It’s All About the Delivery, get it now!

Delivery is the way To Go!

Taking time away from studying to eat a meal sometimes feels impossible. Your student’s choice can often mean the difference between a legit dinner or a bag of chips and a soda. Sometimes it pays to turn to delivery services, especially when you consider the value of brain food. HaveUHeard is here to share some of the services we’ve found, what they deliver, and how they work.

They’re knocking at your door:

• Amazon Prime – Seriously, what can’t you get from Amazon?  When you sign up for Amazon Prime as a student, the first 6 months are free. There is then a discounted membership fee for the next 4 years until graduation. Prime membership includes free 2-day delivery, among many other perks.
• Bite Squad – Offering delivery service from many Gainesville restaurants. Their site has a chat option if you would like to review your order or ask why your order is taking so long. You can also schedule a delivery for later in the day and check the order status. Gift cards are available. Delivery fees start at $1.99 depending on the distance.
• Doorstep Delivery – Powered by Bite Squad. Order from anywhere, anytime  – even a hammock in the park. Delivery fees from $2.99.
• 352 Delivery — A Gainesville-based delivery system (hence the name) featuring many local restaurants.  The delivery fee is $1.25 per mile from the restaurant to you, with a $1.99 minimum. Depending upon the restaurant, there may be a small service fee, but there are no hidden fees. Everything will be listed on your receipt. Visit their website for a code for (capped) free first-time delivery.
• DoorDash — Delivering from your favorite restaurants. There are delivery fees.
• Eat Street – Delivery and takeout options available. Delivery fees are $2 and certain restaurants require a minimum purchase amount. Eat Street offers features that allow you to filter your restaurant results by preferences like order-ahead, restaurant-rewards, specials, fast delivery, or try something new. You’ll find it all on the website.
• GrubHub – There are often sign-up specials to get both GrubHub emails and money off your first order. Sometimes they even have those linking deals where you get monetary credit for each friend you get to sign up. When it comes time for you to order, just sign in and local restaurant suggestions are right there. Delivery fees are typically around $3.
• Instacart – For faster shopping and easier checkout, get the app and have groceries and other sundries delivered from most of the same places as Shipt. Their service also includes CVS, Whole Foods, PetCo, and ABC Liquor.
• Postmates – A large on-demand delivery and pickup platform, Postmates is able to deliver anything from anywhere. Similar to Uber, Postmates couriers receive an order for your food, groceries, or whatever you need, then deliver it to your doorstep. Need another charger? Party supplies? Postmates will get it to you within the hour.
• Publix – Sign up via a social media or email account and have your groceries delivered to you. It is basically online shopping, convenient, and easy for those who don’t have the time, energy, or transportation to go traipsing through the grocery store to go grocery shopping. Publix has been known to offer a special that features a complimentary first delivery, so check their site.
• Seamless – a Super easy way to order food for delivery or takeout, and you can cash in on their Perks. Their very likable motto: “Whatever you’re in the mood for, wherever you’re in the mood for it, you’ve got it.” Can there be a life app like that?
• Shipt – Another online shopping service for how we live today. You can get deliveries from stores like Publix, Costco, Target, and ABC Fine Wines & Spirits. Their shoppers will do what your student doesn’t have time for. Or, if your student does have some spare time and interest in spare change, they can work for Shipt and get paid to shop for others.
• UberEats – Same concept as Uber, but they deliver food. Via the app, you can track when the restaurant is preparing food, when your driver is picking it up, and when they are en route to you. The fee can sometimes be a little pricier than most delivery places.

Delivery Peace of Mind…and Sweet Tooth

Midnight Cookies – Located on SW 34th Street, this homemade, fresh-baked cookie shop serves up lots of custom cookies including traditional chocolate chip, sugar, snickerdoodles, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin. Okay, so it’s not really a dinner option, but when midnight hits and your student is still studying, then a sugar high is sometimes the only thing that keeps them going. Even your vegan foodie will find cookie options here. And if a little midnight cookie celebration is in order, there are new Cookie Decorating Kits available. Be sure to check their Specials page for featured specials, going the budget-wise route our blog here suggests. (Sometimes calorie-foolishness is the order of the day…or midnight!)

It’s good to know that food can be delivered right to your student’s dorm or apartment when they have been studying for hours on end. But when they aren’t feeling well, that ups the ante on getting something healthy and healing to their doorstep. My favorite delivery option is probably chicken soup from the Chabad Jewish Student & Community Center. This is a free service provided by Chabad UF, available to any student, Jewish or not. Donations are welcome to maintain this service. The way I see it, it’s a small price to pay for someone doing the mom-thing for your kid when your kitchen is hours and miles away.

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