Instacart, the grocery delivery company, just expanded to 54 new zip codes in our area. To encourage you to try the service, it is offering new customers an entire year of deliveries on orders of $35 or more.
Instacart personal shoppers will shop for you at HEB, Central Market, Rice Epicurean, Costco (and you don't need a Costco card), Whole Foods, Spec's, Petco, Total Wine & More, Harvest Natural Market and Snap Kitchen.
To get the free year of deliveries with Instacart Express, just go to Instacart, type in your zip code to make sure they deliver in our area. If they do, you choose the store you want to buy groceries from and fill your virtual basket. At check-out, you'll see an option to get the free deliveries for a year on all orders over $35. After the initial free year trial, the cost of Instacart Express membership is $99 a year or $14.99 a month.
First time users in Houston can enter the code HIHOU (expires 10/8) at checkout to get $20 off an order of $35 or more, plus a free first time delivery. It normally costs you $3.99 if you want your groceries delivered in two hours or $5.99 if you want them delivered in one hour.
Consumer expert Amy Davis tried the service when it first launched in Houston in 2014. She discovered that Instacart upcharged for items you buy through its website. For example, Davis purchased a loaf of Orowheat 12 grain bread. At HEB, the bread is $2.98. Instacart charged $3.69. When they upcharge on every item you order, you can end up paying nearly 20 percent extra for the convenience of having your groceries delivered.