Dear LPG, 

I have now got buying things online down to a fine art but there is a subtle difference between the way that we older people shop as opposed to the younger generation that I can see. 

We oldies are much more likely to be prepared to wait a week or so before needing to receive what we want to buy, unlike my grandson who feels let down if his latest acquisition does not arrive the next day.  If I really need something that quickly, it can be argued that, as a pensioner I have the time to go out to a shop and get it myself, but the youngsters seem to need everything “yesterday”. 

I note that being willing to wait a few days for an online purchase can make a serious difference to the price of getting it to you, but the youngsters are so used to getting things right away that they will pay a lot more to get their online items to their doors.

There is also the other problem and that is how long you will have to wait in for your parcel.  I think more and more parcels are delivered to the doors of us older relatives while the people who have bought them, our nephews, nieces, grandchildren, daughters and sons are at work, or out for the day doing something else, unless we are asked to house-sit in order to receive a larger item.  

Have you also noticed how much cheaper it is to have groceries delivered depending on the time of day that you want them to arrive at your door?  Not having to hump them home is always a bonus, but the downside is how much you must buy to make buying your groceries online viable.  I am talking about the problem of the minimum amount you must spend before you must pay a penalty amount before they will deliver 

I live alone and while I appreciate not having to wrestle with the heavier items like packets of washing powder and bulky cornflake packets when bringing them home, I still like to choose my own perishable foods (fruit, meat, vegetables, fish etc.)   

But I have solved my grocery shopping problem.  I recently remember reading a message on your pages about the advantage of having a ‘backseat online shopper’ (►►►).  I and my neighbour now go grocery online shopping together. We order our shopping together and sharing the shopping basket makes it so much easier to get to the required minimum shop. We can also shop a little more often without having loads of extra tins and packages taking up space in our kitchens, and a couple of full shopping trolley trips across the road make for good exercise and an added reason for getting out of the house for a visit.  

DS, Bellingham