|
Hey friends! Have you noticed the prices of groceries going up lately? I've noticed our weekly grocery bill being more than normal, but what's normal anymore haha. Apparently though, my observation isn't unfounded. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices grew 2.6% from March to April 2020 and 4.1% since April 2019! And as a "self-conscious shopper," this trend does not make me happy. How are we off-setting increased food prices? Meet ibotta -- the free app giving us cash back on items we're already buying. DISCLOSURE: There are affiliate links contained in this post, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and sign-up for ibotta.  What is ibotta?ibotta is a FREE smartphone app that gives cash back (not points or credit) on items you find in store and online. Their retailers currently include grocery stores like Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Walmart Grocery, as well other stores like Target, Walgreens, and Costco. Is ibotta easy to use?There are hundreds if not thousands of amazing apps, but are they really worth the valuable real estate on your smartphone AND the energy it takes to rack up the dough? My response is, "YES!"  Over the 2 years I've been using ibotta I've earned $111.81 in cash. No, I'm not swimming in cheddar, but to put these earnings into perspective... that's $111 more than I would have had than without the app. $111 back in the bank from stuff I'm already spending on. Absolutely the app could further be improved to make the user-experience even easier, but once you get into the routine of (1) adding available ibotta offers before you shop and then (2) submitting your receipts (or linking your loyalty accounts) after shopping it becomes just like perusing the weekly ads for deals. If you want to give ibotta a try, head on over to their website or easily download their app in your smartphone's app store. I'd love to hear what offers you're adding in the comments below! lindsey DISCLOSURE: There are affiliate links contained in this post, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and sign-up for ibotta.
0 Comments
Hey friends! I hope you and yours are staying safe during the COVID crisis. Until this week, we've actually been grocery shopping ourselves, but thought it would be a good idea to give our go-to grocery store's pickup services a test run in case it's absolutely necessary soon. Luckily, our intern Sarah had some experience with Kroger's Pickup before the stay-at-home orders so here's what we've learned about the grocery service before AND during COVID-19.  What is Kroger Pickup?Kroger Pickup used to be called "Kroger Clicklist" and allows you to simply shop online (or in their app) and schedule a time to pickup your groceries outside the store. Currently, this service is FREE (~$5 value)! How do you order groceries for Kroger Pickup?Adding items to your shopping cart is super simple online or in the Kroger mobile app. You can easily search for items using their search bar (you'll notice that items you typically buy do seem to pull up in the search results first) or even via digital coupons! PRO TIP: You can give associates additional instructions about items in your shopping cart where you see "Substitutions & Instructions" for each item. This is where you would share personal preferences like "green bananas" or "under $10" for your pack of chicken breasts. How do you schedule your Pickup order?Once you're ready to schedule your order for pickup, you'll begin the checkout process where you can then select a day & time (in 1 hour increments on the hour) for pickup that best suites you. Since the end of April, I've noticed no major delays in getting groceries same day if desired! (During the thick of Nashville's #SaferAtHome order, you had to schedule 3-4 days out.) **NOTE: You will be charged once you place your order. Sarah also shares that she, "opted-in for text reminders so [she] would get a text notification when [her] order was ready the next morning. [She] didn’t have to do this, but also noticed that you could easily edit your order on the app after it was placed. No stress!" Those text notifications are super helpful as it's one way Kroger can let you know if there are any issues with your order, such as items being unavailable. In this scenario, they provide suggested item substitutions for you to review and you can accept or deny their suggestion. (In some cases, you might get an item "upgrade" -- organic bananas vs. conventional, brand name dressing vs. private label, etc. -- without any additional charge!) How does Pickup at the store work? There is typically a designated parking area for Kroger Pickup customers. Here are the exact instructions from our Kroger:
Once you call an associate to let them know you have arrived during your reserved time slot, they'll ask you which number parking spot you've pulled into and if you have any additional coupons. (I wish I would have known this ahead of time as I didn't think this was possible via their Pickup service!) Their associates will load everything into your car and you can be on your merry way. We're typically pretty speedy shoppers when we go grocery shopping on our own (maybe takes ~30 minutes), but this Pickup process cut things down to just 10-15 minutes!! Are there any cons to Kroger Pickup? Overall, this is a great service for those who don't have the time to grocery shop on their own, are avoiding going into the stores, or possible unable to grocery shop themselves, but there is one big sticking point for Sarah and I when it comes to Kroger's Pickup service -- the use of plastic bags. It's pretty excessive with items sometimes bagged with only 1 item in the whole bag! Sarah expresses, "There was not an option to bring reusable bags and I wish there was." Agreed!
Are you opting for grocery pickup and/or delivery services right now? We'd love to hear how you're handling food differently these days! lindsey It's one (of the many) question on everyone's mind right now... "How can I boost my immunity?" And while there is NO secret strategy or magic potion that will turn you invincible to illness, your diet CAN support a healthier immune system, just like adequate sleep and stress management. Today, I'm sharing some key nutrients for a meal plan made for strengthening your immune system!  Can foods boost my immune system?While there is no single food or food group that can absolutely keep you immune from illness, there are certain nutrients that play important roles in keeping you healthy:
What foods contain nutrients to boost my immune system? Sample Meal Plan for a Healthy Immune System 
Here's a breakdown of the meals mentioned in this sample Immune Boosting Meal Plan:
Let us know if you tried out this immune-supporting mean plan, or found some different recipes to enjoy! Be sure to tag us @themealplanningmethod. lindsey P.S. Do you like these sample meal plans? Check out our Heart-Healthy Meal Plan too! |
Categories
All
 Interested in contributing to The Meal Planning Method blog?
|
||
