Thank god. I've got too many friends who "can't afford" anything, but order fucking uber eats almost daily. "woops, spent $70 on taco bell!", they'll laugh...

Shit needs to legitimately stop.

Call me crazy, but all the various food delivery apps should be consolidated into one and run by the government. Make it part of the post office. It helps businesses, drivers would be paid fairly, and it provides an extremely useful public service.

I am so sick of food places replacing delivery drivers with Uber eats. Now my order takes two hours, arrives cold, and the tip vanishes into the ether. Drivers paid less, restaurants charged more per delivery, and a worse customer experience.

People are literally paying double the cost of their food or more for doordash delivery from restaurants that already have a free or significantly cheaper delivery service. I don't get how so many people have been falling for the lazy tax so much.

It never should have become the bubble it was.

Great, do short-term residential rental properties next

I don't understand the people who get McDonald's on these apps

Bubble my ass, these companies were only profitable for a few quarters out of the last decade. VC is shifting there capitol around

cost of fuel, insurance and car maintenance have increased

As someone who drives for one of these companies, cost of fuel is only really an issue sometimes. When it gets closer to $4 a gallon, it stops being worth it. I do my own car maintenance so this really isn't too much of an issue either. Car insurance though? You bet those fuckers have made plays to try and jack driver's prices up. Some companies outright won't insure you if you're a driver without getting commercial insurance, which, from when I was shopping was over a grand a month in my state. (Mid-size sedan.)

I have literally never been able to afford these services, and I didn't use them at the start so I dont know what the VC money days were like. Its already like 50 bucks to feed your family at McDonalds when you get it yourself.

I know food delivery is becoming an issue in the USA, but here in Czechia it is significantly better. Sure, you cannot tip the restaurant - but delivery tipping has never ever been a thing as far as I can remember (maybe if you pay cash). The delivery costs are usually not jacked up, and the drivers make a living wage.

Am I missing something? The three services we usually use are Wolt, Bolt Food, and Foodora (predecessor was bought by a multinational company and renamed, was a regional thing in the past).

About a year ago I made a rule for myself that if I wanted takeout, I'd go and get it myself unless I was physically incapable of doing that (drunk, high, etc). It means I don't get takeout quite as often but I do still get it a couple times a week and even still my eating out expenses have reduced by more than 50%. Also, many delivery app prices are higher even if you're opting to pick it up yourself. I often save a significant amount by just calling the restaurant rather than making the order through one of the delivery apps.

Weird way to say broke people don't order delivery...

Haven't gotten delivery since before the pandemic. Get fast food or a restaurant less than once a year. Honestly if this is one of the problems in your life, you are not poor.

What I don’t understand is why the apps themselves aren’t even profitable. They’re taking billions of revenue yet losing money. What is costing them so much? Developers? The apps really haven’t changed much in the last few years.

I loathe the line-cutting self-important food delivery hustle bros with every fiber of my being and will never use their service. This is glad news.

I still find these apps useful/handy when I'm having a party, I'm over at someone's place with a bunch of different people, or I have family visiting or whatever. It stretches longer than people expect, people get hungry, etc., and then we can decide on a place, and everyone can simultaneously scroll the menu and make their order, and it shows up labeled for each individual.

It's indulgent af and expensive, but once in a while for that kind of ordering efficiency, I like it.

For me and my girl or whatever, it's my fun to just take a little cruise around town, get some take out, and then drive it straight home while it's actually still hot.