Last month, I did something that
felt so bougie, so extravagant and so lavish, that I felt like royalty. It was
something I only thought possible in large cities, for the foolishly wealthy.
What was it? I had groceries delivered. To my house. On a Saturday. I could
have gone to the store; it’s not far. About 17 minutes on a Saturday morning with
no traffic. But I didn’t want to. We wanted to cook something, pancakes, I
think. But we didn’t have baking powder or syrup. And that was it. That was the
moment I downloaded the Instacart app, and prayed to the Gods that someone in
this town would deliver groceries to the house. Praise the grocery Gods (is Guy
Fieri the new grocery God?), within a couple hours I had groceries at the house.
I was impressed with the accuracy and quality, and the fact that I didn’t have
go get dressed or leave my house.
Yes, I paid an upcharge on some things. Yes, I paid a
delivery charge and had to tip the driver. Yes, my father was looking down from
heaven APPALLED at this lavish behavior and my complete and almost total lack
of interaction with human beings for this endeavor. No, I didn’t care about any
of that. My friends, I have learned to love the convenience of delivery of all
the things. Food? Bring it to my door piping hot. Baking powder? Deliver it and
a spread worthy of The Great British Baking Show. Shampoo, razors, 6th
grade vocab flash cards for the kid, and a charger to replace the one I lost? Amazon
to the rescue. When did I become this person?? I am someone who enjoys making
friends in the grocery line. Or at least, I used to. Now, when I’m busy adulting
and busy working, and honestly, just too lazy to shop after a long week, I
really just want to push a button and have what I want. Is that so wrong?
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I’ve worked hard to be able to have money to live such a life
of luxury (more on this hard work later) and yet there’s part of me that actually
feels guilty. The little girl inside, the one that used to run to the store
with the book of paper food stamps, could never have imagined paying an extra
dollar for a head of lettuce simply for the convenience of having it delivered.
Maybe guilty isn’t the right word. It just feels out of character. Don’t mistake
me; I haven’t abandoned the grocery store completely. I think in total, we’ve
had regular groceries from Shaw’s delivered twice. Things like produce and deli
meats, among other things, are not necessarily practical to have delivered
because of the upcharge. But sometimes, I just don’t want to have to go to the
store. It’s like an insurance policy. I don’t have to have groceries
delivered, but I like knowing that I have the option.
When I started the ketogenic diet (more on this later, too),
my friend Alicia turned me on to Thrive Market. An online marketplace, Thrive allows
me to have keto-friendly products delivered to the house. This is a game
changer. I like knowing that I can order an entire box of things that fit
within my new lifestyle and have them just show up whenever I need them. They
suit all kinds of diets; paleo, keto, gluten-free, etc. Thrive also has cosmetics,
household products, supplements, etc. Y’all, I even have candy added to
the box. Game. Changer. It’s not a secret that any kind of “special” diet or
lifestyle is not cheap, but I actually find Thrive to be very reasonably priced
and worth the money. And, to the original point, I. Don’t. Have. To. Go. Anywhere.
So much of my job, particularly in the fall, is traveling. I practically live
in my car, and I’m too tired to do much else besides go to bed when I get home,
not to mention most stores are closed when I’m rolling back through town
sometimes at 10 p.m. I mean, look at this haul! I highly recommend Thrive if
you are also in need of reasonably priced specialty goods.
You might be thinking “Maria. You
have a partner; he could do the shopping if you hate it so much.” And you’re not
wrong! If I asked Kilton to go to the grocery store and get what we needed, he
would. He would also come home with cookies and Hot Pockets and the wrong lettuce,
maybe. But he would do it. It’s just that he works too. And groceries are also
not his favorite. I like having the things, I just don’t want to actually have
to go get the things. Make sense?
In this the Year of Our Lord 2019, we
can hit a button and have whatever we want arrive at our homes. We can even set
up recurring deliveries. Honestly, how did we exist before this? Any time of
day, sometimes in under 24 hours, I can have a new purse, a new book, lotion,
or a jacket I don’t need. This is why, if my relationship with money and shopping
had a Facebook status, it would be “It’s Complicated.” How much is too much
convenience? Young Maria was so often worried about not having enough, not
having the “right things,” not getting the perfect Christmas present or brand-name
clothes. As an adult, I’ve learned to appreciate what I have, to understand the
value of a dollar. To not take my discretionary income or ability to mostly be
able to buy what I want and need (Audi A4, I’m coming for you some day!) for
granted. But I worry that the convenience of commercialism will chip away at
that appreciation. I have impulse purchased products I saw in Instagram ads more
than I’d like to admit. While I’m glad to have the flexibility now to do such
things, I need to make a concerted effort to remember not to take that for
granted. Removing the middle man- a store, a cashier, etc.- makes buying things
almost an afterthought. And with apps for buying, apps for cash back, one-touch
purchases etc. I can convince myself that online shopping is worth it. And
often, it is! I’ve saved so much money strategically buying things on online
sales. But I have to remember that for some, it’s still a luxury. For Young
Maria it certainly feels that way.
I acknowledge the privilege I have,
and in full Marie Kondo style, I try to remember to silently express gratitude for
the groceries that appeared at the door. The Amazon box greeting me when I get
home. I love that when I am too lazy or too tired, or too whatever to shop,
that I can have what I need or want at the touch of a button. But I try to
remember that too lazy to shop doesn’t have to also mean too easy to be
thankful.
I tend to think of money as a number of hours worked to earn that much. So if I'm paying X dollars extra to have groceries delivered, and my hourly income is 2x, then I'm paying half an hour's worth of my time for the convenience. If going to the store would have taken me an hour, then I'm coming out on top in terms of time/money. It's important that you value your time too! I don't think it's being too lazy to shop, but prioritizing time with your family over the extra cost.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent point! :)
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