Buying Food is a Pain

[Panina]

It is becoming a royal pain to get food. I have been getting an average of two deliveries a week, one from Aldis, the other from Publix. I am doing curb side pick up at Food Lion and Harris Teeter. Getting the slots are difficult too. Most often I find them in the middle of the night.

Even with all this, many items they just don’t have. Aldis had been the best but this week even the basics are gone.

Today I did a curbside pickup at Food Lion that I had to wait over week for. Checked last night and this morning online to see if the items were available. They showed they were but not even a third of what I ordered was in my order. Since I was an early pickup their online system is wrong. I drove a half hour each way and didn’t get the major stuff I needed.

I have tried not to over order so others can get what they need too.

Now I am spending lots of time online trying to order items to be mail delivered that I cannot get from the stores.

I hope it gets better soon. Afraid it will get harder as My area the projection of peak is the beginning of May.

 

[Cornell]

I have heard this from many who use grocery delivery services. NOT GOOD.

 

[Brett]

It is becoming a royal pain to get food. I have been getting an average of two deliveries a week, one from Aldis, the other from Publix. I am doing curb side pick up at Food Lion and Harris Teeter. Getting the slots are difficult too. Most often I find them in the middle of the night.

Even with all this, many items they just don’t have. Aldis had been the best but this week even the basics are gone.

Today I did a curbside pickup at Food Lion that I had to wait over week for. Checked last night and this morning online to see if the items were available. They showed they were but not even a third of what I ordered was in my order. Since I was an early pickup their online system is wrong. I drove a half hour each way and didn’t get the major stuff I needed.

I have tried not to over order so others can get what they need too.

Now I am spending lots of time online trying to order items to be mail delivered that I cannot get from the stores.

I hope it gets better soon. Afraid it will get harder as My area the projection of peak is the beginning of May.

getting food is no problem for me
I go into the Kroger grocery store and it's fully stocked with everything I need .... (but no TP )

 

[WalnutBaron]

We've recently begun supplementing our food supply using Hello Fresh. We get weekly deliveries of two meals at a very reasonable cost (about $10/meal including delivery charges). The meals are very good to excellent. We have had zero issues with getting the items we ordered.

 

[TravelTime]

Getting food is easy for us. We just go to the small local grocery store and pick up what we need. They are small enough not to have crowds but large enough to have everything we need. And we get a weekly delivery from Hello Fresh of 4-5 meals for dinner. I would not want to mess with online grocery ordering. I can see how that would be frustrating.

 

[slip]

For us, selection have been improving every week. We only go shopping once a week. We go on Saturday. It actually seems like there have been less people over the last few weeks also. I hope the trend continues.

Everything is getting back in stock except TP, Paper towels and tissues.

 

[Passepartout]

Very few to no issues here. The freezers, fridge and pantry were pretty well stocked back in February when the news was building on laying in supplies. We've kept fresh stock of veggies combined with frozen enough to vary meals. There was a time of paper shortages, but we still had at least a month's supply on hand. Oh, if the quarantine continues into June/July, the pickin's will get thinner, but so far anyway the stores are fairly well stocked. We have 5-6 different grocery chains, all with different and independent distribution systems. What one may be short of, another will have. We had a little scarcity of white flour and yeast, but I got some bread flour and one restaurant was selling 1 lb blocks of yeast. It was more than we needed, so we split the bounty among friends and family.

Farmers here are dumping milk down the drain because the money they are paid on the open market is lower than the cost of production. You can't just tell a cow to stop producing milk. One co-op is selling gallons of milk for $.99. A local farm is giving away field run (not graded for size) potatoes. Come on by and take 2-3 bags for free.. We may get some of thos and share the spuds. We are home of the world's largest yogurt plant and they are always having some kind of charitable give-away at least to the food banks.

Survival of the fittest!

Jim

 

[Glynda]

While the wait is longer for curbside pick-up ( 9 days this week from Harris Teeter), the selection has been better especially for meat and frozen food. What I can not buy is hand soap and I don't even want anti-bacterial. Just bottles of Soft Soap or Dial.

 

[moonstone]

Our DD has been good at shopping for us so we have only been out shopping once since returning from our winter away. Only DH went in the store and although he refused to wear a mask he did keep his distance from people. Many items I wanted (frozen vegies & fruit, flour, canned tomatoes...) were not available or there was a limited selection. We can not get any grocery delivery to our rural home and I can not find a pick-up slot for any of the grocery stores in the two towns near us. I even tried to book a delivery to our DS's house in town but all the slots were booked. I am devising dinners with what we have on hand and items we are able to buy.


~Diane

 

[VacationForever]

As you know, Panina, our doctor does not want us to go to the stores. We tried curbside pickup once which we cancelled when we were notified 30 min before pickup time that half the items on the list were not available. We are now doing 100% mail order and so far so good. One batch of fruits and vegetables will be delivered on Thursday and a second batch from another company is coming in on Saturday. Meat will be delivered early next week. Everything else comes from Costco.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com... A couple of weeks ago we had 8 loaves of gluten-free bread delivered to us from glutenfreepalace.com.

 

[Panina]

As you know, Panina, our doctor does not want us to go to the stores. We tried curbside pickup once which we cancelled when we were notified 30 min before pickup time that half the items on the list were not available. We are now doing 100% mail order and so far so good. One batch of fruits and vegetables will be delivered on Thursday and a second batch from another company is coming in on Saturday. Meat will be delivered early next week. Everything else comes from Costco.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com... A couple of weeks ago we had 8 loaves of gluten-free bread delivered to us from glutenfreepalace.com.

I just was able to get our favorite ready made sauces on line today from Walmart, a find. I like to cook fresh normally but hard to get what I use.

Vegetables I have been getting from Aldi’s home delivery. Not alway my first choices but I like most veggies so not an issue. Fresh Potatoes have been hard to get. I had to get a 10 lb bag as no one else had any, got it in my curbside order.

I also just got 12 lbs of beyond burgers from a food service restaurant company. Reluctantly I order it, too much. They always showed available but then then were not in my orders.

I had some success with glutenfreemall.com but still half has not been delivered yet two weeks later even though the items were supposedly in stock. A few weeks ago I got a meat order delivered for my other half so we have some for awhile.

It basics hard to get, cheese, eggs, fish, etc., hit and miss, more miss lately.

 

[VacationForever]

I just was able to get our favorite ready made sauces on line today from Walmart, a find. I like to cook fresh normally but hard to get what I use.

Vegetables I have been getting from Aldi’s home delivery. Not alway my first choices but I like most veggies so not an issue. Fresh Potatoes have been hard to get. I had to get a 10 lb bag as no one else had any, got it in my curbside order.

I also just got 12 lbs of beyond burgers from a food service restaurant company. Reluctantly I order it, too much. They always showed available but then then were not in my orders.

I had some success with glutenfreemall.com but still half has not been delivered yet two weeks later even though the items were supposedly in stock. A few weeks ago I got a meat order delivered for my other half so we have some for awhile.

It basics hard to get, cheese, eggs, fish, etc., hit and miss, more miss lately.

When we run low on bread I will check out glutenfreemall.com as well. We normally get our gluten-free bread from Whole Foods.

 

[geekette]

getting food is no problem for me
I go into the Kroger grocery store and it's fully stocked with everything I need .... (but no TP )

Yes, I have made maybe 2 trips since late Feb stock up. no problems with anything, including TP.

This last time it was really strange. I expected traffic to be like Christmas but it was noon workday traffic. weird. Target lot was Very Full but I wasn't going there anyway.

It was the first I'd been out since people started wearing masks, so that was at first a bit of culture shock, then I noticed how many people didn't have them, including workers. This is a big Kroger and too many people but ok. I just skipped any aisles with 2 or more people and got in and out in under 30 minutes. Didn't really need peanut butter, but I wish there hadn't been a crowd at ice cream and soup sections.

I really don't want to mess with ordering food online. it's just me and I'm not picky so it's been fine to hit it once a month.

 

[10spro]

Went grocery shopping at 6am when this all started 4+ weeks ago to get my toilet paper and wipes, but I've been looking for flour ever since.

 

[dioxide45]

The only thing I couldn't find at Aldi yesterday was flour. They had everything else I was looking for. Even had a ton of meat. The last time I was there over a week ago, the meat section was bare.

 

[Tacoma]

In Canada like the US we have had periodic shortages of certain items. Ordering for pick up is taking 10-12 days to get a time slot. I've done that 3 times now with varying success. The first time was by far the worst. Very few of my items were available. I have had much more success sticking to a small local store versus a large supermarket. I think the perception is they are more expensive so not as busy. Today for the first time in a month I did the Costco senior hour. Took about 30 minutes to wind my way in but well organized. Had almost everything except hand sanitizers and lysol cleaners. We are somewhat worried about the food chain since covid 19 has hit our meat processing plants. Only time will tell. Newfoundland and Labrador may have more trouble as the ships that transport their food are not making money since the goods that are profitable to ship are not in demand now.

 

[davidvel]

I wish you all lived near me (San Diego), I'd get groceries for you. I go to the grocery store or Costco every other day or so although, I have an "underlying condition."

Lots of isopropol sprayed on my cart, over my hands and everything (everytime) I touch. If you sanitize everything you touch, or someone else touched, you "can't" catch a virus, but I understand the concerns of those that have conditions making them more susceptible.

 

[jme]

If you sanitize everything you touch, or someone else touched, you "can't" catch a virus.

.


Oh really?
Maybe this is why some who've become infected have no idea where they got it.
Amazing.


.

 

[Talent312]

About 2x/week, I walk right into Publix (waited in line 2x).
I find nearly everything I want ('cept Jimmy Dean sage sausage).
They even had a BOGO on sour cream and a sale on ribeyes.

.The pizza place next door is going gangbusters w-two lines.
,

 

[x3 skier]

Everything I want has been available at the Kroger or local super markets. No big lines except curbside pickup which is always jammed. Inside, easy with minimum waits on the six foot apart marks.

Cheers

 

[mdurette]

Even before Covid I used grocery delivery services. I continue to do this now as I feel it is the safest way to obtain what I need. Surprisingly, during these times I find Walmart delivery to be the most reliable and I have also placed one order via InstaCart BJs and a couple Ship-It from BJs warehouse direct. I did have 1 Walmart order cancel abruptly, but I can't blame them. It was just under a $500 order when I was trying to purchase for 3 households....I'm sure they looked at it and said no way we can do that today. The trick is to start a cart and then keep watching for openings (early morning works for me) and book the slot. while you are in the "still can make changes" time, keep modifying your order. Say you need eggs but they didn't have originally, keep looking and add them when they do. I also try to buy items I can easily wipe down once they get here, example if I need peppers - I buy ones that come 3 sealed in a bag instead of individual ones. Yes, it is more money but I can easily sanitize the bag. All non perishable items stay in the garage for at least 3 days.

BJs Ship it is good for non perishables too. But, there packing leaves a lot to be desired. Can goods have come in dented, cleaners have come in leaking. Overall, I take what I get and can't complain because there was someone out there doing the job that I don't want to do right now.

BJs instacart - another tip. I had been trying for a while to get an order my mother in law needed delivered to her house or mine, nothing ever available. I then thought to put my mother's address as she lives about 3 miles closer to the store than us. That worked, maybe try an address of a friend or relative.

I double my typical tip now too.

 

[WinniWoman]

Honestly I just go to the grocery store once per week. This is not a highly populated area and I go early- like by 9 am- and not a lot of people there. It can be stressful- more for trying to find things than worrying about catching the virus- but for the most part I have been able to get what we need, with some exceptions like flour and yeast.

I did finally get the Tylenol I ordered on Amazon. No matter what I order on Amazon- mostly non food items- Prime is still taking a long time to get.

But we do not have the dietary restrictions like Panina has. I did start wearing a mask, though I will be out of those soon. I decided I am not going to wear gloves any longer. It's a waste. I just wipe them with the few wipes I have left when I get in the car and wash them again when I get home.

 

[bogey21]

I have taken to going to the Super Market at 7 am right when they open. It has been pretty much me and the help. I have been able to get pretty much everything I need. The only problem is that the help (who had arrived about 6 am) in busily stocking the shelves and every now and then they haven't gotten around to something I am looking for...

George

 

["Roger"]

I am among those not experiencing any big problems. Before the Corvid19 scare, the store I go to would be a total mob scene Friday through Sunday. Avoid at all costs. I now go during senior hours, five to seven in the morning (after the store has received a good cleaning over night). This morning, totally unbusy. Every customer had a face mask, but not many of the store personnel did. (I imagine they get in the way when they try to do their work.) I could have gotten anything including toilet paper with one exception. My wife and I are rice consumers. I want to avoid rice grown in Texas (which most of the American rice is) in that it has elevated arsenic content. The rice area was devastated and what was left was not acceptable to me. I am okay for now, but will have keep watching. (I tend to make everything from scratch and I had to use the wait and watch strategy to get bread flour. I can now get it. Hopefully better supplies of rice will appear over time.)

 

[Glynda]

I placed an online order today to Harris Teeter. Last order I had to wait 9 days for. This one 4. With the news reporting shortages of food coming, I expect the wait will be longer again and lack of selection sparse.