In this age of high tech, there are some new services available that literally change the quality of your life. Online grocery shopping is one of them. I was introduced to this new way of marketing through Hy-Vee in Bettendorf (Devils Glen location, but all Quad Cities Hy-Vee stores offer the service) after reading about the trend nationally. I imagined how convenient it would be to shop from home, so I went online and registered with Hy-Vee, taking the first step in what has been a transforming experience in my rigorous schedule.

I have to say that the first time Hy-Vee delivered groceries to my home, I was ecstatic. Bags of food and sundries arrived at my door to my huge delight. Everything was brought into my kitchen while I jabbered happily about the enormous benefit of Hy-Vee's service, thrilled with the ease of the process, but most of all grateful for the time it saved me with virtually no sacrifice in the quality of products had I shopped myself.

Hy-Vee's Web site for online grocery shopping is comprehensive and completely user-friendly. Everything is categorized by type of merchandise (bakery, deli, dairy, etc.), then listed by item upon clicking a category, and further refined by brand upon clicking an item. All pricing automatically reflects in-store sales and coupons, but shoppers can also apply vendor coupons. A running total is always visible at the bottom of the screen and includes the delivery charge.

As you add an item to your virtual grocery cart, you can also add it to your own personal grocery list that you can access each time you go online. This eliminates redundancy and saves significant time, while also reducing the number of "forgotten" items. Another super-helpful feature of Hy-Vee's online shopping is the ability to store actual recipes. This way, anytime you want to make grandma's lasagna or Betty Crocker's Chicken à la King, you simply pull up the recipe you entered and click on the items you need to prepare it. Does this rock or what?!?

There are so many benefits to this way of grocery shopping beyond the enormous time savings, especially for my household because we work long hours. Because I am so much more prepared when shopping online, I have eliminated a lot of waste. My family eats home more often because the ingredients for meals are on hand. It is easy to replace things we used because there is a record of what was bought via my personal grocery list.

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that Hy-Vee's online service is the epitome of accommodation. You place your order on Monday, and you'll have the groceries on Tuesday. You can also choose to have your order delivered in the morning or afternoon. But even more wonderful is the ability to call the store and talk to either Lisa Michels (who has been with Hy-Vee for 23 years so far) or Rob Budd for items perhaps not listed on the Web site. There are no friendlier, fun, or more trustworthy people than these two. Even better, you don't have to spruce up because they could care less what you look like. Nor do they care how tidy your kitchen is when they arrive. The order is documented in full, and any items that you added via the phone are accounted for. If an item is not available, Lisa or Rob normally calls to see what your preference is for a replacement item or eliminating it from the order altogether. The fee for all this luxury is $15 added to the grocery bill and due upon delivery. Shoppers also have the option of picking up their order for $10, or calling it in if you don't have access to a computer for $20.

The personal service these folks provide is second to none and worth every nickel. I genuinely look forward to it because Lisa and Rob make it fun and so easy to do.

Everything Hy-Vee offers is available through online shopping except alcohol products, including specialty items, hot and cold deli foods, health and beauty items, fresh produce, meats, seafood, merchandise, and even postage

Users of this service include professionals whose time is limited, moms and dads with kids and busy schedules, elderly folks who might not have transportation or have difficulties getting around, those who are ill and need the extra help, or even people who dislike grocery shopping for whatever reason.

I used to consider online grocery shopping a luxury. It is definitely living life to have anything your little heart desires delivered right into your kitchen, but the truth is it has become a necessity. My family is healthier for it because we are eating better foods and spending that time together.

More information can be found at www.hyvee.com.

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