Online Grocery Shopping

By Andrew Hicks/Staff Writer

Instacart allows you to shop from either Homeland or Aldi with home delivery for both stores. Walmart also offers home delivery. For home delivery there are additional services fees, as well as a gratuity charge. Aldi and Walmart both have free curbside pickup. So, if you want to feel at least slightly involved in the process you can drive to the store. Both have an app you can download for Android and Apple so you can shop from anywhere. Throw Away the Shopping List One of the greatest benefits to online grocery shopping is the ongoing shopping list. No more do I need to keep track of my needed items. When I use something, I just add it to my shopping list. Both Walmart and Instacart have the option to add items to the cart and checkout later. Both apps feature a bar code scanner so you can just scan

f the holidays have you stressed, put some time back in your pocket by doing your grocery shopping online, instead of standing in a checkout line. In Ponca City, we have two major online shopping players, Instacart the bar code and add it and Walmart. I use both regularly, so I thought I would share to your list, or they have my shopping experience so you can see how the services compare. Call me lazy. I don’t care. a handy search feature. No more forgetting the mustard. There are still a few kinks to make this a truly spectacular experience. I’ll dig into that a little later, but for the most part I have thrown out my shopping list. You Pay Premium for Service Look, let’s be honest, having another person do your grocery shopping and bring them to your house is a luxury service, so you are definitely going to pay for the convenience. If you don’t want to pay the extra fees, you can opt for curbside pickup. With less fees and no gratuity, curbside pickup from Aldi or Walmart can make online grocery shopping affordable. As I mentioned, both apps allow you to input the amount of gratuity you want to pay for home delivery, but I will remind you these people are doing your grocery shopping for you and bringing it to your house. So please tip well!

see INSTANT Continued on page 64

BOOK REVIEWS PROVIDED BY BRACE BOOKS & MORE

By Matt Haig

Since Ree Drummond released her very first cookbook in 2009, she has been making waves in kitchens near you! Raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, after seeing some other parts of the country, Ree fell in love with a cowboy from Osage County and set up roots in the rolling hills of Pawhuska. She soon realized her fancy food wasn’t quite fit for a busy ranchman. In her very first cookbook she combines her country club menu with some down-home farm favorites. As Ree has grown in her role as a Rancher’s wife, and raised four kids (plus some) with conflicting schedules, she’s learned that sometimes the simpler the better. In her newest release, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy!, she shares 120 shortcut recipes that have become staples in her life of cheering at football games, chasing around ranch dogs and, of course, herding cattle.

Ree really breaks down how to take the time out of making fancy meals. From her favorite shortcuts, like which boxed cake mix is best to use depending on what you are making to using the microwave to save a little time. She also gives a list of staples to keep in the pantry at all times when you need to add that quick finesse.

I think my favorite part about this cookbook was feeling like a part of Ree’s family. Not only does she break down some of her favorite meals to make weeknight dinners easy and delicious, she also shows you a glimpse into her family and why “easy” is less about meals and more about enjoying life.

Brace Books currently has all seven of Ree Drummond’s cookbooks in stock, with a select quantity signed. These beautifully created books make the perfect gift for even the most difficult person to buy for.

If you are grieving the loss of a loved one this season, remember: “Their Light Still Shines” L Listen to your heart as one of your guides for making decisions. It is okay to say “No, Thank You” in this busy time of the year. I Involve your family and friends in your healing. We all manage our grief differently, but we are all there at some level and we need each other. G Give to others in honor of your loved one. There is healing in the smallest of steps and looking outwards from ourselves. H Highlight a new tradition in memory of your loved one. There is strength in new beginnings. Find a creative way to remember your loved one. T Time. Allow time for your grief. There is no timeline or set pattern. Give yourself permission to take your time.

The Mission of Humanity Hospice is to provide quality comfort care that enhances the lives of individuals with a life-limiting illness and their families through dignity and compassion.

INSTANT Continued from page 62 Delivery Charge

Both services offer you two options, a pay per delivery or a yearly membership, paid monthly or annually. When I do the Walmart per delivery, I pay on average about $20 to $30 more than the free curbside pickup. Instacart can sometimes cost me an extra $50 for delivery fee and gratuity. Admittedly, since I like to feel accomplished, I do mostly the curbside pickup, so I haven’t explored the cost-saving benefits of yearly membership from either service.

Quality and Selection

My biggest complaint about the Walmart shopping experience is availability. Remember the handy feature of adding items to your cart for later checkout? Well, that works for the most part, but the app is keeping track of real-time inventory so sometimes items may run out or will no longer be available. Also, after you checkout, items may become unavailable. In most cases, they work to get you something comparable, but just as often, you simply don’t get something. If they substitute an item, they give you a reasonable amount of time to reject or approve the substitute. This is where Instacart has the advantage because you can communicate with your shopper in real time. Often, I’ve had a shopper text me to say they are out of sliced white mushrooms, but they have whole ones, would those work? That is a lifesaver, compared to Walmart where I just don’t get mushrooms. I should also add that if you are super picky about your produce, online shopping probably won’t be good for you. I am not. Pick Up and Delivery

With the Walmart app you pick the time you want to schedule your curbside pickup or home delivery. Times tend to fill up fast on the weekends or near holidays so be mindful when planning. The delivery options for Instacart are a little more instant, usually within a two-to-five-hour window that you select. More precise times must be scheduled the day before delivery. Curbside pickup from Aldi can be scheduled two hours in advance. Walmart also has a premium twohour “express checkout” that will get your groceries to your front door in two hours or less. The two times I have utilized the “express checkout,” I had my items in less than an hour.

Both apps offer great service, and each store has advantages and disadvantages. My parting advice is to plan ahead; I have much better luck when I order the day before I plan to pick up. Last-minute shopping can be both expensive and risky because you may not get all your items. Happy Holidays!!!

With friends and neighbors like you, we have every reason to smile at the holidays and all year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

415 E. Hartford, Ponca City 580-762-7857

I would love to help you with your real estate needs in the new year!

411 N. 14th • Ponca City • 580-765-0825