-sized sedan! You think I'm kidding?

The box

The mattress

THIS mattress, yes

The bed frame
(and my nephew's leg. Don't even ask)

All this - frame, bed, pillow, sheets, comforter - delivered to my front door!

Pretty soon, Amazon is going to be selling tiny houses that come in a box and self-construct...

Just yesterday I was telling my social networks about Amazon's Launchpad service. That's where you can find products from various startup companies. In my opinion, most of it is a bunch of pricey hipster stuff. There was a cool product that was a kind of grow-in-a-can thing for herbs and vegetables. And there's a super tempting kit that lets you build a computer and learn to code. The price is cheap for what's offered but it's still out of my budget. And, speaking of...

I came to post about just how Amazon is trying to make me give Bezo's all my money - not just the dollars I spend on necessities. See the latest Amazon thing is called Prime Wardrobe.

Shut. UP!

Prime Wardrobe lets you pick out some clothing and have it delivered so you can see if it fits (or if you like it). If it doesn't (or you don't), you get to send it back. That is NOT the best part of this. What's so genius is that you don't even pay or the items until you decide you're keeping them!

Oh, and if you decide not to keep the stuff you can have UPS pickup right from your front door.

Do you know how much I need this in my life?

Listen, right now I get pretty much everything I need online: cleaning stuff, eating stuff, drinking stuff... Between Amazon and Walmart, I only have to trek over to a store for my meats and vegetables. I don't have a car yet so this is handy. Winter is coming soon so, even if I have a car by then, guess what? Still handy.

If I end up liking Prime Wardrobe, the only downside is I might get too lazy and never leave my apartment. But at least, I'll be able to order my Plus size clothes in private! (Just kidding. I will still get my exercise where I can.)

So, I'm just passing the word along. If you want to know more, here is a nice non-Amazon link explaining Prime Wardrobe and a link to Launchpad. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got to go look at some jeans...

Peace
--Free