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According to Deliverect, the Z generation has the highest usage rate, such as Uber Eats and Doordash.Denis Balibouse/Reuters
The first sign of trouble is like the steep credit card bill of Kanchi Uttamchandani.
It began with the pandemic when Ms. Utatani tried to comfort herself like many Canadians. “It was a very frustrating time,” she said. The manager of the 28-year-old Toronto woman’s nonprofit recalled: “I turned to food and became a source of comfort.”
She leaned at home, worked remotely, and began ordering food through Uber Eats, defending herself by thinking she was supporting local businesses. “It's almost like a gaming app, like window shopping in my area,” she said.
Ms Uttamchandani said “sneaky” promotions pop up regularly and notices were issued. She started ordering through Uber almost every day. “It's brunch, pizza, pasta,” she said. “You'll make a huge credit card statement soon.”
She estimated she spent $10,000 on food delivery that year.
Half of Canadian young people spend more than 50% of their income on rent
According to 2024 data from global food service platform Deliverect, Z Gen Gen has the highest usage rate for Uber Eats and Doordash (such as Uber Eats and Doordash), with nearly 65% using them regularly.
This trend has been studied for years. A global consulting firm conducted a 2017 study of more than 1,800 generations of students in England, the United States and Australia and found that 78% of disposable income spent the majority of it on restaurant delivery.
In a typical Gen Z family, the total value of food delivery per month is as high as $210 – a generation of money for this generation is a considerable amount and strives to save in the context of housing costs, weak labor markets and economic uncertainty.
Ms. Uttamchandani finally broke Uber’s diet addiction when she became interested in cooking and started trying different techniques at home. She said that while she still ordered strange meals through the app, “cooking became my new hobby.”
“It took me a year to fully understand the weight of my choice and turn it around,” Ms Uttamchandani said.
“If you’re ordering, you can definitely see savings.”
The impact of social media is evident in Gen Z. According to 2024 data from food and beverage intelligence platform Datasential, 77% of them said they bought food only because they saw it on social media.
“Gen Z is trying to build their credibility and deal with debt and then still have a life comparable to their peers,” said Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy, CEO of Money Mentor, Calgary’s nonprofit credit consulting and debt consolidation firm. “If everyone shows their image of life on social media, then you have to keep up, which is really hard.”
Ingrid Kucera, Toronto financial advisor at Assante Wealth Management, loves food and uses the food delivery app every week.
“It’s easy to tap your phone instead of going to the grocery store to plan your meal,” she said.
Each meal will get her back between $30 and $50 – if you multiply it by several times a week, it will be added together very quickly. She said that among her Gen Z friends, $10,000 is spent on food delivery every year.
How to control “lifestyle crawling”
Ms. Kucera, 25, sees the same pattern among her Gen Z clients. She believes that spending is much like the lipstick effect—people squander affordable luxury goods during challenging economic times.
“As the younger generation saves, saves for retirement, owning a home – it feels out of reach. Ordering food is their luxury.”
Aseel Elbaba is a Toronto-based financial therapist and founder and CEO of Overall Best Wealth. She said the convenience of ordering meals has become a coping mechanism.
“It has become a leading value system for society, dealing with economic uncertainty, politics – everything that is happening around us.”
She said the painless payments used by apps like Uber Eats are disconnected between customers and spending. Plus, she says, using the instant gratification of the app brings you fun. “People are trapped in the dopamine cycle.”
Ms. Kucera said that while Uber’s weird diet orders are good, if it becomes a constant pattern that prevents one from saving, it will be harmful to their finances. She told clients that it would save 20% of their revenue—Ideally, once paid, you could spend the rest of your money on what they see as appropriate, including food.
Another strategy is to use gift cards for food delivery – when they run out, give up ordering. “With a credit card, you basically have no restrictions,” she said.
Ms Yanchuk Oleksy said different spending decisions are crucial for those who save down payments.