8 Ways Amazon Fresh Helps Me as an IBDer

One of the many downsides of living with an invisible, chronic illness is feeling dependent on others to take care of you - in some way, shape or form. Whether it is driving to appointments, being there for emotional support, providing financially, or a million other reasons… people who live with a severe chronic condition lose a lot of their independence.

And to say losing your independence, which then forces you to be at the mercy of other people, is an awful burden to bear… would be a huge understatement. We do, however, greatly appreciate those of us in our lives who are willing to help us and pick up the slack!

I also wanted to mention that while living with a chronic illness that is invisible has a lot of benefits, it makes it so that other people wouldn’t even think to offer to help with things such as grocery shopping, cleaning, or other errands.

Which brings me to the point of this article.

I have been using Amazon Fresh for a few months now.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, it is a service that delivers groceries right to your door. The prices are incredibly reasonable, if not cheaper, than a lot of grocery stores.

Some other facts about Amazon Fresh:

1. You do not have to be home to have this service. BUT, they do offer assistance if needed.
2. The bags they leave the food in are reusable and they do a great job keeping your groceries cold. Once you have unloaded the food/drinks, you place the reusable bags outside of your door and they come to pick it up within a few days of delivery. You don’t have to physically bring them anywhere.
3. Amazon Prime members are eligible for a free 30 day trial. I believe the same 30 day trial applies to non-prime members but I cannot be positive. It is then $15 a month to use the service.
4. They have amazing customer service. Calling them is a delight (if you have to deal with this stuff), and they are a very “no questions asked” kind of company. With Amazon Fresh, if a package comes damaged or it is the wrong item or flat out needs to be returned for whatever reason, money is refunded without question. And, it can all be done online which at first I thought would be a process. I was definitely wrong; they make it easy.
5. Ever since this service entered my life, I have felt like I contribute a lot more to the household. This also goes back to the dependency thing I was referring to earlier in the article. Before I used Amazon Fresh, I felt so guilty because grocery shopping was really hard for me. It made me feel badly because I wanted to have things done, put away, and ready before my family came home.
6. I eat healthier. Since I take the time to choose my food, I do it with a clearer head than when I am out grocery shopping.
7. It is something I don’t have to concern myself with as much. People with a chronic illness, or someone who is busy in general, have enough to deal with in this life… having something that makes it simpler should always be explored, in my opinion.
8. I save money. When I was reliant on regular stores, I would either have to just go to a quick, convenient market and pay three times as much OR my boyfriend would have to do the shopping after a hard day of work - enter guilt.

I could go on but I think you get the picture. I also want to make sure anyone who reads this is aware that I get no compensation, financial or otherwise, for writing this. It is purely because it has helped me so much that I want to pass along the information. I am sure there are other great grocery delivery services that are just as great, if not better. :)

Anyway, I do want to reiterate that there is no shame in needing to order a lot of your items (food included) online. I know people joke about how it is the “lazy” way of doing things but they have no idea what our lives are like. And if something like this could take one thing off your plate, why not explore it?

Have any of you had experience with Amazon Fresh or another food delivery service? What are your thoughts? Does it help make you feel less dependent on others? Is that a big deal to you?