I picked up Ralph’s (Kroger) today. I used Instacart once, but by the time I paid the $10 fee and tipped the delivery person, it was too expensive.

So I shop online and go to the store and they bring it to the car. I had to wait a week for a pick up date, but that was OK I got almost everything except no chicken and not even a substitute for the chicken I wanted.

The parking lot was full, lots of people going and coming. Everyone in a mask. One guy wore a mask which appeared to be made from a paper bowl.

I made a grocery run on Monday. For the first time, there was no entry line at Trader Joe's and shopping at Ralph's was no different than under normal circumstances. I even found a small bottle of 70% alcohol at Ralph's which was good because I was almost out. I didn't look for paper products or meat at either store, but I saw that TJ's had eggs.

I've never been able to secure an Instacart or Amazon Fresh delivery time during the virus time, so I've been going into the store, usually Trader Joe's, about once per week. A friend was able to buy a large multi-package of toilet paper at Costco and shared that with me, so we will be fine for another few weeks.

Mine keep giving substitutions even when I click no substitutions. It's aggravating me. Why can't they read? Or do they ignore? I'm not desperate, so I wish they'd quit giving me crap I don't want (cheap, cheap, horrible paper towels or long grain rice when I want medium...). Give me nothing if I say NO SUBSTITUTIONS. It's ok, really!

I've been doing my own shopping, no deliveries. Dollar Tree has a wall of toilet paper, unscented. I purchased a few to leave at my rentals. I had "2" turn over during this pandemic. I didn't want to put toilet paper on the hangers in the bathroom...it would look more sanitary if I left it sealed IN the package. Both renters were moving from out-of-state.

I still have tons of "everything", from before the pandemic. Fresh fruit, vegetables & meat I buy once a week and there's plenty of it...usually on sale. I've been playing Monopoly @ Safeway. They give away "free" grocery items and gift cards. I had a $16 grocery gift card today to shop with and a free doughnut. I found bags of Lindor chocolates half off.

I just finished an on-line order at Aldi. My daughter recommended it as other choices were very long waits for delivery. I am a novice at this but I gotta eat!!!

We do all our own shopping. Son has been using a personal shopper. The local grocery store had several different brands of TP and most everything we want, but they are jacking up their prices expectantly on produce so tomorrow I'm heading to Walmart to get a few things.

I haven’t tried delivery yet. Until today it hasn’t been bad to go to the store. I’ve even gotten the hang of the arrows on the floor. However today I went to the Giant and it was awful. Very understocked. Too many people not honoring the six foot distance,. They didn’t have the cereal I wanted which is why I went to that store. I bought some presides deli ham that is kind of rubbery. Worst was the woman ahead of me in the very long line.

She kept leaving her cart and running to get other things. She was gone so long the other shoppers were going around her cart. I was ready to go when she returned. The line snaked down two aisles. I am not exaggerating when I say she picked up every single item we passed in line, read the ingredients and then put it in her cart. Meanwhile the line was moving ahead, but not her. She even filled up on vitamin supplements. Meanwhile she was FaceTiming someone. Then the line passed the customer service desk and she started telling them everything they were doing wrong. Fortunately the gal at the desk let her have it! I was ready to cheer for her. Told her they were following all instructions, that this wasn’t easy on anyone, that people much older than her were waiting, too and so on. I love seeing someone obnoxious getting their comeuppance.

Anyway, grocery shopping is so stressful. I did stock up on more meat than usual since I've been reading about possible shortages. I always end up buying more than I need.

My suggestion is to make sure that you mark No substitutions! Especially for items that are special for you. I find that when I do that I don't end up with a product that I won't use.

Kroger actually had toilet paper and paper towels when we went Fri afternoon. It was our regular brand too not some strange brand. Dollar tree had lots of TP and paper towels, no hand sanitizer at any of the stores. Plenty of bleach and cleaning supplies at dollar tree.

Kroger had a good selection of Meats. I had to go to Kroger pharmacy for a pickup so we got groceries at the same time.

We've been trying to go about once every two weeks. I went to HEB for the first time in the last 6 or 7 weeks. Certain brands are missing, but there was plenty of food. I didn't see yeast, but there was flour, paper towels and toilet paper. I bought some windshield wiper fluid there the last time I went and they were out this time. There was plenty of milk, meat, and eggs and fresh produce and frozen food. They had ice cream.

Costco had what I needed a couple of weeks ago too. They have plenty of food and toilet paper, water, and paper towels. Some familiar brands may be missing, but there were plenty of substitutes.

I need some nonfood items so will probably make a Walmart run tomorrow. I hope it isn't busy.

We're going into no stores at all. It's deliveries and pickups only. The availability of times and products at our SoCal location have gotten better every week.

fun2bhere, we've found that the delivery times for some stores' interface with Instacart don't appear until you have $35 in your cart. Each one is a little different. We've had deliveries from Aldi and Ralphs, and pickups from Ralphs and Pavillion (Vons). We always say substitutions are fine. It's trial and error as to which stores, which methods, which times, work best.

I prefer the Instacart way and I LOVE getting pinged by the shopper asking - They're out of X, should I substitute Y? Along with a picture of Y. It's always been Yes from me. There have been a few residual hard to get items but we mostly have what we need for now.

I guess I should feel lucky. I live in a semi rural area with a limited population but quite close to a large metropolitan city. So the two groceries close to me have neither been very crowded - somewhat empty in fact - nor decimated of product. The everywhere initial shortage of paper products seems to be over....there is TP and paper towels on the shelves, although not a lot of choices. Nothing else significant missing although the same lack of choices apply with some other grocery items as well. This morning I managed to claim the last sack of the dog food my beast likes best!

I have changed my grocery shopping time and now go as early in the day as I can muster. It is never crowded - more store employees than shoppers - and you have your pick of prime parking places!! And both stores have very proper distancing and sanitizing protocols in place. I don't really feel very much at risk with a mask and gloves. And since I am going less often anyway, I am doing a better job of planning ahead. The only thing I've run out of is grapes......not exactly an emergency :-)

"I don't really feel very much at risk with a mask and gloves. "

Remember GG that unless one is wearing one of the so-called industrial strength N95 masks, the mask you wear yourself protects others from you but not vice versa. Perhaps you have a supply because of your gardening and outdoor work.

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I do mark no substitutions and even add "no substitutions" in the notes. They still substitute.

@Elmer J Fudd, that's interesting about having $35 in your cart before a delivery time will appear. I tried all sorts of tricks, but I was never successful at securing a delivery date from any of the services. However, I didn't try Postmates. They are just getting started in the area and may have had shoppers available. Thus far, I've been getting by okay with store visits. Once I actually get into the store, I don't spend more than 10 minutes there because I know exactly what I'm buying and where it is located.

My visit to Ralph's this week was the first time I had been in any grocery store other than Trader Joe's or Gelsons. I didn't see any virus protocols being followed except someone was wiping down carts at the door. However, I only needed three things from that store and used self-check-out so I didn't take a cart or a bag.

I was dreading the hour-long line at Costco to buy more toilet paper, but a friend was kind enough to share her purchase. She takes a lawn chair and a book to read and doesn't mind the wait.

I still do all of our shopping myself. I buy what we need if they have it and if not,I will go somewhere else and look for it. I am not flexible with certain things, and will go without rather then settle. I would rather decide what to settle on and what to go without and not have to worry a poor shopper to death with particulars. I went to the store yesterday and they were out of the only breakfast sausage we like,and no other stores carry that brand. I will try again the next time I have to go into town,which will likely be tomorrow ,as no one has managed to rid us of our misery of a mail carrier and I have to go get a few packages that she wouldn't deliver. I can swing by the store on my way home to check.

We go to a grocery once a week, generally early and always with a mask (N95), no gloves as they are useless. Today we ventured to Costco for the first time in a long time. I was very disappointed as they usually stock on Tuesday and Thursday nights and they were out of a lot of things today. Didn’t need paper products but I didn’t see any. Haven’t seen hand sanitizer anywhere since this started. There was a list of things posted by the door of things they did not have, and chicken was on the list. Costco’s meat selection in general was terrible. we did buy some wine, olive oil, and a few other assorted items. Got to Publix and they had plenty of chicken, most with the Publix organic label, Springer or Perdue label. Of course we do live in a heavy chicken-producing state, so there is that.

A few of the chicken plants (Tyson Farms) here have been hot spots for worker outbreaks. Workers who spoke out anonymously say there was pressure to work long hours and not take off even if sick for fear of losing their jobs. I don’t know. It’s probably not much different at any other plant.

I have to go to Tractor Supply this weekend for compost, so I may run into the Dollar Tree next door to look for toilet paper. All the stores around here seem to always be packed with shoppers. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

We're shopping for ourselves and close family. We're learning how far we can take substitutions for each other. I'm picky about brands, another is picky about price, etc. Between our three households, DH and/or I go into a store about once in ten days.

DH and I are paying attention to which stores best enact social distancing & sanitary measures. In an enclosed 'contact' space like a grocery store, I want to see all the employees wearing masks, sanitized carts, and 6 foot distances marked off. And I want to see at least most of the customers wearing masks and complying with social protection measures. (I'm very disappointed with my local Food Lion. Not going back if they don't shape up.)

I am doing our shopping. Usually at Publix, they are really good at wiping the carts and cleaning. Not going to multiple stores if they don’t have what I want. I didn’t see a roll of toilet paper there in about 6 weeks. Got lucky ordering from Walmart online. The only pack available were 24 rolls. I am not usually buying this big packs, but at least I don’t have to worry about that for a while. Arrived today, so I am all set :)

Early on we placed an order at Vons for us to pick up at an appointed time that Vons set. Vons sent us a reminder of our appointed pick up and where to pull up. DH got there, and no order and no record of the online order. So he parked and went into the store where he found half or more of our order available on shelves. We have not used them since then. I think our area cannot find enough employees to do all this shopping and delivering.

We have a number of college kids who will do your shopping for you in our neighborhood. They just want something to do and help those that are at great risk. So far I've been managing quite well with on-line shopping and pick-up. I've used Harris-Teeter, Food Lion and Walmart. I like Walmart's site the best as far as getting pick-up times and it also lets you keep shopping after checking out and getting pick-up time. Do most of my pantry items there. Shop meats and produce at Harris-Teeter (most difficult for pick-up times) and Food Lion. I also have a younger friend who shops every Monday and she goes to several stores. I use her for my Trader Joe items and fruit that I liked hand-picked. She surprised me last week with three strips of yeast. It took her 4 weeks to find it.....finally got lucky. I have an 8:00 a.m. pick-up Friday at Food Lion and am hoping because of the early pick-up T.P. will be included in the order. Time will tell.

I miss Trader Joe's.