mconlonx

A friend of mine developed this card game based on sustainability and living small. Goal is to focus on one area and collect cards in that topic so that when the game ends, you have most cards of the same topic, like Transportation. LCF would be a very coveted and low-value card -- low score wins -- where sharing a car within a household, high-mileage car would be in the middle, and a commute of 50+ miles or an SUV would be near the top of the high value cards.

We were play-testing this and I'm always one for taking advantage of the rules, so instead of focusing on getting all the low cards in one category, I concentrated on the low-value cards across categories. When it came time to count points, my friend was, "Well, yeah, you had a low score, but you strayed across categories to do it, instead of focusing on one category like you're supposed to." So I created a narrative where: I'm spinning my own yarn for woolen products, keeping bees for honey production, and have a high-mileage car, but using a lawn service for yard upkeep -- one doesn't have time to do all the things that might add up to a fully enviro-friendly lifestyle and I hate mowing the lawn, so I use savings I make in other parts of my life to deal with the one thing I don't make time to do and would rather not do myself, anyway: landscaping. All agreed that in spite of straying out of category, it made for a convincing narrative.

Grocery delivery is like that -- maybe you have more going on. And if it contributes to being LCF, it can certainly be justified, if grocery shopping is one of those limiting factors which might indicate a car as necessary or at least very convenient to your lifestyle.

Far as I know, we don't have delivery, but we do have call-in service. So it might involve hiring a cab, ride-share service, or some other kind of pick-up/delivery scheme to get it home. In major urban areas close by, there is grocery delivery, so I imagine it's only a matter of time until they expand into the hinterlands...

Siu Blue Wind

Exactly. Priorities!!

Great analogy. And it's serving YOU for YOUR purpose!! Good on you! :thumbsup:

Machka 

Thanks everyone!

Yes ... it does come down to priorities. Is my priority to spend time with my husband who can't get out much right now? Is our priority to ride our bicycles (when we're able) rather than wander the aisles of a grocery store? Is my priority to focus on work and university and health? (and other questions a person could ask)

If yes ... then hiring someone or a service is the way to go.



And for me, it means I don't have to drive ... which I'm not overly keen on doing.




We've also got a gardener, which was another excellent decision.


All this reminds me that I need to click "Submit" for my next grocery order.

Machka 

In the short time I've been using the delivery service, I've been impressed with the products.


Someone, elsewhere, expressed concern to me ... she thought that they would go through and pick all the products which are on or nearly at their due-by dates, and she thought she'd end up with a bunch of dairy products she would have to use up in a couple days or they'd go off.


I checked, and that hasn't been the case at all. In fact, the custard I got for Rowan (one of his favourites) expired about mid-August. Lots of time!


And yes ... our frozen goods arrive completely frozen.

gregf83 

I hate shopping. I'd much rather work at something I enjoy and pay someone else to do the chores I don't enjoy.

Most people enjoy going out for dinner and paying others to cook and serve even though they're perfectly capable of cooking for themselves.

Machka 

Another example might be ordering bike parts -- we are happy to place lots of orders to places like Chain Reaction Cycles or Wiggle or whoever to deliver the stuff to keep our bicycles up and running.

prj71

I'm an Amazon who-re!! I have Amazon boxes showing up at my door almost weekly. But it's rarely food items.

prj71

I can go along with that. But I believe we are talking about able bodied people in this discussion.

indyfabz

Can't believe I spending No. 18,000 in the LCF forum but...

Generally agree, except in the case of people with mobility problems. My mom had limited walking ability before she entered a nursing home and would sometimes have groceries delivered.

I am the sort of person who almost always shops for the night's dinner and next morning's breakfast every day. I have a Whole Foods right on my way home from the office that I ride or walk to. I can also access other sources of fresh ingredients either after work or even during lunch. While I may have some general ideas floating around in my head, unless I am planning a special meal I usually do not know what I will have for dinner until I actually set foot in the store. For example, two days ago I had to do a bike-train-bike commute to an office in another state. When I got off the train on my return commute, I popped into what is basically a huge indoor farm market that's on my route home. Walked by one of the two fish mongers in the place and saw it had swordfish on sale. Picked up a fresh swordfish steak, shallots, capers, a lemon and some jicama slaw from a Mexican foods joint and whipped up a nice little meal.

My local Whole Foods is crazy busy with people filling orders for delivery. You can now get 2 hr. delivery for extra $$. If I am physically able to shop for myself but become too lazy or indifferent to do so, something has gone seriously wrong in my life.

Siu Blue Wind

I thought this was about Machka's inquiry about who we use because her husband cannot do it alone.

Machka 

See the original post.

Most of the time we may be able to walk, cycle, or take the bus to the grocery store ... but what if something happens where we can't or where that is just really inconvenient for one reason or another. Perhaps something like a health issue, or just that life is incredibly busy all of a sudden, or we have other priorities.


If you don't fall within that description in any way, please a) count your blessings, and b) feel free to find another thread that suits you better.

Thanks!

Machka 

Still really appreciating online shopping and the grocery delivery service. I'm not sure that we're going to return to in-person shopping again ... at least not regularly. This is just so much more convenient.

salcedo

Machka 

We just recently found out we can return our plastic grocery bags to the delivery driver ... apparently they reuse them.

50PlusCycling

Here in Tokyo I've been using Seiyu (owned by Walmart). They deliver for free, but the main reason I order is because they are the cheapest place to get food, especially meat. I live almost above a "boutique" grocery store which has a lot of good stuff, but the prices are insane. Imagine $4 each for avocados, $1.50 for a single potato, which is half the size of one you'd find in America, or more than $3 for an ear of corn. Steak costs more for 100 grams than it does for a full pound in America, and that's the ordinary stuff, the good stuff (wagyu beef from Kobe) is about $20 for 100 grams, or some $90 a pound.

On the positive side, booze is cheap.

salcedo

Machka 

Well, personally, I think it's absolutely great!!

It's one less thing I have to stress about especially since there's a third category you forgot ... families who (3) are caring for an injured family member.


It's so simple and easy and convenient ... and means I don't have to drive to the grocery store!

salcedo

I didn't forget any categories. I think there is just ONE category, that has to meet two conditions:
(1) You don't have time to buy groceries yourself
(2) You buy a lot of generic products

I assume that the reason why you don't have time is because you are caring for your injured family member. I hope he/she gets better soon

Machka 

You assume wrong. Time has nothing to do with it. Both times I've used grocery delivery services, I've had time. You've just proved you don't understand how real life goes sometimes. That's OK. Maybe one day you will.


But thanks ... I hope so too.

Machka 

There are many reasons why a person might want to use a grocery delivery service.


-- not being able to leave the house.
-- not having the necessary transportation.
-- not having the time for one reason or another.
-- not wanting to be bothered.


But the reason doesn't matter. It's a personal choice/decision like most things in life.


The topic here is:


What sort of grocery delivery services do you have in your area?

.

salcedo

If time is not the issue then what is?

Tell me why I am wrong instead of just claiming that I am wrong and don't understand how real life goes sometimes" (lol)

You said you are taking care of someone else's injuries. Maybe you were injured yourself? Otherwise please explain. If you have time and are healthy, what is the advantage of grocery delivery services over taking an Uber and choosing the groceries yourself?

Machka 

A) I am choosing the groceries myself.

B) It's way cheaper than taking an Uber.

C) There are things that can happen in life which you don't expect and which can change your whole perspective.

D) The first time I used grocery delivery, I was injured. Now, if you're actually interested ... see my signature line.

E) Having used grocery delivery this second time, I love it. It's so convenient that we probably won't go back to the whole tedious process of "getting groceries" any more than we would want to get rid of our gardener. Convenience is a wonderful thing ... frees a person up to do the stuff we like doing.




Happily, in answer to the topic question:

What sort of grocery delivery services do you have in your area?

We have a really good grocery delivery service. We've been impressed.

salcedo

That must be an awesome company you got there. Because most grocery delivery companies are WAY more expensive than taking an Uber to the store and buying the groceries yourself. This includes Instacart, which I think is the largest delivery service. Way more expensive than Uber. And it makes sense. If you hire an Uber you are paying the person to drive you to the store. If you hire a grocery delivery service, say Instacart, you are paying the person to drive to the store, to choose the groceries, to drive back, and to carry the groceries to your house.

I'm glad this service exist to help people with special needs, people without time to go shopping, and lazy people. But reading your initial post, I still don't think that Instacart is the best solution for people that have difficulties getting to the store and back. If the issue is walking round the store and carrying groceries, that is a different story.

Machka 

Yeah, um ... I have no idea what Instacart is, but surely there's a better service over there in Canada. There was when I lived there.



Our service is AT the grocery store, puts together the orders for a lot of people, and then delivers all the orders. Lots of people get their groceries delivered this way. I recently found out that quite a few people in my office get their groceries this way because ... why not? It's great!

And it costs about 1/4 the price of Uber, and probably 1/2 the price of a real taxi.


We get lots of stuff delivered ... cycling stuff from the UK, various things from Ebay and similar, etc. ... don't you? It's the way of the future!!


Life is too short to do stuff you don't particularly like, when you get get it done for you ... and you can be out enjoying life.

salcedo

When I lived in the US I used to get everything delivered from Amazon. But now I moved to Canada and Amazon.ca is awful, way more expensive than going to the store. But there are at least three reasons why groceries are different:

(1) Part of the reason why ordering works great is because of returns. You order something from Amazon, you hate it, you can return it for free. With groceries its harder to return things you don't like.

(2) I use Amazon suscribe and save to buy household items like toilet paper or detergent. I would also use it to buy things like canned food or cereal. But if I want to buy fruit, or tomatoes, or cheese, or meat, or bread in which I want to be able to pick them myself.

(3) Shimano Ultegra components have been around for years, they don't change often. When they do change, there is a lot of fuzz about it and lots of people write blog posts and reviews. When I buy a new component, I plan to use it for years, and I do a lot of research before choosing it. Food is different. The food that is available at the store changes often, and the food I want to eat changes week to week.

I think that is why grocery delivery services have still not taken over grocery stores. It might happen, but I hope not. People are becoming more and more isolated, specially in America. Going grocery shopping is not just a chore, it is an excuse to get out there, walk a little bit, and interact with people. Many Americans could use more physical activity and social interaction.