Delivered
How are you keeping your pantry stocked during social distancing?!?!?
Have you been to the grocery store lately?!?!? I just can’t get in my car to be disappointed that what I need is not there.
In 2008, I took a trip to New York City and thought it was odd that my friend had her groceries delivered and had trouble grappling with the idea of someone else picking out my lettuce. Fast forward to 2019, where I began ordering Blue Apron x WW boxes to combat the “what’s for dinner” and “ugh, but I don’t want to cook” battles I was having with myself in my kitchen. Which, brings us to the era of 2020 social distancing and sheltering in place, where I have decided that if it cannot get it delivered, then I do not need it!
Keeping My Shelves Stocked
I love my local Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, my neighborhood Trader Joe’s, and all of the markets in my downtown neighborhood, but after three decades of life as an asthmatic and too many memories of nights in the emergency room because I couldn’t breathe, so I’m taking social distancing seriously and staying out of stores. My plan to get the food and household goods that I need involves a combination of sourcing items from local and national delivery services and sticking with the names and brands that I trust!
Business As Usual
Blue Apron
If you have been following me on Instagram or Facebook, then you already know that I have been a Blue Apron subscriber for the past 15+ months and LOVE the service!
I don’t just love that I only go to the grocery store once a month for essentials (i.e. wine, yogurt, coffee, beer, milk, fruits, and frozen veggies), I love that I have all of that time back that was otherwise spent grocery shopping and meal planning! I also love that if when I unpack the ingredients and something is missing, damaged, or not up to ingredient quality, then Blue Apron’s customer service has hooked me up with credits ranging from $5 – $59.94 (the cost of an entire box) through the ease of an app. vs. the grocery store that I would have to drive back to for a refund! If I were to buy food at the grocery store and then discover that the garlic bulb was moldy when I separated the cloves, I could not send an email with a photo from my kitchen to the grocery store to get my money back. Instead, I would have to get in my car and drive back to the store, which I definitely do not have time to do for a bulb of garlic! A honey baked ham, absolutely, but not garlic. Instead, the garlic would just get tossed and so would the cash that I spent on this item. (If you have been following my stories on FB and IG, then you know this moldy garlic bulb is a true story!)
Now that we are in the midst of a pandemic with mandatory social distancing and shelter in place orders, I see Blue Apron as my way to make sure that I avoid the grocery store lines, mayhem, and stress that what I need is out of stock.
The Bare Necessities
Keeping it Local
Blue Apron is great with helping me plan for 6-12 of my lunches and dinners a week, but I’m still 2-8 meals short of a full week by the time I’m done with my box and cannot order breakfast foods, pantry staples, extra fresh or frozen veggies to stretch my servings, fruit for snacks, or paper products and toiletries. For all of these essentials, I’m sticking with delivery, but keeping it local as much as possible!
We have the meats!
Question: If my Blue Apron box only gives me 6-12 lunch and dinner meals a week, what am I doing for the remaining 2-8 dinners and lunches each week?!?!?
Answer: Making up those missing meals with my Shalhoobs’ Butcher’s Box deliveries! Think Omaha Steaks meat deliveries, but from your favorite 805 butcher with quality meat, poultry, and shellfish deliveries, as well as, add-ons that range from bbq sauce to toilet paper ($1 per roll). Each butcher’s box bundle can save up to 20% off of retail. Plus, an order of at least $50, earns free delivery in Santa Barbara! 20% off, plus free delivery: DONE.
The Greens
Since I’m not going to the grocery store during social distancing, that left the question of what to do when I run out of frozen vegetables in my freezer later this week to stretch out my Blue Apron servings or to pair with my Shalhoobs protein dinners…
After conferring with my favorite locavores, I decided to go with Frecker Farms’ Farm Cart boxes because they are fresh, local and affordable! I signed up for the Essential Box with both vegetables & fruits for $12.25 (plus $6 for delivery, free for pick up). I am expecting to get 2-4 veggies & 1-3 fruits per week with the option to change or cancel my box at any time or add local grains. For my first delivery, I added a sourdough loaf that I can cut up and freeze (yep, my freezer gets a lot of action).
Other National Meal Delivery Programs that My Friends Recommend
Santa Barbara Meal Delivery Service
Healthy Warrior
Don’t want to cook?!?! Get your meal prep done for you and farm boxes from my girl, Mia, at Healthy Warrior Meal Prep Delivery! Healthy Warrior is a no mess, no stress meal delivery service that uses locally sourced foods, partnering with some of your favorite local fishers, farmers, and bakers!
Meals on Wheels
Delivery Services
California laws regarding alcohol have changed, and you can now get your favorite cocktail delivered with dinner from your favorite restaurant in town! Take a break from cooking and check on who is delivering what on these apps to support your favorite restaurant or bar during social distancing!! Don’t be afraid to ask if you can order toilet paper, eggs, milk, or other essentials with you meal because many are selling these hard to get items with your take-out!
Prescriptions
CVS
As an asthmatic, it is more important than ever that I have my inhalers and oral allergy and asthma pills on hand with the high pollen count so that I stay out of the doctor’s office. Thanks to CVS now offering FREE 1-2 day delivery, I can also stay out of the pharmacy line! I just signed up for this today:
- Refilled my prescriptions like normal;
- Waited for the text that they were ready for pick-up;
- Called my local CVS Monday morning to request USPS 1-2 day delivery; and
- Tuesday afternoon, my prescriptions arrived at my door via USPS.
SUCCESS!!!
Lens.com
The stay at home and shelter in place order went out just as it was time for me to re-order my contacts! Luckily, I already had a trusted place to go to replenish my contact supply with Lens.com!
Aside from my contacts getting delivered right to my door, I also get a great deal on my favorite contact lenses! I switched to ordering my contacts from Lens.com two years ago after canceling my order from Costco optical that took over 4 weeks to get my lenses because I was ordering astigmatism corrected lenses. Whenever I have placed an order through Lens.com, my contacts arrive within a week or less and often sooner than expected!
Use my referral link to get $10 off your Lens.com order!
Lens.com referral link:
When all else fails...
Amazon
Ordering from Amazon these days takes some planning ahead because 2 days delivery is more like 7 days, but that is OK because I am still getting what I need and not setting foot in the stores!
*FCC Disclosure: I own stock in Blue Apron (5 shares).
Who am I missing?!?!?
Do you have a favorite way to get your necessities delivered and you didn’t see them above?!?! Then, send me and e-mail and tell me all about it! Include any referral codes you might have and I will update this post accordingly with your local 805, 305, 757, worldwide, or national brand delivery service recommendations!
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