I have a disability based in my spine. This beast stops me from working and has me trying to survive on a government pension for income.
I usually walk to the supermarket wheeling my shopping home in a vinyl monstrosity known here as a granny jeep. This week my back has been very bad and I couldn’t get anywhere near the supermarket under my own steam, I couldn’t even get to the railway station I live close to to take the train to someplace that sold items I needed. Normally this would just mean calling on a friend for help but this being holiday time here in sweltering Australia none of the usual suspects were to be found.
Now, I was aware that online grocery shopping was available, I had always figured it too expensive for the likes of me and aimed at the employed classes but I went on an explore through desperation. To my surprise the prices were the same as in the brick and mortar supermarket down the road. Just a delivery cost and a minimum purchase amount. I took the plunge and hoped like hell it would work out, the minimum spend was around what I would normally budget for groceries so this was a big thing if it all went wrong.
Everything is fresher than I ever see it on the shelves and prime quality, the stuff that needed to be cold or frozen got here cold or frozen (on a 42C day no less), my eggs were bubble wrapped in their carton. It was wheeled into my kitchen.
Normally I shop and have to lay on the floor for a day or so afterwards, just the in and out of the trolley is enough to do me in. I believe I am a convert. I also can now fulfill my childhood dreams of becoming a proper hermit.