CAREGIVING: I would like to make grocery shopping less of a pain in the ass. There I said it. I actually like shopping and meal planning and cooking. But it is a major production when Kathy goes with me. Getting a Huntington’s disease patient back into the house when she is exhausted and bent over is pretty scary. I decided to try Peapod to see if that would help.
Peapod is an online grocery shopping and delivery service available in New England through Stop & Shop stores. In other parts of the country it is a service of other Royal Ahold Stores. We shop at Stop & Shop anyway so it seemed worth a look. Normal delivery charge is $6.95 when your order is over $100 (which doesn’t take much to do). It is $9.95 for smaller orders down to the smallest order of $60.
Pluses:
- Kathy doesn’t have to leave home. She doesn’t have to be moved from wheelchair to stairlift to wheelchair to car and back.
- It is really a good solution for caregivers like myself.
- Most of the prices are the same as at a S&S store. A few are lower due to online specials. Many are higher than the other two stores I shop at: Aldi and Price-Rite.
- Selection is pretty good overall. There are some items that are available in the store, but not carried online. For example if Hood Ice Cream is on sale not all the flavors are listed.
- Since I was already shopping at S&S, Peapod knew that I eat tofu and spinach and salt-free peanut butter. So a list came up that made it easier.
- It totals it up as you go along which helps me decide how much I can afford. The subtotal that shows is before any discounts and coupons.
- Peapod accepts coupons so I put them in an envelope with the order number on it for the driver.
- When you are looking at the possible selections, you can sort them a number of different ways that are helpful if you are trying to be healthy. You can sort by calories, sodium and fat; or price and unit price. You can click on the item and read the ingredient panel.
- There are discounts for your first Peapod order. $15 off if you write the word “truck.” They will also discount the delivery fees for my first few orders.
- The delivery was convenient and on time. You can select 2 hour windows when to have delivery. There are also “green” times where you are saving energy by having them group orders together in your area (saves $2). The friendly delivery guy brought in the bags and put them where I asked him to. I gave him a tip but you can also add it to the invoice you sign like at a restaurant.
- Delivery is great for heavy crap like milk, distilled water and juices.
- You can change your order the day before.
- You can get alerts via email or text. “The driver is here.” “Your order is next.”
Minuses:
- I don’t leave home. (I know, I can’t have it both ways 🙂
- Price: Lately I have been shopping at Aldi’s more often and at Price-Rite every so often. The prices are way more cheaper. And the produce section at Price-Rite is great.
- There are a few items that are not listed online so I’ll pick those up when I pick up Kathy’s prescriptions. They don’t deliver prescriptions by the way.
- Your total is not exact until they deduct your coupons and do any adjustments. You can get the total from the website the next day or so but I balance the checkbook every day. So use pencil in your checkbook.
- Finding what you are looking for isn’t as intuitive as it could be. Shopping is by “aisle” but their aisles aren’t like the store. Some, like produce and deli are pretty accurate but anything canned or bottled or packaged just takes getting used to. The search tool works well.
I’m sure I’ll probably use it again. Now that the weather is getting better, I would like to take Kathy someplace nice rather than to sit in the parking lot of a grocery store.
