Ah technology... when you're a caregiver...

As some of you already know, I spend between 5 to 7 hours everyday at my parents' house. It's a labour of love yes... but it's a full-time job on top of my full-time paying job.

And there are just 24 hours in a day, and I have to get a few hours of sleep among a few things. You know, a few basic things.

I've been thinking this weekend, how technology, especially internet have made my life easier. To a point that it made possible to maintain my parents at their home, while things are working their slow way to relocate them to a nursing home.

Banking... no need to waste time at the bank. Over the internet, I pay all the bills, do fund transfers, etc. A few days ago, I've done my yearly contribution to my RRSP (Registered Retirement Saving Plan. Sort of our 401k here in Canada) in just a bunch of clicks. Total time: 5 minutes.

I am thinking that not too long ago, I would have wasted at least an hour or two to get physically at the bank and wait for my turn.

A few hours saved do not appear that much, but when you think of the basic things you have to do, when you have so little time for yourself, saving an hour here and there does make the difference... so I can be a caregiver... and have time for me.

Grocery? IGA accepts online orders. You can choose the store you want to order from and they will deliver to your door at the day and time you tell them to do. Imagine the time you normally spend at the grocery store. At least an hour if not more, right? For me, in about 10 minutes, it's all done.

One thing neato is that you can store up to 10 shopping lists on their web site. So I have a shopping list for recurrent things, week after week, so in just one click, I can put all of those items in my "basket". From there, I do my online shopping for the few items not on the list.

Of course, there's a list for my parents, and what the heck, I have also my own list for my own stuff. Me too, I want to save time on my own grocery!

Drawbacks? There are some. For instance, at the store... if the bananas are green, maybe you wouldn't buy them, but instead you would satisfy your craving with those seemingly juicy green raisins from California just next by. When I'm online, I've no way to tell. There have been a few surprises.

Also the online version of the IGA store is just a "subset" of a brick and mortar IGA store. Not all the brandnames can be ordered online. So you have to take what's available online.

All in all, considering the situation I am in, I can accept that.

All these sites charge a few dollars, from $2 to $10 which can vary according to the amount of goods you buy, or whether their cost or their size.

However IGA charges a flat fee of $7, and you have to order at least $35 of goods. With 3 persons to feed, that's not a problem. :)

Those fees are costly? Yes and no. If you have to take a car... how much it would cost you? From my perspective, I don't own a car, and time is a factor. How much time it takes, using the transit system, to get there, and to return home? Imagine if this is a salary, and even at minimum wage... how much it would cost?

Worse, if you buy lots of stuff (say at the grocery store) or you must buy bulky items, the taxi ride back home will cost you a lot of money.

Clothing, consumer goods: One site that is a life saver: Sears ! It takes a while to shop online about clothes (try to find stuff that _really_ fits) but I have been lucky so far for my parents. It would have been out of question to have my dad and my mom at the shopping center. Their online shopping brings the store to them... and for me, I also save a lot of time. Based on my experience, delivery time is usually 3-5 days. Decent.

Latest thing I bought: Absolutely decadent plush bathrobe. One for mom, one for my dad and what the heck, I'm allowed to pamper myself, no? One for me. Oh, sweet o sweet! :)

Hardware stuff: Two web sites I like: Canadian Tire and Rona. For various things. At my parents' place recently , I had to change their shower curtain, and they needed a new laundry basket, the old one gave up.

Drawbacks? Canadian Tire's web site is a tad clunky. The photos are tiny and the descriptions minimal. A few times, their online order section was down. Oops.

Rona's site was flawless and their delivery time is blazing fast, usually the next day or two. I recently ordered a set of mops and buckets to clean their floor (a chore I have to do everyday because of my dad's health conditions). The problem with Rona is that the choice is extremely limited.

There have been a few other sites, but those are the web sites I usually go for my online shopping.

I've been thinking that just a few years ago, these sites wouldn't exist... and I'm wondering how I would cope. It would have been unbearable.

As a computer programmer, I have to say that I am pleased to see the things made possible by my profession. :)

Cheers,

-E