How do I control my impulsive online food orders?

Ans: Thank you for sharing this openly. Many working professionals are going through this exact problem.

Midnight cravings, Rs 300 here, Rs 400 there — it feels small. But it adds up fast.
And unlike EMIs or rent, this spending happens without planning. That’s why it hurts.

Let’s not judge it. Let’s fix it with clear tools, not guilt.

Here’s your full 360-degree solution — emotional, behavioural, and financial.

First, You Are Not Alone or Weak
Zomato, Blinkit, and Swiggy are not just apps. They are convenient dopamine machines.

They save time. They comfort us after work.

They help during low moods or stress days.

That Rs 300 expense often feels like self-care.

So don’t blame yourself. Just build a system that respects your cravings but controls your cash.

Why This Happens Every Month
These three silent habits are usually the real cause:

No cap on how many times you open the app in a week.

No alert system to show monthly spending total.

No food budget category in your mind — just “monthly expenses”.

When you eat from outside without tracking, you feel surprised later.

That surprise creates guilt. Guilt leads to “I’ll control next month.”

But next month never arrives. Only the next food delivery does.

Step 1: Create Your “Food Wallet” Budget
Let’s create a simple cap system — without killing your joy.

Take your monthly salary. Decide what % can go to online food.

For example: 10% of Rs 60,000 = Rs 6,000.

Transfer this Rs 6,000 to a separate UPI wallet or food wallet every month.

Use only this for Zomato, Blinkit, etc.

Once it’s over, you pause until next month.

This fixes the problem at the root — temptation becomes self-limited.

Step 2: Delete and Reinstall the Apps Weekly
This trick works like magic:

Every Monday: delete the apps from your phone.

Every Friday: reinstall if you want to eat out.

This forces a friction. You stop casual scrolls.

If you’re too lazy to reinstall, it means the craving was not real.

This is how you break the emotional trap, without going extreme.

Step 3: Build a Midnight Cravings Kit at Home
Most late-night orders happen because there’s nothing else at home.

So do this:

Stock 2 or 3 items you love — instant noodles, soup mix, cereal, or frozen parathas.

This small Rs 500 shopping cuts down 2 or 3 orders every month.

Over time, it saves Rs 1500–2000 without killing your comfort.

Step 4: Set an Auto-Message on UPI Payments
This is a fun behavioural trick.

Create a custom UPI message when paying Zomato/Blinkit: “Part of Rs 6K food budget.”

Seeing this message again and again builds habit awareness.

You will automatically pause at Rs 5,500 or Rs 6,000.

This is gentle self-control. No guilt. Just clarity.

Step 5: Build a “Food Joy Tracker”
We often regret food expenses because we forget the good ones.

So try this:

Every time you order something great, write it in a note: “This was worth it.”

At month-end, compare that list with your bill.

Ask: which spends gave joy, which were just laziness?

Over time, your mind learns to choose joy-based food, not habit-based food.

Step 6: Reward Yourself When You Stay Under Budget
Discipline without reward is punishment.

If you stay within the Rs 6,000 budget, reward yourself with a movie, or clothes, or a night out.

Spend Rs 500 or Rs 1000 happily. You earned it.

This keeps you motivated without suppressing happiness.

What If You Slip Again?
You will. Once in 3 or 4 months.

That’s okay. Just do this:

Review that month’s extra spend.

Adjust next month’s food budget a little lower (like Rs 5,000).

Restart the habit from there.

No guilt. Just correction.

Final Insights
Online food spending is a modern trap. But you don’t need to feel stuck.

You need a limit, a system, and a self-check process.

Rs 18,000 on food is not a money problem. It’s a structure problem.

You can enjoy food, comfort, and cravings — without burning one-third of your salary.

These steps will take 2 weeks to get used to. Then they’ll feel natural.

You are not clueless. You are just one wallet system away from control.

Let’s build that system — with simplicity and kindness.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment