Thinking of trying Dinnerly? Think again.
Don’t think I’m crazy. This is real estate related. I promise.
I’ve tried Hello Fresh and Home Chef. They each seem a little pricey and had some minor issues, so I was willing to give the much less expensive Dinnerly a try. Well, you get what you pay for, and different isn’t necessarily better.
The other services have for the most part been delivered on time and in good condition. They come with recipe cards and in convenient meal kits you just pop in the fridge and grab when you’re ready to make.
Dinnerly sent my first box a day late. Even though they didn’t tell me it would be late until 8pm the day it was due, they gave me $10 off my next box.
When my first box arrived, it was a disaster. First they do not send recipe cards. Then they pack the boxes with several freezer packs and insulate them with fluffy insulation encased in paper. Well the paper was destroyed, and because of the freezer packs everything is wet. They also do not pack in meal kits. They just toss all the ingredients loose in the box. So I opened up the first box to a hot mess of fluff covered, beaten up ingredients to 3 recipes that I had forgotten what they were. After digging through the fluff to find everything, washing everything and clogging my kitchen sink with soggy fluff, I tried to figure out what was what. I gave up, put it all in the fridge and ate a ham sandwich.
The next day I went online, printed out my recipes and decided to try one. The first recipe is a hamburger and fries. It said they sent me a pound of potatoes, but I only got 1 single potato. The meal is literally cut up the 1 potato, toss with oil, salt and pepper and bake. The burger was ground beef, buns, ketchup, mayo and pickles. Wow, I don’t even like mayo or pickles, and I certainly could have come up with this recipe myself. My 14 year old who just started cooking could have come up with a better meal.
The 2nd meal used fresh spinach which was so beaten in the shipping, it’s not useable. After reading the recipe, it seems gross so I’m not going to make it anyhow. I’ll just do something else with those ingredients.
Needless to say, I cancelled my Dinnerly subscription. Not sure if I even want to try another service after this. That brings me to the point of this post…and the real estate part.
Most people always try to find a better deal instead of trusting what they have. You know people who have a good relationship but keep their eye out in case someone better comes along. Or you know the home buyer who is working with a good Realtor but let a fast talking one they run into write the offer instead. Maybe they love a house but want to keep looking and are afraid to write an offer because of the other ones they may be missing. How about sellers who like and trust a proven agent to list their house but instead go with one who is a little cheaper but doesn’t do a good job. Remember you get what you pay for, and different isn’t necessarily better.
In our constant search for greener grass, are we doing ourselves any favors? My efforts to make dinner easier have just led me to spend a lot of money and endure a lot of hassle when I can come up with better meals than any of these kits. I hope all you home buyers and sellers out there do the same. If you have a good Realtor, be loyal to them. If you love a house, buy it. When you interview a listing agent who impresses you with their knowledge and track record, hire them. They are worth that extra percent. Stop trying to find a better deal when you have a great one right in front of you. And if you don’t have a great Realtor, I know one you should try!!
