I Had a Hard Week. Here's How DoorDash Made It Cheaper and Easier

If you use DoorDash often, getting DashPass could be worth it for you, too.

I am, by nature, a good planner. And yet, despite all my best efforts, I recently had a very difficult week that required me to adapt in the moment -- and I was thankful for my subscription to DoorDash. DoorDash's subscription service is called DashPass, and it'll cost you $9.99 per month or $96 upfront if you sign up for a full year. You'll get $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on orders of $12 or more from eligible restaurants, plus the same on eligible grocery orders of $25 or more.

DoorDash estimates that users save an average of $4 to $5 per order, which means that if you make at least two orders a month, your DashPass will pay for itself. DoorDash isn't perfect, but I ended up very grateful for the service recently.

I got an opportune DashPass Challenge

Periodically, I receive emails from DoorDash offering me "DashPass Challenges." These are extra little ways to save money by making certain types of orders within a certain period of time. In this case, I was given the opportunity to earn 40% off two orders when I made three orders of $12 or more within a two-week period. I usually make an average of just one DoorDash order per week (or sometimes none), but I ended up going beyond my usual quota during the week in question. Why?

• I had a houseguest from the UK, and as this was his first time visiting the United States, I wanted to make sure he had the chance to try our many and varied cuisines.
• Unfortunately, I caught COVID-19 part way through his visit and was unable to cook as much as I had planned.

Ultimately, I made the required three orders within just six days, thereby giving me 40% off the next two orders. At this point, my houseguest departed, and I saved a nice chunk of money on dinner for two nights at the end of the week. This was wonderful, as I was still feeling terrible and not up to cooking.

I got a useful coupon from DoorDash

In addition to DashPass Challenges, I'm also privy to other special offers and coupons from DoorDash. You can use DoorDash for shopping orders as well as takeout and delivery meals. One of the categories in the app is Pets, and DoorDash has a partnership with PetSmart. At the end of my difficult week when I was still very ill, I was sent a 40% off coupon for a PetSmart order. I was nearly out of food for my three cats, so I happily placed an order that arrived at my door within an hour.

Thanks to saving that 40%, even with the tip and (reduced) service fee, I paid the same amount to have the food delivered as I would have paid had I left my house and bought it myself.

What can you learn from my experience?

There are a few lessons to take from my experience with DashPass over the course of the week.

It can be worth it to pay for a subscription service you use frequently

I signed up for DashPass last summer after running the numbers and seeing that the $0 delivery fees and reduced order fees would save me money based on my budget and my ordering habits. That said, DashPass (or any other subscription with a delivery app) may not save you money if you don't use it often. Decide based on your own finances and habits.

It's sometimes worth paying more to make your life easier

I paid for a full year's membership to DashPass upfront, which took a chunk of money out of my checking account. But it makes my life easier every week, and especially so during the week in question. Note that it's not a wise move to sign up for paid services like this if you're struggling with your bills or other expenses.

Using coupons can be a great way to save money

This is really personal finance 101: Use coupons! However, if you're using a coupon to buy something you don't actually need, that's going to lose you money. I do sometimes struggle with buying something just because it's on sale, but I'm getting better. In this instance, using a coupon for cat food was a smart money move because I definitely needed to make the purchase (and the cats would wholeheartedly agree).

As of this writing, I am thankfully on the mend, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next DoorDash coupon or DashPass Challenge email. These don't always work with my life or my ordering habits, but when they do, they can clearly be a lifesaver!