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Writer's pictureClaire Cook

Let’s talk about getting the shopping done!

With many of the large supermarkets now offering online delivery, and more food delivery companies propping up, there are many ways we can choose to get the shopping done. Let's dive into some carers' shopping hacks below.

Illustration of a woman holding a cake, and pushing a shopping cart.

Carers' shopping hacks


Handy shopping apps or websites to have on our phones

Some popular apps amongst carers include Facebook or Nextdoor, where we might be able to find further support in our community. Carers are also found that small businesses like farm shops and market stall holders are offering deliveries.

Illustration of man online shopping.



Alternatives to physical stores

How does shopping from the comfort of your own home sound?


For some of us, we don't have a choice. Leaving the person we care for at home alone is not an option - and so the power of online shopping comes in.


Book a grocery delivery slot from home

We will often need to book delivery slots for large superstores such as:

  • Tesco

  • Asda

  • Iceland

  • Waitrose

  • Sainsbury

  • Amazon (if we have Prime, we may be able to get same-day delivery)


This is handy if we have a long shopping list and are ready to plan in advance the days we will be home to pick this up. Remember, we can always ask a friend or family to help us out if we are out that day.


A quick and helpful way to see whether we have delivery slots near us is by entering your postcode in this nifty tool. This saves us from having to navigate each website to see if they have available slots that week.


Get groceries delivered to you in real-time

There are also 'on-demand' delivery systems such as Deliveroo, Getir, and JustEat which will help deliver your groceries to you the moment you place an order.

Illustration of a location pin.

Although they may not be available in all areas (just yet, fingers crossed), knowing that these apps exist can help us be more flexible around shopping.


Monthly food subscription services to your door-step

In addition to grocery deliveries, there are also food subscription services. If we're open to new cuisines and ideas, with these, we will be able to choose which dishes we want to cook, and they will send us the right amount of ingredients, along with simple cooking instructions to follow.


Carers in the Mobilise community have shared some of their go-to food subscription services. We can try them out for a month to see if we like them or not.



Ask friends or family for help

Is your neighbour popping to the local supermarket this weekend?


Can they get you some essentials while they make that stop? Do your friends or family have extra much toilet paper, laundry detergent or washing-up liquid they can let you have?


If our list of things to do are getting too long, speak to family and friends and let them know your concerns and see how you can support each other.


Sometimes, we may think others may not want us to help us - and although these thoughts are valid, we may surprise ourselves with the generosity offered once we ask.


There are many ways we can make shopping work for us. If you have an amazing tip that you would like to share, feel free to pop them over in our Facebook group for unpaid carers - we'd love to hear them!


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