Kyana Townes

Students may be spending too much of their money on fast food and delivery apps. Have you used DoorDash, UberEATS, Grubhub, or Postmates recently? If so, you may be paying too much.  

Rossen Reports conducted an experiment – “ordering food in person, and then looking up the exact same restaurant on a delivery app to compare the cost of the same menu item.” The things they looked at “were 20% – 30% more expensive on delivery apps. Platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash charge restaurants commission fees, anywhere from 15% – 30% on delivery orders, depending on the pricing plan the restaurant chooses. The fees cover things like payment processing, managing deliveries, and customer support.” This experiment shows how consumers are often over charged on these platforms. There is money to be saved by grocery shopping instead.

Instead of spending money on necessities, busy students are tempted to spend on fast food. I have also fallen victim to this trap, but I was able to realize how much me and my friends were excessively spending by continuously ordering food and eating out.  

Penn State student Daniel Beccan reported that he has heavily relied on food delivery services. When asked about his experience, Beccan stated, “There was a time in my life where I felt like I could not live without ordering food, so instead of eating at home I relied on DoorDash. It was not until I saw my bank statements that I realized I had a problem, and I was spending money excessively.” 

It is pointless to spend more money on fees, tax, and a gratuity bill for a meal that is accessible for students to make at our dorms. Buying groceries is often cheaper than any of the modern-day delivery apps. With groceries, you can buy multiple items and make multiple meals and not be limited to purchasing one meal, only for one day, and for a ridiculous amount of money. Grocery stores also offer coupons and membership cards to reduce the price you are spending on your groceries. 

There are multiple grocers in the Abington area, some within walking distance for students.

The Victor Impact, an app to teach young people skills for life, reported that, in some cases, “students try to be as economical as possible with food, especially when they’re struggling to manage other expenses. However, with increasing peer and social media pressure, the temptation to overspend is real—eating out or daily Starbucks runs can easily break a budget. The Insta-worthy pics of fancy food will burn a hole in your pocket (and fast). This trend has been steadily ticking upward for a while now, with these students spending around $4,000 a year on eating out.” 

Beccan was informed of the cases reported by “The Victor Impact.” This showed him a similar scenario many students have faced, and he stated: “I had spent $1,000 on DoorDash which was ridiculous to me, at that time I knew I had to fix my ways and tighten up. Now I have learned to cook for myself and utilize the products at grocery stores which are healthier and cheaper. I say to the next person you do not need to place that order; you can make that at home.” 

This study proves that the students are influenced heavily by social media and trends that they tend to overlook the amount of money they are spending on food. Students are pressured from the social norms that they are willing follow the trends and spend their money just to fit in on the current fascination. Students also do not consider the number of calories they intake when they consume heavily junk and processed foods. 

Ultimately, students should further their knowledge on grocery shopping, not only does it prevent them from eating unhealthy foods, saving money, but it also teaches them a sense of responsibility and adulting. College students should care more about this issue and spend less.