How to stop spending so much on food delivery
To spend less on delivery, switch most orders to pickup, set a weekly limit on delivery orders, and keep two easy meals at home for the nights you'd normally give in.
You don't need to quit. Delivery is expensive because of everything added on top of the food, so cutting even half your orders makes a real difference.
Find my savingsWhat one order really costs
This is an example, and your numbers will differ. At that rate, two orders a week cost about $1,456 more a year than picking up the same food. Prices on apps vary, and one news comparison found app menus ran about 20% to 25% above restaurant prices. Those studies are a few years old, so check your own order.
| Example $20 meal | Added | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| Menu price at the restaurant | $20 | |
| App menu markup of about 20% | $4 | $24 |
| Delivery and service fees | $6 | $30 |
| Tip | $4 | $34 |
5 ways to spend less without quitting
- Compare your usual order on the app with the restaurant's own menu. Seeing the gap once does a lot.
- Choose pickup whenever the restaurant is close. You skip the delivery fee and the tip for a driver.
- Set a cap, like one delivery a week, and spend it on purpose.
- Keep two no-effort meals at home for tired nights.
- Delete your saved card from the app, so ordering takes a little longer.
Find your real number
Add up last month's delivery charges from your bank statement, or upload the statement to Budjet and it adds them for you. Most of us guess low. Once you know the number, moving half of it to a goal is an easy first target.
Questions
Only if you'd order often anyway. They can lower fees, but they also make ordering feel free, which can raise how much you spend.
Usually, because you avoid delivery fees and a driver tip. App menus can still be marked up, so ordering direct from the restaurant is often cheapest.
There's no right number. Under the 50/30/20 rule it comes out of your 30% for wants, so compare it with everything else you want that money for.
See your own number in under a minute
A few questions. Free. No bank login.
Checked November 2026. Other apps change their prices, so confirm on their sites. Sources: KIRO 7 on delivery fees, TechCrunch, Chowhound.
Budjet gives budgeting guidance, not investment, tax or credit advice.