5 ms·

Going to the grocery store is actually pretty time-consuming. That's true even though I live within a few blocks of one. I just did some back-of-the-envelope m

by nilkn 12y ago

Going to the grocery store is actually pretty time-consuming. That's true even though I live within a few blocks of one. I just did some back-of-the-envelope math and determined that the minimum time it could take for me to go to the grocery store and come back, from door to door, is about 40 minutes, and the maximum is about 2 hours. I took into account everything from walking to my car in the parking garage and getting out of the garage to finding a parking spot, waiting in line to check out, hitting traffic lights on the way there and back, etc. I think this is why I don't cook as much as I'd like to. I can either spend 40 minutes getting groceries and then needing to cook a meal and then eating it, or I can spend 40 minutes picking up, say, Chipotle, which includes eating the food.

JoeAltmaier 12y ago
Grocery shopping has to be the worst inefficient process there is. Count how many times you handle a can of beans: Shelf-to-cart, cart-to-checkout, checkout-to-bag, bag-to-car, car-to-pantry, pantry-to-shelf, then later shelf-to-kitchen, kitchen-to-recycle.
- timjahn 12y ago
  Yes! Couldn't agree more. Touched on this in a comment a while back: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5039418 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5039418 So much time wasted.
  - JoeAltmaier 12y ago
    ...and I skipped bag-to-cart and cart-to-car
- Hansi 12y ago
  Have you considered getting the groceries delivered from a real grocery store rather than Uber as per article? I normally get them delivered once or twice a week depending on need and the delivery price is considerably less than my "per hour worth". Also I don't run into things not being available at my local store, I don't buy things on impulse (leading to cleaner living, no crisps etc) and I can arrange for things even at only 30 hours before my chosen time slot.
viraptor 12y ago
But you can go shopping only once a week if you have storage place at home. That's a pretty good amortised cost compared to your estimate of eating at Chipotle.
- seanflyon 12y ago
  How long do you account for cooking and eating a meal?
  - ensignavenger 12y ago
    The OP stated that they did not 'cook as much as' they would like to. This implies that perhaps cooking is something they may enjoy doing. Time spent doing something you enjoy is not equal to time spent doing something you don't particularly enjoy.

by nilkn 12y ago

JoeAltmaier 12y ago

Grocery shopping has to be the worst inefficient process there is. Count how many times you handle a can of beans: Shelf-to-cart, cart-to-checkout, checkout-to-bag, bag-to-car, car-to-pantry, pantry-to-shelf, then later shelf-to-kitchen, kitchen-to-recycle.

timjahn 12y ago
Yes! Couldn't agree more. Touched on this in a comment a while back: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5039418 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5039418 So much time wasted.
- JoeAltmaier 12y ago
  ...and I skipped bag-to-cart and cart-to-car
Hansi 12y ago
Have you considered getting the groceries delivered from a real grocery store rather than Uber as per article? I normally get them delivered once or twice a week depending on need and the delivery price is considerably less than my "per hour worth". Also I don't run into things not being available at my local store, I don't buy things on impulse (leading to cleaner living, no crisps etc) and I can arrange for things even at only 30 hours before my chosen time slot.

viraptor 12y ago

But you can go shopping only once a week if you have storage place at home. That's a pretty good amortised cost compared to your estimate of eating at Chipotle.

seanflyon 12y ago
How long do you account for cooking and eating a meal?
- ensignavenger 12y ago
  The OP stated that they did not 'cook as much as' they would like to. This implies that perhaps cooking is something they may enjoy doing. Time spent doing something you enjoy is not equal to time spent doing something you don't particularly enjoy.