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Besides Amazon, many stores are offering delivery services - Walmart, Peapod, feminine products and others. Many senior centers have capable senior volunteers. Ask around.
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Check out nextdoor.com to see if they are in your area.
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I love the convenience of ordering online but not all seniors have that option. They don’t even own a computer or smart phone.
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my2cents Oct 2019
needhelpwithmom- but, anyone on this site searching for answers probably has the ability to order online, too. Online sure saves all the toting of items to car AND to the house...especially as we get into really hot or cold weather.
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First seek out your nearest neighbors for kids interested in making a little money. Most kids are computer savvy and can probably help you with groceries and stamps online. You might find a teen or preteen that could come after school to do some little things for you. Maybe order groceries one day and do delivery at after school hours and they could put them away.
Actually, when I was a kid if you did this sort of thing for someone, especially an elderly person, you didn't ask for pay at all. I would have NEVER EVER thought of discussing payment from a grandparent --- unlike kids today. Simpler times??? I think it was just more respectful times.
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metoo111 Nov 2019
Hi my2cents,

I have been thinking about what you wrote about helping elderly people when you were a kid. I respect and appreciate that you did the work and wouldn't accept payment for the work.

I can remember cleaning up pine cones in my grandmother's yard. I was paid a penny for each two pine cones. She knew that my work was valuable to her but she she got the "family discount." I felt a lot of pride for helping my grandmother and think that candy tasted even sweeter since I bought it with money that I earned.

On the other hand, it does make me think more long term...was the expectation that we should give away our time for free or undervalued make it harder to know our worth as we get older? Does it discount the value of our caregiving if/when we willingly give our time away for free? Is it harder for others to respect our efforts if there isn't a paycheck attached?

I don't know that there is a correlation but would like to hear other's thoughts.
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I have been hiring yard work for years and it is almost as big a chore as doing it myself. Sometimes I have a working lawn mower but sometimes they have to bring one to work.

I have been homeless myself for a short while and got to know some homeless folks in the community.

Whether I hire homeless folks or high school kids, good help is always short lived. They either just disappear or start being flaky after about 6 months.

Once I found my yard kids teen age brother with four other teens laying around my pool table in the garage. I had to tell him to leave several times before they’d go.

It was a little frightening because they were all bigger than me. A LOT bigger! The lawn boy was a good kid. We had to plan around his many sporting events and he was up for a scholarship for his achievements in sports.

I hear that local high schools give credits for community services but I have never had a kid ask me to document their work. They say call the schools vice principle to request help.

We have an organization call “Advancing Vibrant Solutions” that provide workers for needy folks at no or low cost fees. They are always backlogged as you can imagine, but I got a referral from them for a paid plumber that I talked to and am keeping for future reference.

I have been hospitalized and needed housekeeping help afterward that always bugs me to have to hire out. I feel I could do it better if only I was able... Maybe my standards are too high just because I’m paying out.

I only recently got a car and have been paying for rides to the grocery store, too. I think $20 a trip is more than fair but I have trouble finding takers and I hate to take advantage of my friends too often. I have a lot of groceries so it takes me a while to shop. $20 a trip adds to my grocery bill quite a bit.

My Great Grandmother-In-Law lived by herself and had a very small shopping list. She found a service to do her shopping for $12 fee. The woman’s husband even started doing small repairs around the house for free.

For all the money I loan my kids, you’d think I should never pay a dime out to outside help again but that doesn’t seem to work out so good. Oh well....

Good luck! Make sure you appreciate the jewels you may find!
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my2cents Oct 2019
Chark60-Do online order from grocery store with delivery. Walmart does it for about $10 per delivery. They have an option on each item where you can allow them to substitute out of stock items - so I always allow subs for things like roma tomatoes (they might send another type), etc. Usually I get everything on the list, but a couple of times they've been out of stock on something. Where I'm at, Doordash makes the delivery and brings it to where I ask: sometimes just inside the door, sometimes all the way to the kitchen. I give driver some cash for tip instead of paying it online after they drive away. There are quite a few items besides groceries you can get included w/the grocery delivery - paper goods, detergent, etc. This is much easier for you than to load/unload grocery purchase. Save your shopping excursions for clothing, getting out of the house, having lunch w/someone, etc.
I also do business for heavy items from stores like Sam's. My parent uses a lot of disposable pads - much easier for the UPS guy to bring to the front porch than for me to tote them out of store and up to the house. With the Plus account, shipping is always free. Been using Chewy for pet supplies and order $ amount is enough for free shipping on that, too. AND prices better than local stores. (I buy for dogs, cats, parrots)
If you aren't getting much help from family, quit being available as the family bank. Tell them you're keeping the coins to pay people to do errands and odd jobs for you. They'll either feel like heels or move on to do business at another bank.
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THe area agency in my county has a registry list of different people who you can hire for different tasks. Obviously,, I don't know your location or your financial status,but this may be another option to pursue.
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My2cents I laughed when I read your response as I had just received my Target order of paper towels and toilet paper . Free delivery by UPS and 5% off with my red card . We have to look at what’s good in these modern times not what’s missing or not as good as in “ my day” My kids are great but why bother them when this kind of delivery is available ? Believe me I’ll use children and grandchildren for other things . I use Shipt for groceries even tho they are a bit more expensive . I just get what I need and the savings of not impulse buying in the store makes up for it. Target is great for heavy items and my granddaughter downloaded a restaurant delivery app for me . Ain’t life grand ? On the days I’m tired and had it with cooking I order in whatever we’re in the mood for and sit down like the fancy lady I still like to pretend I am. Chewy and Amazon do wonders for me as well . I am not an Amazon Prime member but $25 to get free delivery is so easy . This all gives us time to sit outside in the evening , me with my wine , DH with some soda , and life can still be good even tho tonight DH asked why we were giving out candy if it wasn’t Halloween yet . My response? “ Well Honey I saw so many kids out I thought it would be a great idea “
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While it would be nice to be able to help out younger people, give them some sense of pride in work done and money in their pockets, do also consider there are some older people who would likely love some extra cash and be willing to help out as well! Running errands (unless a teen is old enough to drive, they can't help there!), yard work/gardening, light "handyman" type work. If you ask family, friends and neighbors (church if you belong to one) if they know of anyone, then at least you have a referral and would know what to expect (as some have noted, work ethic among the younger ones and even some older people isn't/wasn't instilled in the home environment!) When you find good, reasonably priced help, praise and reward with a tip and referrals!
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For me the time, mileage & energy savers are:
- Instacart - but kinda need to make sure grocer they use “fits”
- Waitr (or their sister co Bite Squad)
- Target red card - really this is the bomb as others have said
- Amazon Prime for streaming, shopping/delivery at home & for shopping @ WFoods and using secure delivery system at WF for some prime deliveries. WF app runs deals, like recent $10 back if you shopped & scanned code 3 times over 5 weeks. Nice!
- Chewy
- Costco.com
- Uber, although I do still use a old-school cab service which my city has
and
if you’re dealing with millennials..... Venmo.
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NeedHelpWithMom Nov 2019
Gotta love these modern conveniences, huh? Great options! Good posting, igloo.
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I totally agree, Marie. I'd like that kind of program also. But doubt that schools & churches are interested. Students can't come to our houses to help us, due to liability concerns... (Worries that everyone's a pervert now, or a scammer...& background checks are necessary for just about everything). It's frustrating cuz it can stop good ideas like yours from happening. I miss when neighbors knew each other, parents & their kids helped out the elderly. Our community was rural, lots of religious folks,...people were just better than in the cities here.
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I would also contact the local attorney general and find out if they have any teen programs that require community service. Tucson has a program called community justice board and the volunteers are dealing with youngsters that did something stupid and ended up in trouble with the law, no violent crimes or serious property crimes are allowed, those kids get to go through the legal system. But we have a terrible time finding activities that they can do. Maybe you could put a bug in the systems ear.

Filling a need and keeping these kids out of the legal system, it is really pretty effective.

I will be doing that locally because I know that the system is already there and in dire need of opportunities for kids to pay back to the community for putting others at risk because they made dumb choices.

It shows kids that you don't have to follow the path of a law breaker.

Helping others in need opens eyes and shows them that they don't have it so bad and it could be very difficult if choices are not improved. It also helps them have empathy for others.

Do an internet search for community services. This will help you find resources.

If I lived near you I would help you.

I hope you find a solution that works great for you and even gets you some new friends.

Hugs!
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I’ve heard good things about Care.com from others . . .
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Papapals.com These a college students who need extra money and have a real heart for the elderly. It's a match made in heaven.
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