It’s hard to avoid buying food for ourselves and our families. Those of us who have mobility issues, need to stay home because of underlying health conditions, or are working hard to keep fragile family members safe can be especially concerned about entering busy stores where it’s hard to know what the people around us will do. Luckily, we’ve been hearing of a lot of options that can make things a little easier on all of us. Here are a few ideas.
Shop at hours that are usually less crowded. Early in the mornings and mid-day often work well. In some places, there are even special early hours for people over a certain age, if you’re able to go to a larger city to shop.
If you can, have one family member or friend who shops for multiple people. If they can go to a store that does curbside pickup (Arlan’s in Cameron has this service), exposure to non-family members can be minimized.
Stock up at warehouse clubs. Many people I know get by with one monthly trip to a Sam’s or Costco in a neighboring town for bulk items. If you have a large freezer, this is a great way to get frozen meals and minimize having to go in stores.
Order non-perishable items online. It’s surprising what you can find on Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, and other retailers who sell staples online. Sometimes you can get free shipping, which helps with canned goods (or in our case, large bags of dog food and coffee).
Use alternate meal resources. We know people who pick up their meals weekly from Bea’s kitchen, or have family members get them for them. Some churches help out elders who need meals. If you live in an area with a Meals on Wheels service, those can be very helpful.
Being in a small town, we don’t have delivery services from our local stores, and we know that many people in our area don’t feel comfortable driving long distances to get groceries. One of the options you can choose from is a personal assistance service, like Hearts Homes and Hands. Using a service like this, you can have someone do your shopping for you, bring it home, disinfect it, and put it away. We even can cook meals for people who have trouble doing it themselves, and clean up afterwards. Phone us at 254-267-1200 if you or someone you know might benefit from our assistance.