What all can you get for dinner in South MS with $25 on Instacart? What we found
The weekend sped by, and you didn’t have a chance to grocery shop. Now it’s a workday, and dinner time is approaching, but your refrigerator remains nearly empty.
You don’t want to spend money on takeout again, but you also don’t have time to make a trip to the grocery store — enter Instacart.
The grocery pickup and delivery platform connects customers with personal shoppers who can deliver groceries to their door, often within hours. Founded in 2012, Instacart operates across nearly 100,000 locations, including throughout South Mississippi, according to the company’s website.
But with delivery fees and service fees one must wonder if the convenience is worth the extra cost?
To find out, we priced a simple dinner grocery run on Instacart with a $25 budget at three different grocery stores to see how far that money goes in South Mississippi and what additional fees you can expect.
Here’s what we learned.
How much are Instacart delivery fees on the MS Coast?
First, let’s consider the cost of fees for the delivery service. Instacart fees start at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35 and vary for one-hour deliveries, club store deliveries and deliveries under $35, according to the service’s website.
Something to note is that if it’s your first Instacart order: the service has a promotion of no delivery fees on your first three orders with an order minimum of $10, but your first order must be placed within 14 days of creating your account, according to Instacart’s website.
Rouses Market
At Rouses Market, the standard delivery fee for same-day service is $7.99. There’s also a minimum service charge of $2.50, according to the retailer.
That leaves you with $14.51 before tip. That’s enough for dinner if you stick to the basics. Here’s how you could break it up:
Grain (pasta or rice): As low as $2-3
Meat (ground beef, fish, chicken): As low as $3-7
Vegetables (broccoli florets): As low as $2
This leaves you with a bit of extra cash to tip your delivery driver.
Food Giant
Food Giant’s standard delivery fee for same-day service on Instacart is $7.99. There’s also a minimum service charge of $2.50, according to the retailer.
Like Rouses Market, that leaves you with $14.51 without factoring a tip. Here’s how you can get a full dinner:
Grain (pasta or rice): As low as $2-3
Meat (ground beef, fish, chicken): As low as $5-7
Vegetables (broccoli florets): As low as $2
Aldi
Aldi has a standard delivery fee for same-day service of $7.99. There’s also a minimum service charge of $2.50 and a bag fee costing up to $0.12 per bag, according to the retailer.
That leaves you with about $14.15 if we’re factoring in the cost for three bags. That’s just enough to grab a few basics for dinner. Here’s how you could break it up:
Grain (pasta or rice): As low as $1-3
Meat (ground beef, fish, chicken): As low as $4-7
Vegetables (canned corn): As low as $1
This allows for extra cash if you choose to tip your delivery driver.
Pro tip: check out Aldi’s Flyer Deals for savings through the week.
Which stores can you order from using Instacart on the MS Coast?
Instacart offers grocery delivery for dozens of retailers in Mississippi. Here are some of the options, according to the service’s website.
- CVS
- Sam’s Club
- Petco
- Rouses Markets
- Target
- Michaels
- Family Dollar
- Dollar Tree
- View all retailers here
