Here's a question that's dividing the personal finance world: should you delete DoorDash and Uber Eats with the same enthusiasm that Dave Ramsey fans bring to cutting up credit cards? A recent post on the r/DaveRamsey forum thinks so, and the responses reveal just how much money quietly disappears into the delivery app vortex.
The original poster made their case bluntly. Food delivery apps are a recent invention, they argued, pointing out that just a decade ago your delivery options were basically pizza and maybe Chinese food. Now we've got entire ecosystems built around bringing you lukewarm burgers at twice the price.
The Real Cost of Convenience
The comment section didn't hold back. One top-rated response put it in classic Ramsey terms: "I suspect that Door Dash and obesity go hand in hand. Financial restraint and culinary restraint are probably on the same plane." Another added the practical angle: "You're spending double to get cold food when you could just go through the drive-thru or get the takeout yourself."
The numbers people shared were eye-opening. One person ran an AI analysis on their spending and discovered they were dropping $600-plus monthly on Uber Eats. They deleted the apps immediately. Another reported their food bill plummeted from over $1,000 to around $270 after switching to meal prep at home.
The math is brutal when you break it down. As one commenter noted, a $15 meal easily becomes $30 or more once you add delivery fees, service charges, tips and the marked-up menu prices these apps charge. And that's before considering the quality issues: cold food, missing items, and delivery conditions that might make you reconsider the whole arrangement.
The Defense of Delivery
Not everyone was ready to delete their apps and never look back. Some pushed back on the blanket condemnation, especially for specific situations like illness, caring for kids, or genuine emergencies when cooking isn't realistic.
Others framed it as a question of values rather than pure math. "It's about how you value your time. We know that it's 'overpriced' but our time is worth money too," one person commented. Another laid out the Ramsey-approved scenario: "If out of debt, you have a fully funded [emergency fund], and investing 15% it's totally fine to use them if it's your thing."
What Could You Do With That Money Instead?
For many people in the thread, seeing their actual spending patterns was a wake-up call. When you're spending hundreds of dollars monthly on convenience without realizing it, that's money that could be working toward actual financial goals.
This is where having a clear financial strategy matters. Tools like WiserAdvisor can connect you with vetted financial advisors who match your goals and situation. Whether you're trying to stick to a budget, plan for retirement, or put your money to work more effectively, getting professional guidance starts with a free consultation with no pressure or obligation.
The question isn't really whether delivery apps are evil. It's whether you're making conscious choices about where your money goes, or whether it's just quietly disappearing $30 at a time while you wait for cold fries.
