Tools I Actually Use: Instacart + ChatGPT

I started using Instacart (use this code to get $10 off TIRWIN1057C) during the pandemic and never stopped. What began as a convenience became a routine. Grocery shopping no longer feels like an errand. It is something I handle once and then move past.

Instacart recently launched a fully integrated grocery shopping experience inside ChatGPT. You can plan meals, browse local inventory, build a cart, and check out without leaving the conversation. That matters to me because it mirrors how I already think about groceries. I decide what I want first. Then I place the order.

The Instacart app now lives inside ChatGPT as one of the supported services on the platform. After you connect your Instacart account, ChatGPT can access real-time inventory and pricing from stores near you. It pulls from more than 1,800 retailers across North America and reflects what is actually available locally rather than an abstract list of ingredients.

The interaction stays conversational. I can describe what I want to cook, what I want to avoid, or how much effort the week will allow. ChatGPT responds by assembling items that make sense for nearby stores and building a cart I can review. I can remove items, swap brands, or change quantities without changing how I think or speak.

Checkout happens in the same place. Instacart’s Instant Checkout runs through Stripe and handles payment securely inside ChatGPT. Once the order is placed, the familiar Instacart process takes over. A shopper picks the items, manages substitutions, and delivers the groceries on schedule.

If you already use ChatGPT to plan meals or think through the week, this closes a gap that used to feel unnecessary. There is no switching between apps, no copying lists, and no rebuilding decisions. I describe what I need once, review the result, and confirm it.

Instacart still does the physical work. ChatGPT helps keep the week realistic. Together, they keep grocery shopping contained. It stays practical, predictable, and out of the way, which is exactly what I want from a tool I use every week.