Can't deal with grocery stores anymore!

grocery shopping for me is awful, I have a bad back and usually have to ask my husband for the car keys and he takes over. I find it hard to stand up at the register so I only shop with my husband.

Nope, Costco isn't close enough, but I do have a BJs membership which has raised their rates :\ I'm like you, in the sense that I'm not going to buy bulk that sits and goes to waste. I buy my sons eyeglasses there, gas is the cheapest around and definitely stock up on my laundry supplies there. I restock on meats, typically there. The only downfall can be traffic depending on the time of day which when I get out of work is exactly when it bottlenecks on the highway :\
My home is rather predictable in what we go through. I have any cleaning products shipped to me from one company and miscellaneous other items from Amazon.
A little less time running around chasing after food, isn't such a bad thing for me at this stage in my life.
I am still thankful for this previously unknown to me service.

I don't think any paid memberships are worth it honestly. Unless you shop there all the time and spend thousands of dollars a year at their store, I don't think the savings are big enough to be worth it. If you must shop at the grocery store, I would go to WinCo if you have one in your area. Their prices are comparable to many paid membership stores without actually needing a membership.

But yeah, using that service could potentially save you money in another way.

If you have to go to the grocery store feeling tired, stressed, or if you have my problem where I get bored easily and get lost in my head and forget how much money I'm up to, you might be paying more at the grocery store.

Just a thought not a lot of people consider.

Ugg Darkness, I literally just came from the grocery store-2 actually. We are taking my son back to school tomorrow morning before we get a storm. The meal plan that he buys covers 14 meals a week-so twice a day. He has an apartment he shares with some guys so he cooks more than the average person. Plus he likes to eat healthy and is a vegetarian. So first we went to Shop Rite. I do not know what it is about shop rite in my area but senior citizens flock to the store. I am normally good at not shopping during peak old person time but we had to go. SO.MANY.PEOPLE. leaving their carts in the middle of the aisle wandering around. Reaching in front of me and bumping into me. One guy who was across the aisle from his cart- said "excuse me sir can I move your cart?" His answer? "I dont care" what a rude ***! Then the long checkout and the slowest bagger ever. I prefer to bag my own but this guy thought he was the best and he block me from helping so it took forever! Then on to Aldi..what is it about bargains that makes people so damn frantic?? Like if you cant get your seltzer before they run out..dude they will restock-I promise. Carts rolling everywhere because people are too lazy to return them. Of course there are parking spot wars- I dont care where I park-the lot isnt that big and I can walk! And yes, we are getting a doozy of a storm but why all the milk, bread and eggs? Do people suddenly want to make french toast? You do not have enough food in your house for-maybe-a day where its too dangerous to drive?? uuggg!

^^^and then what happens to all that food if lord forbid, the power goes out? :\

I have been reconsidering my bjs membership that expires in March that was an 18month old rate deal as I calculate my reality going there...there is a plethora of grocery chains in and around me. But less is more for me as far as going there. Plus family dollar has the knockoffs of my laundry brand that I can easily get to...

There is always the option of purchasing canned or dry goods.

When I buy bulk, around 60-70% of my groceries are canned or dry. I buy a lot of canned stews, soups, ingredients, and meats, and dry foods like rice and beans. That way, if power goes down, I am good.

Also, I do agree that people in the grocery stores suck. I have little patience for them myself. Back when I lived with my step father, we went all the time late night when people were asleep. Grocery shopping is so much easier after hours.

YES!!!! I used to like going to the store when I worked for the paper in Oregon. We got out around 3 am and I would go to Winco or Walmart and it was in and out. Half the time a bunch of our co-workers were there as well.

Darkness, I was just thinking, you're in the South, right?

It sounds like Sarah and myself live in the North as how she described the shopping phenomena right before a storm hits is a phenomena indeed. We're talking overflowing grocery carts of perishable goods in many ways...so what happens if electricity goes out with ice creams and milks and meats etc is a very real possibility especially with aging infrastructures up here.

It's an experience to say the least. And almost a running joke. Ever seen the bread and milk guy's videos on youtube? It's a comedy sketch but speaks to the phenomena.

Yeah, I'm in the south.

It's a real possibility for us to lose power here too, especially in the winter. Where I live, our infrastructure isn't built to handle a lot of snow/ice. Losing power isn't all that uncommon when there is a snowstorm or icestorm. Yet, our power functions fine in the summer when it's 100+ degrees outside. Imagine that lol

I used Shipt for the first time tonight and it is actually really good. I took advantage of the student discount and got a yearly membership for $50.

I didn't spend that much more than I would have at the grocery store. The service was good and convenient. Overall, I'm happy.

I'll continue to use Shipt, at least until I get my license and a car. Then I will go back to shopping the old way, but I'll go at night instead where there's less people and less drama.

Once I get a better source of income, I will make Shipt my default method for grocery shopping.

I live in a neighborhood where all stores are expensive. So, I was going to downtown, where there is this cheaper store to get all my food from. I needed to carry the bags for 5 blocks, and a bus ride for 30 minutes (each direction). So, time-wise, I needed around 90-120 mins to shop and return home. One day, I was holding two heavy bags, and one of them tore up, and all the items were on the ground. I was in a long line waiting the bus. So, I had to give up my place to collect the items, and no one helped me I usually like to come early to find a seat and sit down to put the bags in front of me. Because I gave up my place in the line, I had to stand up with a torn bag full of items. It was a mess, and I was embarrassed. From that day, I started to shop in nearby stores (within 10 mins walk distance), and pay more in exchange for convenience, although some items are 2 or even 3 times as expensive.

If you can afford to pay more for convenience, than I say go for it, even if you must cut expenses elsewhere.

I am paying significantly more (as in an extra $100+ per month) to use Shipt because I am cutting my food stamps since you can't use food stamps with Shipt. Since I live off my financial aid and they don't calculate financial aid disbursements when applying for aid in my state, I was getting more food stamp money than I could use.

To compensate, I cut my smartphone plan way down by switching to a cheap prepaid plan, beings I'm on WiFi 90% of the time and I don't need unlimited data. I also cut my internet speed down from 100 Mbps to 15 Mbps since I live alone and don't need the extra speed. Latency is more important to gamers anyways and a 15 Mbps plan is going to have just as good latency as a 100 Mbps plan. Making these two changes alone saved me over $50 per month. Also, with using Shipt instead of going to the grocery store, I save between $20-40 per month on Uber rides. Not to mention, the positive impact on my mental health is priceless.

If I get to where I am ready to get a car before I get a better job or other better source of income than my crap pay student job, I will reapply for food stamps to balance out what I pay on car insurance, gas, and car payments. Until then, there is no way in hell I'm riding the bus or an Uber to get groceries on my own, only to have to haul them up stairs to get to my 2nd floor apartment.

For now, I am OK with visiting the nearby stores for foods. I take this opportunity to stretch my legs, as I don't go out for any other reason these days. On the other hand, I've started to use Amazon for non-food products with free shipping, which is awesome. I have more choices, better prices, and home delivery

Oh yeah, Amazon is a godsend for me.

I make full use of their discounted Prime membership for students. I order all of my non food essentials on Amazon and it makes my life so much easier.

Heck, I even ordered furniture off Amazon before. I ordered a big memory foam mattress, a metal bedframe, a computer desk, a gaming chair, a couple of end tables, and a TV shelf from them before. Let's just say the UPS guy was NOT happy hauling that stuff up to my upstairs apartment LOL

I'm nearing my one month of using the service. There's the convenience of it all, I've kept my home balanced in a continuous supply of food. I mean, I'm not running out for having run out of various things and having to go after a hellacious day at either work or home where I'm tired and haven't really sat down with a list. There's been certain things that I am definitely paying less than I normally would. Plus it feeds into my desire to shop local/support local merchants in the sense that these Shypt shoppers are local and trying to find ways to supplement their own incomes. The two that I have had are friendly. And as I mentioned before, I came to realize that someone I know also does this, she lives 2 communities over and I know her story and why she finds extra means of income in addition to her full time job.

Yesterday's impromptu addition were some pencils as the kids are running low. I have started maintaining a grocery list. Can look at the total bill as I go to really think about what I am buying what I can add in etc. It's a game changer for me.

I started using Amazon when I needed to buy a bed frame and a mattress. At local stores it would have cost me $500 + delivery cost, and I had limited choices. On Amazon, I got what I need for $200, and arrived the next day to the door of my apartment!! I thought I didn't get what I ordered because they were two small boxes, and I thought how these could be a bed frame and a mattress!! But they were what I ordered. The mattress was folded, and the bed frame came in small pieces to be assembled with all the screws and tools. Since then I use Amazon for almost all non-food products.

Same here.

My $100 full size memory foam mattress and $60 metal bed frame works well for me.

Also, you can make almost any mattress have hotel quality comfort for cheap. All you need to do is buy a good bed cover, which is what hotels do to keep their beds so comfortable without spending a bunch of money.

That's what I did. I dumped maybe $250 in my bed setup and it outdoes people's $500+ fancy beds. Sure it may not look as pretty, but who cares?

Then again, my gaming PC is the centerpiece in my bedroom because when people come over and see it they completely ignore the bed because of how cool the computer looks in all it's RGB lighting glory

The grocery store I prefer to go to has had this policy forever (that I hated) that they would take your groceries out to the car for you.

I hated the policy for the following reasons:

1. More often than not, they would just not do this service for me. Leaving me to stand there awkwardly waiting or take the bags out for myself. I sent many e-mails to them complaining that if you are going to have this policy have it for everyone NOT just the families with kids. I feel this was because I was single and typically didn't have a 400 dollar grocery order.

2. The policy was put into effect for the elderly. But it drove me NUTS when they wouldn't do it for the elderly but, would take their cart away from them. My mom had knee problems and she always wanted the cart to lean on.

3. They would hire like "mentally disabled" people to take the carts out. This was always awkward and miserable. I don't want to have to learn to deal with the various and sundry issues of the mentally disabled when I just want a cookie. There was this guy who just talked to himself and you didn't know if he was talking to you and he would get right up in your face upset that you didn't answer him. I don't begrudge him a job but why does it have to be with me?

4. I can't tell you how many times the employees just thew the bags in the car as if there was nothing in them and things spilled out and you had to fix. If I put them in the car I would have been careful.

5. I enjoy taking my own groceries out to the car with the cart.

I am happy to announce that they got rid of the policy and now have cart corrals. Huzzah!!! What a joyous occasion to be able to go there today and not have someone follow me out.

ugh, decided today I just couldn't take my same grocery store again, so I went to another one.

I went to a self serve line, I checked out all my goods and before hitting "finish and pay" I grabbed a bag and started putting in my goods... (there was like 6 so it wasn't going to take a long time, I was hardly one body length from the screen).

THis IDIOT, old lady comes up and starts trying to enter in her foods. ON my tab! What didn't she see me there? I said to her.. I am not done.

Old lady: What?
Me: I am not done!!!

Old lady: Oh I think I rang up some stuff
Me: I walk up there, nothing has rug up.

Old Lady: But I rang this up on your tab?
Me: No you didn't.

Old lady: But what is this line?
Me: Told her the line was for another product.

Old lady: (standing right on top of me) oh I thought that was my thing..

(continuing to babble endlessly)

Now, I always have a soft spot for the elderly at a grocery store because my mom was elderly and I hated the rude way people treated her there, so I was as nice as could be, but this lady was addled and would not stop talking and standing right on top of me and I just snapped.

I hadn't paid for anything yet, I could hardly even get it bagged with her standing there on top of me LITERALLY putting her stuff down when I was still ringing up..

I just dumped everything out and left.

I know, i know... but the ENTIRE point of self service is not to have to be addled / talk / deal with someone else and it just wasn't worth it. Will never do that again.

Impatience of others never ceases to astound me. My time isn't more or less valuable than others. Should be a rule of the road that no scanning until the other begins to vacate.

The worst is when its a self checkout lane and you pay but still need to finish bagging, and someone starts to scan their ***** while you do that.

Or the reverse, when you want to use the self-serve and someone is standing their scrutinizing their receipt forever and won't free up the station.

I am thinking of shopping online more since we are moving out of the city. The town where we will be living only has a few smaller supermarkets and they are always crowded. We'd have to go to a larger supermarket about 25 minutes away.

I will stand in line forever to have a real live human being scan my items. You do realise that by using self-serve check stands they are able to employ fewer people? Why the rush anyway? I know my cashiers at my grocery stores by name by now and it is always a pleasant moment of my day to see them and chat a few words back and forth.

With that said though, I am not longer patronizing one of the markets on account of the fact they have installed barricades in front of all the exit doors. Obviously shop lifting is an issue - but at the cost of the safety of human lives? I can't help but wonder at how people wouldn't be able to get out in an emergency and it sickens me. So Safeway is off my list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WishfulThinker66 I will stand in line forever to have a real live human being scan my items. You do realise that by using self-serve check stands they are able to employ fewer people? Why the rush anyway? I know my cashiers at my grocery stores by name by now and it is always a pleasant moment of my day to see them and chat a few words back and forth. With that said though, I am not longer patronizing one of the markets on account of the fact they have installed barricades in front of all the exit doors. Obviously shop lifting is an issue - but at the cost of the safety of human lives? I can't help but wonder at how people wouldn't be able to get out in an emergency and it sickens me. So Safeway is off my list.

I agree 100%. The only time I ever use them is when I go first thing when they open. At 6am they do not have any humans checking out only machines.