This time of year, Chicagoans find themselves only venturing in the bone-chilling cold outdoors when absolutely necessary.

In an age of phone apps from dog walking services to on-demand grocery delivery services, there’s no need to risk catching cold on your walk to grab some food.

Delivery service apps such as the GrubHub or Postmates make it so you don’t have to take more than a few steps out your door.

As they find themselves not even halfway through the winter quarter, DePaul students are already using the delivery service apps more often than not.

“Oh, I already know I spend way more money in the winter getting food delivered to my apartment,” sophomore Mel Sanchez said.  “If I don’t desperately have to walk outside in this freezing weather, I don’t see why I would.  If I really need something, I’ll just use Postmates.”

An app known for its ability to deliver food from everywhere and anywhere, Postmates has become one of the most influential delivery apps today.  Created in 2011, the business aspect of Postmates mirrors a structure similar to Uber. Independent contractors use their own cars to pick up and deliver anything from coffee at Starbucks to pens and paper from OfficeMax. Some students prefer the larger selection Postmates offers.

“I mostly just use Postmates because you’re not limited to specific restaurants like you are with ordering food off GrubHub,” sophomore Abby Purcell said.  “Once my roommate got groceries delivered off of it.”

Even though certain delivery services like Grubhub or Yelp’s Eat24 come with a limited number of restaurants to choose from, they do come with some benefits as well. Because these delivery services work solely with each restaurant — allowing them to set delivery fees freely — their apps have been particularly popular in finding affordable prices.  In contrast, restaurants are also available to set a minimum price on deliveries.

But as the harsh winds continue to gust throughout city’s sidewalks, money is sometimes the least of everyone’s worries.

“At least for me, I think winter’s absolutely beautiful, but I mean why not enjoy that beauty looking outside the window in your warm home,” Sanchez said laughing.  “But winter also means the ice is slippery. I have to wear my heavy boots and then your nose is running so you have to deal with that too. People make money off of dealing with those burdens for me,  so I’m here to support that.”

As the snow falls heavier and the sidewalks become icier, the food orders continue piling in from the people indoors.

“The worst time I ordered food to get delivered was our one snow day last year. It was the day after the Super Bowl,” said Purcell.  “I felt terrible for the delivery guy, and I’m pretty sure he was mad at me. I mean, there was so much snow.”

Tim Curley, a former delivery man, worked on the Super Bowl.

Curley delivered every food order with a co-worker in the case one of them was to fall. Curley described working during last year’s Super Bowl blizzard like riding a bicycle on Hoth — the fictional ice planet from Star Wars.

“Dude, that blizzard was absurd.  I remember dreading to go into work that day,” Curley said.  “We were falling all over out there, but honestly it was such a fun experience because there was so much snow.”

Curley even said he would gladly battle that blizzard again.

“Would I do it again?  Yeah, of course, but for fun, not delivering sandwiches.”

Working by night delivering pizza orders from Dimo’s Pizza, to riding through Chicago’s downtown streets delivering sandwiches from Uncle Sammy’s — in addition to some catering companies — Tim Curley has experienced his fair share of delivering services.

His deliveries, no matter what the season, are made by bicycle.

“(It) doesn’t matter if it’s through an app or by a phone call, people don’t understand that a lot of these deliveries are made by bike.  Cars are metal-road tanks to us, and we don’t really have any protection out there besides a helmet,” said Curley.  “Yes, both cars are crazy and cyclists are also crazy, but I want people to understand what it’s like to ride your bike and literally risk your life to drop off a horrible sandwich and get no tip or no respect.”

As he layers up before a delivery, Curley tucks his gloves deep beneath the inside arms of his heavy coat while rolling up his double paired, thick socks.  Blocking the cold from reaching his body is his key to winter riding.

“I’ve had bad deliveries of course, but you learn to block them out and not dwell on them.  Staying angry in a tip-based job will not solve any problems.  I’ve dealt with the most extreme weather conditions but you know what, it’s been wild,” said Curley.

Whether a student needs a quick meal delivered in a blizzard, or has run out of office supplies they need to study for a final, there’s a delivery app for that.

Postmates

If a person runs out of glitter pens to color-code their notes or it’s simply too cold to step outside, Postmates has a solution. The app, which is essentially Uber that delivers, can pick up and drop off almost anything. Originally based in San Francisco, Postmates has expanded to hundreds of cities all across the United States. Whether it’s Walgreens or McDonald’s, Postmates offers its services to just about anything.

Grubhub

Grubhub, one of the most used food delivery services for DePaul students, is also one of the easiest to use. Multiple search options allow the user to pick the type of food they’re in the mood for, price range, ratings and whether or not there are fees with the particular restaurant. There’s even a way for people to see the estimated time for their order, so you can see when the deliveryman is supposed to be at your door.

Peapod

Although Peapod isn’t designed to deliver individual meals, it’s still an easy way to get grocery shopping done without having to leave the comforts of a warm house. The company, which started in Evanston in 1989, has grown from a Postmates-like project to a full-blown virtual grocery store. Users can shop in the sale section or scroll through different sections — like dairy — just like walking down aisles.

Washio

Bad things happen to good people, just like spilled coffee on a freshly laundered shirt. Washio is here to fix all laundry-related problems, and offers dry cleaning, folding, and laundering. “Ninjas” pick up and drop off orders in designated time periods selected by the customer. If you’re feeling too lazy to walk down the street to the laundromat — or just hate folding clothes — Washio will do all of that for you.

DrinkFly

If you’re over 21, DrinkFly can help you get your fix if it’s too cold to take a trip outside to the liquor store. The app, which serves only nine other cities besides Chicago, allows users to browse  local stores and select which drinks they want to purchase. Drinks will be delivered straight to the home of the customer. The delivery man checks identification at the door.

Doorman

Those who struggle to receive packages because of conflicting schedules now have no worries. Doorman, which started just under three years ago, will travel to the shipping facility and deliver it to you. Instead of braving the snow and going to UPS to get that Etsy package you ordered weeks ago, let someone else do it for you.