At the beginning of quarantine, I learned quickly that obtaining Clorox wipes, Lysol, and other essential household items would be tough. Fast forward a few months in, and I have successfully carted, shipped, and had these items successfully delivered to family and friends.
First, Amazon prime
Amazon usually does not disappoint. If you have ever ordered any essential item via Prime (toilet paper, baby wipes, diapers, all the things), chances are that item is listed as one of your Amazon Essentials (formerly known as virtual dash buttons). So, this is one quick way to check if your item is available via Amazon Prime. I have used this one fairly often and it really works. If you do not have what you are looking for as one of your essentials, don’t fret.
Amazon hack #2: Search for your item and then add it to your essentials – when the item is in stock, you can click on it once, and it will ship to your default home address and Amazon will use your default payment method. Boom. Done.
If Amazon doesn’t work, the next online hack that has worked repeatedly
(over 10x during quarantine for sure) for me is to search Walmart.com, Amazon, and Staples websites using the zip code 11211. You may have to log out of Walmart.com or other websites, but Amazon has a feature on the app where the default address’s zip code is listed at the top left of your screen. Click that address field, and there is an option that will read “Choose your location.” This is where you would change the zip code. Hear me out. It changes the game, y’all. It shows you items that you can’t find by using the “705” zip codes. Once you have carted your item, pick the correct shipping address/payment method, and there you have it – Lysol and Clorox wipes at your door (or your mama’s door or really anyone’s door). The drawback of this hack is that I have paid a decent amount in shipping fees for items not found on Amazon Prime, and you have to be really quick to grab what you are looking for. Try some of these online stores too – Five Below, Walgreens, Office Depot, Staples, and Target.
Facebook Groups – Y’all, this is legit!
Folks post in these groups when something is available and you can grab it. At the height of the pandemic/quarantine, this trick worked late at night and early in the morning. My favorite FB group is titled “WhooGotit? Stores with Lysol, Meats, Tissue, and Cleaning Products.” People in the group post both online and in-person availability of hard to find items. I have seen those deep freezers and all of the essential hard to find stuff. Beware of scammers.
Shipt
I have not yet had success with this one, but it has been shared with me that adding an item to your Shipt order and requesting that your shopper search for it may work in your favor.
Costco
This last one brings me complete joy to share – Costco Delivery with zero delivery fees. This is why you should get the card – this right here. Y’all, if you don’t have a Costco membership, you should get one. ASAP. You can log in and register online or through the app. Everybody is tired, multi-tasking, busy, stressed, and honestly, some of us are in need of milk, water, and toilet paper only. There is a way to have Costco delivered to your door without going to the store yourself. Finding a little hack made me so happy at the beginning of April. I heard that there was a way to have Costco delivered, so I did a little digging. Here is what I know works and I have used this time and time again.
You will need a few things to start:
- Download the Costco app
- Your Costco card or membership number
- Create a login and log into the app
Once in the app, it is pretty straight forward – Click Shop in the top left-hand side of the app, then go to “Grocery, Household Essentials & Pet, Same-Day Delivery” and stay in that section, and you will get all that you need/want. Items may be listed a little bit higher than they are at the warehouse, but I pay for the peace and hopefully help someone who works for Instacart. You do get the same coupons/deals as if you were in the store. For example, if something is $5 off, then you get that discount automatically when you put the item in your cart. You can see sale items and dollar amounts off deals too.
Searching by department is by far the easiest way to find something and once you place an order, and the app remembers what you purchased so re-orders/deliveries are a breeze. The same goes for essential items here – write a message/note to your shopper and they may be able to grab Clorox wipes from the customer service desk if they are in stock. Things go really quickly at Costco in Lafayette, so you would need an early am order to likely snag Lysol or Clorox wipes. Delivery is free if you spend $35 or more. You are able to pick your delivery window and schedule it ahead of time. It is pretty darn legit. If you prefer to follow along with a video demonstration, I have added a screen recording of how to actually do it. Costco Delivery How to Video
Hope y’all find this helpful and please drop any other tips and tricks in the comment section. Let me know if you use this and/or found it helpful.
Tres bien coussan
Thank you!