I suppose that it should come as no surprise that a recent survey from iCongo and Harris Interactive revealed that one-third of Americans are turning to online shopping instead of heading out to the stores themselves. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. If it costs $3.75 to put one gallon of gas in your car–and online retailers like Overstock charge about $3 for shipping–why would you ever get in the car? (Note: Overstock is offering free shipping for orders placed before May 6th!)
Other surveys have shown the other kinds of effect rising gas prices have had on Americans. We are eating out less, combining trips instead of doing back-and-forth errands, and we’re spending less overall.
It dawned on me last week that I might have to give up my ShopRite at Home habit now that gas prices have shot through the roof. For awhile I was saving $20 to $30 on groceries by ordering my groceries online via ShopRite.com and then driving to pick them up, instead of going to my local Giant supermarket. Sure, I was driving 15 to 20 minutes to get to ShopRite, versus the five minutes it would take to get to Giant, but the savings more than made up for the convenience.
Now, I’m not so sure. I spend more than those savings in gas.
I think it’s time to look into supermarkets that will deliver groceries for me (ShopRite doesn’t to my area), or whether I should just plan on shopping locally for the time being. At least my CSA opens for business next week so I can plan on not having to shop for produce for the next 12 weeks. In between, perhaps I’ll just walk to the supermarket every day and shop European style–where I pick up just what I need for that night’s dinner with each trip. That shouldn’t be too heavy to schlep home. And I know it will be good for the environment.
How have the rising gas prices affected how you shop?
4 Comments
May 6, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I’m so excited that the Collingswood Farmer’s Market is open for business. No more trips to the supermarket for fresh produce, and I’m looking into amazon.com’s grocery section (a friend who can’t eat gleutin gets most of her non perishables there).
I’ve seriously cut back on trips anywhere and stick to either local shops for gifts, or run errands while I’m in Philadelphia since I’m already paying to take the train there. It makes much more sense to hit Buffalo Exchange (a consignment store at that) after a meeting in the city than driving to TJMaxx to look through the sales racks.
And any time I do go out to eat, it’s either somewhere in Philly via PATCO or within walking distance in Collingswood. It makes me so glad I bought my home in a town that’s pretty walkable.
May 6, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Well, normally I’m all about consolidating errands and improving efficiency, but I’ve learned that with two small children, I can only run one or two errands at a time. They just can’t take being shuffled around to place after place. So my solution is to try to run a quick errand on the way to or from another outing (school, playdate, etc) or to just save up all the errands for a weekend. Or better yet, just don’t run the errands at all (not always possible, but that option has turned out to save me alot of time, money, and toddler meltdowns). As a friend of mine told me, sometimes I have to trade one wise decision for another.
May 7, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Jen:
I’m looking forward to my town’s farmers’ market starting up, too. I figure it will be a great way to supplement my CSA.
I’m off to walk to my local supermarket for a loaf a bread, or the kids won’t have anything for lunch tomorrow.
Leah
May 7, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Keri:
I remember when my kids were really little, and shopping with them for extended periods of time was impossible. Sounds like you’ve come up with a smart and creative solution by combining your trips and errands the way you have.
Leah