Your NYC Dollar

Our Instacart definitive guide and shopping analysis, finds grocery delivery service fees, taxes, and tips add 20% to the food costs that may have a markup over in-store. Importantly, Costco offers the greatest value for consumers, followed by Aldi, Wegmans, and BJ's. Remember, even buying through Costco from Instacart, you will still likely pay an average online markup of 15%, or more, versus in-store. Therefore, while it offers a nice aspect of optimization for a busy New Yorker, it is not the most frugal and economical source of groceries. Grocery Delivery Near Me, Now Damn It! We live in an instant gratification economy. While this might not necessarily be new, technological advancements are increasing the options for consumers. People increasingly want to use their smartphones via an app, or computer, to place orders online. For instance, they expect short delivery times, in a matter of days, if not the same day, more recently. Web-based services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu, among others, offer OnDemand movies and TV shows. Instant gratification provides significant value for consumers when done right, according to an article written in Forbes, What The Instant Gratification Economy Taught Me About Happiness, by Ashik Ahmed. Within the article, he notes the following; "In a world where consumers don't just desire instant gratification, but expect it, the window for a startup to impress customers is smaller than ever." Like many New Yorkers and others, for instance, you want to optimize your limited time. Oftentimes, this means paying a premium to have someone else provide a service that used to be part of daily routines. For example, this includes the premium an Uber driver charges for door-to-door car service to some remote part of Brooklyn for a loft party. A shoeshine at Grand Central. Dinner prepared by a restaurant and delivered from Grubhub. And our topic of today's discussion, grocery delivery. Grocery delivery around New York City (NYC) is an increasingly competitive market spanning national services to those more regional. Moreover, there are options galore for consumers, and they appear to be increasing with time. For example, there are many grocery delivery services for NYC, including Amazon Fresh, DoorDash, Fresh Direct, Grubhub, Instacart, Peapod, Postmates, Shipt, TaskRabbit, Uber Eats, Whole Foods delivery via PrimeNow and numerous others! We are going to focus on one service now, Instacart. Moreover, what are the lowest cost grocery delivery stores from Instacart in NYC? The goal is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the lowest cost grocery stores through Instacart as well as a definitive guide. Why? Because we need our guac, now! We are a needy species. How Does Instacart Work? First, Instacart differs from some other grocery delivery services because it doesn't have its own stores or warehouses. Rather, it creates relationships with your local grocery stores to offer a delivery service. Second, it merely acts as an intermediary for grocery shopping with no inventory to keep on hand. In addition, for those more community conscious, it drives local grocery delivery business to stores in your neighborhood. As a user, you gain value from the grocery delivery service, optimizing your life a bit, at a cost of course, while also continuing to support local stores and employment. Conversely, services like Amazon Fresh, Fresh Direct, Peapod, and others use their own networks of warehouses as the source for your grocery delivery. Instacart, however, utilizes its network of shoppers to visit your local store you have chosen to order from, gather items ordered, then deliver them to your doorstep. Time needed: 20 minutes. Step-by-Step Guide for Getting Started with Instacart Visit www.instacart.com, or download the app (Apple app here or Android here) for your smartphone or tablet. Enter your email address and choose a password.

How to prepare for a layoff? This is a question that nags me well after it happened in my life. Layoffs happen, that’s life, unfortunately (see my other article, Employer at the Gates… An Essay on Exiting the Workforce). Yes, it sucks! More so during the current coronavirus than in recent history, but one should prepare and remain focused on the next steps. Layoff preparation is key to minimizing the stress and adverse health effects associated with unemployment and maintaining some semblance of normalcy within your life while unemployed. Reflecting on my discharge that occurred around two months ago, I wish I had prepared better, and it had gone somewhat differently. The primary question I think about, how should I prepare for a layoff? Had I spent more time preparing for this event, perhaps inevitable in today’s economy, I would be on better footing when pursuing my next steps. We’ll cover fifteen pieces of advice I wish I had taken into consideration ahead of my cutback as I entered unemployment. We will cover mental and physical health preparedness to a greater degree than others may touch on because I feel it is crucial and often overlooked. First, let’s touch on some terminology. Picture of a dictionary with the definition of focus Layoff is when the employer discharges the employee. Often this action is the result of restructuring or cost-cutting and is synonymous with headcount reductions. Furlough, like a layoff, is a dismissal of an employee but differs as the individual usually returns at a later time to the position. Fire is when an employer terminates an employee due to poor performance or other causes. Usually, there is a greater negative connotation associated with being fired as opposed to furloughs and layoffs. Don’t fret; you can recover from this too! It is essential to understand the distinctions between the types of employment dismissals as this could impact your insurance benefits, like unemployment payments, as well as future references. With that understood, let’s move on to the fifteen pieces of advice, helping you prepare for a layoff. For brevity and those with limited attention spans, a summary table is provided below. Layoff Preparation Checklist Initial Shock May Overwhelm: Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster and shock associated with layoffs.Seek Help if Necessary: Utilize benefits while still employed to prepare and address both physical and mental health.Everyone is Expendable, Leave Arrogance at the Door: No employee is invaluable, stay humble in your career, or your ego may be crushed. Get Your Office in Order: Literally, clear out excess personal items at work, including updating professional contacts via LinkedIn.It’s Not Personal, Usually: Employee reductions aren’t personal, although it will feel that way. It’s business focusing on the bottom line. Capital Preservation is Not Market Timing: If unemployment is imminent, consider selling riskier assets like stocks and accumulating cash. Understand Unemployment Benefits: Review unemployment benefits to see if you qualify, how much income it might provide, and for how long. Never Stop Learning: Always continue your professional development via certifications or licensing while employed. It helps when looking for your next job.Ask for More Severance: Strategize with a lawyer well ahead of layoffs and get them involved immediately to help negotiate a better severance. Budget, Understand Your Expenses: Organize your finances, understand your income, cash flows, expenses, and debts. This helps you know the minimum cash requirements.Cash is King, Emergency Fund Planning: Prioritize and build a six month or greater cash emergency fund in the event of layoffs.Credit Optionality: Extend lines of credit and add new ones, not to the detriment of your FICO score. This will offer a credit cushion to utilize if you are unemployed longer than expected. Maintain an Updated Resume: Always maintain, update,

The Pandemic Should Mark a Turning Point in Employer-Employee Relations Author William Craig’s Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, details the German invasion of Stalingrad in 1942 during World War II. Invading forces believed overtaking the city post bombings could be done with relative ease; however, it lasted over five months, and almost two million lives were lost. Historians view it as a turning point of the war, a view I hope prevails after the pandemic regarding employer-employee relations. "The government and institutions will rain praise on first responders and everyday people for diligently fighting the virus." An article on Medium titled Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting by Julio Vincent Gambuto more eloquently detailed the gaslighting that likely ensues once the government and corporate America deem it essential the economy restart. Millions under stay at home orders, furloughed or outright laid off will be encouraged to go back to work. It is for the greater good as well as your wellbeing to reengage the workforce and stimulate an economic recovery. The government and institutions will rain praise on first responders and everyday people for diligently fighting the virus. Now is the time to put your best foot forward and bring back some normalcy to daily life. Right? Like many others across the country and globally, I was not immune to the pandemic and found myself unemployed. The more time that passes has led to self-reflection about what my life was before and where an idealistic version saw it as well as a more pragmatic assessment looking ahead. "Take some time to assess your life and the employer-employee relationship." I hope others reflect on their situations during this time, and something more comes of it, specifically the employer-employee relationship. For those of us out of work or remote, employers will be keen to have us back once the green light is given. Back to what? Did the employers care about my livelihood and work in my best interest during the pandemic? Before that, did they have my best interest in mind and provide livable wages while sufficiently saving for retirement? Were their actions before, during, and after the pandemic merely lip service to paint themselves in a better light? Take some time to assess your life and the employer-employee relationship. This situation is painful to many of us for various reasons, including the deaths of loved ones and those around us. I feel fortunate those around me have remained healthy or overcome the virus, but my circumstance of being let go still aches. The Invisible Hand Hurts Adam Smith wrote on the concept of the invisible hand in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, a metaphor on unseen forces that drive free-market economies. Freely exchanged goods and services allegedly bring value to the market. Changes in output, supply and demand, ultimately find a market equilibrium with time. As it turns out, the free-market economy determined my labor no longer held value several months ago as demand plummeted, and like many others, I was unemployed. In March of 2020, around lunch, I was called in my office to meet management in a conference room. During that initial call, I already knew what it meant, exclaiming, “well, this can’t be good.” The voice on the other end of the phone concurred, “you may be right.” Despite modest preparation, both consciously and subconsciously, since the day I started my career, it was still shocking. Newspaper clipping highlighting COVID-19 Layoffs "My job had become my identity." The experience of being let go is demoralizing, hits you in the gut, and crushes your self-esteem. Sleeplessness persisted for several nights after. Over the following month, my mood would swing from the elation regarding the opportunity of starting a new chapter in life and drift back towards grief over the loss. My job had become my identity. Often,