Campground Meals Just Got Easier with Curbside Pick Up

Walmart Grocery Pick Up is free to customers and readily available at many locations nationwide.

On a recent trip to Indiana, we rented a large Air BnB for all of my husbands family to stay together.  We were anticipating a lot of snow, and it would be hard to get large groups in and out of restaurants in a small, rural town with limited choices.  Dining in was the best option.  On our way, I created a Kroger Clicklist order that I was able to pick up when we arrived.  This trip got me thinking about camping.


While I do a lot of shopping and prep work for our camping trips before I leave home, I often find myself short on time.  How easy would it be to put in an order to pick up food when you arrive at your camping location?  Curbside grocery pick up is an easy way to make good use of your time both in the car as you travel, before you leave or at the campground.  Or you could do your pick up the order at home before you leave.

This service works well for lots of different scenarios:

• Last minute camping trips.
• Forgotten items and don't want to waste time in the store shopping.
• Changes in plans or weather where you need to adjust your meals.
• You decide to stay an extra night or two and need a few extra things.  

Kroger Pick Up (formerly Clicklist) does charge a $4.95 service fee, but I find that it is well worth the fee.

Grocery pick up services allows you to shop for everything from batteries to chips, burgers, and buns and pet supplies.  It is particularly easy if you want to grab a rotisserie chicken and other ready-made items that you eat for lunch as you arrive a the campground.  Taking advantage of both ready-made options as well as food to prepare maximizes this service.

Target, Walmart and Kroger all ofter curbside services.  Walmart Pick Up is free to customers.  Kroger Pick Up (formerly Kroger Clicklist) charges $4.95 per shopping trip.  However, time is money to me.  I have not used Walmart's service, but I regularly use Kroger's Pick Up and find it to be well worth the $4.95 service fee.

One thing I noticed in our town is that Walmart's pick up area is wide and clearly marked.  The orange Pick Up sign painted on the side of the building cannot be missed.  Shoppers know exactly where to go as soon as they turn into the Walmart parking lot.  It takes a little more maneuvering and scouting for our Kroger Pick Up location.

Arrive in the designated spot and call the number on the sign to pick up your groceries.

How does a curbside service work?

• Search for the items that you need from the store's app or website.
• Add items to your virtual shopping cart.
• Enter a specific quantity and instructions for each item.  For example, if you enter 1 for bananas, specify if you want 1 bunch or 1 banana.  If you are ordering deli meats, be specific with slicing instructions.
• Specify if you are willing to take substitutions for each item.  You can also tell what substitutions you would allow in the instructions.
• Review your order once you are done.
• Determine a pickup time and complete.
• On the date and time of your pick up, you will pull into a designated pick up space and call the number on the sign and wait for your groceries to arrive at your car!

The store app will keep track of your regular purchases to help you build your shopping list as well as sharing sale items for purchase.

You can still use coupons, shop sales, and comparison shop.  It is just like shopping at the actual store - except virtually and better.  I've had great luck doing this and saved tons of time.

Here are some things to consider before you dive into a pickup service:

• Make sure this service is available in the area where you will be camping. 
• There is a possibility that the store could be out of the items you need.  So, if you need specialty items to be aware.
• Some stores have problems with keeping up with demand forcing delays.  It has not happened to me, but I have known people to experience this.
• Be specific with your instructions and substitutions so you don't end up with items that won't work at all.
• Be sure to change the location for pick up in your shopping app or in your web page for the location where you will be shopping.  Otherwise, you won't have groceries where you actually need them.

Last year, I tried Sun Basket at the campground.  We really loved it.  I plan to use this service again for an upcoming trip in March.  I also know there is a large Kroger where we are camping in May.  Kroger Pick Up will most likely be a part of that trip.  Both meal boxes and curbside services are convenience options that worth well for home and camping.

Our Sun Basket Meals worked really well for us in the fall.  They were healthy and delicious.

  How do you make camping meals and food prep easier for you and your family?  Trying a curbside service on your way into the campground could really make your trip simpler.  Finally, I find that pick up grocery services save me money.  I do much less impulse shopping.  I purchase what we need, and this alone adds up and more than pays for the weekly service fee.

Until next time!

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