Perils of On-Line Shopping

/ roughwighting

Pixabay, shopping, grocery shoppingOrdinarily, I like to shop in person

Pick my own potatoes, pasta and peas.

Finding culinary delights adds to the fun

I fill my cart, happy with my shopping deeds.

Pick my own potatoes, pasta and peas

Not possible now that we should stay indoors

Order on-line, we’re advised with pleas

I think shopping like this may be a bore.

Not possible now that we should stay indoors

Can’t ask the butcher; I must input the weight

I think shopping this way may be a bore.

A once happy deed, slower at this rate.

Can’t ask the butcher; I must input the weight

So when the delivery comes I gasp in dismay

A once happy deed, slower at this rate

10 pounds of shrimp – how much did I pay?

So when the delivery comes I gasp in dismay

On-line, a decimal point can cause a disaster

10 pounds of shrimp – how much did I pay?

I ordered 1.0 pounds, I had inferred.

Pixabay, shrimp, on-line shoppingOn-line, a decimal point can cause a disaster

Finding culinary delights used to be fun

I ordered 1.0 pound, I had inferred.

Ordinarily, I like to shop in person.

142 thoughts on “Perils of On-Line Shopping”

  1. I’d say you’ve summed that up good and proper. I don’t shop online, and I’ll doubt I’ll turn to it and not only cos the main supermarkets no longer have delivery slots available. My daughter (disabled) has done this for years, and I’ve been there when it’s been delivered. The quality of fruit and veg is naff. I wouldn’t feed it to pigs. And as you say, the errors… 1 clove of garlic was delivered as 1 kg! Well, it helps to keep the vampires away

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Shopping on line does make me so less hungry. And we don’t have slots
    either. Luckily I share a kind Shopper with a friend and gets exactly what I
    needed … or wanted.
    Still, we have to be glad there is food around.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve never heard of a “Kind Shopper” share, but I’ll tell you, that sounds like a WONDERFUL idea.
      Yes, we are fortunate to have food – I gave away a lot of my shrimp to friends and family, and am sticking to mac and cheese. 🙂

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  4. I hope you like shrimp and it is a better alternative to meat! Hope you are not accused of hoarding shrimp. I guess one must be diligent when filling out the forms. Our grocery stores are still open and one of us can go. Only so many people in at once and must stay 6 feet apart, Gloves and wipes available for use. Scary times but we have to do what we need to do to stay safe. Sending hugs. xo

    Liked by 1 person

    • Shrimp brings me memories of the shrimp dishes my mom cooked for me when I lived on the other coast and visited her a couple of times a year. SHE knew how to cook it. I do not. ;-( But I’m learning… sorta. You guys stay safe. I’m sure Dot is giving you lots of home entertainment. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I have happily bought many things online, but groceries is not one of them. Not being able to pick my own fruit and vegetables is the biggest turn-off. I’m picky.
    But now that I’ve read this, you’ve added a new reason to my rationalization … errors. That pesky decimal point has plagued me in the past. I certainly don’t want to give it any more opportunities to trip me up.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Generally, I dislike shopping (for clothes, household items) and do so on-line. But there’s something about wanting to choose your own apples, cheese and yogurt, right? 😉

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  8. A pantoum–how clever!
    I haven’t yet ordered groceries online–though I’ve done lots of other online shopping! 😀
    I have a friend who has been getting her groceries delivered for about a year. There’s definitely a learning curve! I hope you like shrimp.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. My wife is tall and has problems buying clothes of the rack. She used to shop at a store that specializes in taller women’s clothing, but it recently closed its brick and mortar stores. Now everything is online and there is, of course, no way for her to try anything on before purchasing.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Oh I would not like to shop on line at all Pam, and that decimal point… a disaster…. 🙂
    Thankfully as yet we can still go shopping all be it with restrictions of buying how many in shop and distancing…. Thankfully my freezer is stocked with our veggie harvest from last year…. And the allotment plot is not off limits…
    So we keep planting…. …
    Sending love and well wishes Pam… Take care of yourself too.. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  13. So clever of you, Pam! Merril has called your verse a pantoum, so it must be sophisticated! Me, I just enjoyed the story, a dilemma really.

    I suppose a city in the Northeast has to dive deep to ensure shopper safety. Oh, my! I have a friend close by who is not longer physically able to drive. For a while now she has relied on Publix’s grocery Instacart for delivery. She’s through the learning curve, she says, as you will be soon.

    80 Shrimp recipes: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/g2768/shrimp-recipes/

    You are definitely a cheerer-upper, Pam!

    Liked by 1 person

    • You are so funny … and helpful! Those are great shrimp recipes.
      Learning curve, indeed. I learned to whine enough that my daughter took a lot of our shrimp for her own family. 🙂
      Thanks for the pat on the back on the Pantoum. I wanted to have a more “light-hearted” post this week, and the Pantoum gave me a fun structure to work with.

      Like

  14. I hope you and your guy like shrimp.

    Our online shopping service is over a week behind on orders, so I’m just going to the store for things like dairy and produce. And I’m trying to stock up for a week at a time, but by the end of the week the produce I bought is looking rather sad. I try to remember that this is luxury compared to what some other people are experiencing.

    And for your readers: please remember to continue donating to food pantries at this time. Items like soap are especially helpful.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, Amy, the delivery times are getting further and further into the future. I only like shrimp when my mom cooks it. When I used to visit her (as an adult) she’d make a delicious shrimp dish. I never watched her do it though, just enjoyed. 😉
      EXCELLENT reminder of food pantries. Thank you! Too bad shrimp isn’t in a can. ;-0

      Liked by 1 person

  17. We’ve not tried online food shopping. I’m wary of it, but am chuckling at your mistake. I’ve heard there’s a learning curve to using that service. Perhaps there’s a truth to that?

    Liked by 1 person

    • My daughter laughed so hard when I told her what I did I began to be offended! :-0 Learning curve, indeed. She ended up “buying” a bunch of the shrimp from me for her family. And now I know how to watch out for that decibel point. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • So many things about you impress me, Balroop, and now you’ve added another reason to be impressed: you’ve trained your husband SO well! I know of few men who will willingly go grocery shopping. ;-0

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  20. Goofed by ordering nectarines…BIG MISTAKE…Cut them open & looked like dark ‘yuck’!
    At least I don’t have to feel guilty for staying isolated and writing – at least, Julie Anne likes it! (Okay, I’m a ‘Cry-Baby’! ♥♥♥

    Liked by 2 people

  21. I love shrimp. I’ll be right over. Oh, on second thought, that darned social distancing thing. Sorry I can’t help you eat them. I feel the same about online shopping, and don’t think I could do it unless I were REALLY, REALLY desperate. (For all the same reasons you have given.)

    Liked by 1 person

  23. What a great way to tell this story, Pam. Happy to see that this on-line shopping hasn’t messed up your creativity. You’ll have shrimp for months, just like other shoppers have TP for months. I love shrimp! Save some for when I swing by this summer. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Very clever! I’m pretty sure I could consume 10 pounds of shrimp over a short period of time… I’m just not sure I’d want to see that bill! We never shopped for groceries online (like you, I want to see my food before I buy it). Now, when it seems like a reasonable idea, it’s almost impossible to arrange a delivery time. Oh well, we have to make do with what we have for a while.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The time slots are becoming more and more illusive. Just as well….I’m shrimped out. I got to our grocery store at 8 yesterday morning – not many people there, soft music in the background, and I could squeeze the lemons and oranges. 🙂

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  31. Oh, dear. That’s a lot of shrimp! I think the Washington Post has an article this week on tips with freezing any kind of food. It might be helpful to read! We braved a visit to the grocery early in the week, and what we bought we think will last us for another week, possibly longer. But two days ago, out of no where we had an ant infestation in our kitchen! I was forced to go back out to get some traps. I was a nervous wreck getting in/out of that store, but 24 hours later the ants are no longer crawling around on our kitchen walls. Good luck to you! – Marty

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ant infestation…. UGH. We used to get them in CA during the rainy season. Glad they are gone. So is my shrimp, thanks to a “give-away’ program I adopted – giving shrimp to family and friends. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Love this little ditty! Our local grocery stores implemented specific shopping hours for senior citizens — 5:30 am – 7:00 am — so I’m guessing the staff must do a thorough cleaning down of the store the night before? I’m sure there is a small percentage of people who appreciate being able to get out and do “real time” shopping!!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well, you’re certainly not a senior citizen, so I wonder how you’re getting your groceries now, Kate? My daughter uses Instacart a lot. I’m back to going ‘real time’ shopping once the freezer is cleared out. 🙂

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  33. Need a good recipe for shrimp? 😛

    We’re keeping shopping to a minimum for the time-being, but I will resort to on-line shopping for groceries only as a last resort. Instead, I’ll send BFF. At 6’4″ . . . his head is above most of the germs. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  34. It seems a brave new world buying groceries this way. It does take so much more planning in case you forget something. Life has changed so much for all of us; I believe with practice, we will make adjustments for the time being. Thank God we are able to shop this way…it is much safer. Loved your post…very creative! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks for the encouragement, Linda. I thought I’d try again but now there are no delivery slots open day after day. We’re doing a good job of eating a lot of leftovers. 😏

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  36. What you have written is what has stopped me from shopping online for grocery. I have not left my home in almost two weeks except a few times around midnight to throw trash. I am so afraid of getting bad produce that I have decided to go buy some from the store down the street. Scary times!

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Very cute poem. I don’t know that I will ever let a stranger do my shopping for me. I see those kids picking up fruit and veggies for someones pick up order. They know nothing about buying food for anyone. Most look to be 10 years old and have never paid for their own food. I am pushing it to let my daughter that lives here pick things up on occasion. 10 pounds of shrimp would be cause for a group larger than 6 less than 6 ft apart to enjoy. You’ll have the distance police breaking down your doors if they find out. I’m going to hold onto shopping myself until the bitter end.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Your comments made me smile here. Yes on special holiday occasions I make up a good shrimp cocktail in which a lot of people are very close together enjoying the dipping. Can’t do that now! And you’re right about other people who don’t know what good fruit looks like, doing a bad job of choosing. Sigh. Stay safe! 😘

      Liked by 1 person

    • Since the shrimp incident I have been avoiding online shopping. Which means our freezer is nearly empty. 🤭 You’ll appreciate the fact that I was able to bake 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies, though. 😏

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  39. Pam, whether in prose or in rhyme, a decimal point make its value known.
    I guess you will be online searching for lots of different shrimp recipes now. Our input from Oaxaca Mexico … shrimp tacos with cilantro.

    Wondering if in your area there are any famers or co ops or farmers markets that can deliver to you? So important now more than ever to support local farmers and as well, the fruit and vegetables are always the freshest and therefore have the most nutrients. Our youngest son is supplying the community with micro greens now, as he had to change his whole business model of suppling 100 restaurants in the Chicago area. His business went from 100 to 1 overnight. It takes some creativity and ingenuity in these challenging times.

    Stay healthy and safe
    Peta & Ben

    Liked by 1 person

    • Wow, your son’s business took a huge fall, but he’s creative and still serving the community with health. Yes, we have a local farm/farmer’s market 20 minutes away, and I’m choosing to shop there (carefully and respectfully). (Shrimp tacos are my favorite, actually…) 🙂

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  40. A friend of mine just ordered her groceries on-line (and got them within the hour.) I’ll have to ask her about the quality of what she received.
    I, on the other hand, shall not be trying that. Ain’t nobody gonna choose my fruits and veggies for me. And yes, quantities do need to be visualized!
    Now all I can hear is Bubba telling Forest of all the ways to use shrimp…boil it, broil it,… https://youtu.be/4rT5fYMfEUc

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Well… 10 pounds of shrimp is better than 10 pounds of parsley. 🙂
    I’m still shopping in person, but I go early in the morning so I have the store to myself.
    I hope you’re doing well, Pam. Take care, my friend. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  43. Each to their own Pam, I always shop online for groceries – much quicker and easier (once you get use to it), though you do occasionally end up with some interesting substitutions or quantities 🙂 But there are no slots available for the next few weeks so we’ll be getting our mother in law’s shopping trolley out and about!

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    • Most people around here are finding it impossible to do online shopping now also, Andrea. No slots available. I had to laugh because a neighbor emailed all of us around the block to say that somehow she got 30 bananas instead of two. She offered for us all to come and get some. We did!

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  44. I know your online blues, lol. First place I ordered, after spending over an hour trying to navigate the unuser friendly site, never showed up and I’m trying to get my refund sorted. I tried another site, spent another hour, checked out, only to find ‘no time slots available’. Perhaps they could say that before? Oye! 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    • I feel your pain, Deb. I found out that on the Whole Foods on-line shopping site, I can order the food I want, and if I find out at the end there are not “slots” available, the list stays on there. Sometimes by going back early the next day, a slot MAY be available for that day, or the next.
      In the meantime, I’m cleaning out my freezer. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi! Thanks for following my blog. Welcome to WordPress blogging! Find a way to add a button on your blog that says “follow,” so your readers can get your posts via WP Reader or e-mail.
      Nice to hear from a chef like you, seconding my suggestion that on-line grocery shopping is NOT the best way to go. 🙂

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  46. Oh that was hilarious Pam. Well likely not for you but I can see how it would easily happen. The stores are very backed up here for deliveries so at this point I am venturing out but every 7-10 days. May your next on line order find the decimal points in the proper locations. Stay well. xo

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks for laughing (with, not at??) me, Sue. 🙂 Our neighbor just got her delivery. Thought she ordered five bananas, but got five BUNCHES of bananas. She “made” me take a bunch so I better make some banana bread. 🙂
      Ah, you gotta laugh at life. You all stay safe as well. xo

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  48. Ah yes, perils indeed! I just placed my first online order (delivered in 2 weeks – first slot available!) and we will see what mistakes I may have made in ordering. My virtual shopping trip began at 5:30 am, in a rush to get an open delivery slot (got the last one) and I felt pressure to fill my cart before I’d had my tea, so that I wouldn’t lose my delivery date. Deep breaths and stay calm – I’ll be thrilled if the paper napkins I ordered arrive 🙂

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  49. I’m with you, Pam…I also like to shop on my own. I live in an area that is easy to pop in first thing in the morning…we have “senior time” between 7 and 8 am…I put on my walking clothes and hit the grocery store for 7, hardly anyone there and bonus, they clean that store every night till it sparkles so I can get there before the crowds add their handprints to everything. In and out in a breeze. It is a bit new wracking though as time goes on with so much more bad news with the numbers but we do have to eat. We also have a great small local farm here where I get my veggies and eggs, flowers and meats. What a saving grace that place is. We are all navigating our way through this…I hope you stay well and keep smiling…you really do have the best smile.

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  50. Pam, This post made me smile and a little sad. I have not shopped online, yet. We are Day 19 completely self isolating and no stores either during this time. We have supplies although, fresh supplies are almost depleted. I will likely tackle shopping in the next week after studying the pages and pages of information of how to disinfect your groceries. I am formulating a plan. Things have changed significantly around here. Yet, my immediate family and friends still healthy. A blessing. 💕

    Liked by 1 person

    • So glad you’re healthy and being careful. My daughter’s mother-in-law just offered to make us face masks (she’s a wonderful sewer). But I think I’ll stick with social distancing – those masks make me claustrophobic. ;-0

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  52. I like going to the market place and grocery store but this virus is going to change the world as we know it. Online shopping and selling will become much more common. I wonder if things will ever be the same again :/

    Liked by 1 person

  54. I like your comical portrayal of shopping on line. The problem I have been having is when I give a list of groceries I want and go and pick it up, some of the stuff I order is not in stock. That can create a problem if it is an essential ingredient for all the other stuff your bought for that recipe.

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