Is this like a 12-step program? "Hi, I'm Loren, I'm a Turker."
Okay, me in a nutshell:
I'm 52. I have an AS in Electronics and used to be an electronics tech. I spent 8 years in the USAF. I've also done IT, database admin, and website design/programming. When the economy tanked in my area (West coast of FL) due to the gulf oil spill, I lost my web design job. Tried to start my own web design company, but found no business. (see: "tanked economy") Since then, I've become rather adept at being what I call a "professional slacker".
I did some temp work and hated it. 8 hours of data entry for 6 months sucks! And then I got a job as a driving instructor, which is something I'd done very part time years ago. After a couple years, ended up opening a driving school with a friend of mine. Now, I work 3 days per week doing that, and it provides half of my income. The other half comes from another business that I own with the same partner, which is an autocross club... we put on small motorsports events about 2x per month, and that's the other half of my income.
UNTIL... the stupid virus lockdown happened. Can't being riding around with driving students in a car during a pandemic! Can't be gathering 100+ car guys together for competition during a pandemic! My income instantly went to zero about the second week of March! Fortunately, my wife has a "real job", and makes plenty of money (and she's been WFH since early March), and my house is paid off, and I have VERY low expenses. So, I'm not hurting. But, I'm not happy about having zero income... and after sitting on my butt for 6 weeks, I started looking for low-impact ways to make some money and at least keep myself busy!
One of the 4 cars in my driveway/garage is a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, so I looked at driving jobs. I looked into Uber. Yeah, I'm one of those "introverts". Not gonna Uber. Too people-y. I have a friend who has VERY successfully been working for Shipt. ($800-$1,000 is an easy week for him) It works for him and his outgoing personality, he's learned to work the system efficiently, and gets GREAT tips. But, again... introvert. Don't wanna shop. Even less want to deal with the customers. Restaurant delivery hit me about the same way, and after reading the Uber Eats horror stories on Reddit about how a lot of the restaurant pick-up areas are cramped with a bunch of unmasked coughing delivery drivers waiting... no thanks.
Mechanical Turk... Oh, I'd looked at it before, back when I was unemployed. But, never very seriously because what I wanted back then was a solid $15 per hour. My situation has changed (house is paid for!) and I don't need as much money now. This time, I did my homework, and opted to dive in with the goal of making $1000-1300 per month. That's enough to make up for at least one of my two income streams, and that's okay for now.
Hmm... okay, I just spent way too much time drafting this long post that happens to have some links in it. Forum won't let me post it (I get it, I'm a forum admin on a couple forums). But, I know how to get around it...
Okay, me in a nutshell:
I'm 52. I have an AS in Electronics and used to be an electronics tech. I spent 8 years in the USAF. I've also done IT, database admin, and website design/programming. When the economy tanked in my area (West coast of FL) due to the gulf oil spill, I lost my web design job. Tried to start my own web design company, but found no business. (see: "tanked economy") Since then, I've become rather adept at being what I call a "professional slacker".
I did some temp work and hated it. 8 hours of data entry for 6 months sucks! And then I got a job as a driving instructor, which is something I'd done very part time years ago. After a couple years, ended up opening a driving school with a friend of mine. Now, I work 3 days per week doing that, and it provides half of my income. The other half comes from another business that I own with the same partner, which is an autocross club... we put on small motorsports events about 2x per month, and that's the other half of my income.
UNTIL... the stupid virus lockdown happened. Can't being riding around with driving students in a car during a pandemic! Can't be gathering 100+ car guys together for competition during a pandemic! My income instantly went to zero about the second week of March! Fortunately, my wife has a "real job", and makes plenty of money (and she's been WFH since early March), and my house is paid off, and I have VERY low expenses. So, I'm not hurting. But, I'm not happy about having zero income... and after sitting on my butt for 6 weeks, I started looking for low-impact ways to make some money and at least keep myself busy!
One of the 4 cars in my driveway/garage is a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, so I looked at driving jobs. I looked into Uber. Yeah, I'm one of those "introverts". Not gonna Uber. Too people-y. I have a friend who has VERY successfully been working for Shipt. ($800-$1,000 is an easy week for him) It works for him and his outgoing personality, he's learned to work the system efficiently, and gets GREAT tips. But, again... introvert. Don't wanna shop. Even less want to deal with the customers. Restaurant delivery hit me about the same way, and after reading the Uber Eats horror stories on Reddit about how a lot of the restaurant pick-up areas are cramped with a bunch of unmasked coughing delivery drivers waiting... no thanks.
Mechanical Turk... Oh, I'd looked at it before, back when I was unemployed. But, never very seriously because what I wanted back then was a solid $15 per hour. My situation has changed (house is paid for!) and I don't need as much money now. This time, I did my homework, and opted to dive in with the goal of making $1000-1300 per month. That's enough to make up for at least one of my two income streams, and that's okay for now.
Hmm... okay, I just spent way too much time drafting this long post that happens to have some links in it. Forum won't let me post it (I get it, I'm a forum admin on a couple forums). But, I know how to get around it...