App Of The Week: Food Delivery

Normally, having a personal shopper is strictly for the stars. For years, the idea of having your own personal shopper has been just a dream. But now, with the list of apps offering food and merchandise delivery growing daily, your dream has become a reality!

Just about anything is less than an hour away, if you're willing to pay for the convenience.

There are a couple apps I want to touch on this morning, all of which offer a little something different than the other, but these things are a lot like the stores themselves - they're all basically the same, its really just a matter of which one you prefer.

For food delivery, my favorite is an app called Postmates, with a similar app called Door Dash a close second.

Let's say lunchtime rolls around and you get a craving for some sushi, but you're on deadline and won't be able to take time out to go pick it up. No problem. Just leave yourself enough time - usually between 30 to 60 minutes - and get it delivered directly to you.

Postmates operates pretty much like Uber. Once you place your order, you can actually track the delivery using that same technology. Deliveries start at $5 and fluctuate based on distance and demand. They also tack on a 9% service fee.

The company just launched a service called Postmates Plus Unlimited, where all those fees go away for a $10 a month subscription.

Delivery doesn't stop at restaurants. As long as we're at it, I think I could do without a trip to the grocery store, too! With an app called Instacart, shop stores like Wholefoods, Ralphs… even Costco and get your delivery in an hour.

Just choose the groceries you need. All products have photos so you know what you're buying. Add them to your cart and choose a delivery time. One of Instacart's personal shoppers accepts the order and does all the dirty work for you. Fees depend on the size of your order and demand, starting at around 6 bucks.

Similar to Postmates, Instacart offers an annual membership that waives your delivery fees.

Amazon also has a similar service, called AmazonFresh, which is definitely worth looking into as well.

All of these services are available throughout Southern California but before you get too excited, check to see their coverage area. If you happen to live by me you're out of luck!