I decided to give Postmates a try. Sign up was quick and easy. You sign up online, download their fleet app, then wait for your Postmates debit card to arrive (it's used to pay at locations that don't accept payments through the Postmates app). Once you receive the debit card, you activate it online, then submit to a background check (takes 10 minutes, and they send you a copy of it). Then you can log into the fleet app and start making deliveries. The entire process is very easy!
I worked 4 hours, and took a half hour off to eat, so actually 3.5 hours. I made just over $55 dollars, including tips paid to me in the app. I drive a Prius, so my gas usage was less than $5. So I earned about $14.25 per hour. This was on a Tuesday evening from 5 to 9, I imagine some other days of the week would be better.
Pros - I can set my own hours, though best earning times will of course be lunch and dinner hours - I can dress how I like (in today's heat I wore shorts and a T-shirt) - I'm in the ac in my car or a restaurant 99% of the time - I can work where I want - I can accept or turn down any order - I can get paid via direct deposit weekly on Mondays, or pay 50 cents to get paid instantly to my debit card - I don't have to worry about my belongings in the car like I would if I tried doing Uber or Lyft!
Cons - it will put miles on my car, but I drive a Prius, and it's actually good to put daily miles on a Prius, but I'll need to set aside 5% for tires since they will wear out faster - I have to pay my own taxes quarterly - hmm not sure of any other cons at this moment, I'll report back if I discover any!
I may try Door Dash as well, I've read you just have to call them to switch to a different city. I could conceivably work 5 or 6 days a month and cover most of my expenses, and put money aside for future vehicle replacement, all without touching my emergency fund. If I need more money any particular month, I could work more days. I think this could work out!
