It’s not a bummer if your bank balance has been affected significantly over the last couple of years due to your online food ordering habit. And it’s quite considerable if you are new to a city, due to a job or your college degree. Even if it’s not the case, you might just be a gourmet who loves to snack at the convenience of the couch in your home. Maybe you just stick to it because it gives you the hold of time i.e. late at night cravings or brunch timings. There can be multiple reasons why you do so. In fact, a significant demographic of our country finds it very advantageous to avail the online food delivery platforms to meet their hunger. And when it’s saving time and your appetite, why not? isn’t it?
But the catch always lies in the budget. There is no doubt that online food delivery platforms ask a bit more of your pocket as compared to a scenario where you go down to the restaurant to take a bite. Considering the delivery operations and other resources that are put into action, it is well justified too. But you don’t need to worry anymore as this blog will guide you in how to save your pocket while you munch on your favorite snack in the comfort of your home.
Let us venture into some strategies that will help you stick to your food budget for the month-
Tap the Discounts and Promo Codes
So, while hovering around some standard online food delivery websites or apps, at some point, you might have noticed the promo codes that come with a certain percentage discount, right? Or, during your checkout, you might have come across some bank card offers. If you haven’t applied them ever, then you should start looping in those opportunities while you order.
For instance, both Swiggy’s website and application showcase promo codes once you venture into a particular restaurant’s menu. Sometimes there are flat discounts on promo codes and sometimes there are bank offers (which normally range from 15% to 30%). You just need to type in the code right before you complete the payment. And Voila! You will see the difference in your total amount. Sometimes these discounts may seem small to you but imagine the percentage you save, as a total, at the end of the month. It’s a significant number! Isn’t it?
Get your hands on their membership plans
This is a bank saver for those who significantly rely on online food delivery platforms, on a frequent basis. For instance, Swiggy has its own membership plan in the name of “Swiggy One” which is a gourmet’s favorite living in India. You can also try it for a month and see the significant savings by yourself.
What this membership does is- it offers unlimited free deliveries and exclusive discounts. The good news which adds cherry to your cake is that the discounts multiply if you order in bulk or share with your folks. A quick tip here would be to ensure the discounts over and above the subscription plans. Take a bird’s eye view during the holiday seasons where discounts shoot through the roof.
Practice Strategic Ordering
Your next online food order can be optimized very strategically which will help you save some bucks. You can-
- Amalgamate orders when you are ordering for a group of people. It might be a friend’s hangout session or a team meeting at your office. Try to give the bulk order from a particular restaurant, rather than involving your menu with different restaurants from multiple places. This incurs heavy costs as delivery charges soar up.
- Keep an eye out for weekday deals as many applications like Swiggy, offer significant discounts on weekdays to boost their orders.
- Refrain from ordering during peak hours, such as the times of lunch or dinner. During these timeframes, most population tends to order their meals, thus compels applications to surge the prices. Try to order a bit early or late (whatever suits you best) and see the difference.
Practice using wallets and cashback apps
Another very strategic move to save a lot of cash in your frequent online orders. Here’s what you can do-
- Use payment applications like Google Pay, PhonePe, MobiKwik, Paytm, etc, which often talk about cashback deals on food orders.
- Loop in credit cards that have reward programs on food orders. They will give you direct cashback offers or points. At the end of the year, these collected points can be converted into a lump sum discount on your subsequent purchases.
- Keep a tab on the recurring offers from payment wallets to boost savings.
Compare before ordering
Though a kind of myth, sometimes it does the job. For instance, most people prefer to stick to Swiggy’s website or app just because it offers a cheap option as compared to other platforms.
Refrain from impulse order habits
Sometimes, out of impulse, you make online food orders that might have been made in your kitchen. But if you see that it is saving time and energy while not hurting your budget, then it’s your call.
Track your monthly budget
Another key to saving big is to track your finances towards your online food orders per month or per week (whatever might be your appropriate cycle of calculation). It may seem silly at first to note down all your bills on online orders, but once you make it a habit you will learn how much you are spending on average.
The best step forward would be to keep fixed a monthly cap which will refrain you from overspending. The tracking part is easy though- just go to the history section of your orders and from there, note down the bill amount of every order. A quick Excel sheet is the smartest move that you can make, rather than a pen and paper, along with a calculator.
Conclusion
Look, as per this blog, there are multiple ways to save your bank balance. But at the end of the day, it is your strategy that will define how much you are going to save. The key solution always lies in two things i.e. a standard food delivery application and your budget.
Having said that, Swiggy happens to be the favorite among Indians as it is said to offer significant discounts on every restaurant, most of the time. Secondly, with a clean UI and multiple payment options, it opens up a world of bank offers along with the ease of checkout. The rest of the features like consumer feedback, sorting options, and customization will be always there to help you out in navigation. So, the next time you are going to plan your meal, plan with Swiggy!
