GROCERY DELIVERY CHANGES GAME FOR SENIORS

Shopping wasn’t much fun if you grew up during the WWII years of 1939 to 1945. Coffee and meat were rationed, as well as sugar and most other good food. Besides the rationing, money was scarce. After the war finally ended, I became a teenager, earning my own money at last. That was the start of my love for shopping, which continues to this day. When the Covid pandemic hit , I masked up, wore gloves, and persisted with my trips to the grocery store. But one freezing day last February, my arthritis flared. My heart wanted to shop, but my shoulders and knees rebelled. With trepidation , I ordered groceries online to be delivered. To my surprise, it was easy as cake. Grocery delivery changes the game for seniors.

A lot of people love to shop. In fact, over 80% of people prefer shopping in physical grocery stores. It’s fun to wander the aisles looking for unexpected treats and new products. Sometimes, you stop and visit with neighbors. Maybe glance at the tabloid headlines while in the checkout lane. And if you’ve been shopping the same place for awhile, you enjoy talking to your favorite cashier.

Delivered groceries seemed to me an extravagance reserved for spoiled, wealthy people, too lazy to shop, too snooty to mingle with the common folk. In the old days, stores that delivered groceries catered to “the carriage trade”–that wealthy upper crust who belonged to the country club and employed household servants.

And yet, when I looked at my receipt that first day, I found that I had saved enough money to pay for the delivery cost and tip for the driver. Because I was logged into my own account at that store, they automatically gave me all of their weekly discounts and coupon savings. Better yet, I saved on gas used while driving back and forth to the parking lot.

For an octogenarian who has always shopped in-store, this process took me way out of my comfort zone. But if you want to age in place, and stay in your own home, this may be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Grocery Delivery changes the game for seniors.

October 26, 2020October 26, 2020

ARE DIGITAL COUPONS FOR DUMMIES?

Are you confused by digital coupons? Are they worth the bother? I guess it depends on your motivation to save money. Navigating the logistics of digital coupons presents a unique challenge. If you decide to get in the game, you’ll need technical skills, patience, and good reading ability. It’s easier if you start with the ads in the Sunday paper, but if you have the time, you can download the ads on your computer or smart phone. But are digital coupons for dummies?

I didn’t used to be much of a coupon person. In the old days, people got coupons in newspapers and magazines. . My then mother-in-law was a coupon junkie. Her cupboards were loaded with strange or unappetizing products which she’d acquired by use of coupons. She knew to the penny, and was proud to say , how much she had saved. . She arrived at this figure by adding up the value of all the coupons she had redeemed. . Never mind that she had bought overpriced products that she seldom consumed. . To her, it was the bottom line that mattered

However, I saw things differently. It seemed to me that clipping and redeeming coupons wasn’t worth the effort.

Then, along came the covid-19 pandemic. Now, I was looking for ways to pass the time while socially isolated. . Unfortunately, newspapers have become less interesting. They’ve cut staff , so there isn’t much” hard news“. And what’s there is slanted according to the bias of the editorial staff. They’re printing more “ soft news” in what we used to call fillers—long, two and three page human interest stories devoted to animals, diseases and causes. Pretty dull stuff.

Are digital coupons for dummies? You have to have some tech skills to use them. — Are digital coupons for dummies? You have to have patience and tech skills to use them.

So, there I am on a Sunday morning, desperately seeking some entertainment from the morning newspaper. Comics and sports pages really don’t do it. Suddenly,, the pharmacy and supermarket pages draw my interest. It’s a challenge to sift through the various offers. If you buy five of this or that, there’s a dollar to be saved. Then, there’s BOGO (buy one get one free). And finally, the most complex offer of all, digital coupons.

Digital coupons aren’t for the time limited or technologically unskilled person. You’ll need to log in to the store’s website with your email address, and then create a password which you will quickly forget. With a sinking heart, you know you’re now on their list. You’ll be getting emails from them ad infinitum. Anyway, put on your glasses and scroll through the digital coupon offers. Read the fine print. Often, it says you must buy two, five, or nine of the product in order to save a dollar or less.

When you get to the store, you forget exactly what the offer entailed. If you ask the checkout clerk why the coupon didn’t download on your rewards card or pin, it’s because you had to buy more than one. Or the offer ended yesterday. Now , you have a choice. Turn it back in—looking like a cheapskate—or pay the full price. It’s just one of the tricks of the trade

Buyer Beware: digital coupons are not for dummies

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020

SHOCKED SENIOR CARDED AT MARKET

It was a dark and stormy day, and I was out of fresh lettuce and tomatoes. Yes, we could have done without a salad, but dinner wouldn’t have seemed complete . Reluctantly, I bundled up, pulled on my mittens, and drove to the store. My nose dripped as I shivered against the wet snow. But it was good to be inside, where I usually recognize so many of the clerks. I wandered past the produce section and noticed my favorite chardonnay wine on sale. Only a few bottles were left, so I put them in my cart and proceeded to the checkout. That was when this shocked senior got carded at the supermarket.

None of the clerks looked familiar. I figured they must be training some new personnel. One checkout stand was empty. It seemed odd for a Saturday. Most of the time, there’s a long line in every lane. Happy at the prospect of a quick checkout, I loaded my salad makings and wine on the conveyor belt. The clerk started to add up my purchase, and then stopped. “I’ll have to see your driver’s license.” she warned. I gave her a blank look.

Because I I once got mugged in their parking lot, I only carry a credit card and my car keys in my pocket. No purse to be stolen.

Even if you look your age, you can still be carded at the supermarket if you buy wine. — Indiana law requires seniors to show their ID in order to buy wine at the supermarket.

Since I’ve been shopping at this store for over 30 years, and never been asked for my driver’s license, I was flabbergasted. “Can’t you just key in my birthday?” I asked. She frowned and shook her head. By this time, there were people waiting behind me. “You’re going to make them wait while I run out in this weather to get my wallet out of my car.” I asked. She nodded.

I asked to see the manager, but he was a stranger. Apparently, the one I know well had the day off. This unfriendly guy did not offer any support, and explained the clerk was simply enforcing the Indiana State law requiring retailers to check all ID’s for for alcohol sales. Is that crazy, or not? And why did they suddenly change their policy after all these years. ?

That law has been on the books for over ten years, but seldom enforced. This is the first time I’ve been asked for my driver’s license. I don’t look like a teenager. What would happen if they sold me a bottle of wine without asking my age? Would they end up getting arrested? Of course not. Common sense. Why they suddenly decided to enforce this antediluvian policy with an octogenarian on a freezing winter day will forever remain a mystery . But I was determined to have my bargain wine, so I ran to the car and got my wallet.

The idea of giving my driver’s license to a stranger was unnerving. I didn’t want it scanned. It felt like an invasion of privacy. Nevertheless, I handed it over, and left the store in a daze. But I did enjoy that glass of chardonnay wine with dinner.

January 8, 2020January 8, 2020

Yucky Restrooms Repel Customers

Most of us avoid using public restrooms like the plague. But sometimes, especially if you’ve had too much coffee, you have to go. It amazes me that big supermarket chains and discount stores make so little effort to keep their restrooms fresh and clean. Remember the heyday of the big department stores? Part of their appeal was their attractive powder rooms. Yucky public restrooms repel customers.

We live 5 minutes away from three superstores who constantly try and outdo each other to attract sales. They spend a fortune on beautiful full page, color ads. They run unbelievable sales and loss leaders to lure you through their doors. Only one of them has clean, attractive public restrooms.

Store #1: Before you even walk inside the bathroom, you see two dull, grimy drinking fountains . Open the door and you’re greeted by a disgusting smell. This is not a one time thing. It ALWAYS smells this way. You have to wonder why. Because of backed up drains? Poor ventilation? Whatever. The walls are painted an ugly brown, with mustard yellow tiles. Makes you think of diarrhea and other nasty images. All of which goes along with the odor. They have two stalls, and one of them is usually plugged up with toilet paper.

Store #2: This is a big box store, so they have about 8 stalls. The odor isn’t so bad as store #1, but it comes close. Paper towels are scattered all over the floor and on the sinks. Usually, two or three toilets are stopped up, so it takes awhile to find one that works and doesn’t stink. Often, they’re out of toilet paper. Stalls are stainless steel, and walls are painted a grayish white. There is nothing remotely appealing about this place,

Store #3: Nice surprise because it doesn’t stink. No, it doesn’t look like the restrooms at the Hilton Garden Inn, but at least the walls are freshly painted and bright. The floors are mopped and free of litter. The sinks are clean. None of the toilets are stopped up. Stainless steel doors aren’t smudged with fingerprints. Locks work.

Guess where I’d rather shop for my groceries? Yes, it’s a mile further, but subconsciously, I’m attracted to the cleanliness, good lighting, and smell of the restrooms at Store #3. I probably won’t use their restroom very often, but I know it’s there, and I won’t have to hold my nose if I have to use it..

Clean public restrooms attract customers — Grocery stores that maintain clean public restrooms attract more customers.

Here’s my advice to all the big grocery chains: If you really want to compete, forget about offers to save a dollar if you buy five, and all the other confusing ads. Paint your restrooms pink or blue. You might even have some pretty murals or framed pictures. Install some soft lighting. . Make it smell fresh—not like bleach or disinfectant, but something really fragrant. Keep the mirrors clean. Take out those disgusting blow hand dryers that everyone knows spread bacteria. If a toilet gets plugged up, have a maintenance guy fix it pronto. You might be surprised what attractive public restrooms will do for your bottom line.

Yucky public restrooms repel customers.