She Strengthens

The High Cost of Convenience: A Closer Look at My Food Delivery Habits

When I first made the move to New York City, I was excited to experience the convenience of food delivery. With apps like Seamless, I could order from my favorite restaurants and have my meals delivered right to my doorstep. But as I soon discovered, this convenience came at a cost.

My First Month in the City: A Lesson in Overspending

In my first month in New York, I racked up a whopping $300 credit card bill, with almost all of it going towards food delivery. I thought I was living the high life, having my meals delivered to me with the click of a button. But when I took a closer look at my statements, I realized that my spending habits needed a serious adjustment.

The Cycle of Guilt and Regret

I tried to cut out food delivery cold turkey, but it wasn’t long before I found myself re-downloading the app and ordering in again. It was a vicious cycle of guilt and regret, with me constantly wondering where all my money was going.

The True Cost of Food Delivery

It’s not just the cost of the food itself that adds up; there are also delivery fees, tips, and minimum order requirements. Even if I ordered a relatively cheap meal, I would often end up adding extra items to meet the minimum order requirement. And let’s not forget the tip – do I really want to be “that person” who doesn’t leave a decent tip?

Taking Stock of My Spending Habits

Recently, I decided to take a closer look at my Seamless account and tally up all my orders for the year. The total? A staggering $418.01. That’s an average of over $20 per meal, and it got me thinking – what else could I have done with that money?

Alternative Ways to Spend My Money

Instead of spending $400 on food delivery, I could have:

• Bought a roundtrip ticket home to visit my family
• Purchased fresh flowers for my apartment every week for 41 weeks
• Hired a cleaning service to deep clean my apartment four times
• Bought 38 discount movie tickets
• Gotten 7 haircuts to keep my hair healthy and looking its best

It’s Not About Depriving Myself, But About Making Conscious Choices

I’m not saying I’ll never order food delivery again. But I do want to be more mindful of my spending habits and make conscious choices about how I use my money. By cutting back on unnecessary expenses, I can free up more money for the things that truly bring me joy and improve my standard of living.

A Lesson in Financial Awareness

My experience with food delivery has taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of financial awareness. By taking control of my spending habits and making conscious choices, I can create a better financial future for myself. It’s time to break the cycle of guilt and regret and start making positive changes in my life.