The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: hybrid on August 27, 2014, 09:17:07 AM
-
I just got back from a conference in Nashville and a colleague of mine met a fellow IT guy at the conference who drives in that city for Nashville and claims to be making very good coin at it. Curious if there are any part or full time drivers on these boards and what their experiences have been. It seems like it could be the ultimate side gig, work when you want as your own boss for a decent rate of pay. Would love to know how others have fared.
-
I just ended my partnership with Uber (as an UberX driver). It was fun and I probably could have made a good amount of money had I put in the hours, but it wasn't for me. I live about 45 minutes north of Denver and I had to go to Denver to actually be busy enough to make Uber worth it. But because of the time and money I was spending to get to Denver, I didn't want to continue my partnership. If it was something I could just do on a whim any night of the week, I would probably continue driving. They actually are finally doing an official launch in Fort Collins, CO this weekend, which is about 20 minutes away. Had I known, I may have kept my account active a little longer to give it a shot.
If Uber is popular in your city and you have a nice car to do UberX, I say go for it! It doesn't take much to get started and if you don't like it, just turn in your phone (Uber gives you an iPhone). The freedom to work when and where you want is awesome.
FYI, I'm a full-time network engineer and Uber was something I always thought was interesting and I wanted to try out. I didn't need the extra money, but as we all know, every little bit helps when building for FIRE.
-
My partner started driving for UberX this past month part-time and is phasing into doing it as his (almost) full-time gig this year while he finishes school. It's an okay gig -- great for our circumstances, but even better as something you do as a side job. In Chicago, my partner has been making about $20-$25/hr gross on average before deductions. However, there's a $10 charge each week to use Uber's phone (you have to rent one from them; can't use your own), and then Uber takes a 20% commission. We automatically put 30% of the Uber income into a fund for estimated taxes (including self-employment) and 20% into a fund for extra wear and tear on the car (maintenance and eventually to replace the car in 10 years or so). That means we only actually take ~$10/hr for spending after those deductions, but I think we're being pretty conservative about that. Anyway, my partner loves the actual work -- he loves driving and is an extrovert, so he enjoys having conversations and hearing the life stories of everyone he meets (me, I think it sounds like absolute hell, but I'm glad he's happy).