It's Been a Minute The high cost of getting food delivered.
Feb 23, 2026
Margaret Serino, an NPR Life Kit producer who scaled back her own food delivery, shares why many lean on delivery and how to change course. They dig into impulsive ordering, the emotional pull and tech conveniences, practical tactics to order less, and ways cooking can be easier, more social, and personally rewarding.
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Soggy $40 Sandwich Sparked Delivery Resolution
- P.E. Moskowitz described ordering a soggy $40 sandwich while hungover and feeling existentially disappointed by convenience choices.
- That moment spurred their New Year's resolution to stop ordering delivery and rethink convenience reliance.
Convenience Tech Reverses Everyday Hardness
- P.E. Moskowitz argued we've outsourced many everyday challenges to convenience tech, reversing what should be easy and hard.
- This creates a life with fewer small satisfactions like cooking or walking, while trivial tasks become frictionless.
Short Term Treats Replace Long Term Planning
- Priya Krishna observed a cultural shift toward short-term impulsive spending because long-term goals like homeownership feel unattainable.
- This makes small treats (a $10 matcha or delivery) feel more rational than saving for distant purchases.