Grocery shopping & delivery
You shop for groceries and drop them at customers' doors through apps like Instacart, Shipt, and Walmart Spark. You earn per order plus tips.
Spark Driver
DoorDash
Uber
Instacart
Amazon Flex
Uber Eats
Grubhub
LyftInstacart· 2–5 years in · 9 days agoOnce you start and can get in a rhythm, the possibilities are endless.
Amazon Flex· 2–5 years in · 9 days agoBueno
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 9 days agoThe amount I make with Spark hardly covers the gas I need to make the deliveries. A lot of the times you make less money than the actual mileage it takes to even get to the destination, let alone return to the store. The 'incentives' are conditional on both time done, loctaion of the store and what kind of delivery is done and then on top of that, its usually a max of $4. It's a very frustrating experience and not worth it for how little you actually make considering gas.
Spark Driver· 2–5 years in · 9 days agoI love how I'm not locked into an hourly block. I can literally work whenever I want. When first starting out, I would definitely recommend to be persistent. The better ratings you have, the better the orders. If I could change anything, it would be the ability to filter out orders coming from certain stores.
Spark Driver· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agona
Spark Driver· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agoIts Just A Job
DoorDash· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agoThe independentness and scheduling no physical online feature. More promotions and incentives for shoppers
Uber· 3–6 months in · 2 weeks agoGood
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoI love how flexible Spark is. If I could change one thing it would be to cap the amount of Spark drivers on at one time, at times there are to many drivers and not enough orders.
Spark Driver· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks agoNa
DoorDash· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agoWhat I love the most is not having to be told what to do in a way or when to show up I pick the offers I want and refuse ones I don’t. I hate how customers can give you a negative rating depending on things out of your control instead of the actual delivery if they’re having a bad day, my advice for someone starting out is get a wagon and don’t take anything that doesn’t pay what you deserve, but I would change is customers being able to take back tips and metrics as far as amount and quantity found since we can’t control in or out of stock availability.
How much time it takes and how much gas it needs make sure you have a time slot put up for it cause it ut time consuming being able to charge by the hour
DoorDash· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoI already worked as a department manager at Walmart for 15 years so for me it was easy. I know the entire layout I’ve remodeled several Walmart stores. So I can walk into any store and get to where I need to be pretty quickly. I love it because I make my own schedule I can listen to music in my car till I get to the customers house. The pay was definitely better when I first started and it’s not as good but I can still get good offers if I’m patient. What would i change if i could i would like to see the high mileage offers to go away. What advice would i give , have fun with it. Don’t stress if you need help ask an associate to explain how to read modulars. Also just pay attention to directions on the road and always deliver to the door unless they specifically request to deliver to another location.
Stay driven. Consistent Willing to work
Instacart· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks agoWhat do you love or hate the most about your side hustle? What I love most is the flexibility. I genuinely enjoy grocery shopping, so it’s a side hustle that doesn’t really feel like a chore to me. I also love being able to start and stop whenever I want and work it around my own schedule. The biggest downside is order availability, sometimes there just aren’t enough worthwhile orders available, even when I have the time and want to work. What advice would you give someone just starting out? I would recommend sticking to orders that are relatively close by and paying attention to more than just the dollar amount you see upfront. Deliveries that are farther away may look like they pay more, but once you factor in gas, mileage, and the extra time involved, they aren’t always worth it. Learning which orders are actually profitable makes a big difference. What would you change about your side hustle if you could? I would definitely improve order availability and give shoppers more control over where they work. I’d love the ability to set a preferred working radius so I could choose how far I’m willing to travel for orders. That would make it much easier to maximize both my time and earnings.
Spark Driver· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks agoJust got for it the worst that will happen is you dont like it. I started this just to earn extra cash for a trip now I pay most of my bills with this side hustle
Uber· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoHate the low paying rates
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoIt is good but so well
DoorDash· Less than 3 months in · 2 weeks agoIt’s fun yet tedious! Lots of driving and lots of time.
Spark Driver· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agoI love the freedom to choose my own schedule.\nBut the unpredictability also causes a certain level of anxiety. If I could change anything about spark, it would be the ability to adjust the delivery route to Make More Sense.\n When it comes to order of delivery
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoI love that this job is totally my choice, when I want to work, and for how long. I don’t like that the money is a guarantee, as customers can take their tips back. My advice is to only take orders that make sense for you.
Instacart· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoI love how flexible I can be for work. And I enjoy the places it takes me. I’ve been places I’d never known existed and it’s broadened my horizons.
Instacart· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agoInstacart is a flexible side hustle that’s easy to get started with and can be useful when you need to make extra money on your own schedule. I liked being able to choose when I worked and which orders I accepted, but the income can be inconsistent once you factor in gas, mileage, vehicle wear, and the time spent shopping and delivering. Some orders are definitely more worthwhile than others, so learning to be selective is important. My advice to someone starting out would be to pay attention to the distance, number of items, store, and expected payout before accepting an order. Working during busy periods and learning which stores are easiest to shop can make a big difference. If I could change anything, I’d want more consistent pay and better compensation for mileage and larger or more time-consuming orders. Overall, it’s a solid option for flexible supplemental income, but I wouldn’t rely on it as my only source of income.
Spark Driver· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks agoI really enjoy the fact that it is so flexible. I can work as hard and as often as I wish, or take the day off if I feel like it. There is no "Boss" hovering over me. I enjoy meeting the customers although most of them don't like to have contact with the delivery drivers. I know for certain most customers wait for me to drive away before they come out to get their groceries. It's a great surprise and gives me a huge amount of satisfaction when a customer will come out, greet me and offer to help carry the groceries. Always welcome, particularly when that customer has ordered a 40 pack of drinking water that weighs 50 pounds. Advice I would give someone just starting out would be figure out what it costs to accept a job. Figure out what it costs per mile to drive your vehicle, not just in fuel but with the operating costs as well, oil changes, tires, etc. And PLEASE, don't accept offers that are insulting, such as a delivery that is paying $10 and you have to drive 20 miles, keep in mind that you have to double the mileage to get back to the store. Then there are the "no tip" offers. I was in the hospitality industry for many years where tipping is the norm. My philosophy is "No tip, No trip." If you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip. Same goes for online grocery ordering and delivery. What would I change? Several things. First and foremost, enforce your own rules. Walmart states that you cannot have a "helper" to shop the groceries or help deliver. I see this constantly where a husband and wife team are shopping or they have their children with them. Then there are drivers that are using 2 or more phones to grab orders. There are "bots" that some people are using that grab an order the second it shows up on the offer screen, making it difficult for us that are following the rules. Walmart should have a way to determine who is using these applications and force them to stop, by deactivation if necessary. Lastly, Walmart allows the customer to modify the tip they left up to 24 hours after delivery. I've seen "tip baiting" where the customer has left a large tip and then removed it after delivery. So unfair and should not be allowed!
I loved the pay and being able to set my own hours, but the pay went downhill after the first year. They start you at good pay to hook you, then gradually you get lower and lower good offers for bad pay that doesn't even cover the gas to get there and back so you basically end up working for free. My advice is dont work for this. You can find better. And you are hired as an independent contractor. They need to put you on as an hourly paid employee, just like pizza delivery, other food delivery, etc. I mean come on, we know they have the money to do so. They are one of the biggest companies in the world
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoVery lucrative when you find the hours customers request for orders the most. I'm also fortunate to live in a zone with 4 Walmarts. Even though theyre not super close to each other, I can still choose to shop at either location.
Spark Driver· Less than 3 months in · 2 weeks agoLong hours to make a living. Don't just take anything has to be worth the gas and wear and tear on vehicle. Grouping stops together so you make more
I love the flexibility and autonomy that delivering on the Spark app provides. After working as a registered nurse for years and having a VERY high stress level and no flexibility in my schedule, this “side hustle” has turned into my only hustle, and I love it!
Spark Driver· Less than 3 months in · 2 weeks agoI love the ability to work 7 days a week in short shifts if i so choose. Advice I would give is watch some videos explaining the isle section and modular also get to know the Walmart you plan on making your home store. Change thats easy. Walmart spark has driver tiers that are affected by customer ratings 1 bad review can really effect you driver tier also less the half leave a review at all so imo rating should default to a 5 star if no issues where reported. Also you have to maintain a 4.9 star rating for top tier, Walmarts online rating 4.3 stars so Im expected to be better then the company itself....
Spark Driver· 2–5 years in · 2 weeks agoA
Don't like in store shopping for two custermers and sometimes direction for deliveries are not clear dont get paid enough for gas
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoRecently I have received low marks for customer reviews. I always deliver to the address, I always sort cold from dry, I always follow the customer’s directions. However there isn’t any mechanism to be able to challenge these bad marks no is there any feedback back stating what upset the customer.
Spark Driver· 6–12 months in · 2 weeks agoMore tips
Uber· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoFull of surprises, fully on my choice, less income but I love doing it
Spark Driver· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoI love doing my work as it’s full of surprises that what will you take home at the end of the day. There is no burden of fix schedule, I can go for my doctor’s appointments, I can enjoy a day off when weather conditions are not good. Yes I make a less money compared to a fixed job but I am happy
Uber Eats· 1–2 years in · 2 weeks agoIt’s a good side business depending on several things specifically weather conditions, festivals & competition. Some days you can make up to 100$ & next hardly 20 but I love doing it.
Uber· 3–6 months in · 3 weeks agoGood
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