Summary

DoorDash drivers are adopting various cost-saving strategies in response to high gas prices, including modifying driving habits, using cash-back apps, and cutting personal expenses.

Abstract

The article discusses the impact of rising gas prices on DoorDash drivers, who are taking measures to reduce their expenses. Drivers are limiting their delivery range, optimizing vehicle performance for better fuel efficiency, and using apps like GetUpside for cash back on gas and other services. Personal sacrifices include foregoing makeup, cutting their own hair, and making homemade cleaning supplies. The author also shares a personal experience of downsizing living arrangements and reducing healthcare and entertainment expenditures. Additionally, the article provides tutorials on making DIY dishwasher tablets and detergent to further cut costs. The author encourages readers to share their own money-saving tips and promotes membership to Medium for unlimited access to similar content.

Opinions

The author suggests that the economic climate is difficult not only for DoorDash drivers but for many people, implying that job switching may not alleviate financial pressures.
There is a sense of pragmatism in the author's approach to saving money, emphasizing self-reliance and resourcefulness over additional employment.
The author values frugality and sustainability, as seen in the recommendation to make homemade products and the decision to only seek medical attention in emergencies.
The author is an advocate for community support and knowledge sharing, as evidenced by the invitation for readers to comment with their own cost-saving methods.
There is an endorsement of the GetUpside app, with the author providing a promo code for readers to benefit from cash-back rewards, indicating a belief in the app's utility for saving money.

DoorDash Drivers Having To Cut Back to Afford Gas

Drivers on DoorDash are really feeling the pinch of high gas prices

In my last post, I discussed the “New Age of DIY,” in which people are learning new skills in order to start saving money instead of having to take on extra work. These days you can pretty much do everything yourself if you watch enough YouTube videos.

In this post I’m going to touch on how DoorDash drivers are really having to cut back to afford skyrocketing gas prices. I know, I know, I can hear some people saying, “Then why don’t you just get another job?” Trust me, with the way the economy is going, I have a feeling not just DoorDash drivers are feeling the pain of higher prices in general, so I don’t think the grass is greener on the other side.

With that said, there was a Facebook group that asked what are drivers doing to make up for the price they’re having to pay at the pump? As for me, I park in a place that has a lot of restaurants around it and don’t take any orders over 3 miles. If I go too far out of my zone, I will experience a lot of dead miles, and I can’t afford that.

To save on gas, I might not run the air conditioner in my car if it’s not too hot outside or I might not run the heater, may just wear a heavier coat.

I keep my tires aired up completely and don’t have a lot of excess crap in the trunk. I go the speed limit because going fast causes you to use up more gas. I avoid traffic like the plague. I head to areas that aren’t as congested, and that don’t have a lot of apartments. Going around in circles in apartment complexes wastes gas. When I am forced to go through fast food drive thru’s I turn off my car if the wait is long.

I also installed an app called GetUpside. You can get cash back when you use the services of different gas stations and restaurants. By the way, if you do decide to sign up, you can use my promo code: KRISTEN9598. Of course, I will benefit if you use my code, but you will, too!

Here’s a video if you’d like to learn more about how to use it:

Now, with that said, here are some things I have done to cut back on expenses:

I no longer wear make up
I cut my own hair
I make my own cleaning supplies (Last week I made my own homemade liquid laundry soap, it turned out great! Made 5 gallons of soap for less than $5)
I started an indoor garden with herbs and vegetables
I can only afford to go to the grocery store once a day instead of once a week (can’t afford a big batch of groceries anymore, can only afford my “daily bread”)
I never go out to eat or to the movies, except on rare occasion
I cut back to the bare basics and evaluated what I was spending and got rid of things I could no longer afford and placed myself on a very strict budget. I stopped using credit cards. I only use debit cards and cash. If I can’t afford something I go without or I save up.
I don’t take my kids to the doctor or dentist unless it’s an emergency. You can Google a lot of ways to heal yourself on your own without going to the doctor or dentist for every little thing. Like the way I loaded up on a lot of Vitamin C when I had a cough and cold instead of spending $10 — $20 on cough syrup. It actually worked!
We are in the process of downsizing to a 2-bedroom apartment because the rent is about to be raised to $2,000 a month on our 3 bedroom we’ve lived in for 13 years.
Everyone in our household contributes to the rent and bills. Unless you are too young to hold a job.
I wear the same clothes week after week. Have the same polo shirt just in different colors and have different pairs of pants. All of my shoes have a stinky smell because I’m on my feet for 8 hours a day and use the crap out of them, but I won’t buy new pairs until they are basically falling apart.
I turn off all the lights in the house when not in use and keep a close watch on the thermostat to save on the electric bill.

That’s just a few of the things I do to save money. What do you guys do to save money? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

By the way, here’s an easy tutorial I saw on YouTube on How to Make DIY Dishwasher Tablets or Tabs:

Here’s another video on how to make dishwashing detergent with only three ingredients:

Have a great day guys and remember to keep your chin up through these hard times!

For more cool stories like this consider subscribing to get my stories added to your inbox here and never miss a story!

I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you’d like to support me as a writer, consider signing up to become a Medium member. It’s just $5 a month and you get unlimited access to Medium.

Check out this free app that gets you cash back on gas and other errands! Click this link or use promo code KRISTEN9598 to get an extra 15¢/gal bonus the first time you make a purchase. https://upside.app.link/KRISTEN9598 — If you do Instacart you can link it to get even more cash back! Little things like that add up, so give it a try!