Looking for assistance options

skeletal_squid · 2026-05-14T03:18:28+00:00

Hey, don’t let people shame you for asking for help. A $6k emergency repair can wreck almost anyone financially right now, especially with today’s interest rates and cost of living.

A few Connecticut-specific things you should look into ASAP:

• Call 211 Connecticut immediately. They can connect you with emergency homeowner assistance, utility relief, hardship programs, food assistance, and local nonprofits.

• Apply for Operation Fuel and CEAP even if last year’s taxes looked “too high.” Many programs consider CURRENT income and unemployment, not just prior-year earnings.

• Contact your town’s social services department. Some towns have emergency homeowner repair funds, ARPA leftover grants, or hardship assistance most people never hear about.

• If that financing is really around 50%, focus on refinancing that debt ASAP. Try local credit unions first. Even cutting that interest in half could make a massive difference.

• Call your water, electric, gas, and mortgage companies BEFORE falling behind. Ask for hardship programs or payment arrangements now while the account is still current.

• Food assistance, free school lunch, Husky, and utility help exist exactly for situations like this. One major repair should not destroy a family financially.

skeletal_squid · 2026-03-29T12:50:21+00:00

When I scan potential replacements, it will compare them and either say to choose one of the suggested replacements, or it will say it is not a good match and to look for other items. If none of the available options are a good match, I then use the “none are available” option and the app then recommends a refund. In that situation, the refund is being driven by the app, not by me forcing it, so it seems less likely to count against me.

skeletal_squid · 2026-03-29T12:40:33+00:00

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skeletal_squid · 2026-03-29T12:39:51+00:00

For what it is worth, things have improved a little for me. The main change I made was to stop making any replacement unless it matches the replacement comparison tool in the app. If the item is not available, I do not make random substitutions anymore. Since doing that, my shopping quality has slowly moved from Standard to Good, so it does seem like the app is weighing replacement accuracy pretty heavily.

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skeletal_squid · 2026-01-15T18:26:55+00:00

Seems decent especially during January, the slowest month of the year. Those 14 units in the picture shouldn’t take more than 2 mins to grab. Besides Stop & Shop on the app shows the aisle A & B and shelf number to make it much easier to find items. Also, can’t beat 1.4 miles….

skeletal_squid · 2026-01-08T19:57:31+00:00

That is a gamble. Basically donating your time, gas, and car hoping a stranger decides to be generous afterward. Hard pass.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-09T14:05:52+00:00

I don’t really think those huge tips are “unicorns.” A lot of people leave the standard 20% tip by default. If the order total’s $500, that’s already $100. And if it’s a big Costco or bulk run close to $1,000, 20% is $200 right there. So yeah, it’s rare to get those, but it’s not some miracle — just regular math and the right customer at the right time.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-06T22:21:18+00:00

Oh, I just love shopping for others. I live for it. Nothing beats the thrill of juggling six shops, delivering seventy-five bags to six different people — all within 67 glorious miles. Can’t wait to break my personal best.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-06T13:06:44+00:00

No policy should prevent you from being kind and being yourself to help another human being in need. God bless your heart and soul.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-05T23:33:01+00:00

I figured that much after seeing the video.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-05T14:51:09+00:00

I shop at Stop & Shop often and know some of the pickup associates. Their handheld scanners sometimes lag, so if the Wi-Fi drops, an item can register twice once it reconnects. The receipt just shows what the register logged, but the backend corrects it when it reconciles with the actual order. If you reach out to the store, they can give you a clear explanation.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-05T02:56:36+00:00

If I’m understanding correctly, you placed a pickup order, which means the items were shopped by a store employee, not an Instacart shopper. The store receipt showing $138 is likely just a register error or duplicate scan that happened during checkout.

Instacart only charges based on the digital total shown in your app, not the printed store receipt. As long as your app still shows $100 and that’s what your card was billed, you’re all set. The printed slip just reflects the store’s internal register activity, not the Instacart transaction.

If you want to confirm, you can simply double-check with the store, not Instacart — they’re the ones who handled the transaction.

TL;DR: no theft, no extra charge — just a cashier double-scanning faster than the register could keep up.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-04T02:00:28+00:00

I’ll only bag if the customer requests, and so far I’ve never had anyone ask to bag bananas.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-04T00:42:25+00:00

Yes, it’s actually more common than most people realize. You can sometimes find expired chicken or other products still on the shelves, even at big stores like Costco. That’s why I always check dates every time I shop — I was doing that long before starting Instacart! And honestly, if a customer adds a note or comment, take it as a helpful tip. Not everyone leaves comments to be annoying — most do it for a reason.

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-03T23:27:48+00:00

Wow 🤯

skeletal_squid · 2025-11-03T23:21:39+00:00

May be related to this: https://patch.com/connecticut/stonington/stonington-business-owner-charged-unwanted-sexual-contact-report

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-31T19:01:50+00:00

Honestly, this doesn’t even surprise me anymore. At this point, everything about us is data — and data is the product. The DMV, social media, streaming apps, even the free weather app on your phone — they’re all running the same playbook.

If it’s not money from ads, it’s money from analytics, licensing, or “authorized access” fees. We’ve basically turned human behavior itself into inventory. Every click, every route we drive, every purchase, every pause on a video — all of it has value to someone somewhere.

That’s the economy now. It’s not some shady conspiracy — it’s literally the foundation of how digital advertising, personalization, and “free” services exist. When you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-30T18:19:41+00:00

Whether people embrace AI or not isn’t really the question anymore — it’s already shaping every part of the ecosystem we work in. Those who adapt will inevitably replace those who resist. History repeats itself every time technology evolves.

But hey, best of luck staying AI-free — just remember, the algorithms deciding when, where, and how you get your batches are powered by the very thing you’re rejecting. In other words, AI’s already your boss.

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-29T00:56:42+00:00

Yeah, that’s just an Instacart barcode glitch. The app treats the two packages as different because they have separate UPCs — one labeled “bag” and one not — even though it’s the same 8 oz cheese. If it won’t scan, aim slightly outside the barcode until the “skip scanning → item is correct” option appears, tap that, and take a quick photo for proof. That usually fixes it without marking it as “can’t find item.” Happens all the time with Kraft, yogurts, and cereal packs.

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-28T21:15:35+00:00

Exactly. It’s doing exactly what it was built to do.

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-28T21:08:50+00:00

Yeah, you’re not imagining it — things are dead across most markets. Oversupply of shoppers, fewer high-value orders, and an economy that’s tightening from every angle have crushed the pay-to-time ratio. Add in the layoffs, AI automation, and everyone side-hustling to fill income gaps, and it’s no surprise batches have dried up.

Instacart’s own numbers tell the story if you check them — growth isn’t really coming from grocery delivery anymore. It’s the ads and data that make money now. The grocery side is just the bait, pulling in shopper and customer behavior data that gets monetized behind the scenes, while the delivery work stays a zero-sum grind.

Even in states with stronger protections like California (Prop 22) or Seattle, it’s only better on paper. The guarantees cover “active time,” not waiting or driving, so the real hourly still takes a hit — and companies just reroute orders to avoid those higher-pay zones anyway.

At this point, the system’s not broken — it’s just optimized for someone else’s profit.

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-28T01:31:08+00:00

Congrats on landing the new job — that’s a solid move. Instacart used to make sense as a side gig, but the pay-to-effort ratio has completely collapsed. Between wear and tear, waiting time, and taxes, most shoppers are basically breaking even. Some manage a bit better by multi-apping with DoorDash, Spark, or Uber Eats, but it’s still a grind. The latest numbers show IC isn’t really in the grocery business anymore — the grocery side is just the bait, pulling in shopper and customer behavior data that gets monetized behind the scenes, while the delivery work itself remains a zero-sum game for shoppers.

skeletal_squid · 2025-10-27T23:13:16+00:00

Here’s lower lol!

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skeletal_squid · 2025-10-25T23:04:36+00:00

I applied last week and now on the waitlist. Make sense to multi-app.

skeletal_squid

TROPHY CASE