This post is sponsored by Walmart InHome, groceries delivered right to your fridge! Opinions belong to the writer.
Grocery shopping has slowly become a detested chore for me. Since I work outside the home, I either have to shop with EVERYONE on the weekends, or I make a run after work one evening, in between activities. Neither of those are my preferred method.
Once stores started offering pick-up services, I was thrilled to try it. Let someone else shop for me, bag my groceries and put them in my car? Sign me up! I’ve really liked using this service for the time saved, but also for the money saved on my grocery bill. I can stick to a list and avoid those impulse purchases when it’s 5 p.m., and I’m hangry.
So when I heard about Walmart’s InHome grocery delivery service that has a person actually put the groceries in your house, I was intrigued. After reading up on the process – how they get in my house, how the delivery is recorded – I decided to give it a try. I scheduled a time for a representative to come to my house to answer my questions and install a smart lock by Level.
Leading up to my install date, I received a number of emails confirming my appointment, which I appreciated. My install was on a Saturday morning (hooray for Saturday appointments!), and everything went very smoothly. The Level Lock is simply deadbolt piece that locks into the hole on the doorframe. My original door lock is still there.
My installer explained exactly how she was going to do everything before she started and I watched the whole process. At one point she needed to carve out a little more space in the latch on the doorframe, but it was a minor fix and the lock was installed in under an hour. She walked me through how the lock works on the app, which is easy. Push a button – locked. Push a button – unlocked. Eventually, the Level Lock will have a stand-alone app, but for now, you have to unlock and lock it through the Walmart InHome app. She walked me through how to place a grocery order, and I was ready to go.
At first I wasn’t sure how much I would really take advantage of InHome. To be completely honest, we do not typically shop at Walmart unless we need to run and grab something quick. My first go was during that hectic week right before Christmas when it felt like every night was packed solid with activities and a massive To-Do list. Knowing we were having friends over Friday after work, I put in a quick order Thursday night for some cheese, crackers, and snacks for the kids. The fact that I didn’t have to run out to the store that night, or worse, try and hit the store on the way home from work, was a huge weight off my shoulders. Ice storm in the forecast? Put your order in the day before so you don’t have to deal with the endless lines of people buying bread and milk.
Sure, the idea of some stranger waltzing into my house when I’m not there is a bit nerve-racking, I admit. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how informed you are throughout the entire process. Prior to delivery Walmart sends you a notification of who is delivering your groceries, complete with a headshot, fun fact about them, and confirmation that they cleared a background check. Strangers, no more! Once they arrive for the actual delivery, you have the option to actually watch them, which can be reassuring if you’re still feeling a bit uneasy about the whole thing. Then when they’re finished, you get another notice letting you know they completed your order with a full receipt letting you know if the shopper needed to sub anything out, which is an option you’re given before placing your order.
I think my favorite part of the entire process, well minus the groceries, is the little note they leave in the fridge confirming that they were there and stocked it for you. They also leave the non-perishable items neatly unpacked on the counter so you can put them where they need to be. If you want something left in the garage, your shopper can do that, too! It’s like having your own personal grocery fairy.
The initial cost for Walmart InHome is $49 for either a door look or a GoControl Smart Garage Door Opener, if you just want someone to access a refrigerator in the garage. After that, you’ll be charged a monthly fee of $19.95, plus the cost of the groceries.
While the monthly fee is a bit more than other delivery services, you are paying for someone to literally bring the groceries into the house and put them away. And frankly, if this service saves my sanity and precious time, I’m all in.
