How I am Avoiding the Grocery Store {as much as possible}

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As we know, 2020 has had many unexpected twists and turns, one of which is grocery drama.

Whether it is products being unavailable, having to wait in line {to get INTO the store!}, or your favorite store is simply closed, going to get groceries can be an experience.

How I am Avoiding the Grocery Store || AmyLovesIt.com

Azure Standard

I have recently rekindled my love for Azure Standard. I have used them off and on since 2011. The inconsistency on my part was due to drop date and time changes, or we were gone on drop day, etc, but I am planning way ahead and doing what I can to make sure our schedule is open so we can pick up our order.

Azure Standard is a once-a-month order where you can choose what you need from their online store and then pick it up on your “drop” day at a predetermined location. This year, Azure has expanded their drop points, so it is even more likely there is a drop near you! How it works is, you can place your order and then add or remove items throughout the month, up until about a week before your order ships. Your card is charged, and then on the scheduled day and time, you will meet the truck to pick up your order. It all comes in boxes, and there is a freezer section, a refrigerated section, and a room temperature section of this semi truck. We order everything from butter and eggs to flour and syrup. We love the options and have been pleased with everything we have purchased. You can buy items in bulk or you can order just a regular size. It is totally up to you. To find out if there is an Azure Standard drop point in your area, go to their website and plug in your address. It will give you the drop(s) closest to you! There is no membership fee for this service, but there is a freight charge that changes depending on the weight of your order.

Thrive Market

Thrive Market is an online shop that sells more clean, organic products. They sell meat and chicken, vitamins, dry goods, personal care products, clean wine, diapers, sustainably-farmed coffee, and more. It’s another almost “one-stop shop.” There is the option to use autoship, but it is not required. The autoship option comes with a bit of a discount, so it is worth looking into. I recently began using it and it is incredibly easy to change the frequency of your shipment dates, the length between shipments, and you can add or remove items from your autoship as you desire. There is a yearly membership fee to purchase from Thrive Market, but even with that fee I have found their prices to be very comparable – and many times better – than grocery stores and even Amazon. I live in an area where it is harder to find organic items, especially those in the personal care area, so your mileage may vary. It is always smart to price shop. Delivery is free on orders over $50, and they do a great job of shipping quickly. Thrive Market also has an app, making it very easy to shop from your phone. They also give you cash back if you shop through Rakuten. Customer service has always been great if I’ve had an issue with my order, but issues have been extremely rare for me. If you would like to shop with Thrive Market, but have a low income or are a student, teacher, first responder, or veteran, be sure to see if you qualify for their Thrive Gives program.

Walmart Grocery Pick-Up

While Walmart is not my favorite place to shop, it is the only store in my area that offers grocery pick-up. I have utilized this a lot, especially lately, and I’ve only had one negative experience that the store made right. In addition, the last few times I’ve had the same gentleman bagging my groceries, and having a quick chat with him has been a delightful experience!

We are also expanding our garden for 2021, and I am super excited about that!

Of course, we still have quick trips in our local grocery store, and when we cannot get to the farm for milk, we do hit up Braum’s. For the most part, though, these other options have cut our actually grocery store shopping down quite a bit, which is fine by me even without the interesting-ness of 2020!

What are your favorite tips to get through – or out of – grocery shopping?

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