All hail Instacart!

This personal grocery shopping service delivers in the Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. areas. The company pairs with local grocers, in my case I can choose from Costco, Whole Foods or Kroger, and offers online shopping and delivery of most of their items to your home in as quickly as one hour. In the 90s the Atlanta area was blessed with the company Webvan and the option of full grocery delivery has been missed since it’s demise. Zifty is an option; but sometimes you need more than popcorn and a movie.

I was very excited when I learned of this service and knew it would come in handy when I needed groceries but was reluctant to get out of my sweats/ pjs. That was the case this Sunday when the kid needed to take a nap and was pissy and refused to go to sleep. I needed more pull-ups, bagels,  sweet potatoes and chicken pot pie. All of that was found with a few clicks on my computer. The first order offers free delivery. After that, delivery costs are $7.99 or less depending on your bill total. Their delivery times are flexible and you can even set it days in advance if you need to. I chose a two hour window which allowed me time to color my old lady grey hair, have a dance party with the kid, and clean bathrooms. I don’t know about you, but household chores and dancing beat a trip to the grocery store with a moody kid anyday.

This service is perfect for anyone who has a busy schedule, is sick, has wee ones who make trips to the store challenging, or who is binge watching a show on Netflix and has no more food left in the house. (Who knew pizza and thai food delivery could become so boring so fast!) While alcoholic beverages are not an option, K-cups and other caffeinated products are.

Placing my order was easy and my items were placed into an editable “favorites” section on the website for easier re-ordering in the future. I received a delivery time estimate via email and a text message when they were on their way. You are able to tip your shopper when you place your order or once the delivery has been made.

Visit http://www.instacart.com to see if they are available in your area and to place your first order. Happy sofa shopping!