Is Instacart Worth It? (Check Out Our Honest Review!)

How does Instacart work?  Check out the latest leave at door delivery option – and get free shipping if you're a new customer!

How Does Instacart Work? We absolutely LOVE It!

I'm just going to come ahead out and say…….. I LOVE INSTACART Delivery – LOVE  IT.

I feel like as a working mom it's the smartest thing I can ever do for myself.  (Because if you do the math- you're paying around $10 per hour for someone to shop for you and save you your time – I could never get to the grocery store, shop, and get home in an hour so it's super worth it to me!)

I could sing it's praises all day long.

But, I truly do think it saves us money and helps us avoid eating out when I'm crunched for time. 

Also – when we used Instacart this Summer it allowed me to spend more time making memories with my people – which I am SO THANKFUL FOR!  (Especially since my oldest was going off to college  – I needed all the extra moments I could grab with her.)

So – How Does Instacart Work …. and Is It Worth It?

Wondering just how this all works?     

If you're an impossibly-busy mom, who just needs a hand to help get everything done, Instacart is a lifesaver.  I'm here to walk you through everything you need to know about Instacart – from signing in, to eating a whole bag of Oreos in your pajamas – in no time 🙂

Also – Go here to get your first delivery free!

This grocery delivery service combines everything I love about shopping for deals – you still get the weekly B1G1 Freebies, Clippable eCoupons and Extra Savings – along with the SUPER CONVENIENCE of having someone deliver it to your front door.

I mean – HOW. EXCITING. IS. THAT?

Here's a screenshot my friend Jamie snapped – she said “this little lady came to my door within ONE HOUR and was as sweet as could be.  She even sent me this text when she was on the way….”

 

You can also choose Leave At Door Delivery to have a no-contact experience:

What is the leave at my door delivery like?

Customers can now opt-in to “Leave at My Door Delivery” as part of their delivery options at checkout, and can also provide more specific delivery instructions like a gate code or apartment number. A real-time photo will alert customers when their groceries are at their doorstep.  This allows you to still have your groceries delivered, know they have arrived safe, but have a no contact option with your shopper for health concerns.

How do you create an Instacart Account? 

Instacart gives me a little of my sanity back on an especially crazy week – and if you need a little more sanity in your life too, let me tell you all about it 🙂

1. Head over to Instacart and create an account (Sign up for a FREE 2-Week Trial so you can play around with it)
2. Choose a nearby store to shop
3. Add items to your cart – at least $10 worth
4. Choose your payment method and delivery timeframe
5. Instacart will add their Service Fee (5% of your order total) + $5.99 Delivery Fee
6. Add a tip on the final page of checkout (Optional of course, but recommended)
7. Sit back and wait for your groceries to come to you!  Your shopper will likely communicate to you via text once they've started shopping, if there are any issues with items out of stock, and then when they are on their way to your home.

Test it out for yourself with a FREE Instacart Trial

It's REALLY REALLY user-friendly, even those of you who might not be super tech-savvy should have fun placing your first Instacart order 😉

 Current Instacart Promotions

Now that you know how Instacart Works – let's talk promo codes and coupons!

There are several ways to save money with Instacart – and you'll definitely want to take advantage of them to offset the cost of delivery (Cost ranges from $4 – $8 per delivery normally OR FREE if you have Instacart Express, which is $99 annually.)

1. FREE Delivery On Your First Order.

Instacart offers free delivery on your first order – or a FREE 2-week trial of Instacart Express (their annual plan that gives you free delivery on every $35+ order).

*Please keep in mind that after your 2 week trial of Instacart Express ends – you will be charged the annual fee of $99.  You'll be sent reminder emails –  but if you don't want to be surprised with a charge, I'd definitely set yourself a google alert so you don't forget to cancel!

2. Instacart Promo Codes

These change often – but here are some to try (good luck!):

• NEW20OFF for $20 off your first Costco order
• SUPERPOWER20 for $20 off a $50 Order
• WALGREENS20 for $20 off a Walgreens Order
• ORDER2DAY for Free Delivery
• Free Delivery on first 3 Orders over $35 with Snap/EBT Payment
• $20 OFF and Free Delivery when a referral completes an order
• $10 OFF when you pay with Paypal

 

3. Savings Offers: 

Check out the exclusive “Buy certain products and save $$$” types of offers at the top of the page.  Last week I noticed that Kraft cheese was part of a Spend $20 ~ Save $5 promo.  (ON TOP OF being B1G1 Free) You'll often find this is the case and you can stack savings together!

4. Shop Weekly Ad Specials. 

I LOVE getting all the BOGO deals each week!  You can sort by weekly specials so you can just shop from the sales ad and avoid regularly priced stuff.

5. Use Instacart Coupons.

When you're figuring out how Instacart works you might noticed special coupons on certain items.  Instacart has a whooooole bunch of eCoupons you can clip to apply extra savings to your order.   If you've not been successful at couponing the old-fashioned way, this might end up saving you a bundle!

6. Saves on Gas.

Instead of running all over town you can let your shopper do the running and save on gas.

7. Helps You Avoid Impulse Buys. 

By not being in the store, I'm able to shop my list without much chance of adding in random impulse buys that make me total jump up.   For instance, if you pick up random cute stuff from the Aldi Finds aisle every time you go to Aldi – Instacart might be your new best friend!

8.  Refer Friends.

Instacart has a great friend referral program – give a friend $20 off & earn $20 for yourself when you share your link!  You can make up to $100 this way – nice!

More Questions about Instacart Delivery:

• How much is delivery for regular Instacart orders?

The delivery fee depends on the size of your order and the delivery time that you choose. The fee for each delivery will be displayed when selecting a delivery window during checkout, before you place your order.  Please keep in mind that all orders must be $10 or more.

• How much is delivery for Instacart Express?

With Instacart Express, you will have no delivery fee on all orders over $35.  Instead you're charged an annual fee of $99.  Service fees may still apply.

• Do I tip my Instacart Shopper?
• • Shoppers appreciate tips as a way of recognizing excellent service and 100% of your tip goes directly to the shopper delivering your order.
  • By default a 5% tip is suggested at checkout, with a minimum suggestion of $2 per individual store delivery.
  • Tips are optional and the default tip may be adjusted at checkout or when rating an order after a delivery. You can add and change a tip amount up to 3 days after your delivery is complete. Your receipt will update accordingly.
• How do you know if they'll find you good meat and produce?

Shoppers are guided to look for the freshest possible groceries when shopping for you; paying close attention to expiration dates, broken seals, and produce quality.

• What if some of my items are out of stock?

You'll be given the option to pick “back-up” or replacement items if some of your chosen groceries are out of stock.  But keep in mind – if you are specifically shopping a sale and you pick items that aren't on sale as your back-ups, you could wind up paying more!  You can also choose that NO replacements can be made for certain items.

• What's Busy Pricing?

When we experience high demand for a delivery time, a Busy Pricing delivery fee may apply.  Your delivery fee will be displayed clearly when you select a delivery time. Delivery fees that include Busy Pricing are noted.

Let us know if you loved using Instacart Delivery as much as we did! And if you're looking for more grocery shopping options – Walmart also offers Grocery Pickup Promo Codes!