After watching about a million commercials about it, I finally used Instacart. There are a couple of other reasons why I couldn't resist giving it a try. I absolutely love food, and I go to the supermarket, too much. They know me there. I spend way too much money every time I go to the supermarket. And I love the convenience of getting other stuff done instead of spending all that time at the supermarket.
So, I downloaded the app, and I saw a pop-up that said that I could get my first delivery for free. Of course, I really had a huge craving for some macadamia nut cookies, and I didn't have the time to go out and get some. It was a no-brainer to use my free delivery for those cookies, but I had to spend at least $10, the cookies were only $5. I also figured that I really should get some real food, so I ordered the cookies and salmon. What a combination! I know it sounds weird, but I love that brown sugar slathered salmon that they sell at Publix.
Anyway, I entered all the appropriate info on the app. It was simple enough, my address, the supermarket that I wanted my personal shopper to purchase from, the time-frame that I wanted the food in (my free delivery allowed me to receive my food within an hour) my address and my food choices. Just like in the actual supermarket, it took me a while to choose what I really wanted, and I ended up browsing some of the other offerings, but I didn't buy anything else.
I noticed that some of the items were definitely more than the prices in Publix, but in most cases they were just a few cents more, up to a $1 more. Some items were cheaper than they are in Publix. My salmon was on sale on the app, $1 off.
Once I made my choices, the app gave me an estimated time for my items to be delivered. It notified me when my shopper was shopping and on the way with my food. My shopper arrived within an hour with my grub. I love Instacart, now! It's a no-brainer to use it when you are sick or too tired to leave the house, but it can also be a time-saver when you have housework or homework to do. If you don't have car or your car breaks down, it could be a life-saver! Normally, the delivery fee is around $5 for an order over $35. The app also added a couple of dollars as a tip to the personal shopper. You can pay the delivery fee every time you order or you can pay about $100 and get free deliveries for orders over $35 (within at least a two-hour delivery window). A benefit is that you can order weekly and really budget your food almost down to the penny, because you will know how much everything costs before you check-out. And the app will send an e-mail receipt, which is also helpful. The downside is that you can't hold and see your food before you buy it, but I think that my time is best spent out of the supermarket!
