One-Minute Money Hacks

This simple change can cut your takeout spending by 10%

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Why you should always pick up your takeout food
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Why you should always pick up your takeout food

This story is part of CNBC Make It's One-Minute Money Hacks series, which provides easy, straightforward tips and tricks to help you understand your finances and take control of your money.

During the extended lockdowns last spring, millions of Americans turned to food delivery to safely order from their favorite restaurants.

But the convenience of ordering dinner with just a few taps in an app like Uber Eats or Seamless comes at a cost: Third party delivery services tack on fees to each order.

Between a delivery charge and service fee, this can add an extra 10% upcharge to the cost of your meal. Factor in a standard 20% tip and the numbers start to grow even more.

Instead, cut out the middleman by choosing pick-up instead of delivery. It's an easy switch that can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Take a person who orders $25 worth of food three times a week. The fees alone add around $7.50 to their weekly spending.

Over the course of a month, that adds up to an avoidable $30 in fees that could be put toward your savings — or a few more delivery orders.

By picking up your food yourself, you could save $360 over the course of a year.

It's better for the restaurant, too. Ordering take-out allows the restaurants to avoid paying fees to the delivery services, so a greater portion of your money goes directly to the business.

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