New Way to Shop

For the past month we have been doing our grocery shopping through Relay Foods -- a service that allows you to shop online and then pick up your groceries at a selected location, or have them delivered to your home.  I was a bit skeptical at first because I wasn't sure how I would feel about other people picking out my groceries, especially produce.  But it's been great and we are definitely saving money, something I didn't really expect.  I've pretty much cut our grocery bill in half. 

One of the best things about the service is that we can get items from a variety of stores and shops, including places that aren't even in town.  For example, there's this great place in a town over the hill that has awesome cheese and bulk foods that we've discovered and they have amazing prices.  We would never go there if it weren't for Relay. 

The only thing I don't particularly care for is buying produce.  But garden season is here and we are going to the farmers' market and we are joining a CSA, not to mention our own garden, so I think we'll survive.  So it also helps us eat more seasonally and locally, both good things.

I still have the same strategy for shopping -- I sit down Sunday morning and make out our weekly menu, then I go online and select what I need. I go to the butcher on the way home for any meat that we need throughout the week. 

I think it's working out for now, so we'll see what happens long term.