Trying Peapod

[breakinglight11]

This past week I tried using the Peapod grocery delivery service for the first time. I’ve been aware of it for a while now, but never really felt like it was economical to use. There’s a delivery fee attached, of course, and it always seemed too much of an extravagance to justify on my budget. But recently I got a coupon in the mail inviting me to try it at a discount. I have been so slammed for time these days, plus the fact that the discount cut out the delivery fee, that it was too tempting to pass up. So I made an account and sat down to give online grocery shopping a try.

With the cost issue temporarily out of the way, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to find everything I usually buy. Especially given my diet, I need some pretty specific items, like unsweetened vanilla almond milk and Greek yogurt and they didn’t have a number of my preferred brands. Like, the only sugar-free Greek yogurt they had was plain, which I don’t like as much. I usually shop at Hannaford, and the Peapod service comes from Stop and Shop. I would also say that thing were generally a little bit more expensive per item than they are at Hannaford, which made me feel kind of guilty. But again, with the discount I think this time it evened out.

I was seriously, ridiculously excited for its arrival, like it was some special present, rather than just… my normal groceries. But receiving it made me very happy. I love food and cooking, so stocking up my cabinets to make things gave me a good feeling. They text you when the driver is there, which I loved. I unpacked it like Christmas morning, and I was very pleased with it all. The steaks, for example, were probably not the size I would have selected for myself, but they were very good quality, and the produce like the apples and broccoli were absolutely gorgeous.

Another advantage was that up until a certain cutoff time, they allow you to amend your order. I am notorious for forgetting stuff that I need but aren’t part of my usual buying habits, and this permitted me to just add them in later when I remembered them, or knock off an item if I realized I didn’t need it after all. That’s extremely convenient. I also used this as an opportunity to refresh some of my pantry staples. I’ve been baking more lately, so I made sure I had enough new, fresh flour and sugar to experiment a little.

As much as I liked it, I don’t know if I can make a habit of using it. I feel weirdly guilty paying to have my groceries delivered to me. It feels kind of spoiled, kind of wasteful. I do have a little more cash these days due to my improved employment situation, but I also have fairly serious financial responsibilities in putting on the two Mrs. Hawking plays. But my time has always been my most valued resource, and I am so, so busy lately. Maybe I won’t rely on it every week, but I can hold it in my back pocket as an option when I really don’t have the time to actually go to the grocery store.

Comments

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

It does feel amazingly luxurious, doesn't it? I used it a few times in London and since we moved here I've used Instacart two or three times when I just couldn't squeeze the time out of my week, or when my back was too much of a mess. But usually I like grocery shopping (oddly, since I don't like shopping for other things) and it is better to pick exactly what I want and to be reminded in the store of things I've meant to get.