Low-cost Amazon food delivery will go to food deserts

There was a big announcement this week for SNAP benefit recipients and Amazon Prime members. Grocery delivery is coming to you for a lower price now. For families living in what is called a food desert, this may give better nutritional options and save time. 

On Tuesday, Amazon started to offer unlimited grocery delivery for a monthly fee for both its Prime members and a lower-cost version for families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The online shopping giant wrapped up a pilot grocery delivery program and now services more than 3,500 cities and towns nationwide.

If you receive SNAP, the food delivery service is $4.99 a month. You do not have to be a Prime member. Just make sure your EBT card is registered online. 

For Prime members, the service is $9.99 a month. For both groups, orders must be more than $35. And you can schedule one-hour delivery windows. At either price point, the perks are the same.

Your grocery options come from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Save Mart, and a few other retailers that are listed on the Amazon website. So how do you save money if you're getting food delivered? Well, it saves time driving if you have a hard time finding fresh food. You can really buy in bulk through this option, and that saves money. And time is money. You may mean to make dinner, but time gets away from you, and you end up grabbing fast food or eating out. You can now have groceries waiting for you.

Amazon will offer a free 30-day trial window to check the delivery program out.