Re: Groceries
 

Did it for a few months in the spring, but IC deactivated me once I dropped to a rating of 4.96 out of 5. They are known to just randomly deactivate people, just an independent contractor so no protections under labor laws.

Was averaging 150-200 a week doing 3-4 hours each day, this was when we were living in Vancouver still at the height of the panic shopping.

Re: Groceries
 

Wholesale Club flashfood app had Schneider's 650g tourtiere pie on for $2.49 so I bought 5 of them; freezing compartment is full.

Re: Groceries
 

Are you on call kind of like Uber ?

Re: Groceries
 

Yes, you work when you want.

The app will show you available batches in your area, you pick one, then go shopping, then deliver, and repeat.

Obviously places like Vancouver are busier so its more viable income, before I was deactivated the batches in Kelowna area were few, and not very good pay, so rarely worth doing, especially considering it takes 20-30 minutes to drive to Kelowna from West Kelowna depending on traffic, and there were almost no batches ever in West Kelowna.

If I had a younger car, I'd consider Uber when it arrives to this area, but our car is 9 in January, and the car has to be under 9 years old to drive for Uber in BC, plus need a class 4 commercial license, and vehicle has to undergo a commercial vehicle inspection.

Uber in BC is not a gig job that has low barriers like elsewhere in the world, basically the same requirements as a taxi except you don't need a taxi medallion and can use your own car.

Re: Groceries
 

So on Instacrart the driver actually goes around the store buying groceries?

Re: Groceries
 

Yes in this part of the world.

In the US it can vary, they have the shopper-driver who does both the shopping and delivery but in the US they also have in store shoppers that do nothing but shop, then another person comes to collect and deliver the order, we don't have that in Canada as far as I know anywhere, so not entirely sure how that works down there.

But in Canada, yep the driver is also the shopper, the app tells you which location to go to (not always necessarily the closest to the customers home.) you drive there, shop, use the IC credit card to pay, load the car, drive to the customers, deliver, end batch.

IC pays a base rate + 40 cents per kilometer on the way to the customer, but there is no mileage pay on the trip to the store, just the final leg to the customer.

In Vancouver was averaging about $17/hr doing it 2-4 hours each day, before expenses, so once expenses are accounted for likely below min wage.

Re: Groceries
 

Sounds like a stressful gig.

Re: Groceries
 

Food is going up in price little by little. We now eat almost no meat. Purchased at Wal-Mart they tend to have the lowest overall prices of the stores available.

$94.06 got:

- Bran flake cereal, generic brand

- Thai brown jasmine rice

- dry black beans

- 2 apple sauce packages -

- Oatmeal

- Frozen mixed berries

- Frozen broccoli

- Bag of frozen zucchini

- cheese

- 6 pack coke

- Peanut Butter

- sourdough bread

- milk

- 30 eggs

Re: Groceries
 

Bloody hell! That sounds about twice what it should be for that shop, unless you bought several of some/most of those items.

Re: Groceries
 

Frozen? I've never come across that before.

Mind you, IGA sells bags of sliced leeks (fresh) which I'd never seen until a couple of months ago.

Re: Groceries
 

The only item bought 2 of was the apple sauce.

Same items (mostly same brands but if not same brand, comparable product) at one of the more expensive grocery stores near my moms house, total $53 USD = About $70 CAD.

Can get about double the food in So. California for $100 US than $100 CAD will get in BC.

Re: Groceries
 

Yeah frozen shredded ones, they had no whole fresh ones in stock in the produce section which is what I normally buy and shred them myself, I mix it in pasta sauce to increase vegetable content of the sauce, I chop up broccoli and add to the sauce as well.

I am not fond of vegetables on their own, so I chop them up or blend them into other foods.

Re: Groceries
 

Have you tried roasting them? Incredibly different. Cut up some cauli, spread on a baking tray, spray with pam or something, season and roast for about 30 mins on 400.

Carrots work well too.

Re: Groceries
 

I throw in peppers and sliced onions...mushrooms would be nice.

Re: Groceries
 

I have at times, most come out pretty okay.