Having moved to Atlanta with no car has made my grocery shopping trips, interesting, to say the least. Lugging groceries back to my apartment is doing wonders for my arms but not always ideal. I was curious to work with Instacart to have my groceries delivered once and for all to see if it made any difference in my work day.
On average, I was spending 3 hours at minimum between creating my grocery list, looking through coupons, getting to the grocery store, shopping and bringing it all back. Is it possible that I’m out of breath just typing this to you? Since Instacart does same day service, I had nothing to lose.
About Instacart
Instacart is a same day delivery service that allows you to shop online from your local grocer. They have partnerships with Aldi, Publix and Whole Foods, amongst others local grocers in your areas. Coupons are available right on the website; there’s an easy search tab for specific products, or you can search by department.
They currently service a variety of cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and more. You can actually get free delivery on ALL orders of $35 when you’re an express member. Different stores also have different delivery minimums which allow you to get free delivery if you meet the requirements. But the fee for the Express Membership is either $149 for the year or $14.99 per month.
How it works:
Once you’ve created your grocery list, you can decide which shop you’d like to order from and start searching for the items. Add them to your cart as you go along and try to meet the delivery minimum by store. If you can’t find the price or item you’re looking for, you can easily switch stores without having to retype the item name. This is especially useful when trying to compare prices.
Once you’re ready to check out, choose your delivery time. Most stores will deliver within the next two hours but you can schedule it for later if you’d like. Once you enter your card information, address and a tip for the driver, you have the opportunity to look over the order once more.
This is a chance to enter your replacement items, something I didn’t notice on my first time around. Luckily, on my second time ordering with Instacart, I learned my lesson. If you don’t choose a replacement item, the shopper will choose it for you. They can refund you, or choose something either inexpensive or more costly. However, once this is squared away, you can get back to your schedule and wait for your order to arrive.
If you’ve entered your contact information, you’ll get a text that leads you to track your delivery. You can also access this feature on a desktop. Even though you’ll likely be busy with other things, it’s comforting to know your groceries are only a click away.
Would I use Instacart again?
I already have! I’m honestly a fan of not having to move my feet to get all the groceries my heart desires. I find that I cut my shopping time in half, which leaves time for me to be productive in other areas. Having access to coupons without having to go in store and being able to name all my replacements, was a game changer for me. Originally, this was my least favorite feature but now that I’ve taken control over the process, I don’t mind it.
The delivery timeline has been accurate thus far and I’m probably only going back in the supermarket to pick up fruits.
Would you try it? Sign up for Instacart today and let us know what you think!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small credit if you make a purchase using some of the links above*
