Grocery Shopping

[Amethyst]

Well this is not good. Trying to order online from Sam's Club for pickup. The site is saying the store is out of milk, eggs, chicken breasts...can this be due to the winter weather farther north? Florida is full of dairy farms!

 

[Aerides]

Went to put the groceries away and I have no more space in the cupboard

Same problem, I was thinking of buying a shelving unit, just to handle the extra stuff we have.
For now I have it in open boxes in a corner of the basement.

We have a small kitchen with limited storage so I bought a couple of 27 gallon storage boxes that I keep in the back room for rice, spaghetti and various canned goods. I was finally able to buy a 9 sq ft freezer that is letting me store frozen foods.

Guys... why don't you just shove it into your Toilet Paper room? I mean we all had to add one by now right?

 

[jollystomper]

Guys... why don't you just shove it into your Toilet Paper room? I mean we all had to add one by now right?

First world problems...

 

[Koolau]

First world problems...

Thanks for reminding us, jollystomper. A good part of the world doesn't even know what TP is let alone lack of storage space for groceries. YMMV

 

[ERObjd]

I go inside, I never was one to linger long in stores even before covid. I know what I want to purchase. I use a list get the items and get out.

On a side note I do like the 6ft distance in stores ,especially at checkout lanes. I have always despised people who get in my space(shoulder surfers) now I don't have to check them when they crown into my personal bubble.

 

[rk911]

I go inside, I never was one to linger long in stores even before covid. I know what I want to purchase. I use a list get the items and get out....

+1

 

[Amethyst]

Same here. Life is too short to wait in line! We had the big-box trips down to once per month, with a couple of regular store visits in between, to restock perishables.

I go inside, I never was one to linger long in stores even before covid. I know what I want to purchase. I use a list get the items and get out.

.

 

[ABQ2015]

I went to Costco yesterday, my once every 3 month trip to stock up on meats, seafood, supplements, etc. We are at the tail end of a week long winter storm and it was starting to snow once again as I got there. The store had few customers and was low on dairy and meats. No top sirloin and also no organic chicken breasts for more than 6 months now so not sure what is happening there. They had Clorox wipes which I have only seen in my area for the last month or so. And I found Purell hand sanitizer at the drug store this month, also a first.

My third bedroom has been used for grocery storage overflow since May but I am concerned about the grains attracting mice, etc. I had broke down and bought a 12 lb bag of my favorite organic rice, which is too large to store in the fridge, because I never know if it will be stocked or not. So appreciated the suggestion to use plastic storage containers and now have two. TP and paper towels are stored in a closet.

 

[jollystomper]

Signs that the TP/PT Doomsday Apocalypse is over:

a) In 2 local stores this week, TP and PT were on sale. And shoppers were not engaged in hand-to-hand combat battle to plunder the goods.

b) At the local COFSDASH this week, signs in the TP & PT aisle stating "we are no longer limiting the purchase quantity of paper goods". An overabundance of those products across the store.

Shopping just won't be as adventuresome anymore...

 

[Jerry1]

Yeah, I was in Costco a couple days ago and they had a few pallets of the Bounty paper towel (IMO, the good stuff). I had plenty so no need to grab another. It was there fir the taking though.

 

[Amethyst]

Made a Sam's run. Tried to order everything in advance, but for the second time, the site lied and said they had no chicken breasts, or bananas. (No bananas? In Florida? The ones in my back yard aren't ripe, or I wouldn't even need to buy any).

So we took delivery of the items we could, and went inside to buy the others, including milk, which I didn't want to have sitting in the car. I guess we would have had to go inside anyway, to buy the rotisserie chicken.

 

[W2R]

Amazon is staggering to its feet once again, maybe?

Tonight I ordered delivery of two boxes of staples (peanut butter, crackers, coffee, and such) online. One was from Amazon, one from Target.

Estimated delivery times:
Amazon: 1.5 days (Sunday), probably coming from Memphis or Houston
Target: 4.5 days (Wednesday), coming from their store just 6 miles away

My point is that Amazon is FINALLY starting to get its act together again! At least sometimes. I hope. I guess I'm counting my chickens but their estimated delivery time is stellar for this location. And, they had all but one item in stock at good prices.

Target is still doing very nicely as well, and providing great competition with excellent prices.

(I could get off my rear and GO to the grocery store, but it is so convenient to have nonperishable items like this delivered to my doorstep - - one of the great advantages to living in the 21st century. I discovered this before my 2019 knee surgery, when I really couldn't walk far enough to shop in person.)

 

[JoeWras]

To add to W2R's Amazon observation: two recent orders which were supposed to come in two days came in 1 day. I ordered some epoxy Thursday evening with a delivery date set for Saturday. It arrived Friday afternoon instead.

 

[Jerry1]

Also on Amazon - I will select the no rush shipping method that give me a digital credit ($1). It says it won’t be here for a week but it usually shows up in a few days. If you’re in no hurry, why not?

 

[harllee]

Glad so many have had positive Amazon experiences--not so for me. I have a few things I ordered from Amazon over a week ago, promised yesterday, no sign of them and tracking shows nothing. I ordered a shower seat for DH's upcoming knee surgery, it showed in stock and that I would receive it in a week. A few days later Amazon emailed me that the item was not in stock after all, would not come until April 20 which is too late so I cancelled it. I ordered the same item from Walmart, $1 cheaper and arrived in 3 days.

 

[pacergal]

Rarely go into a grocery store this past year, but recently went to Walmart for a quick pick up.
Saw tons of clorox brand wipes (smaller containers, but there), paper products galore.
Plan to go to Costco sometime this month to replenish meats for freezer, and paper products.
Hopeful for a good supply.

 

[W2R]

To add to W2R's Amazon observation: two recent orders which were supposed to come in two days came in 1 day. I ordered some epoxy Thursday evening with a delivery date set for Saturday. It arrived Friday afternoon instead.

Less than 24 hours? That is simply amazing! Amazon has never delivered that quickly to New Orleans, AFAIK.

Also on Amazon - I will select the no rush shipping method that give me a digital credit ($1). It says it won’t be here for a week but it usually shows up in a few days. If you’re in no hurry, why not?

My problem with the digital credit, is that I can't think of anything that I really want to do with it.

Glad so many have had positive Amazon experiences--not so for me. I have a few things I ordered from Amazon over a week ago, promised yesterday, no sign of them and tracking shows nothing. I ordered a shower seat for DH's upcoming knee surgery, it showed in stock and that I would receive it in a week. A few days later Amazon emailed me that the item was not in stock after all, would not come until April 20 which is too late so I cancelled it. I ordered the same item from Walmart, $1 cheaper and arrived in 3 days.

Eek! That's awful service from Amazon. For a while, back when I was having problems with Amazon I was having issues with Walmart too, so I tried Target and they have been really good. So I thought I mention Target as another possibility for those who want an alternative to Amazon.

 

[meierlde]

Less than 24 hours? That is simply amazing! Amazon has never delivered that quickly to New Orleans, AFAIK. My problem with the digital credit, is that I can't think of anything that I really want to do with it.
Eek! That's awful service from Amazon. For a while, I was having issues with Walmart too, so I tried Target and they have been really good. So I thought I mention Target as another possibility for those who want an alternative to Amazon.

One difference you will likley note is if a fulfillment center opens up in your area and it is delivered by amazon. Shipping items to my nephew in Denver, 1 day is quite common because there is a fulfillment center in the metro. I am in albuquerque, and they are building a fulfillment and a sortation center here, I suspect we will move from usps/ups delivery to amazon van delivery.

 

[Jerry1]

My problem with the digital credit, is that I can't think of anything that I really want to do with it.

I buy a Kindle book every now and then so it goes toward that.

 

[JoeWras]

Less than 24 hours? That is simply amazing! Amazon has never delivered that quickly to New Orleans, AFAIK.

Before that thing called The Pandemic, I was getting quite used to same day or next day delivery here in the Research Triangle area. For a few years now, quite a few items were same day delivery and many more were next day.

Then March 11 happened, and it all went to pot.

This is the first I've seen of them getting close to the Good Old Days.

 

[Koolau]

Signs that the TP/PT Doomsday Apocalypse is over:

a) In 2 local stores this week, TP and PT were on sale. And shoppers were not engaged in hand-to-hand combat battle to plunder the goods.

b) At the local COFSDASH this week, signs in the TP & PT aisle stating "we are no longer limiting the purchase quantity of paper goods". An overabundance of those products across the store.

Shopping just won't be as adventuresome anymore...

I've noticed our Costcos (the farthest Costco(s) from anyplace in the world) now have enough TP and PT. BUT, the price has quietly been bumped about $5/bail. But we STILL have no isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol.) I did score a couple of bottles at CVS/Longs last week. No bump in price, but limited to 2 pint bottles. YMMV

 

[W2R]

So I thought I mention Target as another possibility for those who want an alternative to Amazon.

My Amazon package is supposed to be delivered today, but even though tracking says it is in New Orleans, it is not Out for Delivery yet.

My Target package which was ordered Friday night like the Amazon package, and which was supposed to be delivered this coming Wednesday, just showed up on my front porch! Score one for Target, guess they won this round.

 

[RonBoyd]

My point is that Amazon is FINALLY starting to get its act together again! At least sometimes. I hope. I guess I'm counting my chickens but their estimated delivery time is stellar for this location. And, they had all but one item in stock at good prices.

I have, recently, had several (non-grocery) orders from Amazon that I ordered in the morning and were delivered that afternoon. Not the norm, of course, but is a surprise when it happens. (Normal would be next day or the day after -- unless it is a 3rd-party and then it is a guessing game.

On the other hand, my four orders that were scheduled for today (Monday) and tomorrow will now be delivered (promised) on Thursday. I guess 3-foot of snow is a problem for them. <chuckle>

 

[ncbill]

Are Amazon prices really comparable with local grocery stores?

We might be spoiled with a Lidl around the corner we now use for 90%+ of our groceries.

 

[W2R]

Are Amazon prices really comparable with local grocery stores?

We might be spoiled with a Lidl around the corner we now use for 90%+ of our groceries.

Amazon has products supplied by a bazillion third party sellers, companies, or whatever, at a variety of locations all over the country and world. So, of course some prices are higher than local grocery stores, and some are lower. Trying to generalize about their prices is at best useless, and at worst you might as well be shooting yourself in the foot repeatedly.

You can't stop comparing prices because you shop at online sources like Amazon; you need to do that just like you compare prices when shopping at bricks'n'mortar stores in the real world.