Being a parent turns every trip out of the house into an adventure: packing up the diaper bag, preparing for an impromptu tantrum, and keeping your eye on the clock so you don’t miss nap time. Even with older kids it seems like there’s just not enough time between school pick-up and soccer practice to shop. Luckily, grocery shopping has come a long way in the past few years. Drive-up/curbside pickup and delivery options mean you don’t even have to set foot in the store. Think it’s a luxury? Here’s how it breaks down:
Costco
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Not available.
- Delivery:
- Two-day delivery through Costco Grocery for nonperishable food and household supplies. Delivery free with purchase of $75 or more.
Instacart
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Available at select stores. Sign up for an Instacart Express membership ($10 per month/$100 per year) for unlimited free pickup on orders $35 and up. $10 minimum on all orders.
- Delivery:
- Delivery fee starts at $4 for non-Express users. Delivery is free for Express members with an order that is $35 or more.
- Try it Out:
- New users are eligible for a 14-day free trial of Instacart Express on the website. Also, earn $10 for each friend referral who places their first order.
King Soopers
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- $5 service fee. Available at select locations. Order can be made within one-hour window or up to three days.
- Delivery:
- Starting at $10, order can be made within one-hour window or up to three days.
- Try it Out:
- $5 service fee is waived for first three pickup orders.
Natural Grocers
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Not available.
- Delivery:
- Through Instacart.
- Try it Out:
- Free delivery on your first order.
Safeway
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Free. Customers choose date, time, and preferred store location, and groceries are brought out when you arrive.
- Delivery:
- Standard delivery fee for a chosen time is $10, two-hour delivery window is $7, and four-hour delivery window is $4.
- Try it Out:
- Save $20 off and get free delivery on first order over $75 using code SAVE20.
Sam’s Club
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- All clubs offer curbside pickup. Members either use the drive-through lane or designated parking spots, depending on the location.
- Delivery:
- Through Instacart.
Sprouts Farmers Market
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Order for curbside pickup through Instacart (only available at the Mississippi Avenue location in Denver and the Baseline Road location in Boulder).
- Delivery:
- Through Instacart.
- Try it Out:
- New Instacart users that sign up through delivery.sprouts.com get first delivery free.
Target
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Free. Order using the Target app. Get a notification when your order is ready—often within one hour—and a Target employee will bring the order out to your car.
- Delivery:
- Same-day delivery through Shipt ($100 annual membership or $10 fee per order) in as little as one hour.
- Try it Out:
- Free four-week Shipt delivery trial for new users.
Walmart
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Free. Order online or through the Walmart app, and select time to pick up at assigned parking spot. Same-day pickup when you order before 1 p.m.
- Delivery:
- Same-day delivery starting at $8. $30 minimum order.
- Try it Out:
- Free delivery with a $50 minimum order through January 31, 2020. Use code DELIVERY when ordering.
Whole Foods Market/Amazon
- Drive-up/Curbside Pickup:
- Not available.
- Delivery:
- Amazon Prime members can shop Whole Foods on Prime Now. A fee of $5 for one-hour delivery on orders of $35 or more, $10 for one-hour delivery on purchase under $35. Free two-hour delivery with purchase of $35 or more, $5 two-hour delivery for purchase under $35.
- Try it Out:
- Take $10 off first delivery with code SAVE10WF at checkout. Weekly specials available for Prime members.
What about the coupons? While delivery services don’t honor manufacturer coupons, most apply in-store deals and discounts when tallying the bill.