Twelve Tips for Grocery Pickups

A couple of winters ago I did a lot of grocery pick-up orders. The flu was going around pretty bad and I wasn't going to go into a store to touch carts or be near people (I had this "stay home" thing down a long time ago, folks)! That was in the days when you could get next-day or same-day slots. In the past couple of months the grocery orders at my local stores have been working a little differently than normal, so I thought I would jot down what I have learned.


My local stores only give you a one-hour window to complete your order, of you forfeit your spot in line. I had several times reserved my spot, only to miss the one-hour ordering deadline to keep it. So my first tip is:

1. Throw a few staples in your cart that get you to the minimum required order, and buy those things IMMEDIATELY. Reserve the time you want, and check out all the way to the confirmation email. Sometimes the site confuses you to think you have finished the purchase, but make sure that you keep clicking the "continue" button until it really goes through. Don't worry, you are not committed to just that little amount of stuff, or even have to keep it in your cart, because you can...

2.  ...MODIFY your order. You can usually do this up to the night before your pickup. Find that confirmation email and there is usually a button on it to "modify" or "review" your order. You can then keep shopping the site at a more comfortable pace, even for several days, adding things to your cart.

3. Think about your time slots carefully before your commit. I have had the last slot and arrived there just a few minutes late at the end of the hour, and they would not open for me, even though they had my grocery order in there and were open five minutes previously. I had to drive all the way back the next morning to get my order. I avoid that last slot not only for that reason, but because I suspect that most of the items on my list are gone from the store by the afternoon when my order is being filled. Try to get an early slot.

4. Make a list! I know that most of you always have one, but when the world turns funny on you, often times your mind won't work and you may have forgotten to write some things down. Do this on paper in addition to the online cart. Keep the list going as you usually do, writing things down that you have just opened. Yes, you may have just opened your bag of flour and it will take you several weeks to go through it, but your grocery slot might be two weeks away too! 
Making a weekly menu or meal plan is essential. Even if you don't follow it, you will always have the ingredients coming to make something. Keep those ingredients in your cart.
Think ahead to special occasions as well. Do you have any birthdays in the family coming up that might require cake-baking or special meals?

5.  If your store lets you make notes on your order, keep a copy/paste list of frequently used directions on your computer. Things like "about 2 pounds" or "can substitute with unsweetened" or " about 6 firm apples" or whatever you usually have to write out. It saves some time.

6. Be careful of quantities nowadays. When I started using the grocery pick-up again this year, they had these great sales going on: "buy 5 save $5!" Hah. Just look how they were encouraging hoarding in the old days. Putting five of these items in the cart immediately canceled them on my order, because that week they had suddenly limited those items to 2 per person. I actually went into the store after my pickup and found them on the shelf.. At the same store, I had a person tell me "if you have a quantity of two on your list, we will at least give you one if we can't fill the whole order" but I have yet to see that happen. If you can, put a note in the substitutes to say "if you can't get me two, I'll take one please."

7.  Know what your store is willing to do! I have been given some tips over the years by employees, such as asking for things not on the website. I was told to put something similar in the cart, then in the notes say what you really want. For instance, you may be used to shopping the bulk section for better prices. You can put a packaged item on the list and say "I do not want this, but I want a pound of nuts from the bulk section."


8. Think outside of groceries for convenience. Sometimes it is truly one-stop-shopping at your store, even on their grocery site. Type things in the search bar and look around! I put sandpaper and paint brushes on my last grocery order for a home project I was doing. I was able to get a three-ring-binder and inserts for an office organization project as well. My grocery store has a clothing section, and though limited online I can get socks if I need them in a hurry.

9. Use the text options for no surprises. Let them have your phone number and you will get updates about substitutes etc. in real time. That way you know what is going on, and can reject them if you don't want them. It means less waiting time in the parking lot for them to go in and out to adjust your receipt. Some will email you the substitutes instead, and that is great too.

10. Look for bags button at the checkout. If your state has banned free bags* be aware that some stores will not bag your items at all. You will go home with cabbages rolling around in the trunk. You can keep your own bags in the car, but nowdays the employees will NO LONGER touch your personal shopping bags, and they don't want you out with them bagging your own groceries. I don't mind paying to have it bagged, but I can't ever seem to find that button! Thankfully the other store pick-up gives me lovely paper bags for free.

11. Try to make it in your order time, but don't panic if you are late. No need to speed because you had a delay getting to town! Stores will hold your pick-up order until you can get there, up to the end of the day (and sometimes you can even pick it up the next morning-- call your store to find out).


12. Expect it to take time! It can be discouraging, especially if you are used to popping into the store physically and quickly getting what you are used to. It's frustrating to be searching all over the website for something when you know just where it is in the store! After a while the site will be able to suggest things for your cart that you frequently buy, which will save a little time.

I hope this helps some of you who are new to doing grocery pick up!

*Bonus rant: First, they took away our free paper bags twenty years or more ago, because paper bags kill trees. We no longer had a choice but were given plastic. Then, after they had us all used to free plastic bags, they took those away because plastic kills the environment. But oh, paper bags are OK now because we found out that we can plant more trees. But, you have to pay 10 cents for a paper bag. Just use your own bag. Oh, never mind, there's a pandemic on and we don't want to touch your germy bag! I don't blame them, I didn't want to bring my own bags in the first place. 
OH, and since they took away the free plastic bags, I've taken to keeping empty  bread bags for times when I need a plastic bag... just like my grandmother who went through the depression (she used to wash them out and hang them on the line. I no longer think she was crazy.). I have been forced to buy small plastic garbage can liners for the wastepaper baskets.  It's a conspiracy, I tell ya.

Observing...

When I list all the things that were gone from grocery store shelves in the past two months, I come up with flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, oil and maple syrup. Hmm... what can you make with all that? Guess my area has a lot of pancake lovers. Haven't seen a shortage of butter yet, though... it's nice to think that people are enjoying baking. 

Lots of things happening in the sunshine! I see more people out cleaning their yards. I see kids playing out in the sunshine that were used to being cooped up in a classroom this time of year. I'm sure it's motivating to get your schoolwork done if you can go and play! No long school bus ride to get to your own yard. And no one thinks your kid is truant or un-socialized. 

Front porches are getting used the way they ought to! My neighbor is very creative-- she asked for a front porch concert. So we got out the fiddles and played to the neighbors, who put out their lawn chairs by the street. I've heard of more than one front-porch church service. The bigger the porch the better-- I believe every house should have a porch wide enough to fit a table and chairs. Dining al-fresco is a lovely idea. 

I see creativity and people getting to projects done that they have been putting off. Honey-do lists are getting shortened. I wonder when some of that extra time will trickle down to me???

Bible Class for Children

My friends have put their Bible class online! There is a recipe first, then the story of the Resurrection for your children, with songs and scripture.  Enjoy!

My Coronavirus Predictions

I have not benefited from all the forced "down time" that people are enjoying, as my normal life at home is so busy that nothing has changed for me. But in the wee  hours of last night, when there was "spare" time, I decided to try a new talent out: prophesy. Let's see how I do.

My Coronavirus Predictions
(short term and long term, in no particular order other than how they came to me)

• This will permanently change the way our society conducts business, holds school, etc., as  having a break from the everyday "rush" and sleeping in will be a relief to many and they will not want to go back to the stress. 

• Since businesses will be more online and most people will opt to continue working from home, brick-and-mortar stores and offices will dwindle, perhaps being converted into apartments.

• The nation's internet infrastructure will be extended and improved. Therefore, the next attack on the American People will be through their internet or infrastructure. 

• The school system will re-structure and try to get their students back from the land of Sleeping In. There will be a huge push to get parents to cooperate (as in, go back to getting up early) and put their kids back in schools. This might take a lot of advertising, pressure, and/or new legislation. 

• There will be more homeschoolers than ever, and more stay-at-home-moms long term. 

• I haven't checked in on coffee sales, but they are probably going down in lock-down states where people are sleeping in. My prediction is that people will get used to no set schedules and sleeping when they want and how long they want, that they will need less coffee to stay awake. 

• The majority of current office-holders will NOT be re-elected.

• There will be a Baby Boom starting in January/February 2021, especially in the lock-down states. These future taxpayers will be the ones to pay for the 2 trillion dollar bail-out. 

• Some parents are actually going to name their boomer baby boy "Covid" and their girl "Corona."

• Right now, Americans are living off of fear. Especially our senior citizens. But in a few weeks Americans will tire of all this, and a sort of bravery will be born, better than endurance. Many women will be the first to be brave for their families, turn off the news and start to try to make a normal life for their families. Men will follow soon after and quit being afraid of getting sick and running out of toilet paper, and turn their mind to manly endeavors and new inventions to fill needs. Seniors will eventually find their resilient selves, except for many senior women, who are vulnerable to deep and lasting fear. It will take them longer to recover from the news.

• Social distancing will be here to stay. Even the way we park our cars will change (as seen already by people social-distance parking). We didn't like the closeness anyway. We might start bowing to each other from 6 feet away, and the friendly wave will replace the hug. 

• We will never, as a nation, run out of toilet paper.

• Our kids will look at us (and our collecting habits...) the same way we looked at our grandparents who went through the depression. 

• This spring will sprout more gardeners

• Farmers and Ranchers will be the best off physically and mentally by the end of this.

• Freedoms taken away will never come back. More orders will come down the pike to keep us in practice of doing things en masse. 

• There will be found new freedoms that we didn't know we had. 

• Blogging will increase.

• YouTube will start charging people to start a channel.

• Hyperactive kids are getting more sleep and more play time. Some will be medicated a little less here on out.

• The majority of people in the nation will take the new vaccine for the 2019 virus at the end of 2020, and the social pressure to do so will be immense. 

• Instead of just thanking God for our food, we'll ask Him for it in the first place. 

• There will be more socialization than ever in person (as a reaction to everything being cancelled now), but it will be rather awkward as we will be a nation of germophobes.

• People will be thinking about their health, their wallets, and physical safety but still won't think about their souls.