When Did We Start Financing Groceries? The Rising Cost of Everyday Life

People aren't financing groceries because they suddenly developed a passion for grocery debt.

They're doing it because food is expensive, paychecks only stretch so far, and groceries are one expense you cannot simply eliminate.

In 2025, DoorDash announced a partnership with Klarna that allows customers to use flexible payment options for purchases that include groceries. Eligible purchases can be divided into four interest-free payments or to a delayed payment date. Think about that for a minute. We now have financial products that can move the cost of today's groceries to your next paycheck.

That may be helpful when you're genuinely in a bind. But the fact that financing groceries has become useful enough to offer as a payment option, deserves a bigger conversation.

Groceries Really Are More Expensive

Groceries are expensive. Prices in June 2026 were up 2.7% more than last year, and some foods increased even more. Beef, for example, costs nearly 12% more than it did this time, last year. The USDA expects grocery prices overall to increase another 2.7% this year.

So when someone puts groceries on a credit card or divides them into four payments, it doesn't automatically mean they have a spending problem.

(4) Interest-Free Payments Still Have to Come From Somewhere

Buy Now, Pay Later sounds harmless when the offer says (4) interest-free payments. And if the money is sitting in your account when every payment comes due, it may work exactly as advertised.

The problem is when those payments start stacking.

Say you spend $120 on groceries and split it into four $30 payments. Next week, you need groceries again. Then again, the week after that. Before long, you have automatic payments from several grocery trips coming out on different days while you're still trying to pay for this week's food.

Your groceries are gone, but the payments aren't.

And even if the BNPL company doesn't charge interest, that doesn't mean nothing can go wrong. The Federal Reserve found that 11% of BNPL users had a payment trigger an overdraft or insufficient fund fee from their bank account. More than ¼ of BNPL users also reported paying late.

Interest-free does not mean consequence free.

The Bigger Problem

If you're using credit cards or Buy Now, Pay Later to purchase groceries every week, look at the bigger picture.

You're probably not running out of money before payday because you lack discipline or bought an extra treat at the store. Rent went up. Insurance increased. Food costs more. Your paycheck may simply not be keeping pace with the cost of maintaining your household.

Canceling a $15 streaming subscription puts $15 back in your pocket. It does not solve a $500 monthly shortage. At some point, you have to stop looking for small things to cut and identify where the major squeeze is coming from.

The Reality of Government Assistance

Some may say, "check your SNAP eligibility." But we have to be honest about the system. Federal changes passed in 2025 changed SNAP eligibility and work requirements, and the USDA is still implementing parts of those changes.

SNAP can help, but it may not cover everything your household needs. So public assistance can be part of your plan but not the entire plan.

If you receive SNAP in Georgia, find out where your benefits can go further. Wholesome Wave Georgia's Fresh for Less program helps SNAP recipients purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables at participating locations.

Also look beyond traditional food pantries. Second Helpings Atlanta and FoodCommune rescues surplus food, then redirects it into the community. Fulton Fresh Mobile Market provides free seasonal produce at scheduled community stops, while Goodr operates community food distributions and free grocery programs. Fulton Fresh's 2026 program, for example, has offered free bags of in season produce at public mobile market stops.

And don't automatically assume the grocery store is your cheapest option. Georgia has local farms, farm stands, farmers markets, community gardens, and urban farms. Food Well Alliance connects and supports community gardens, urban farms, and orchards throughout metro Atlanta.

A farmers' market isn't automatically cheaper just because the vegetables came from a farm. Look at what's in season, compare prices, and consider splitting larger purchases with family or friends when the savings make sense.

The point is to stop assuming your only choice is to pay full grocery store price or hope a food pantry has enough left when you get there. There may be resources in your own community you've never knew about.

Why This Matters

Buy Now, Pay Later can make a grocery bill easier to handle today. It cannot make groceries more affordable. And when people regularly need debt to purchase food, the conversation needs to be bigger than telling them to budget better. Food is a necessity. People are going to eat.

The question is how much of tomorrow's paycheck should already be gone paying for yesterday's groceries.

Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, The Fed - Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households (SHED), USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Klarna and DoorDash Partnership Announcement