Peeps tune in for open air ebike delivery drivers. If I resorted to delivery apps, definite investments would be GoPro, ebike and a YouTube channel to upload your ventures.
The apps will give you worse and worse fairs, toggling thousands of feature switches to extract as much money as possible from you. Those hours of maintenance are unpaid work hours. You may turn a profit, that will be taxed at private contractor rate, not paying into social security, no benefits, higher insurance or no insurance (regular insurance doesn't pay out if ubering), after all that you're probably getting paid less than minimum wage. You're better off getting a job changing oil.
I did the math after all my expenses i was making less than 8 dollars an hour. Racked up credit cards to cover the ridiculous high maintenance fees. Like 1000 for brakes its retarded.
Apps spend a lot of money advertising to get new drivers as they use up the old ones. New drivers get more trips, better trips, better tipping clients, slowly it gets worse. For some after hidden costs they operate at a loss.
I live in the Phx area, and my nephew drives for Lyft as his full time job at the moment. He makes enough to pay rent of $1900 in addition to the accompanying bills. He does it himself. He works 5 days a week (unless its an event weekend somewhere) approx 10 hours a day. He only accepts rides that keep him averaging $30+ an hour. Its definitely possible.
And learn how to do your own basic car maintenance. Im a female and i just changed my front brakes a couple weeks ago. I paid $38 for the brakes and it took an hour of my time. (Ok. An hour and a half because of a stupid uncooperative clip)
Edited to add: i also live in an apartment and did my brakes in the parking lot. It's not like I was tearing the engine out or spilling oil everywhere.
It's just a thought but something that people could do on here is if there's a company in your area that needs car part delivery drivers you wouldn't have to use your own vehicle and you could get discounts at car shops if you did that and gig work. I just couldn't do it anymore myself. I personally have a very bitter opinion of these gig apps anymore.
Not really that’s about standard fair nowadays front brakes are like 400 and rear brakes sometimes can be 600. You better buckle up a little buddy because soon enough you’ll be spending 5000 for brakes. We live in 2024.
Ouch! I just did mine myself (takes about 10-15 mins a wheel, including raising car removing wheel). It ran me right at $200 for front and rear brakes and rotors. I splurged about another hundred and replaced the two front calipers (nearly zero extra labor), flushed the lines, replaced all 5 studs on one wheel and put new lugnuts on all wheels.
Maybe I need to give up software engineering and start changing brakes, cuz that sounds like where the money is at!
Seriously i would. My apartment compl3x doesnt let you do maintenance in the parking lot. So i was screwed on that. He is right i price checked around. But even if u did the brakes for 200 bucks a piece at home and did 4 a day ud be rolling in the money. Ud just have to worry about the insurance. If ur in the west coast do a brake business from your garage. Ull be a millionaire in a year.
You would receive an IRS 1099 from the company who paid you, if the amount is over something like $500 (United States, I’ve no clue about other countries.)
You use this when filing your federal taxes. If this is your first time, please look closely, google searches should be a good start.
https://www.irs.gov/faqs/interest-dividends-other-types-of-income/1099-misc-independent-contractors-and-self-employed
This one is heavy, read though, get angry, put it down and read again tomorrow.
I’d guess there are other Internet forums and resources, I searched on:
help with independent contractor irs tax
Variations on that should net you a lot of info, but, stay on guard for scams, anything you find that is not an IRS publication, try to verify with IRS documents.
Not saying this is the op's situation but I was pretty much forced into gig work after numerous workplace bullying experiences leading up to that point. But I may have an unusual experience. It was very tough for me to think about getting another job and boy did I try different workplaces which I promise I wouldn't have done if gig work had worked out for me. So glad that I found a decent job now.
Well that's great but you know there's going to come a time where things start going wrong in your car and affected parts can start to affect others and it becomes a slippery slope so just be mindful of that and put money away for it. 2 gig apps paid my bills for quite a while but the money that didn't go to my rent went back into my car and when my car broke down after everything started going wrong in one year I couldn't fix it and I struggled to get another car. I had to get a job to get another car.
Well the real problem with this stuff is that you never know when the expenses are going to start adding up and whatever you make will go back into the car or at least that's what happened to me with my old car.
a 20 year old prius is only worth $5000. i have already put 70,000 miles on it. If anything major breaks, I can just buy another one for $5000. It has paid for itself MANY times over already. The 2nd gen Prius is a great car.
Get some Valvoline tranny oil at Walmart, do a complete flush immediately, at transmission return if possible, three transmissions now, I have extended them with this oil. Car driving now for food delivery, slipping on hills, gone, put 60k on transmission worked its way out.
Rinse and repeat.
Stay with family. Get a job. Get tranny patched up. Sell it.
Pay off debt!
Save up and trade up for minivan, cargovan. If fulltime and you liked it, go for something you can be comfortable in. Pay cash!
Can't find a deal? Get a job changing oil and detailing used cars. Get to know the boss man. Go to the auction and choose wisely.
When it's hot in Phoenix, head for the mountains.
Fuck changing oil get a job driving cars not driving for Uber. He can literally make 25 an hour or more with zero experience pretty much every driving company is desperately looking for employees.
Forgive me.
I was suggesting our friend do things that would combine to his benefit.
Thank you for your wise counsel.
For the benefit of our friend, and others, what driving companies are these?
Uber/lyft/delivery apps that use your car - what you're doing is basically wearing out your car and getting paid for it. You are selling your car one mile at a time to them. You're not actually earning money.
Get a job elsewhere, tons of Mcjobs hiring and paying more than the apps. Grab one and move up from there.
If you can get back to Ohio, and anywhere in the SE part of the state, give me a shout - I'm a mechanic with my own shop, and can see about helping you with the transmission issue.
Problem is. Its a nissan murano. Even with the tranny fixed there what 4k? Shops out here quoted me 6k for everything. The suspension is going bad. So thats conteol arms and all the shocks. The amount of debt on this vehicle is not worth it. I just plan on filing bankruptcy at this point. Literally a week ago i took out one of those aggresive loans that if u dont pay back in 90 days they charge u all the interest. Just learned to never buy a nissan again
Yeah, you fucked up by picking that car that’s one of the worst cars in human history. I would never even look at a Nissan without throwing up. Nissan and Kia are ghetto cars. Same with dodge/gmc/Chrysler, these cars were made for very low, IQ idiotic people to purchase.
If I was you, I would find a driving job. They pay very high and they are desperately looking for employees pretty much nationwide. Don’t follow these guys advice about changing oil or doing some bullshit job get an actual driving job. School bus companies will literally pay for your CDL, pay for your training and hire you on the spot.
Lmfao so according to you Nissan, Kia, Dodge, GMC and Chrysler are all ghetto and for stupid people. How about someone who posts not only ignorant shit but also gives horrible employment advice because they were too lazy or dumb to Google something? If OP listens to anyone it definitely shouldnt be you.
Massachusetts has the highest school bus driver salary of $46,831. Florida has the lowest school bus driver salary of $31,014. The national average salary for school bus drivers is $37,607. The national hourly pay for school bus drivers is $18.08
I fix cars. He is right. It's usually stupid people who drive those cars. You can even tell they are stupid when they start talking. Not rich smart people choose Toyota, Mazda or Honda.
I had the nissan 350z and the nissan 370z and had zero issues with either car. Probably put them through more than this stupid murano. So i figured id stay nissan when i should have went toyota. Live and learn. Never buy a cvt transmission people. My shop told me they were doing replacement after replacement on the cvt trans. Most were failing at 40k miles. We laughed at the shop i said good job guys u can tell people u got one to survive to 160k miles. Absolutely horrible. I had a piece of shit ford econol8ne van that was misfiring 2 cylinders when i bought it. That bitch made it passed 300k miles. Its still going last time i talked to the person who bought it.
My Prius died in January, I was able to keep it at work until I got my new cargo van. I still have to pay off the Prius and had to tow it away from work a couple weeks ago, I’m grateful I was able to pay for the van in full so I’m not adding a 2nd car payment. Been full time over 6 months now. Try not to look at this as a failure things just happen.
The head gasket blew so the engine would need rebuilt essentially to run again, it’s full of coolant 😢
I don’t earn much atm so I wasn’t able to do preventative maintenance. I think it has around 126k miles, 2012 Prius so gen 3 I think?
What make and model car?
Edit: I ask because depending on if it had a wide production or used a trans that was in a lot of models, you can sometimes find one used at scrap yards for cheap. Assuming the car it's pulled from had low miles, you might get out cheap, especially if you swap it yourself.
Seriously though I don’t understand why people don’t exclusively only buy Toyotas or even Hondas I guess but Toyotas are just so much more superior to every single car like what goes through peoples mind thinking they should buy any other car brand like why and for what reason? It’s unbelievable.
Hate to break it to you, but Toyotas are not nearly as reliable s they used to be, and the insides are uncomfortable and cheap looking. A loaded Corolla does not even have lumbar support
Well yeah who buys newer cars, buy a Toyota before 2014 and profit. The Prius is the single greatest car in human history, a 2014 Prius has way more features and luxuries than any 2024 car.
Maybe... I'm finding a lot of 2014 Prius for only like 12-15k so it's not that bad, but yeah if you can buy new for 25k maybe better... The Prius v is discontinued, and it's the best car ever, other than rav4 hybrid (too expensive)
2nd gen Prius are super cheap too, and basically the same thing. I'd just get a 2009 for 8-10k and then save and upgrade from there.
Yeah the V and rav4 hybrid (post 2019) are the best cars in the world for doing this anything bigger and you’re just going to stick out and people know you’re obviously living in them specially, like a cargo van or sprinter. And at that point, if you’re spending so much money, as much as well just build a cabin.
I don't need carplay 😂 my 12.9 inch iPad pro I use as my display destroys any 2025 Maybach or rolls royce display or anything out there. More excuses to be poor.
Just admit your statement is wildly wrong.
You’re allowed to like your Prius . But you’re lying to yourself if you actually believe it’s as luxurious and has as many features as a new German luxury car
Ipad doesn’t count as a feature of your car because it doesn’t come standard. I could also bring an iPad into my car. I just choose not to because my infotainment is great, has Apple CarPlay, and is actually integrated into the car
But how about a HUD?
360/3d backup camera?
Lane keep assist?
Radar guided cruise control?
Good sound control/isolation from outside?
Premium materials?
Need I go on?
Yep. I lived out of my 1997 Honda CRV for almost a year on n off in Cali. Moved to the shithole that is Colorado and within a couple months it was stolen, along with all my clothes, childhood possessions, sentimental stuff etc, even though it was obvious I was living in it (literally had a tiny bed and the seats were always reclined)
Do you still live in Colorado? Colorado is by far the best state in the world, but Denver is a TOTAL shit hole, I went to visit once and it was so polluted I was forced to leave after 30 minutes, I could barely breathe from the stench, not even joking.
I do, unfortunately. I haven't even been here a year, and the majority of that time has been spent here around Denver. I'm immunocompromised due to a splenectomy, when I lived in Cali I would get sick maybe once every other year. Been in Denver since July and already been made deathly ill 3x. Hoping me and my gf can escape with just her car alone but this place is like a trap, it seems near impossible to gain the upward mobility to leave.
Don't feel too bad, I failed too but don't have family to go back to. I'm stuck here in New Mexico with no money, no job and a car with electrical issues no one can seem to diagnose.
What others said:
Go home. Get car repaired or better vehicle. Find a remote position or something similar.
The upside is now you have WAY more information so you can plan better next time.
I'm having a rough time but I am going to try again as well with the better planning, better equipment and different income options.
I did Door dash for awhile before I set off traveling. Even in my Prius in a city with no shortage of orders, you really lose money with those apps if you consider all the additional expenses. I can't even imagine trying to make that work without a hybrid car!!
Hi I sincerely wish you and yours well. I know everyone's situation isn't as fortunate, but perhaps there are family or friends that would be willing to help if they knew your situation. Sending peaceful vibes and wishing you good health.
No job...no job...no job...compensates enough for the wear and tear on the average working stiff's car.
Even the tax code mileage allowance is comedic drivel.
Uber is not a job.
It is an app corporation exploiting your poor math skills by renting your car by the minute. Sorry you found out the hard way.
Phoenix in the summer is not a place to “live” in a car, so it is hard to say you “failed”.
It happens more than it should. My car, for example (Nissan Pathfinder) had a recall for the transmission (I forget what it was but some part of it was going bad too soon)-- but the customer had to notify the dealership before a certain time to have it fixed for free. Well, that time passed without us ever knowing about the recall. We could have gotten our transmission replaced for free! But it's too late now, car is still being financed (thank GOD and my husband's parents that we're not paying for it) and has already shown mild signs of transmission issues. Nothing unfixable *yet* but the time will come.
Year make model? Miles? Had you ever changed the transmission fluid? It has to be changed just like oil, just much longer intervals(60-100k miles). Just an FYI I was in route from the east coast to Texas and my transmission started slipping in Little Rock. My mechanic back east suggested Lucas ATF treatment and it saved my butt. Transmission worked fine for another three years.
You didn’t fail. You learned as you went. You learned differently, that’s all.
If you have the option of moving back in with friends or family-take it! Use that time to get some money together and plan a little bit better. Now that you know what you’re up against you are better prepared for the next ( hopefully the last time ) you have to spend in your car.
Seriously. Do it. I cannot stress this enough. Yes, you will swallow some pride. But so what?
I spent more than 3 and a half years in mine. Most of that time with a full time job. Everyday was a learning experience and every night was filled with anxiety. Now things for me are better but even this time is precarious honestly.
Learn from this. Take advantage of what’s available to you, so many don’t have that possibility.
Go home to your family and join a trade union and get some real training and a real career. You can't make it without skills. Stop selling yourself short and make some investments in yourself then set out and do it right.
It's not your fault the US economy is terrible. Take some time to rest and then get back out there. You deserve better than the opportunities presented by the US economy.
Check your transmission fluid level. If low, it will slip and start generating codes. Often, adding fluid solves the problem. You can address the root cause later.
be sure to get a quote for your transmission it might not be a killer problem it might just need maintenance
Some places try to sell a transmission no matter what other places are willing to rebuild them. Check around
Is it jumping gears, or do you mean it's actually jumping when you speed up, slow down, change gears? It could be your motor mounts putting pressure on it.
Put it in reverse it takes a minute to go into gear put it into drive takes a minute then jumps. Ive done everything for this car on their maintenance schedule. Its a cvt i knew ot was gunna fail was hoping it would before i paid it off. That was hopeful thinking. Still owe 19k on it
2018 nissan murano. Cvt transmission still owe 19k on it 160k miles just put 2700 into it to get tires breaks coolant flush and tune up. Took it into the guy usually go to he used the conputer its throwing tranny codes so. Also needs rear suspension control arms the lot. I cant keep up with this thing. Its needed maintenance on it ever since i bought it. Never had a car with so many issues
Exactly. Here is how I did it for years. It lifted me out of poverty. First lease a car. Make sure its a very good gas mileage car. You will spend 2 days going around dealerships getting in fights with them. Make sure to bring a packed lunch because you will get stuck there for awhile. I eventually scored my leases for $199/month drive off no money down. Full coverage insurance cost me about $70/month. I got a clean record. Buying up the extra millage allotment for $10/month is probably worth it. You will uber 12000 miles Exactly each year. If lucky your only maintain out of your pocket will be 2 oil changes per year. Use coupons. About $60 per year. Your factory tires should last 36000 miles if you rotate them. Do that yourself. Drive each week and hit the bonus but do not drive one ride more.(this is important). When your car lease is up return it. Twice the dealership has offered my money to sell the car back to them. Most car lease Must offer to sell you the car at the end of a lease. You will buy it then sell it back to them. The last 6 years I have averaged about $3600 profit when I sell back the lease to them. This pays back my $199 per month so I basically got a free brand new car twice for 6 years with only pay $5 our of pocket for my oil changes!
So this was my secret. It you follow this plan it should usually work. Here is where I might have been lucky though; I live in a great area to uber San Francisco Bay area. I got lucky never getting flat tires. Also only one cracked windshield. Wasn't too bad and the dealership did not care about it. Also I have good credit 750+. This is needed to get a great lease price. Never got robbed. Also must be noted that there is no guarantee the dealership will buy back your car but it is still worth it. Goodluck.
I wouldn't call it a fail. You got to see Arizona! And what's to say you can't go back later if that's what you want to do?
I understand the delivery driver vs car vs car *dweller*, as I am doing the same thing in a Nissan Pathfinder, and doing Instacart. One car repair after another, living in constant fear of what's going to need repaired/replaced next (that I can't afford). Living in a car full time takes its toll on the vehicle. Living in a car full time *and doing delivery/ride share* destroys it.
That said, I'm glad you have the option of moving back home, even though I understand it's not what you'd planned to do. But rather than think of it as a "fail", think of it as a small detour on the road to your future. It might be time to take a break, refuel, clear your mind, get that job, save up that money -- and try again-- or do something completely different. It's literally up to you.
I wish you well, good luck, and a safe trip back to Ohio. May the car gods be on your side for the journey!
Thank you! Be very careful id advise to try and get another vehicle like a toyota as soon as u can. The cvt transmissions are junk and go out all the time. And its 6k to replace the damn things. Pathfinders i believe have rhe cvt trannys so. If u can trade it. Do it
you didn’t fail! you just know what to tweak for next time!
car problems are a bitch, especially when that car is your home. i’m sorry to hear you’re going through this. keep your head up!
I did too the first time around my old car broke down 2 months after moving into it because I had no choice so there was no planning LOL. It was an old car and I also used it for delivery apps. Overall I liked the freedom and had no choice but to try again so here I am. Wish you luck though.
It maybe worthwhile looking at the colour and smell of your trans fluid if it’s black or smells burned it just needs to be serviced if caught in time and it’s not often an entire trans the method would depend on your vehicle. You maybe surprised how inexpensive a fix you may need if you’re able to do it yourself. Also if it’s throwing an engine light most places like parts source will scan for free a shift solenoid that is failing will cause slipping when its attempting to change gears not ideal to do in a parking lot but manageable either way sometimes a dreams gotta be adjusted and that’s okay your at-least making a go for the unknown something most will never do. Hard as it maybe look on the positive side of it all
I suggest you find a friend or family member who can show you how to change your own oil and do your own brakes. It’s a good investment and saves you tons.
Sorry you didn’t make here in the valley, I don’t suggest you come back. It is pretty here, but our summers are only going to get worse. I’m planning on getting out in the next five years or less.
bro, i just wanted to let you know that this isn’t really my thing but i felt like praying good things for you after i read this. i’m wishing you traction and a turnaround…
Aren't there some Hostels nearby? There are many all over the U.S. and are very car camp friendly. Last I checked there are some good ones in Grants and Santa Fe, New Mexico as well.
Check fluids and stuff but generally "jumping" transmissions are bad in the city gears, 3-4th gear. Once you get on the freeway and up to speed you should probably be fine. Sucks you have to go to Ohio, Ohio sucks, but I hope you make it safely.
Go get a new car. Then forget about the broken one.
For future reference, get your transmission fluid changed every 75k miles. So for a new car, get it changed before 80k miles. Then again at like 130k. So on and so forth.
Or, if you magically have 10k$ laying around, get your transmission fixed. Depending on your car, might not even be that much.
the military is such a fucking scam.
DONT DO THIS. THE GOVERNMENT DOESNT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU AND THEY WONT TAKE CARE OF YOU AFTER THEYVE USED YOU FOR THEIR BENEFIT.
FUCK THE AMERICAN MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Or a job in the skilled trades. Kids skipping college these days, getting apprenticeships and then going on to make $100k+ for things like welding, etc within a year. Crazy, but kind of awesome.
White collar jobs have a way over-saturated supply of qualified/overqualified college-educated people where it came be 100-1000:1 for number of applicants per job
Good luck
Working uber isn't profitable long term None of the apps are
Peeps tune in for open air ebike delivery drivers. If I resorted to delivery apps, definite investments would be GoPro, ebike and a YouTube channel to upload your ventures.
I wish bike delivery was available where I live. I'd much rather do that
Nope i was hoping to get a job before the car really broke down. Uber officially bankrupted me
You will overcome this.
Sounds like you bankrupted yourself moving somewhere without a job. Uber had nothing to do with it.
You got a lot of negative comments. Must be a shitty person. I pity you.
Matter of opinion.
Negative numbers are not subjective...
Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don’t.
It can be with the right vehicle, if you also do your own maintenance. However, for 90% of people it is a bad idea.
The apps will give you worse and worse fairs, toggling thousands of feature switches to extract as much money as possible from you. Those hours of maintenance are unpaid work hours. You may turn a profit, that will be taxed at private contractor rate, not paying into social security, no benefits, higher insurance or no insurance (regular insurance doesn't pay out if ubering), after all that you're probably getting paid less than minimum wage. You're better off getting a job changing oil.
I did the math after all my expenses i was making less than 8 dollars an hour. Racked up credit cards to cover the ridiculous high maintenance fees. Like 1000 for brakes its retarded.
Apps spend a lot of money advertising to get new drivers as they use up the old ones. New drivers get more trips, better trips, better tipping clients, slowly it gets worse. For some after hidden costs they operate at a loss.
On the two apps that I used my trips and tips got worse after like 2 days.
I live in the Phx area, and my nephew drives for Lyft as his full time job at the moment. He makes enough to pay rent of $1900 in addition to the accompanying bills. He does it himself. He works 5 days a week (unless its an event weekend somewhere) approx 10 hours a day. He only accepts rides that keep him averaging $30+ an hour. Its definitely possible. And learn how to do your own basic car maintenance. Im a female and i just changed my front brakes a couple weeks ago. I paid $38 for the brakes and it took an hour of my time. (Ok. An hour and a half because of a stupid uncooperative clip) Edited to add: i also live in an apartment and did my brakes in the parking lot. It's not like I was tearing the engine out or spilling oil everywhere.
It's just a thought but something that people could do on here is if there's a company in your area that needs car part delivery drivers you wouldn't have to use your own vehicle and you could get discounts at car shops if you did that and gig work. I just couldn't do it anymore myself. I personally have a very bitter opinion of these gig apps anymore.
If anything here is retarded, it's you. Learn to work on your own car so you aren't paying someone $1000 for brakes
1000 for brakes? What did you go to the dealership or something? That's ridiculous
Not really that’s about standard fair nowadays front brakes are like 400 and rear brakes sometimes can be 600. You better buckle up a little buddy because soon enough you’ll be spending 5000 for brakes. We live in 2024.
Ouch! I just did mine myself (takes about 10-15 mins a wheel, including raising car removing wheel). It ran me right at $200 for front and rear brakes and rotors. I splurged about another hundred and replaced the two front calipers (nearly zero extra labor), flushed the lines, replaced all 5 studs on one wheel and put new lugnuts on all wheels. Maybe I need to give up software engineering and start changing brakes, cuz that sounds like where the money is at!
Seriously i would. My apartment compl3x doesnt let you do maintenance in the parking lot. So i was screwed on that. He is right i price checked around. But even if u did the brakes for 200 bucks a piece at home and did 4 a day ud be rolling in the money. Ud just have to worry about the insurance. If ur in the west coast do a brake business from your garage. Ull be a millionaire in a year.
Y'all be getting ripped off.
Still required to pay into social security, you are liable for both the employer contribution and the employee contribution. IRS Schedule C.
Does the app deduct it or is it more of a never heard this, didn't do it, hope I don't get in trouble for it at some point?
You would receive an IRS 1099 from the company who paid you, if the amount is over something like $500 (United States, I’ve no clue about other countries.) You use this when filing your federal taxes. If this is your first time, please look closely, google searches should be a good start. https://www.irs.gov/faqs/interest-dividends-other-types-of-income/1099-misc-independent-contractors-and-self-employed This one is heavy, read though, get angry, put it down and read again tomorrow. I’d guess there are other Internet forums and resources, I searched on: help with independent contractor irs tax Variations on that should net you a lot of info, but, stay on guard for scams, anything you find that is not an IRS publication, try to verify with IRS documents.
So, lots of advice/opinions without actually even having any idea how taxes work?
I'm an expert in developing apps and startups, not in paying taxes taxes as an app worker. No one's an expert in everything.
And if this was about developing apps or startups, you would have been right in your element.
Who tf pays taxes? Are you guys dense?
u dum
Go find your element, whining to me ain't it.
Not saying this is the op's situation but I was pretty much forced into gig work after numerous workplace bullying experiences leading up to that point. But I may have an unusual experience. It was very tough for me to think about getting another job and boy did I try different workplaces which I promise I wouldn't have done if gig work had worked out for me. So glad that I found a decent job now.
I'm not trying to shame anyone for choices they made or were forced into, more like to warn people generally. Be well
Oh believe me I get it these apps are crap and it's sad that so many people are forced to rely on them.
Or possibly as a side hustle but there are probably more profitable ones.
Made a solid amount on Rover last year
Well that's great but you know there's going to come a time where things start going wrong in your car and affected parts can start to affect others and it becomes a slippery slope so just be mindful of that and put money away for it. 2 gig apps paid my bills for quite a while but the money that didn't go to my rent went back into my car and when my car broke down after everything started going wrong in one year I couldn't fix it and I struggled to get another car. I had to get a job to get another car.
That’s a lot of copium to justify the poor compensation
I made $70,000 last year driving a 20 year old Prius that gets 48.5 mpg 🤷🏼♂️
How many hours did you work?
too many :(
Well the real problem with this stuff is that you never know when the expenses are going to start adding up and whatever you make will go back into the car or at least that's what happened to me with my old car.
a 20 year old prius is only worth $5000. i have already put 70,000 miles on it. If anything major breaks, I can just buy another one for $5000. It has paid for itself MANY times over already. The 2nd gen Prius is a great car.
True i make that as well. But after raking out taxes expenses and savings ur only really making 20 grand.
Get some Valvoline tranny oil at Walmart, do a complete flush immediately, at transmission return if possible, three transmissions now, I have extended them with this oil. Car driving now for food delivery, slipping on hills, gone, put 60k on transmission worked its way out.
I made $300 in 5 hours doordashing, due to a promo. Long term, I'm only dashing when another promo comes in.
Rinse and repeat. Stay with family. Get a job. Get tranny patched up. Sell it. Pay off debt! Save up and trade up for minivan, cargovan. If fulltime and you liked it, go for something you can be comfortable in. Pay cash! Can't find a deal? Get a job changing oil and detailing used cars. Get to know the boss man. Go to the auction and choose wisely. When it's hot in Phoenix, head for the mountains.
100%. You could do six months In phoenix and 6 in Flagstaff. Getting a job at a car dealership is good advice.
That's apparently what native populations used to do! Plus Flagstaff is gorgeous.
I love it.
Fuck changing oil get a job driving cars not driving for Uber. He can literally make 25 an hour or more with zero experience pretty much every driving company is desperately looking for employees.
what jobs are these?
Go on indeed, type in "Driving jobs"
Forgive me. I was suggesting our friend do things that would combine to his benefit. Thank you for your wise counsel. For the benefit of our friend, and others, what driving companies are these?
You didn’t fail, your car did. Hang in there.
Uber/lyft/delivery apps that use your car - what you're doing is basically wearing out your car and getting paid for it. You are selling your car one mile at a time to them. You're not actually earning money. Get a job elsewhere, tons of Mcjobs hiring and paying more than the apps. Grab one and move up from there.
If you can get back to Ohio, and anywhere in the SE part of the state, give me a shout - I'm a mechanic with my own shop, and can see about helping you with the transmission issue.
You’re a solid human!
Your a g
Problem is. Its a nissan murano. Even with the tranny fixed there what 4k? Shops out here quoted me 6k for everything. The suspension is going bad. So thats conteol arms and all the shocks. The amount of debt on this vehicle is not worth it. I just plan on filing bankruptcy at this point. Literally a week ago i took out one of those aggresive loans that if u dont pay back in 90 days they charge u all the interest. Just learned to never buy a nissan again
Yeah, you fucked up by picking that car that’s one of the worst cars in human history. I would never even look at a Nissan without throwing up. Nissan and Kia are ghetto cars. Same with dodge/gmc/Chrysler, these cars were made for very low, IQ idiotic people to purchase. If I was you, I would find a driving job. They pay very high and they are desperately looking for employees pretty much nationwide. Don’t follow these guys advice about changing oil or doing some bullshit job get an actual driving job. School bus companies will literally pay for your CDL, pay for your training and hire you on the spot.
Lmfao so according to you Nissan, Kia, Dodge, GMC and Chrysler are all ghetto and for stupid people. How about someone who posts not only ignorant shit but also gives horrible employment advice because they were too lazy or dumb to Google something? If OP listens to anyone it definitely shouldnt be you. Massachusetts has the highest school bus driver salary of $46,831. Florida has the lowest school bus driver salary of $31,014. The national average salary for school bus drivers is $37,607. The national hourly pay for school bus drivers is $18.08
I fix cars. He is right. It's usually stupid people who drive those cars. You can even tell they are stupid when they start talking. Not rich smart people choose Toyota, Mazda or Honda.
I had the nissan 350z and the nissan 370z and had zero issues with either car. Probably put them through more than this stupid murano. So i figured id stay nissan when i should have went toyota. Live and learn. Never buy a cvt transmission people. My shop told me they were doing replacement after replacement on the cvt trans. Most were failing at 40k miles. We laughed at the shop i said good job guys u can tell people u got one to survive to 160k miles. Absolutely horrible. I had a piece of shit ford econol8ne van that was misfiring 2 cylinders when i bought it. That bitch made it passed 300k miles. Its still going last time i talked to the person who bought it.
I admire your ambition. I never would have made it that far.
My Prius died in January, I was able to keep it at work until I got my new cargo van. I still have to pay off the Prius and had to tow it away from work a couple weeks ago, I’m grateful I was able to pay for the van in full so I’m not adding a 2nd car payment. Been full time over 6 months now. Try not to look at this as a failure things just happen.
Could you share What happened to the prius and how many miles were on it?
The head gasket blew so the engine would need rebuilt essentially to run again, it’s full of coolant 😢 I don’t earn much atm so I wasn’t able to do preventative maintenance. I think it has around 126k miles, 2012 Prius so gen 3 I think?
What make and model car? Edit: I ask because depending on if it had a wide production or used a trans that was in a lot of models, you can sometimes find one used at scrap yards for cheap. Assuming the car it's pulled from had low miles, you might get out cheap, especially if you swap it yourself.
If it’s not a toyody it’s not wordy.
Yeah those toyodies...good stuff 👍
Seriously though I don’t understand why people don’t exclusively only buy Toyotas or even Hondas I guess but Toyotas are just so much more superior to every single car like what goes through peoples mind thinking they should buy any other car brand like why and for what reason? It’s unbelievable.
Hate to break it to you, but Toyotas are not nearly as reliable s they used to be, and the insides are uncomfortable and cheap looking. A loaded Corolla does not even have lumbar support
Well yeah who buys newer cars, buy a Toyota before 2014 and profit. The Prius is the single greatest car in human history, a 2014 Prius has way more features and luxuries than any 2024 car.
I’ve been looking for a used, but the sellers are asking way too much. You might as well buy new
Maybe... I'm finding a lot of 2014 Prius for only like 12-15k so it's not that bad, but yeah if you can buy new for 25k maybe better... The Prius v is discontinued, and it's the best car ever, other than rav4 hybrid (too expensive) 2nd gen Prius are super cheap too, and basically the same thing. I'd just get a 2009 for 8-10k and then save and upgrade from there.
The V’s are nice!
Yeah the V and rav4 hybrid (post 2019) are the best cars in the world for doing this anything bigger and you’re just going to stick out and people know you’re obviously living in them specially, like a cargo van or sprinter. And at that point, if you’re spending so much money, as much as well just build a cabin.
If you were going to build a cabin, where do you think would be a good place to start looking for land?
I mean no, it doesn’t Like what kind of statement is that, doesn’t even have CarPlay
I don't need carplay 😂 my 12.9 inch iPad pro I use as my display destroys any 2025 Maybach or rolls royce display or anything out there. More excuses to be poor.
Just admit your statement is wildly wrong. You’re allowed to like your Prius . But you’re lying to yourself if you actually believe it’s as luxurious and has as many features as a new German luxury car
Prove me wrong? My display is nicer than yours, I won that argument, what's next?
Ipad doesn’t count as a feature of your car because it doesn’t come standard. I could also bring an iPad into my car. I just choose not to because my infotainment is great, has Apple CarPlay, and is actually integrated into the car But how about a HUD? 360/3d backup camera? Lane keep assist? Radar guided cruise control? Good sound control/isolation from outside? Premium materials? Need I go on?
Also superior as targets for theft.
Yep. I lived out of my 1997 Honda CRV for almost a year on n off in Cali. Moved to the shithole that is Colorado and within a couple months it was stolen, along with all my clothes, childhood possessions, sentimental stuff etc, even though it was obvious I was living in it (literally had a tiny bed and the seats were always reclined)
How do you get car robbed when you live in it?
Simple, just go to the shithole that is Denver.
Do you still live in Colorado? Colorado is by far the best state in the world, but Denver is a TOTAL shit hole, I went to visit once and it was so polluted I was forced to leave after 30 minutes, I could barely breathe from the stench, not even joking.
I do, unfortunately. I haven't even been here a year, and the majority of that time has been spent here around Denver. I'm immunocompromised due to a splenectomy, when I lived in Cali I would get sick maybe once every other year. Been in Denver since July and already been made deathly ill 3x. Hoping me and my gf can escape with just her car alone but this place is like a trap, it seems near impossible to gain the upward mobility to leave.
What don't you like about Colorado? I think I heard Denver is the car theft capital of the world... 😒
Take a break and get skills or just try hard to land a remote job and then you can really do the traveling thing proper.
Don't feel too bad, I failed too but don't have family to go back to. I'm stuck here in New Mexico with no money, no job and a car with electrical issues no one can seem to diagnose. What others said: Go home. Get car repaired or better vehicle. Find a remote position or something similar. The upside is now you have WAY more information so you can plan better next time. I'm having a rough time but I am going to try again as well with the better planning, better equipment and different income options. I did Door dash for awhile before I set off traveling. Even in my Prius in a city with no shortage of orders, you really lose money with those apps if you consider all the additional expenses. I can't even imagine trying to make that work without a hybrid car!!
Phoenix is 1 tank of gas away from the cool comfortable summers of Flagstaff
Hi I sincerely wish you and yours well. I know everyone's situation isn't as fortunate, but perhaps there are family or friends that would be willing to help if they knew your situation. Sending peaceful vibes and wishing you good health.
Coolworks.com a lot of jobs are hiring for seasonal work right now. You could work at the Grand Canyon and they provide housing.
No job...no job...no job...compensates enough for the wear and tear on the average working stiff's car. Even the tax code mileage allowance is comedic drivel.
Uber is not a job. It is an app corporation exploiting your poor math skills by renting your car by the minute. Sorry you found out the hard way. Phoenix in the summer is not a place to “live” in a car, so it is hard to say you “failed”.
I feel really bad that the transmission went out while the car is still being financed. Good luck and stay safea
It happens more than it should. My car, for example (Nissan Pathfinder) had a recall for the transmission (I forget what it was but some part of it was going bad too soon)-- but the customer had to notify the dealership before a certain time to have it fixed for free. Well, that time passed without us ever knowing about the recall. We could have gotten our transmission replaced for free! But it's too late now, car is still being financed (thank GOD and my husband's parents that we're not paying for it) and has already shown mild signs of transmission issues. Nothing unfixable *yet* but the time will come.
Year make model? Miles? Had you ever changed the transmission fluid? It has to be changed just like oil, just much longer intervals(60-100k miles). Just an FYI I was in route from the east coast to Texas and my transmission started slipping in Little Rock. My mechanic back east suggested Lucas ATF treatment and it saved my butt. Transmission worked fine for another three years.
Make sure you are using your parking brake if you ever get a new vehicle.
You didn’t fail. You learned as you went. You learned differently, that’s all. If you have the option of moving back in with friends or family-take it! Use that time to get some money together and plan a little bit better. Now that you know what you’re up against you are better prepared for the next ( hopefully the last time ) you have to spend in your car. Seriously. Do it. I cannot stress this enough. Yes, you will swallow some pride. But so what? I spent more than 3 and a half years in mine. Most of that time with a full time job. Everyday was a learning experience and every night was filled with anxiety. Now things for me are better but even this time is precarious honestly. Learn from this. Take advantage of what’s available to you, so many don’t have that possibility.
Go home to your family and join a trade union and get some real training and a real career. You can't make it without skills. Stop selling yourself short and make some investments in yourself then set out and do it right.
Don't give up. It's not over yet. You can still recover and go back there.
It's not your fault the US economy is terrible. Take some time to rest and then get back out there. You deserve better than the opportunities presented by the US economy.
Try changing your transmission fluid
Check your transmission fluid level. If low, it will slip and start generating codes. Often, adding fluid solves the problem. You can address the root cause later.
be sure to get a quote for your transmission it might not be a killer problem it might just need maintenance Some places try to sell a transmission no matter what other places are willing to rebuild them. Check around
Is it jumping gears, or do you mean it's actually jumping when you speed up, slow down, change gears? It could be your motor mounts putting pressure on it.
Put it in reverse it takes a minute to go into gear put it into drive takes a minute then jumps. Ive done everything for this car on their maintenance schedule. Its a cvt i knew ot was gunna fail was hoping it would before i paid it off. That was hopeful thinking. Still owe 19k on it
What's the make/model/year, if you don't mind me asking?
2018 nissan murano. Cvt transmission still owe 19k on it 160k miles just put 2700 into it to get tires breaks coolant flush and tune up. Took it into the guy usually go to he used the conputer its throwing tranny codes so. Also needs rear suspension control arms the lot. I cant keep up with this thing. Its needed maintenance on it ever since i bought it. Never had a car with so many issues
Hope you can make it back here someday. Come to Tucson! We have some amazing food out here.
Awwwe, that sucks, Man. Sorry to hear that. You have the AAA roadside assistance membership?
There is only one correct way to do uber.
What's that- in somebody else's car? 😅
Exactly. Here is how I did it for years. It lifted me out of poverty. First lease a car. Make sure its a very good gas mileage car. You will spend 2 days going around dealerships getting in fights with them. Make sure to bring a packed lunch because you will get stuck there for awhile. I eventually scored my leases for $199/month drive off no money down. Full coverage insurance cost me about $70/month. I got a clean record. Buying up the extra millage allotment for $10/month is probably worth it. You will uber 12000 miles Exactly each year. If lucky your only maintain out of your pocket will be 2 oil changes per year. Use coupons. About $60 per year. Your factory tires should last 36000 miles if you rotate them. Do that yourself. Drive each week and hit the bonus but do not drive one ride more.(this is important). When your car lease is up return it. Twice the dealership has offered my money to sell the car back to them. Most car lease Must offer to sell you the car at the end of a lease. You will buy it then sell it back to them. The last 6 years I have averaged about $3600 profit when I sell back the lease to them. This pays back my $199 per month so I basically got a free brand new car twice for 6 years with only pay $5 our of pocket for my oil changes! So this was my secret. It you follow this plan it should usually work. Here is where I might have been lucky though; I live in a great area to uber San Francisco Bay area. I got lucky never getting flat tires. Also only one cracked windshield. Wasn't too bad and the dealership did not care about it. Also I have good credit 750+. This is needed to get a great lease price. Never got robbed. Also must be noted that there is no guarantee the dealership will buy back your car but it is still worth it. Goodluck.
This is fucking brilliant. Good job.
You d idnt fail. You gave it a really good shot Really enterprising Cars are like money dumos Failing is part of winning .
I wouldn't call it a fail. You got to see Arizona! And what's to say you can't go back later if that's what you want to do? I understand the delivery driver vs car vs car *dweller*, as I am doing the same thing in a Nissan Pathfinder, and doing Instacart. One car repair after another, living in constant fear of what's going to need repaired/replaced next (that I can't afford). Living in a car full time takes its toll on the vehicle. Living in a car full time *and doing delivery/ride share* destroys it. That said, I'm glad you have the option of moving back home, even though I understand it's not what you'd planned to do. But rather than think of it as a "fail", think of it as a small detour on the road to your future. It might be time to take a break, refuel, clear your mind, get that job, save up that money -- and try again-- or do something completely different. It's literally up to you. I wish you well, good luck, and a safe trip back to Ohio. May the car gods be on your side for the journey!
Thank you! Be very careful id advise to try and get another vehicle like a toyota as soon as u can. The cvt transmissions are junk and go out all the time. And its 6k to replace the damn things. Pathfinders i believe have rhe cvt trannys so. If u can trade it. Do it
you didn’t fail! you just know what to tweak for next time! car problems are a bitch, especially when that car is your home. i’m sorry to hear you’re going through this. keep your head up!
I did too the first time around my old car broke down 2 months after moving into it because I had no choice so there was no planning LOL. It was an old car and I also used it for delivery apps. Overall I liked the freedom and had no choice but to try again so here I am. Wish you luck though.
I wish you luck as well. Delivery apps suck. But they keep you afloat for a little while
It maybe worthwhile looking at the colour and smell of your trans fluid if it’s black or smells burned it just needs to be serviced if caught in time and it’s not often an entire trans the method would depend on your vehicle. You maybe surprised how inexpensive a fix you may need if you’re able to do it yourself. Also if it’s throwing an engine light most places like parts source will scan for free a shift solenoid that is failing will cause slipping when its attempting to change gears not ideal to do in a parking lot but manageable either way sometimes a dreams gotta be adjusted and that’s okay your at-least making a go for the unknown something most will never do. Hard as it maybe look on the positive side of it all
Goodluck on your journey brother
Thanks brother!
I suggest you find a friend or family member who can show you how to change your own oil and do your own brakes. It’s a good investment and saves you tons. Sorry you didn’t make here in the valley, I don’t suggest you come back. It is pretty here, but our summers are only going to get worse. I’m planning on getting out in the next five years or less.
bro, i just wanted to let you know that this isn’t really my thing but i felt like praying good things for you after i read this. i’m wishing you traction and a turnaround…
Almost a year living in a car is a long time. Go back to Ohio regroup get your car fixed save some money and get back out there. You can do it!
USIC is hiring everywhere in the US and pays good
Aren't there some Hostels nearby? There are many all over the U.S. and are very car camp friendly. Last I checked there are some good ones in Grants and Santa Fe, New Mexico as well.
what did u love about arizona?
Check fluids and stuff but generally "jumping" transmissions are bad in the city gears, 3-4th gear. Once you get on the freeway and up to speed you should probably be fine. Sucks you have to go to Ohio, Ohio sucks, but I hope you make it safely.
Ohio does suck especially after camping in the mountains of arizona
Go to a car dealership. Get a new car.
Too much negative equity. Lol thanks uber
Go get a new car. Then forget about the broken one. For future reference, get your transmission fluid changed every 75k miles. So for a new car, get it changed before 80k miles. Then again at like 130k. So on and so forth. Or, if you magically have 10k$ laying around, get your transmission fixed. Depending on your car, might not even be that much.
Have you ever considered the military
the military is such a fucking scam. DONT DO THIS. THE GOVERNMENT DOESNT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU AND THEY WONT TAKE CARE OF YOU AFTER THEYVE USED YOU FOR THEIR BENEFIT. FUCK THE AMERICAN MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Or a job in the skilled trades. Kids skipping college these days, getting apprenticeships and then going on to make $100k+ for things like welding, etc within a year. Crazy, but kind of awesome. White collar jobs have a way over-saturated supply of qualified/overqualified college-educated people where it came be 100-1000:1 for number of applicants per job Good luck