Yesterday, I received a text message letting me know that I am able to do begin driving for Uber once again. I had driven for Uber and Lyft a few years ago, pre-COVID. It was good side money on the weekends. I ultimately stopped as I didn't have days off between that and my regular job. The car I was driving is 2009 Prius. I still own the car. However, it is not in the best shape. And it is about to roll off the eligibility. I could clean it up and maybe give it a new paint job. But with over 200,000 miles, I hesitate to put it into service. So, I bought a newer, 2012 Prius with less than 100,000 miles. It still looks very new. I am awaiting the license plate and registration for it, which is why the text message was good news.
I went out last night to do some driving. I don't know if Lyft has also approved me for driving. But I'm going to stick to Uber until the license plate and registration come in. I did not have to wait too long for my first ride. However, the first ride took me two cities over. So I started driving towards home. That was practically my plan for the entire night. I'd drive home until I actually got home.
Friday nights are typically party night. I was expecting more people to want rides to the entertainment districts. I only got two of those rides, which is fine. Most of the other rides were people going home. Some of those were short rides, which I don't mind. Although they don't pay very much, they add up on the status and lifetime rides counters. I'm currently at Uber Pro Blue. I would like to upgrade to Gold as soon as possible.
What makes driving different from the last time I did it is that I intend to do it more or less full-time. I am currently unemployed. While it is tempting to look for another job, I think that I could earn roughly the same as my last job as a rideshare driver.
In addition, after looking at the financials closer, it may make more financial sense. For one, we would qualify for subsidized health insurance. Second, we would also qualify for a Health Savings Account, which can turn into a retirement account when we reach a certain age. If you take advantage of all the perks, ridesharing is not a bad line of work.
For example, I signed up for the Uber Pro Card, which is a business checking account with debit card for Uber drivers. The biggest benefit for having this account is that your earnings are deposited after every ride. In terms of cash flow, this is great. Many of our financial worries are the result of having to wait for paychecks. Getting paid as soon as a job is done is great in that you work your way to goals. If I need $150 for a credit card payment, I work a few hours, then make the payment. Done right, this can be life-changing. I'd save so much on interest by paying things off quickly.
I'm excited about this next chapter of my work life. I can't wait to put all the pieces together that would make rideshare work more beneficial than my salaried job.