**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This is at NO additional cost to you. In fact, use my link below to get your first order delivered free! 

You may be aware that increasingly, moms (and everyone) can pay for convenience. Countless apps and services harness technology to rapidly deliver everything from a new outfit to take-out. For many doctor moms, outsourcing is the air we breathe. It allows us to save lives and actually enjoy our own. I’d heard about Instacart from many wise physician moms before I finally used it myself. A service that delivers groceries to your door, Instacart is the ultimate working-mom hack. 

Ben Franklin said that “Time is money.” That’s why I’m sure he’d approve of the Instacart concept. It gives you access to the convenience of someone gathering, packing, and delivering your goods for you, for just $10 plus tip. I don’t know how you feel about food-shopping, but I’d rather skip it. Wrestling bags into my trunk, only to hear them tip over on the drive home: these are my least favorite parts of food-shopping. Not to mention the time spent hunting for what you need. 

How do you know if outsourcing a task is worth it?

• You don’t enjoy the task
• You’re short on time
• Your post-tax hourly earnings are greater than the cost of paying someone else to do it. 
  • For example, if you make $100 per hour after taxes, and grocery shopping takes an hour, it’s worth outsourcing if you can find someone to do it for less than $100. 

Times I just DIY

• When I have extra time
• When my toddler needs a change of scenery
• We shop as a learning activity, narrating along the way. 

The best times to order your groceries:

• Your spouse wants you to shop, but you’re spent
• When you’d rather not schlep groceries yourself
• You have time to go online between patients 
• When friends are arriving right after work
• Someone will be home to receive a delivery
• When you need to stock up

One busy day, I realized our friends were arriving by dinner, but we didn’t have any food. I was between cases, with no time to run to the store. Bob was tired of bearing the brunt of the grocery shopping. After signing up for an Instacart account, I was surprised how quick and easy it was to find and buy the things we needed that night. Even sale prices were displayed! I chose hamburger meat, buns, condiments, milk, and berries; I even filled the freezer with wild-caught salmon fillets and chicken thighs for future meals.  

While shopping, I could step away to see a patient or sign some paperwork, and return to continue shopping at my convenience. Since I didn’t have time to physically go to the store before our friends arrived that day, online ordering was the perfect solution. 

How it works: 

1. Make an account
2. Choose your favorite store
3. Search for and add things to your cart
4. Enter a payment method and tip (no need for cash!)
5. Setup a delivery time that works for you
6. Receive and unpack your items
7. Enjoy the hour you just saved!

TLDR:

Ordering your groceries is a great working-mom hack. If you earn more than $20 per hour doing what you do, it’s worth the time savings to outsource grocery shopping and schlepping. 

When you need it, Instacart is ready and at your service. 

Use this link to have your first delivery charge waived.

xo, Tired Superheroine