On-demand services are becoming more popular in cities, and plenty of people are willing to pay the price for convenience. Sometimes you may not have time to do the laundry, walk the dog and pick up groceries — it’s hectic days like this when on-demand services are especially useful.
How much do these services cost though, and are they worth the expense? Here are a few examples of popular on-demand services that renters use and the prices associated with each.
1. Groceries
Stopping at the grocery store after work can be quite a hassle. Most of the time, the aisles are crowded with other people who’ve just left the office, and you have to wait in a long line to finally check out.
To avoid the chaos of the store and inclement weather, some people choose to have their groceries delivered to their homes instead. This type of service is available in select locations, and prices often vary depending on the company you’re using, such as Instacart, AmazonFresh or Peapod.
For example, with Peapod, you can place an order and have it delivered as soon as the next day. With this company, your order has to be a minimum of $60. On top of that, you’ll pay a delivery fee between $6 and $10 and a pickup fee of about $3. If gas prices are high, you may also be expected to pay an additional fuel surcharge.
Ultimately, $60 worth of groceries could cost you about $80. However, you can use the time you saved for other activities, and the convenience alone may make the price worth it. People who don’t have a car or who have health issues also find these services well worth the additional cost.
2. Cleaning
Keeping your apartment clean is something that takes time and energy. You may be able to put your dishes away and wipe off the counters occasionally, but you should perform a deep clean every now and then to maintain the apartment’s appearance, and keep all the fixtures in good repair. But after spending all day at work, you probably don’t want use the rest of your evening scrubbing down your place. Or maybe you just really hate cleaning.
On-demand cleaning services are useful in these circumstances. You can hire people to come to your apartment and do the cleaning for you. Like grocery delivery, prices vary depending on the company.
For example, cleaning services for a one bedroom and one bathroom may cost you around $80. Add an extra room or specific appliance cleaning, and you could tack another $40 onto your bill. However, you may be able to find a great home cleaning service on TaskRabbit for less, so make sure you do your research when choosing your cleaning professionals.
3. Laundry
Doing laundry is the worst, especially when you live in an apartment and have to go outside to reach the machines or trek to a laundromat. This task is even more unbearable when you have several loads of dirty clothes and only two available washers.
With services like Washio, however, you can have people pick up your soiled clothing and clean it for you. If you want your laundry to be done by Washio, you have to meet a few requirements: Your order has to be a minimum of $30 and weigh at least 15 pounds for wash and fold orders. On top of this, you’ll pay a $5.99 delivery fee.
However, if you’re willing to make a trip to the laundromat, many locations offer similar services. You can drop off your laundry and the workers will wash and fold your items for you, which means you don’t have to pay a delivery fee.
4. Dog Walking
Hate leaving your dog alone all day? You can have a dog walker come to your home and give your pet some exercise. With a service like Wag!, a 30-minute walk will cost you $20, but if you’re concerned about your pet, this may be the type of on-demand service you’ve been looking for. Plus, you’ll get an instant full report on how the walk went, including the route your dog walked, if you use the app.
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The Price of Convenience: 4 On-Demand Services Renters Love originally appeared on usnews.com