44-year-old questions where teens are getting "DoorDash lifestyle" money: 'I can't figure it out'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Sep 11, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

Dream big, work hard, and stay humble. It's all you can do these days. You've got to try and be strategic in your career as you navigate your field… if you're lucky, dedicated, and a hard worker, perhaps you'll end up in a high-paying job with benefits and a 401k. 

However, as this person observed, a lot of people are living beyond their means with zero regrets about that. That used to be the old financial advice, right? Save your money in a high-yield account, keep that frivolous spending to a minimum, and soon enough, you'll have a golden life for you and your 3 children. Nowadays, though? Let's be so real, if you're under 35 you're probably living with 4 roommates or living in your parents basement, making barely enough money to scrape by. That means that when you do have an extra chunk of cash, it's going to go towards clothing, food, or experiences. You can "save" $100 if you want… but that's not going to buy you a better life anytime soon. There's even been an issue with young people who use buy-now-pay-later services to get themselves new clothing or Temu junk, only to find themselves swamped in debt they can't pay back. 

There are so many people who order meals constantly from those ever-present food delivery apps like UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub, or Seamless, just to name a few. These meals are not cheap! As this man writes, he's noticed that the same kids who are making $16 an hour at the restaurant he works at are also ordering $16 meals. Like, they'll get a single dish (maybe dumplings or a fast food meal) that costs $16, and they don't even bat an eye. They probably feel like they'll be stuck in debt forever, so why even bother to pay it back at all? If they have to spend all their time grinding away at low-paying jobs, they may as well get a tasty treat or 5. 

Next up, read about this employee's interesting idea to get their 24/7 surveillance software off their computer, changing it to a .exe file that can't be opened: "I'm probably not gonna get fired." 

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  • 01
    Young woman in white shirt and jeans accepting two takeout meals with open arms from delivery man in red shirt
    via JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    This person had an interesting observation about the kids these days

    Supposedly the younger generation is so absurdly priced out of traditional, big purchases like houses, cars, kids so they just skip those.
    via @andrew.today
  • 03
    And they feel hopeless for the future and end up spending their money on things like designer clothes, phones, extravagant vacations, or DoorDash because that's all that feels within reach.
    via @andrew.today
  • 04

    Here was their example:

    $ r/Money u/Ripples Of Divinity Can someone explain to me where kids are getting the money to live a DoorDash lifestyle? I can't figure it out. I'm a 44 year old male. No kids. Own and operate a fast casual restaurant with four locations. I'm intimately familiar with the insane amount of money it costs to have food DoorDash/UberEat/GrubHub'd to your front door.
    via u/RipplesOfDivinity
  • 05
    At my own restaurant; a $16 poké bowl, delivered, with tip is gonna run you close to $30. For someone making six figures? Sure, have at it. But trust me when I tell you, almost every high school aged kid these days seems to use DoorDash multiple times a week. Including my own employees who I offer a free meal to, when they work literally any shift. Yet even then; I will see Taco Bell or Chick-fil-A being delivered to my own store because an $16/hr employee ordered it.
    via @RipplesOfDivinity
  • 06

    Some people understood why young people might spend their money this way, while others chided their poor money management habits

    nickbernard This is why increasing sales in cosmetics is generally seen as a recession indicator. When big goals are unattainable, small luxuries tend to thrive
    via @nickbernard
  • 07

    It's about the little things in life

    taragaarn If you can ONLY afford to save $200 per month, you cant afford a house, but you CAN spend that $200 on things you enjoy. Why is this most BASIC of concepts so difficult for boomers to understand?
    via @taragaarn
  • 08
    helluva_jenna Everyone else brought up good points, but also? No one can grocery shop for a poke bowl for $30. Sometimes when I want a complex meal, it's much cheaper to order it.
    via @helluva_jenna
  • 09
    idamien81 If you don't have to pay a mortgage, homeowners insurance, property taxes, HOAs, and maintenance you suddenly find there's a lot more money in the budget to eat out a few times a week.
    via @idamien81
  • 10
    Making homes an investment was one of the worst ideas capitalism ever came up with.
    via @idamien81

    Oof, I've been feeling this one lately. As much as I'd love to get a home, a down payment is like $35,000 or something. Buddy, I've got $13 and a coupon for a free ice cream cone. How am I ever supposed to afford a home? Many young folks these days are working more than one job and they still can't afford to live in a nice apartment, let alone have a house with a yard and 2.5 kids. Can you even imagine? 

  • 11
    Young woman in beige sweater accepting Doordash bag from man in navy jacket with home in background
    via DoorDash on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 12
    nunya_bizzy I agree. I have always said DoorDash is "rich people sh" but the only people I know who use it are broker than broke. It's so wasteful, just go pick up your food. I literally never
    via @nunya_bizzy
  • 13
    order delivery. I can understand if you're super sick or dis ed, but if you're just lazy, it's a huge waste of money.
    via @nunya_bizzy
  • 14
    amolmavuduru There is a massive difference between the price of ordering DoorDash and the down payment on a house. Even if you don't order DoorDash and save maybe $200 a month (you still have to spend money on food), you only save $2400 a year. At
    via @amolmavuduru
  • 15
    that rate, it would take you 25 years just to make a 20% down payment on a $300k (much cheaper than average) house. By then, housing prices will have increased further and so will the qualifying income for a mortgage. The problem is not DoorDash.
    via @amolmavuduru

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