On demand delivery where you pay a premium of 30-40% over the actual cost (sometimes even more) is definitely a luxury to me. I can probably afford to do this but I still do pick ups along with my other errands. Only is rare circumstances I get one off deliveries and it hurts me to see the cost each time I look at it!

Doing it regularly is probably wasting money especially in this economy.

Kids + full time - pick up the food on your way home? Medical condition - arrange for a routine cost effective delivery (like those meal delivery services who tend to deliver on their routes for free even?) work 2 jobs - pick up along the way somewhere can't drive? - use that routine delivery or find a way to cook or use a weekly meal delivery service etc.

But buying one off every other day paying the premium seems definitely a luxury. YMMV.

There are more social services for people that need this than there were in the 70s and volunteering appears roughly flat since then.

Meanwhile, people have been getting old, having kids, two jobs, medical conditions and so on for a little while now. A tremendous amount of America isn't even in a food delivery area unless you count McDonald's.

Eating out is a luxury. Getting that food delivered even more so. This isn't about basic needs.

All these conditions were common (some of them nearly universal) before Instacart ever existed.

At least with Uber, you could point to the regulated taxi system that was being displaced. That logic doesn't work at all for Instacart.

Having kids, a medical condition that doesn't kill you, or getting to old age is increasingly a luxury.

And luxuries have a cost. I won't pay it until I'll have to choose to.

Are we talking about the $3 delivery charge from the Chinese joint around the corner,

or the effective $13-$33 charge per order from the major delivery apps, after up charge to be using it plus delivery?

Let’s make sure we’re talking about the same stuff, here.