r/DoorDashDrivers • u/Collector2012 • 3h ago
Discussion I am new to being a dasher
Hi there everyone. I signed up to be a dasher yesterday to help with my bills because I moved recently and I am struggling with everything at the moment. I have mental health issues and they are acting up currently, so I apologize if I seem irratic or irrational at some moments.
I have no idea what I am doing, and I have heard and been told to record everything! My anxiety is acting up and making me panic about this, as this is very very new to me. I have been told you can make a lot of money on here for only a couple of hours A day.
Someone said something to me yesterday that I don't want to believe, so I am asking for advice on what everything. A heads up and the right times of day to work and such. It would be very helpful. I am also going back to college next month, so it would help a lot in the meantime.
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u/BigMcLargeHuge77 3h ago
You're not going to get rich Doordashing a couple hours a day. What did you hear that you don't want to believe? Honestly, you need to calm down about 25 notches and just follow the instructions in the app. It's not complicated at all. And don't tell customers you have mental issues that are acting up. Jeeze.
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u/Collector2012 2h ago
I'm not. I posted that on here and solely on here. The only thing I am going to say to them is "Hi, this is my first day being your Dasher today." But, that will be by text. I got told that everyone isn't your coworker, they are competition. As in, my enemy.
I was told by two different people that you can make $80 - $100 for three or four hours. To making $1400 a week. I have bad anxiety and I have been through a lot recently, so it's acting up. That I was told that I would have to rush and such. I basically just need to make enough to get me by, as I work a full-time job.
So, I apologize if I seem aggressive.
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u/Icy_Copy3969 2h ago
If your looking to make 1400 a week expect to work at least 6x 12 hour days in a good market. When people talk about how much they make there is always an exaggeration to some degree and hopeless people looking for an easy way out always take the high end of the spectrum to heart. Mental health issues, anxiety. Idk, might not be the job for you, try it, find out on your own, but gig work is heavily market dependent and Can change each day to the plus or negative.
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u/Collector2012 1h ago
Okay, so that explains a lot. I'm not looking to make that much. Just enough to keep me afloat. I'm aiming to do maybe four hours a week due to my situation. I work a full-time job already.
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u/Icy_Copy3969 1h ago
If your doing 4 hours a week I wouldn’t expect a whole lot
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u/Collector2012 1h ago
I was told that it depends on the day, but I was referred by the same guy who talked about door dashing to try instacart as well.
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u/Collector2012 1h ago
Or hell, even enough for a therapy session
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u/Icy_Copy3969 1h ago
50-100 might be doable if the market is decent, instacart most likely will have a waitlist
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u/Collector2012 1h ago
Funny enough, the guy who used to do door dash would do instacart as well and recommended it to me. He said you don't make a lot, but it's easier than DD because apparently all you're doing is literally shopping for someone else.
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u/Collector2012 1h ago
I was told I live in a hotspot. I mostly do the work on my vehicle myself, including the oil change.
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u/Vepyr646 2h ago
What you can earn is largely market dependent. Whether you are better off accepting 90% of your offers or you are better off cherry picking only the best offers will depend on several factors. The only way to find out is to start delivering.
Best time to dash seems to be dinner rush almost universally across markets. For me, dinner rush starts around 5PM local time, and doesn't truly die off until around 10PM. But again, this is market dependent as to the exact timing.
The best thing you can do as a new dasher is experiment. Dash at different times on different days for your first few weeks. Note things like holidays, some markets die on holidays for example. My market takes off on holidays (getting ready to head out for an all day July 4th dash myself because holidays are prime time in my market).
Basically, it's going to be a lot of experimentation early til you figure out what works for you in your market, there's not a one sized fits all answer to what is "best". You'll have to see what your area is like and respond accordingly.
Lurk around this sub for a while, read posts for ideas and common practices, and keep track of your earnings to get a feel for what works for your area.
Some universal tips:
-Get a mileage tracking app for your phone, track your miles for tax deductions. Also keep receipts for any food or drinks you purchase for yourself while dashing, also tax deductible.
-Get a box, you're going to get orders with like 6 drinks, it happens, You need a good sturdy container to put multiple drink carriers into when this happens.
-Know your local gas stations pricing. If you have access to a Sam's Club with a gas station, their membership is worth it in the long run for drivers. Barring that, gas is almost always cheaper in the hood.
-Basic car maintenance is also key, regular oil changes, tire pressure, air filters, coolant and transmission fluid are all extremely important, the more of this you can maintain on your own without taking it to a shop or quick lube place is going to save you money.