By Tommy Tindall, NerdWallet

It’s lunchtime and you work from home. There’s only a few things in the fridge, and you just can’t bring yourself to cook eggs again.

Time to tap that delivery app and order something. What do you have to lose?

“Well, how long do you want to be working?” asks Valerie A. Rivera, a certified financial planner in Chicago and founder of FirstGen Wealth.

She’s not shy about letting her clients know how small financial choices, like doing delivery several times a week, compound over time. And it’s not the good kind of compounding.

The cost of convenience can derail your money goals, she says. Once you run the numbers, you might just decide to break the habit.

Ordering delivery is what we do now

The price of food away from home has risen 3.9% over the last year and is still on the rise. In August, it ticked up 0.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Yet we continue to use services like DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats on the regular even though it makes already-pricey food pricier.

The pandemic normalized ordering food online out of necessity, and now many of us are hooked. More than a quarter of Americans (28.2%) use these services at least once a week, according to a January 2025 study from online research data and analytics company YouGov.

Ordering a $10 hoagie might feel like no big deal. But when you add up the fees tacked on by the service and a tip to the driver, suddenly you’re spending $20 or more.

But how much you spend may surprise you

Rivera says you need to know your numbers in order to make changes. She takes clients through a worksheet — where they review spending in detail — to find out exactly where their money goes each month.

She says after housing and childcare, the third-largest expense she often sees is food delivery.

But even if it’s not in your top three, a couple hundred bucks a month can have an impact.

Candice Burch is a licensed mental health counselor and busy mom based in Sarasota, Florida, who said she orders DoorDash at least once a week.

“In the moment, the time savings outweigh the cost, but adding it up makes me realize that money could go toward things I value more, like my daughter, or family outings,” Burch said in an email.

What is convenience costing you?

You may find that you can’t have your daily delivery and a diversified portfolio, too.

“We have to make trade-offs constantly with how we spend our dollars, how we spend our time and how we spend our energy,” Rivera says.

Spending hundreds a month on takeout for convenience today can set you back for tomorrow.

Maybe it’s a vacation, a home renovation or the option to retire early.

When it comes to building wealth, it’s often more about how much you spend, than how much you earn, Rivera says.

“What if you redirected $50 every month that was going to Chinese takeout and put it toward an account for a Disney vacation fund?”

Her point is that it’s easy to overspend on frivolous things — we all do it — but it’s not that hard to say “no” and save the money for something more meaningful.

Whipping up a cheese omelet won’t feel so imposing if you have a future-focused mindset.

For some people, it’s worth it

Michael Benoit said he works long hours and often relies on delivery apps for office lunches and dinners at home.

“On average, I spend about $800 each month, mostly through Uber Eats and DoorDash,” Benoit, who owns a company that provides contractor bonds in San Diego, said in an email interview.

“I see the charge in my monthly statement and it stands out compared to other discretionary expenses, but the tradeoff has always been the time I get back to manage my workload,” he said.

Related Articles

Mortgage rate scenarios to watch following a likely Fed rate cut

Why I won’t dip into my savings for an iPhone 17

He lost $149K in a day; panicked moms see gambling hook young men

What I’ve done right with my portfolio

Job hugging: What it is and what it means for your money

Ordering restaurant food feels more like a semi-discretionary expense for Ashleigh Beadle, who is getting her relatively new consulting business off the ground in Fairfield, Connecticut.

“I am known as the queen of Uber Eats in my neighborhood and family,” she says.

She says she orders delivery eight to 10 times a week because she is busy with work and her son, and doesn’t cook. She makes it more cost effective by stretching meals to more than a day, and says she has a relatively small grocery bill as a result.

It does work for some people, says Rivera.

“If it’s not interfering with your ability to save, then by all means.”

Others might want to think before they order

For most people though, Rivera says this type of lifestyle creep does impede saving in other areas. Once you break the habit, you can pay yourself.

“Think of yourself as a bill,” she says.

The way she describes it, it’s that simple. You look at your expenses and commit to cutting back.

“If you’re eating out seven times a week, can you try four?”

Then put what you plan to save in a high-yield savings account. Make it automatic every month to make it easy, she says.

How will you know if your savings strategy is working? Well, can you cover the bill to yourself at the beginning of the month and still pay the bills for everything else?

“That’s the ultimate test,” says Rivera.

So maybe don’t tap that delivery app. Because how long do you want to be working?

Tommy Tindall writes for NerdWallet. Email: ttindall@nerdwallet.com.

The article Is DoorDash Eating Into Your Retirement? originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Turf toe doesn’t sound nearly as bad as it is. The injury to the base of the big toe causes pain described as getting a nail driven into the bottom of one’s foot.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts after an injury during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Joe Burrow knows that sensation well. The Cincinnati quarterback suffered the injury in Week 2 when a pile of linemen descended on his foot. And that pretty much ended the 2025 season for the former Heisman Trophy winner.

He’s not the only QB on the sidelines. The Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy will likely miss a few weeks with a high ankle sprain. Washington’s Jayden Daniels hurt his knee, and the Jets’ Justin Fields has a concussion. Oh yeah, and the 49ers’ Brock Purdy is still out.

So this will be a big week for quarterback hunting on the waiver wires. Here is a handful of dudes that are still available in most leagues:

Jake Browning (Bengals)

Burrow’s replacement has actually played well the past couple of years in relief. He passed for 241 yards and two touchdowns in their comeback win over Jacksonville. He’s not a particularly great option this week against the Vikings, but he should be good for the remainder of the fantasy season.

Jake Browning #6 of the Cincinnati Bengals reaches across the goal line for a touchdown while playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the game at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Daniel Jones (Colts)

You probably already missed your chance to grab the NFL’s hottest QB. He has passed for 588 yards, thrown for two touchdowns and, most importantly, ran for three scores. And Indy has been blessed with one of the league’s lighter schedules, including this week’s matchup against modestly talented Tennessee.

Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts throws a pass against the Denver Broncos during the second half in the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Sam Darnold (Seahawks)

The Vikings’ savior of 2024 is still looking pretty good a year later. He looked great last week in Pittsburgh, with 295 yards and two TDs. And he might look even better this week versus the Saints.

Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers (Steelers)

He’s just a shadow of his former hall of fame self, but No. 12 has 447 yards and five TD passes through the first two weeks. Not bad. This week he should look even better against the meager New England defense.

Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball during the first quarter ..against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

We’re still waiting for the former No. 1 pick to become the star he was supposed to be. He has 449 yards and four TDs so far, and he has a nice set of targets, including rookie Travis Hunter. And a soft schedule, led by this week’s date with Houston.

Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks to pass during the second quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Sitting stars

Rams RB Kyren Williams hasn’t wowed anyone so far, and he won’t against Eagles’ top defense. … Two other RBs that will underwhelm this week are Houston’s Nick Chubb versus the Jaguars and Jacory Croskey-Merritt against Las Vegas. … Bears WR D.J. Moore will continue to be eclipsed by teammate Rome Odunze against Dallas. … Carolina QB Bryce Young will be cooled off by Atlanta’s improved defense. … And while Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will regain his mojo on Sunday night, the Giants’ Russell Wilson will lose whatever temporary mojo he had last week against the Cowboys.

Kyren Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the second half in the game at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Matchup game

We said Green Bay RB Josh Jacobs would hit paydirt last week, and he did. This week he makes it 11 games in a row with a TD against Cleveland. … But we were wrong about Seattle RB Kenneth Walker III, who will have another nice game vs. Saints. … Cincinnati will rely more on RB Chase Brown against Vikings. … Miami’s terrible secondary will wake up Bills receivers Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir. … Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers and D.K. Metcalf will keep connecting against New England. … Baltimore WR Zay Flowers’ hot start will continue against Detroit. … And New Orleans’ Juwon Johnson will again be a top tight end vs. Seattle.

Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on Sept. 11, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Injury watch

Besides quarterbacks, the biggest absence will be Vikings running back Aaron Jones, who’s on injured reserve with an injured hamstring. So Jordan Mason could have a big game. … Washington RB Austin Ekeler is done for the season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, and Packers WR Jayden Reed is out for a while with a broken collarbone. … Notables listed as questionable include four receivers (Jaguars’ Brian Thomas, Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy, Niners’ Jauan Jennings, Texans’ Christian Kirk) and Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) runs during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Deepest sleeper

Denver wide receiver Troy Franklin came into the league two years ago with his Oregon teammate, Bo Nix. They were quite a combination in two seasons in Eugene, with Franklin tallying 2,274 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns. Through the first two weeks on ‘25, Nix has completed 12 passes to Franklin for 133 yards and a TD. Franklin appears locked in as the Broncos’ No. 2 receiver, and this week likely is your last chance to claim him.

Troy Franklin #11 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

The Thursday pick

Dolphins at Bills (-12½)
Pick: Bills by 17

James Cook #4 runs for a touchdown as Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills reacts during the second quarter in the NFL 2025 game between Buffalo Bills and New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

Related Articles

The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 2: Last-minute moves

The Loop NFL Picks: Week 2

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 1: Last-minute moves

The Loop NFL Picks: Week 1

The Loop: Nipsey Russell’s 2025 NFL Preview

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the Federal Reserve widely expected Wednesday to reduce its key interest rate by a quarter-point to about 4.1%, economists and Wall Street investors will be looking for signals about next steps: How deeply might the Fed cut in the next few months?

There are typically two different approaches the central bank takes to lowering borrowing costs: Either a measured pace that reflects a modest adjustment to its key rate, or a much more rapid set of cuts as the economy deteriorates in an often-doomed effort to stave off recession.

For now, most economists expect it will take the first approach: What many analysts call a “recalibration” of rates to keep the economy growing and businesses hiring. Under this view, the Fed would reduce rates as many as five times by the middle of next year, bringing its rate closer to a level that neither stimulates or slows the economy.

Wall Street traders expect three reductions this year and then two more by next June, according to futures pricing tracked by CME Fedwatch.

FILE – Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, right, talks with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell before an open meeting of the Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve, June 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

A rate cut Wednesday would be the first in nine months. The Fed, led by Chair Jerome Powell, reduced borrowing costs three times last year. But it then put any further cuts on hold to evaluate the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on the economy.

As recently as their last meeting in late July, Powell described the job market as “solid” and kept rates unchanged as officials sought to take more time to see how the economy evolved.

Since then, however, the government has reported a sharp slowdown in hiring, and previous government data has been revised much lower. Employers actually cut back slightly on their payrolls in June, shedding 13,000 jobs, and added just 22,000 in August.

The government also said last week that its estimate of job gains for the year ended in March 2025 would likely be revised down by 911,000, a sharp reduction in total employment. Powell and other Fed officials had previously pointed to a robust job market as a key reason that they could afford to keep rates unchanged. But with businesses pulling back on hiring, the economic case for a rate cut — which can spur more borrowing and spending — is stronger.

Related Articles

Despite past challenges, Scouting America stabilizes with support from faith-based units

Driver rams car into FBI building gate in Pittsburgh and leaves behind an American flag

Jerry quits Ben & Jerry’s, saying its independence on social issues has been stifled

Today in History: September 17, aircraft crash kills a person for the first time

North Dakota newspaper columnist whose Olive Garden review went viral dies at 99

The downward revision of nearly a million jobs is a “huge downgrade,” said Talley Leger, chief market strategist at the Wealth Consulting Group. “If that doesn’t light a fire under the Fed just from an economic perspective I don’t know what will.”

Still, inflation remains stubbornly elevated, partly because tariffs have lifted the cost of some goods, such as furniture, appliances and food. Prices rose 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the government said last week, up from 2.7% a month earlier.

Persistent inflation could keep the Fed from cutting too rapidly. The central bank will release its quarterly economic projections after the meeting Wednesday, and many economists forecast they will show that officials expect three total reductions this year and at least two more next year.

Five reductions would bring the Fed’s key rate down to just above 3%. Many economists think that is roughly the rate that would neither stimulate nor slow the economy.

If Fed officials began to worry the economy would slip into recession, they would likely cut rates more quickly. But for now, most economists don’t see rapid cuts as necessary.

“We’re not at a break-glass moment,” said Vincent Reinhart, chief economist at BNY Investments. “This is a recalibration.”

In the coming years, Texas is set to receive billions of dollars to address the ongoing opioid crisis that has taken the lives of more than 10,000 Texans between 2020 and 2023, per state data. Already, the state has allocated over $100 million in funds to cities and counties. Some local governments have begun to use the money, while others haven’t spent a dime. 

The payouts come from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and consultants for their role in pushing prescription opioids across the country. The funds, which will be distributed annually for the next 18 years, are coming as recent cuts under the Trump administration hit both Medicaid and the federal agency serving people with substance use disorder. Meanwhile, the spread of more potent opioids, including fentanyl, has been met with an increasingly militarized border crackdown that experts say don’t address the root problems.

The last time corporations paid out legal settlements for harming public health—the big tobacco settlements from more than two decades ago—much of the money was not used to curb smoking or the harms associated with it. This time around, experts say that how the opioid funds are used in these early years could set the tone for the next nearly two decades that Texas receives settlement dollars.

“We have this opportunity here to actually get money into areas that have been afflicted,” said Tyler Varisco, director of the Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine Program at the University of Texas at Austin. “There is a tremendous amount of public benefit in ensuring that these funds are spent responsibly.”

That’s why researchers, advocates, and the press are keeping a close eye on how that money is spent. In Texas, the Opioid Abatement Fund Council—led by 14 state appointees—is in charge of awarding most of the money through grants to nonprofits, universities, hospitals and local governments, depending on the specific grant requirements. Meanwhile, 15 percent goes to state agencies and another 15 percent to counties and municipalities, which aren’t required to disclose their spending.

To fill the local transparency gap, Katie Harris of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy reviewed budgets and records from 21 jurisdictions, categorizing about $60 million in settlement funds. Her findings, released in August, show millions already spent on services for prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction, aligning with nationally recognized principles on use of opioid settlement funds.

Collin County is using some of the money to hire recovery coaches. Bexar County is supporting sober housing. Dallas and Travis counties are funding peer-support programs. Many places are expanding medication assisted treatment, in which patients are prescribed less potent opioids such as methadone or buprenorphine to reduce cravings and prevent withdrawals.

There were also several purchases of naloxone, an overdose-reversing nasal spray commonly known by its brand name Narcan. It’s available over the counter for about $30 to $50 for a pair of doses, freely available through various harm-reduction groups, and kept in some schools and by some first responders.

Others are focusing on law enforcement. In Montgomery County, funds are being used on phone forensic tools to identify drug dealers. Plano’s police department is investing in drug-testing kits, protective gloves, and training. Tarrant County and the city of Dallas are putting money into drug court systems.

“If we don’t invest in evidence-based services to address this crisis, we’re just going to see this problem continue and potentially increase,” said Magdalena Cerdá, director of the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy at New York University. She pointed to fentanyl and xylazine test strips as an additional tool for harm reduction, but they are outlawed in Texas despite recent efforts to legalize them.

Other cities and counties, meanwhile, are diverting or not using the money.

Nueces County, which has seen 134 opioid-related deaths since 2020, put its settlement funds into its general fund to avoid having to raise taxes, according to Harris’ findings. Harris County, which had the highest number of opioid-related deaths in the state every year since 2020, has yet to spend or earmark any of the $6 million it received, though the city of Houston has begun to use its portion. Corpus Christi didn’t disclose how funds were being used. 

In addition, according to the Texas Observer’s review of state Comptroller data, about $250,000 of the allocated funds so far, less than 1 percent of the total, has yet to be claimed by dozens of cities and counties in any of three yearly disbursements since 2023. If funds aren’t claimed within two years, the funds will be redirected to the state opioid abatement council.

Baylor County, population 3,500, in north Texas has about $20,000 in unclaimed funds. The county treasurer, Kevin Hostas, told the Observer that the county commissioners chose not to accept the funds, but was unaware as to why. In Shenandoah, a small town next to The Woodlands, $31,000 has been unclaimed; the city’s administrator thinks the funds could have better use elsewhere since they have no programs and no opioid crisis.

“Shenandoah is a small city with a geographic footprint of 2.2 square miles. We are not experiencing an opioid problem at this time, nor do we have programs or city facilities that deal with this issue. There’s nothing to apply those funds to in Shenandoah, which is why we have not claimed them. It would be great if those funds could be redistributed to areas that badly need them,” Kathie Reyer, the city administrator for Shenandoah, said in a statement.

Researchers say small allocations do make it hard for rural or sparsely populated areas to launch programs on their own, but they note that funding could be given to regional organizations or neighboring localities. But Marcia Ory, professor at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health and co-chair of the university’s Health Opioid Task Force, warns against municipalities that may not have many or any opioid-related deaths from being complacent. 

“You don’t know you have a problem till you have a problem,” she said, pointing to recent fentanyl-linked overdoses in Cleveland ISD in East Texas. Ory received a grant from the state council, funded by settlement dollars, that will help her team conduct community events in schools across the state to address youth prevention. She thinks smaller prevention events could be replicated by other local governments. “The bottom line is it doesn’t have to be a huge amount of money to make a difference.”

Events like these are already happening across the state, particularly in late August around International Overdose Awareness Day. In Amarillo, an organization founded by a mom who lost her son to an overdose hosted an event with inflatables, live music, food trucks, and free Narcan. And in Montgomery County, a similar event took place that originated years ago when four moms who lost their sons to opioids met in a grief recovery group.

“We decided that instead of meeting people after their loved ones passed away, after the grief, that we could go out and do something to make a difference in the community,” Kimberly Rosinski, one of the founders of the nonprofit Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor (M-COPE), told the Observer at the event. 

Now in its fifth year, the event hosted dozens of local organizations and a former NFL football player, Jason Phillips, who recounted his story of addiction. Thousands of dollars were given out in scholarships. The school’s hallways displayed hundreds of portraits of people across Texas who have died after a substance overdose.

At the center of the school, a balloon display split into three colors allowed people to share how their loved ones are affected by substance use disorder: white for sobriety, black for loss, and red for active use.

The Texas Memorial Walkway at Magnolia High School on August 17, 2025, honoring Texans lost to overdose. (José Luis Martínez)

“It’s been very healing for me to not just stay in that grief but to try and do something positive with that,” Rosinski said, wearing a jersey with her son Stephen’s name and his football number, 50.

While these events are happening in a handful of cities and counties, researchers like UT Austin’s Varisco said that there should be a place for these ideas and outcomes to be shared among local officials across the state.

“I would want to have opportunities for people to learn from each other to ensure that we’re not buying things that aren’t going to work or spending where it doesn’t matter,” he said. “And that’s what I’m most worried about right now is that we do have this opportunity to make some real differences and some real changes and then that we’re just not going to fully capitalize on that because there is no guidance and there is no expertise to go along with these areas.”

The post How Texas Localities Have (and Haven’t) Spent Settlement Funds to Fight the Opioid Crisis  appeared first on The Texas Observer.