Instacart- Better than Sliced Bread? Part A
By Joni Johnson
A few of us gathered around the Socrates Café talking about what brought us joy. Joanne Hafner was not there. But if she had been, she would have mentioned Instacart.com. She started using it early in the pandemic because she didn’t want to go to the stores. At that time, there was a question of mask use and a reluctance to go shopping “out there”. She discovered Instacart.com and was an immediate convert.
Instacart works with a large number of stores including Safeway, Albertsons, Costco, Fred Meyers, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Staples, Target, Best Buy, the Wine Shop, Big Lots, Rite Aid, Natural Grocers, Petcoand the Vitamin Shoppe.
According to Joanne, you get two weeks free and then it’s a $99 yearly fee. When I used Instacart, I discovered there was also a small service fee – less than $3—for each order. On the Instacart website, you fill out a shopping list and decide on a tip. You have to spend $35 at a particular store to avoid a delivery fee. They offer you time windows that are available for your delivery, and then drop off the items at your door, ring your bell and then off they go.
If they don’t have a specific item, they have can substitute something with your permission. If they know they are out of a particular item when you order, they will tell you at the time of your order. Joanne ordered produce and has only been disappointed once with a too soft tomato.
Joanne says that she loves Instacart and feels that it is well worth the money. She definitely plans on continuing to use it even after Covid goes away. She feels that it saves her all sorts of time and energy so she is willing to put up with the cost and an occasional mistake. Other residents who use Instacart were all were happy with their decisions.
I decided that I needed to try this out myself. Joanne uses a computer, but I have an IPhone and Instacart provides a downloadable app, which I imagine would work just as well on any modern cell phone that provides for message texts. There is also an 800 number where people over 60 can get help with ordering, but I really think it is much easier if you have a computer. So I set up my account and downloaded the app. (They sent me the link so it was very easy).
I decided to order from Freddie’s. I ordered using my computer but during the shopping phase, the texting occurred using my phone and app. I ordered later in the day. I could have had it delivered within 5 hours but I preferred to wait until the following morning. I had loads of two-hour windows to choose from then, so I chose 11am-1pm. Later that evening, I decided to add 4 more things to the cart. It was very easy to do. In my order, they found 2 items that might require substitutions and asked me if I would accept particular substituted items just in case. During the shopping phase, I was texted with another substitution choice which I was able to work out with texts and pictures.
Before Joanne called me up and suggested this article, I had never thought about ordering on-line even though I really don’t like shopping. I kept thinking the produce or the meat wouldn’t be as good. After writing this article, I am beginning to convert. It certainly saved me time and I like to shop by computer- especially in the winter. But I realize there are other delivery options out there, so I’m going to do some more looking around before I settle on which one I want to use.
Thank you Joanne. It certainly could be better than sliced bread!
STAY TUNED NEXT MONTH FOR Part B: JONI’S GROCERY DELIVERY RESEARCH AND SELECTION ADVENTURES. This will include more input from residents as well as information about the differences between pick-up and delivery and the differences in delivery directly from Fred Meyers, Albertsons, Costco and Safeway versus delivery using Instacart.com. It will also include how the Manor provides delivery service from Fred Meyers to any of its Residents.
Caring for others lowers the rates of anxiety and depression and provide an improved outlook on life because it helps us focus on something other than ourselves. Just the act of stroking a pet has benefits. And, oddly and luckily enough, there is also quite an amazing benefit to having a plant to care for. While not everyone has, wants or can keep an animal, almost everyone can care for plants. And there is evidence that plants not only improve the environment in a room by increasing the quality of air in a room over a twenty-four hour period, but that caring for plants also increases mood levels and lowers rates of anxiety and depression. The key is caring for someone or something else.
The Wellness committee has a group that is sending cards to residents here at the Manor. But why not do the same with your friends and neighbors. There is evidence that shows that getting cards from others, even complete strangers, helps people feel connected. And those who write the cards feel good by doing something for others. It isn’t simple. It requires thought, time and energy. But little acts of kindness go a long way!
Jane and Steve Harris, with the support of the Wellness Advisory Committee and along with a core of writers (many of them from the same committee), created a card writing project here at the Manor soon after the Covid crisis began. The purpose was to alleviate people’s sense of isolation by letting our residents know that they were being thought about and supported. As Jane said, cards can be a healing gift to people. Cards can be held, displayed and re-read, a reminder of the warm and caring feelings of the sender. It certainly helps people deal with the depression that can come with this long period of isolation.
In 1990, George M. Jemison published A History of Rogue Valley Manor, 1955-1989. 
Kuali`i, possibly RVM’s only Eclectus parrot, lives on Quail Point Circle and can often be seen wandering the street on the shoulder of one of his adoptive parents, Keith and Barbara Maxfield. Although he was hatched in San Diego, Kuali`i is named for one of Oahu’s famous chiefs. His parents have had a long time association with the Hawaiian Islands and came to RVM directly from Oahu.
He loves people and hates being alone, so traveling can be an issue and finding a bird sitter is not as easy as finding a dog sitter. Luckily, one of the Maxfields’ neighbors offered to take care of him during a trip before Covid, so they wheeled his rather large cage down the street. Their friends loved it so much that they are eagerly awaiting another turn.
half the auditorium limited the size of displays and the number of vendors. To maximize the number of shoppers, vendors couldn’t be present at their tables during the fair. Shoppers were limited to RVM residents and employees. The fair was held over two days rather than the usual single day.
Following the procedure that worked well at the Big Sale, shoppers took their bags of treasures to a receipt writer, who noted each vendor number and the price of each item. Then shoppers took their receipt to a cashier just outside the auditorium and paid for their purchases.
In addition, a number of craft items were on exhibit in display cabinets just outside the Plaza and the Manor dining rooms. Many vendors indicated they would accept advance sales. Advance sales accounted for about 30% of the total proceeds.
A quilt made by the Piece Makers, and a Sharlyn Woolley memorial afghan, made of sampler squares knitted by Sharlyn and assembled by Connie Kent, were on exhibit in the Manor lobby for people to bid on.
Salome Sato started something wonderful about three years ago. She created a registry for cat owners who were going on vacation and needed sitters for their babies. By the end of those three years, she had about 35 people on board. Some of them owned cats and wanted occasional help, some of them had cats and were willing to take in short-term boarders and some were just people who loved cats and were willing to cat-sit even though they no longer had a cat of their own.