CSA Online by Andrew Moore-Crispin Getting help around the house Condos certainly have their appeal. Sure, you pay condo fees but in return, you don’t have to clean the exterior windows, mow the lawn, shovel the snow, fix the roof… the list goes on. That’s part of the appeal of “downsizing” − let someone else look after all of that stuff. For those of us who haven’t downsized, or even for those of us who have, but are looking for a little help around the house/condo, the internet is here to help. In other words, there’s an app for that. Help around the house From grocery delivery, odd jobs and even full-on home renovations, there’s an app for that too. TaskRabbit Taskrabbit.com Canada and U.S.A. Where Nextdoor is a little less curated and is more “neighbours talking to neighbours,” with TaskRabbit, you can see a full list of jobs that you might need help with, along with a price range. For example, to wall mount a TV, you’re looking at between $66 and $129. To plant flowers, between $60 and $132. To fix a running toilet, $73 to $165. TaskRabbit has a partnership with IKEA so, if you’re a fan of pre-packed furniture but you’ve got no love for the self-assembly aspect, you can get help there too. Grocery shopping Delivery used to be a service reserved for small, local grocery concerns. Kids on bikes would run routes, bringing groceries to regular customers. Today, delivery is alive and well. There are dedicated grocery services that will do your shopping for you and bring it right to your door. COVID-19 pushed the big grocery stores to start offering online ordering, pickup and, in some cases, delivery. Visit your go-to grocery store’s website to see what pickup/delivery services they offer. Instacart instacart.com Canada and U.S.A. Instacart lets you shop from any grocery store, right on your phone, tablet or laptop. You select the items that you want and an “Instacarter” goes out, does the shopping for you and brings it to your door. Along the way, they may call with questions or to alert you to any out-of-stock items. Instacarters get ratings and also tips, if you’re so inclined, so there’s incentive for them not just to pick the best produce and meat items, but also to heed any instructions which you have given with your order. You’ll pay for the privilege of someone else doing your shopping with Instacart. It’s a little more expensive than the in-house pickup or delivery services from the major grocery stores, but you do get the benefit of not being tied to any single store. 40 | www.snowbirds.org
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