3 or 4 months out of the year, grocery becomes a chore in every sense of the word due to the cold, seemingly insurmountable walking and bag transporting conditions. But even in good weather, sometimes the grocery store is too far away to be plausible if you don’t have a car, or to be honest, maybe you’re just feeling lazy.
But regardless of why you can’t leave the house to go grocery shopping, you’re in luck, because you have options. Here are 3 ways to grocery shop in Chicago without leaving the house.
Postmates
Promo code: Use “fggx” to get $20 worth of delivery credits (can be spread over multiple orders)
Delivery charge: Start at $5, and go up depending on how far you are from the city center + 9% service fee on groceries + tip
Postmates is very similar to Grubhub, in that you can order our favorite restaurant food for delivery. Where it’s different is in its integration to shop basic groceries. With this in mind, and as many Postmates ride bikes, you should use Postmates mostly for small orders of necessities and popular items. You can usually expect Postmates to deliver in about an hour or less.
If your exact desired item isn’t in stock, Postmates gives you the option to substitute the order, take an in-store recommendation, or cancel the order completely.
Instacart
Promo code: Use ‘MOSMAN11‘ for $10 off your first order
Delivery charge: Various. Depends on your delivery timeframe and order size.
Instacart is a lot like Postmates, although they specialize much more in groceries and have a much better selection of products. The best part? You can shop favorites from grocery stores instead of accepting products stockpiled in a warehouse (which is how Peapod operates).
Delivery charges are quite minimal compared to Postmates and Peapod, ranging from $3.99-$5.99, depending on how quickly you need your groceries. They also have a yearly membership program that’s worth every penny if you end up using Instacart on the regular. The only downside is their pricing – sometimes up to 20% marked up from retail prices.
Bonus: You don’t need a Costco membership to order from Costco with Costco products.
Peapod
Promo code: 60 days of free delivery + $20 off first order with code “60DAYSFREE”
Delivery charge: Flat rate around $5-7 per delivery + tip
Peapod is the best ways to grocery shop in Chicago without leaving the house. They’re pretty flexible in terms of when you want your groceries, but should expect as long as a 4 hour delivery time block. Make sure someone’s home to accept the delivery!
They run several promotions throughout the year, so when used strategically, it’s one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to grocery shop, without, ya know, doing it yourself.
Downside: Peapod doesn’t always let you know when your exact desired item isn’t in stock so you may find yourself surprised when an item you were counting on doesn’t come with your delivery.
A note on produce
I try to avoid buying fresh produce through any of these ways to grocery shop in Chicago without leaving the house. Stock up on frozen and canned vegetables, but save produce shopping for when you can pick it out yourself, whenever possible. A personal shopper isn’t ever going to be as choosy as you are.
A note on the shopping experience
It can be kind of annoying to buy individual grocery items on a screen, but all the above ways to grocery shop in Chicago without leaving the house try to make the experience as painless as possible. They have an ordering solution that’s suitable for those who like desktops and an app for those who prefer mobile ordering.
From a spending standpoint, grocery shopping online is a great way to check yourself again a monthly grocery budget without having to calculate things out by hand. For someone trying to avoid impulse shopping by educating themselves with in-your-face pricing, these grocery shopping solutions could have additional benefits for users.
Now that you know how to grocery shop in Chicago without leaving the house, what will you be using these services for?
- A late night snack ingredient run?
- Something you forgot to make food for a party you’re hosting?
- Everything if it’s too cold out or you’re too far away from a grocery store, without a car?
Let us know in the comments!
