Nearly a grand on ordering food in less than two months, please help

[HelpIsOverdue]

I can’t say too much about my situation and my lifestyle as it’s really quite outing but long story short, I order food practically everyday. I have a diagnosed eating disorder but there’s a 8-12 month waiting list before even getting an assessment for the type of help that’s required so I won’t be having therapy for that anytime soon.

Today, I felt really stressed about my weight and money and decided enough is enough. I went through my transactions and saw that from January 2025 alone, I’ve spent £476.32 on Just Eat/Uber Eats/Deliveroo. I spent £598.64 in December. I’m shocked. I knew I had a bad habit but this bad? I’m always stressed and my way of de stressing isn’t picking up a cigarette but it’s going online to order food and comfort eat.

Have people really overcome an eating disorder? I know I need help and I understand if people don’t sympathise as it’s a lot of money but I really can’t live like this anymore. Any tips or advice on how to take small steps will really be appreciated, thank you

without knowing your issues, here are my tips around reducing your spending on takeaways:

1. Delete the apps.
2. Make a list of easy meals that you've got the ingredients for in the house. Stick it to the fridge. When you consider ordering a takeaway, choose something off the list and make it instead (jacket potatoes with cheese and tuna mayo, frozen pizza, pasta with simple tomato sauce). Go to the supermarket once you've made this list and make sure you've got the ingredients in the house.
3. Buy and plan for treats on your regular food shops - get what you like, make sure you've got a few snacks in and they are both sweet and savoury.
4. Have an allocated 'fakeaway' night when you make whatever your favourite takeaway would be, but from scratch with supermarket ingredients.
5. Put some of the money you would have spent into a separate pot (monzo is ideal for this), when you consider ordering a takeaway, but don't. If there's something big you'd like to buy, set a savings goal of the amount to buy it, and once you've saved that much buy it for yourself! Could even be booking a holiday, if you'd prefer.
6. If part of the barrier is around time to cook, let yourself choose the 'quick and easy cheat' at the supermarket - microwave rice, prechopped veg etc.

That's a good idea. Sounds like this problem has got out of hand and you need help

Use the takeaway money for therapy not weight loss injections.
If you have an addictive personality you’re just switching addictions for the dopamine hit that the jab and weight loss brings. Dangerous! Get proper help.

See my comment above - consider this money already gone.

Like OP (i assume sorry OP if this isnt the case), I wont be able to afford therapy until i stop bingeing. But i wont be able to stop bingeing until i have therapy.

A conundrum!

If you are overweight you could consider trying the weight loss jabs. They disappear your appetite and cost less than your food delivery habit, about 200 quid a month.

She said she was worried about her weight

Maybe this isn't the right suggestion but have you every thought about a GL1P medication like maunjaro? Ive been on it as I found it so difficult to stop over eating and snacking and my weight was ballooning and honestly it's life changing. I no longer crave sugar and snacks and have found it easy to eat healthy with smaller portions and feeling full and satisfied. I order from Cloud Pharmacy and a month is about £135 for 4 weeks injections, money well spent

If you opt for weight loss injections they are prescribed by doctors and are explicitely aimed at people who over eat! That is literally what they are for treating so not irresponsible.

Also you can be diagnosed Elvanse which is an ADHD drug for binge eating disorder. You could consider seeing a Phsychiatrist for that and they might prescribe that for you.

Also addicted to perfume. I am much better than what I was, but still haven't stopped.

No body is prescribing Mounjaro for her! They are recommending she consults a doctor who may consider prescribing a medication to assist with weight loss and binge eating disorder.

How do you know she needs help with weight loss?

Flip sake - stop recommending weight loss jabs. Dont be so irresponsible. This is a person in trouble, mentally as much as anything else and you are suggesting a temporary sticking plaster that may make her even worse.
OP you need proper help to tackle this. Therepy or an addiction programme. Not a needle full of chemicals stuck in every month.

another vote for monjaro jab, i have a binge eating disorder an=m diabetic needed help my gp gave it me last june 3 stone weight loss not one bit of chocolate has passed my lips since jab 1, life changer,

I’m disgusted at some posters recommending weightloss injections. They aren’t recommended for anyone suffering from an eating disorder for goodness sake, this is dangerous advice when no-one here knows the OP’s medical background. Too many of these prescribers are giving this drug out willy nilly for anyone who can pay for it without a proper assessment.

@HelpIsOverdue would one of the recipe pack delivery subscriptions help? Something like Hello Fresh or Gousto? You can choose your meals and it might get you back into the swing of cooking meals again. Please don’t listen to the awful advice of weight loss drugs until you’ve spoken to your GP, that’s probably the first step.

I know. I can read, but it doesn't mean she is massively overweight to the point of needing the weight loss jab.

Hi @HelpIsOverdue - there are lots of people on this thread saying “just” do this or that. It sounds like you have very disordered eating, so this kind of advice is like telling an alcoholic to “just” stop drinking, or someone who is depressed to “just” think happy thoughts. Private therapy would be a good start, but also the book that changed my life (really) was Brain Over Binge. You can get it on amazon. Buy it, start reading it tomorrow, and get some professional advice and help while you’re reading through it. BED feels like the loneliest of situations to be in, and, as most of the replies on here show, it’s still very misunderstood. But you aren’t alone and there are ways to break the cycle.

It doesn’t even mean she’s overweight, she has an eating disorder,she could easily be a healthy weight, plenty of people with an eating disorder are,

Exactly. She has disordered eating. She could also have body dysmorphia.

Apologies@HelpIsOverdue for discussing you like this.

I hope you are okay and get all the help and support you want.

I agree with this. You're obviously using food as a coping mechanism so it might be best to start with just making sure you have cupboards/fridge/freezer full of cheaper instant meals so that your eating disorder isn't ruining you financially. Then you can work on the health aspect.

If you don't think you can stop comfort eating in the short term, then do yourself a favour and stock up the same foods from the supermarket instead. That way at least you'll save some money.

Well it might.
Unless Op is using food as control ( and frankly it sounds like she's overeating crap takeaway food to avoid thinking about cooking real food) why wouldn't it work?

She won't feel the elusive pull of the sugar/fat/salt combo. She'll be able to chose natural fresh foods.
Why do assume a fast solution to "food noise" isn't therapy?

OP, I really think you need the support of a therapist with this as you’ve described having an eating disorder. I don’t think any of us are qualified on MN to truly assist you with this.

However, I echo others suggestions in trying something like Hello Fresh, Gousto or my personal favourite which was Green Chef. This will encourage you to start cooking simple, easy meals that are healthy and balanced. Much better for your health and your bank balance. They often offer a lot of deals to begin with.

Do try to find a private therapist though, you owe it to yourself. Don’t wait 8-12 months. I’d recommend seeking out an eating disorder specialist. Is it binge eating? (You don’t have to share if you don’t want to)

Yes this. Surely if you spend your money on therapy, it won’t be there to spend on takeaways?

Close all your accounts on all of these apps, tonight. If you’re serious, you will do it.

Isn't that rather like telling someone with anorexia if they're serious they'd eat?

Please...a little sensitivity wouldn't go amiss

If you have the money for this short term (not getting into debt for it), I would invest in private therapy plus an ingredients box service that gets you into the habit of cooking. I think this should tide you over while you wait for NHS sessions to start and will work out cheaper in the long run.

You can even cancel the meal subscription once you feel you've got a handle on things and start shopping, batch cooking, maybe a veg box. Approach this step by step. Have you tried the Beat website and helpline for eating disorder advice? xx