Side hustles are hot in an inflated economy and food delivery services like DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub are rapidly growing. In particular, I will share my experiences with DoorDash. It literally takes no time to signup, pass a background check, and get all the necessities needed to dive in to your new side hustle as a Dasher.
My experience and review is at the bottom of this article.
What is a Dasher?
DoorDash Dashers are the independent contractors who deliver your favorite restaurant meals and other goodies. They use the DoorDash app to find deliveries, navigate to pick-up locations, and drop off orders to customers. With flexible hours and the ability to choose their own wheels (car, bike, scooter, etc.), Dashing can be a great way to earn extra income or even become your main source of income. If you’re interested in becoming a Dasher, you can sign up through the DoorDash website and hit the road in no time!
Why did I sign up to be a Dasher?
I’m constantly looking for ways to make some extra money, because as they say, “Easy come, easy go”, or “I owe, I owe, I owe”. I’ve used DoorDash before, along with Instacart, for food delivery services, but never considered doing it for money until now. I also wanted to learn the ropes to pass the knowledge on to anyone else who may wish to earn extra income outside of their real jobs.
What types of food will I deliver as a DoorDash Dasher?
You may think that Dashers only deliver food, but with the use of a Dasher Red Card, you can actually go shopping for customers at stores like Dollar General, CVS, Target, and many more.
My first experience shopping, I’ll never forget, I got my first order for CVS, and it was for Mayonnaise, Saltines and two men’s XL tank tops at Dollar General. It paid $11, for me to shop for 3 minutes and drive it 3 miles away. Not a bad gig!
Most of your orders will be fast food: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Popeyes, etc., but there are also some restaurants that utilize DoorDash such as: Applebees, 99, Five Guys, etc.
How much money can I make, and when do I get paid?
There are two options, get paid a DoorDash fee + tips for each order you take, or get paid $15.75/hour for each active hour, plus your tips. This is a safer option if you are in an area that does not have very busy active hours. Greenfield/Sunderland happens to be hit or miss in business. I usually only Dash when areas are busy, so I have not tried the hourly yet.
Opportunities for more money per order arise when an area is beyond the demand threshold, and a bounty is added. In these busy areas, an extra $1 to $3 is added to each order to entice Dashers to help meet demand. Navigate to a busy area or schedule your dash in these busy times to maximize your payouts.
Getting paid is a breeze. If you are between jobs, or looking to Dash full time, you can set up direct deposit to your bank account and get paid weekly. They also offer a PrePaid DoorDash Dasher Card where you can cashout instantly to, anytime you want.
The card is nice to have, if you need gas or food on the fly, you can use your earnings. DasherDirect is an app that is provided to all Dashers that gives you access to your Debit Card. They also offer rewards and cashback on certain purchases.
Do I have to pay taxes on my Dasher income?
Since DoorDash Dashers are considered self-employed independent contractors, the responsibility of paying taxes falls on them. Unlike regular employees with taxes withheld from their paycheck, Dashers will receive a 1099-NEC form if they earned $600 or more in a year. This form details their total earnings for tax filing purposes. Remember, as a self-employed individual, Dashers are on the hook for both income tax and self-employment tax (covering Social Security and Medicare). The good news? Many business expenses incurred while Dashing, like gas mileage and phone data, can be deducted from their taxable income, potentially reducing their tax burden.
Is Dashing safe? Staying Safe on the Road: Top Tips for DoorDash Dashers
DoorDash offers the freedom to be your own boss and set your own schedule. But with that flexibility comes the responsibility of staying safe on the road. Here are some key tips to prioritize your well-being while dashing:
Tech for Security: Utilize DoorDash’s built-in safety features like “SafeDash.” This tool connects you with ADT security professionals who can provide a call for reassurance or dispatch emergency services if needed.
Turn your location on your phone, and give access to a close friend or family member. I use a DashCam that I have hooked up to a battery pack to document all of my delivers.
Lighten the Load: Avoid carrying excessive amounts of cash. Many customers opt for contactless delivery through the app, minimizing the need for cash on hand.
Trust Your Gut: If a delivery feels off, it probably is. Don’t be afraid to cancel an order or avoid poorly lit areas, especially at night. Let someone know your location and estimated return time for added peace of mind.
Be Road Ready: Maintain your vehicle regularly and ensure you have proper lighting and working brakes. Remember, driving safety is paramount. Obey traffic laws and avoid distractions while using the DoorDash app for navigation.
By following these tips and staying vigilant, DoorDash Dashers can navigate their deliveries with confidence, keeping themselves and their customers safe.
I feel awkward walking on to people’s porches or meeting them face to face.
That feeling goes away quickly. This is the mainstream now, and after all, they ordered the food for you to deliver, most everyone that I have encountered is more than happy to see you.
I would say more than 95% of my deliveries have been “contact free” deliveries, where you leave the order on a porch, or at a dorm room. One of our local private schools has a bench and a small drop off spot built in front of the main school building. On nights where there are sporting events, I’ve seen 30+ orders dropped off here.
Some orders will be easier than others, but as you make the rounds you will quickly see what the easy money orders are, and you should accept them every time.
What type of car should I have?
Obviously you want a car that gets good gas mileage, and having a smaller car is definitely a plus, as you can get in and out of tight areas at Universities or busier roads in downtowns.
Here is my personal review of being a Dasher for three weeks in Western Massachusetts, more specifically, Greenfield, South Deerfield, Sunderland, Amherst, Northampton, Hadley and Holyoke.
I have known people who have Dashed for years, and I always considered it a side hustle, and to be honest, I never thought it was worth the time. During the tail end of Covid I used door dash to order Kobe Hibachi to my house in Shelburne, which is only about a 7 minute drive.
I could have gone and picked it up. Our order total was $124.36. The Dasher Tip was $11.00, the service fee was $13.82. So, it literally cost me $24.82 to not travel down Route 2, for 7 minutes, to pick up our order, and drive back home for 7 minutes. I can’t imagine the Dasher received the $13.82 service fee, I would guess they received $4 on top of their tip. So let’s say, for discussion purposes, the Dasher received $15 for bringing the order to my house, 7 minutes away. That’s $2.14 per minute, or $128.40 per hour.
That’s a damn good hourly rate. However, it’s not totally correct. Let’s say the Dasher spent 10 minutes getting to the restaurant, and another 8 minutes travelling back (drop off, and turn around). To get a clear picture, the dasher spent 25 minutes in total to complete my order. They could repeat this order about 2.5 times in one hour, which realistically comes out to around $37.50 per hour.
Fast forward two years ahead, I brought myself to join Uber Eats. I only joined Uber Eats because my Door Dash account was pending a background and identification check, and it took two weeks longer than I expected. I have my reservations about Uber Eats, and no longer use it.
Why did I join Door Dash as a Dasher?
Extra money on my own terms. I think that is why most people end up joining a side hustle app. I set a goal to see how quickly I could earn $1,000. I’ve talked to people in Greenfield that say the area is a gold mine, and they earn $1,000 per week. I think that is a bit overstretched in terms of a “side hustle”. As ofd writing this on Friday, April 19th, 2024, I have earned $939.63 since April 3rd. My first dash earned me $10.00 and it was to bring an order from Bueno Y Sano from South Deerfield to Millers Falls.
I have completed 124 Dashes, making my average order $7.57. If we break it down weekly, I’ve worked 16 days, making my daily average around $60.
If I were to Dash 300 days out of the year at $60 per day, that is $18,000. That is a really good source of “side hustle” income.
I won’t lie, this side hustle has become somewhat of an addiction. The dopamine hit from the ding ding going off when a new order arrives is something special.
Some things to help you make more money:
- Take notes of when high paying orders come through. Every day at around 1pm (when I choose to take my lunch break) $15-$30 orders come through from Bueno Y Sano, which is minutes from my work, and the delivery location is in the same town.
- Get to 100 deliveries as fast as you can. This will get you a Platinum status if you can maintain this ratio for 30 days.
- Get a catering bag*** this is currently on my to-do list. You get access to high paying offers if you can accommodate larger orders.
- Refuse low paying offers. I once brough McDonalds to Northfield Mount Herman, which is a about 10 miles away, for $4.50. It was around 11pm. The campus is confusing, and security won’t let you deliver it to the dorm where the customer wants it.