Since 2020, I often get my groceries delivered through Instacart. It’s a huge luxury, but one I’ve been happy to pay for.
I was surprised, though, to learn it could cost me an additional $70 for just a single grocery trip.
Living in Manhattan through the height of the Covid-19 pandemic often meant living in an epicenter of spiking coronavirus infections. But my preferred grocery store, Wegmans, only had one location in New York City at the time — and it was an hour-long subway ride away in Brooklyn. Especially when trying to avoid crowds and public transportation, it was a hassle for me to get to.
I occasionally shop at other grocery stores closer to my apartment, but I prefer Wegmans because of its reliable quality and comparably low prices. Some people obsess over Trader Joes; I obsess over Wegmans.
A new location recently opened in Manhattan, but it still takes me at least 45 minutes on the subway to get to either Wegmans location — another reason I regularly rely on grocery delivery. Wegmans only offers delivery through Instacart, according to its website.
I admit, I got a little spoiled when it felt like I was using Instacart as more of a necessity in 2020. Now, it’s so easy to just add all the things I want to my cart and have someone else do the real legwork. But as the cost of groceries has risen since 2020, it’s gotten more and more difficult to justify the additional costs of delivery.
So last week, I did a little experiment. I went to Wegmans myself and did my grocery shopping. I then came home and added all the same items to my virtual cart on Wegmans’ Instacart storefront to see how much I’d saved by doing the shopping myself. My total savings: $68.
Why delivery costs more
My delivery order would have been more expensive for a couple of reasons. For one, it costs more in general to buy my groceries through Instacart. When I visit the Wegmans page on the app or website, it makes it clear the prices online are higher than they are in-store.
“Some…
Read the full article here