TAKEAWAYS are a delicious yet pricey treat – but one Indian restaurant owner has revealed a trick for saving up to 30% on your order every time.
Jasdeep Singh, 23, who owns the Little Curry House in Glasgow, said you can slash up to 30% off your bill simply by picking it up directly from the restaurant instead of through a delivery app.
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He’s been dishing out curry to hungry diners for nearly four years, rustling up 350 takeaway orders a week on top of the 300 customers he serves in his restaurant.
But just tweaking the way you’re ordering, making the most of discounts or even cooking your takeaway yourself could help cut your bill, he said.
On average, households are spending up to £73.20 a month on getting their grub delivered.
But with takeaway prices on the rise, this could rise even further.
“Everyone is putting their prices by roughly 10% at a time, which is insane,” he said.
In just a matter of months, the price of 18kg of chicken has soared from between £60 to £63 to £90, he said.
While over the same time period, the price of lamb has rocketed by 20%.
It means many restaurants have had to put their prices up – and he’s noticed a drop in customer numbers too, as households start tightening their belts because of a cost of living crisis.
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“People aren’t going out as much as they used to,” he said.
“Where people were once out every two weeks, they’ll now be out every four weeks.
“I think it’s because everything is more expensive in general, so folk are trying to make cuts where they can to keep their head above water.”
Here are Mr Singh’s top tips for slashing your bill.
Avoid delivery apps
You can order your favourite meal at just the click of a button straight to your door through Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats.
But this convenience comes at a price, Mr Singh said.
He said customers could be paying up to 30% more for their order through delivery apps.
These platforms charge restaurants to be listed on their app.
Companies will therefore pass on some of that cost to customers to reduce the hit they’re taking to their profit margins.
“A family of four will spend around £50 if they go directly to the restaurant to pick up their order, but they’ll pay £65 through delivery apps – £15 more,” he said.
Beware of rising delivery charges
Another reason you should be wary of getting your food delivered is because restaurants are hiking delivery fees too.
That’s because fuel prices are rocketing – drivers have been warned that they could be paying £2 a litre, costing them £110 just to fill up.
“Our cheapest delivery fee was £2.50 six months ago, and now it’s £3.50,” Mr Singh said.
“We have tried to stomach as much of the [fuel price] increase as possible, but it’s showing no sign of slowing down.”
He said, for many people it will probably be cheaper driving to pick up your order yourself than pay the delivery fee.
Take advantage of discount codes
In some cases, it does make sense to order through delivery apps if there’s a good discount on.
“Sometimes, ordering on Uber Eats can be cheaper, as it sends out referral and discount codes.
“You might get a fiver off a £20 order and these offers come through on your emails.”
However, there are usually conditions you have to hit to get the discount.
For example, Uber Eats’ current discount will knock £12 off your order – but only if you spend £15 or more.
It’s still worth checking whether you’ll be saving with a discount code compared to ordering direct from the restaurant too.
Exactly WHEN to order for best food
If you want your order made with the freshest ingredients, then order on a Friday.
That’s because restaurants tend to prep their food on the same “three day cycle”, Mr Singh said.
Many restaurants prepare batches of food on Thursdays and Mondays to be sold over the following three days, according to Mr Singh.
That’s because by the end of three days, you can’t use or sell this food.
“You’re guaranteed to get fresh food on a Friday, while on Saturday, you might end up with stuff that’s not as fresh.”
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