In this 3-part series Dr. Alisha Ferguson and her student Emma, lead us through the different ways technology can be of great benefit to us, especially given the current circumstances. Be sure to check out our first blog post of the series here, about how to start Zooming with friends, family and co-workers.

Let Your Fingers Do the Shopping

The second of the 3-part series is introduced by Dr. Ferguson and her student Emma as, Let Your Fingers Do the Shopping. In this class they introduce and walk us through the basics of online grocery shopping as well as how to order already prepared meals that get delivered to your door.

Online Grocery Shopping

Shopping for groceries online can be convenient and make life a little easier. Especially now when social distancing is still in effect, online grocery shopping can even be a healthy choice. This can seem like a daunting task however when you are inundated with numerous sites and applications. How do you know which one is best? Dr. Ferguson and Emma break it down into steps and give you things to consider when buying online.

• Why: Ferguson and Emma discuss Frustration Tolerance in their course. Though this might be something difficult to get the hang of at first, as you become more and more accustomed to how to order online, it can be a huge time saver and much more convenient.

 

• Where: You’ll want to consider where you will order from. Some grocers such as Walmart have their own app for smart devices and the capability to order online directly from their website. Other stores use a third-party site such as Instacart or other applications. Instacart is an application that allows you to shop from many of the local grocers in your area.

 

• • An important thing to keep in mind is that many grocers will ask if you are okay with them making substitutions or giving you alternatives if they don’t have a particular item you order. If you select that you are okay with substitutions, they will go over the substitutions they made at the time of pick up or delivery. If you select that you are not okay with substitutions, you will simply get refunded if they did not have what you ordered in stock.

 

• When: You want to consider when you want your groceries to be delivered or when you want to pick them up. There may not be times available to pick up the day you order your groceries, so consider doing it in advance of when you need them.

 

• Who: Consider who you want to transport your groceries. You have the option of picking them up yourself from the grocery store, or you can get them delivered straight to your house. Be aware that if you get them delivered some sites highly encourage you to tip the delivery person.

 

• • Be aware that delivery can be pricey depending where you order from. Make sure to check what the fee is for delivery before ordering. Generally pickup is free no matter where you order from.

 

• How: Consider how you will order your groceries. You can do this using a computer, laptop, or smart device. Dr. Ferguson and Emma advise everyone to keep this device close to them near the time your groceries should be ready, in case you are sent notifications or messages about your order.

While keeping these things in mind you’ll be able to take advantage of the convenience provided by online grocery shopping. A few more tips to keep in mind would be to shop by location. One location may not have everything you are looking for, while another location not that much farther may have everything you want to order. Evaluate what may be cheaper to buy in bulk. Dr. Ferguson uses herself as an example, stating that buying coffee pods online through amazon is cheaper than buying them weekly from the grocery store. These tips can save you money and time.

 

Food Apps

Dr. Ferguson and Emma also took time to discuss ordering pre-made food from restaurants online and how to do it.

If you are wanting to order pre-made meals from restaurants or fast-food establishments, that can be delivered to you directly, you can do so using a computer, laptop, tablet or smart-device and good internet connection.

You will need to have a credit or debit card ready, download the app you are ordering off of, and all that’s left is to decide what to order!

Possibly the most frustrating part of this process, is finding the restaurant you want to order from at a fair price. Some apps don’t offer every restaurant in your area so you might have to search across different apps to find the one you are looking for.

It is important to pay attention to the fees and charges when you checkout. Some apps will have many added fees that can add up pretty quick. This can become pricey very quickly if you are not careful.

Some apps that you can order from include:

• Door Dash
• Uber Eats
• Bite Squad
• Waitr
• Grub Hub
• CLUNK – this is a local resource, can be found via Facebook

In Summary

Grocery shopping online may take a little bit of time to get the hang of but once acclimated to this way of ordering food, you’ll be able to save not only time but also money, while limiting your exposure to others, which can be the healthier option during this time.

When ordering pre-made meals from apps on your smart devices, there are several options available. Though it may be tricky at times to find what you are looking for, again once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to order with no sweat!