Dashing for Dollars - Gigging on the Go!

Next on the hit parade for Gigs on the Go is Door Dash. Like Uber Eats this is about delivering food. I also want to point out that my posts are based on my experiences so if you have tips or advice of your own please take a moment to share in the comment section!

On to Door Dash. Just like Uber Eats there is a basic application that can be found here Door Dash . Payday is once a week and your earnings will be deposited into your bank account to make life nice and simple. Keep in mind that you are an independent contractor so they will not be taking out taxes on your behalf and they will be reporting your earnings to the IRS and sending a 1099 your way. To be safe we save 20% of our earnings and keep track of miles for each day we are out making deliveries in a spreadsheet.

Door Dash allows you to really manage your time by scheduling yourself for a "zone" for an hour or many more hours each day. Door Dash also provides you with an insulated bag that will hold most 2 item orders allowing you to keep the hot food hot or the cold food cold. HINT #1 you can use this same bag to keep your Uber Eats deliveries hot/cold just don't take the bag into the restaurant, it will confuse the workers.

Door Dash has the customer tip up front and gives them the opportunity to go back and give a rating and adjust the tip in case you did a stellar job or maybe showed up in a Santa hat during the holiday season and they wanted to give you a little more.

Door Dash will send you a pretty red debit card to be used to pay for a customer order. Not all orders are pay when picked up so be sure to check the order info in the APP before heading into the restaurant. The debit card is tied to Door Dash so don't worry, you aren't buying the food and getting reimbursed you are just the taxi service.

 In addition to scheduling yourself ahead of time you can also "drop in" to dash. In other words if you find yourself with an hour or two of free time, open your APP and "Dash Now". HINT #2 When it's a slow Uber Eats night, open up the Door Dash APP and run them both at the same time.

Door Dash jobs will let you know how much you will earn (minimum) and how far you will be driving. You can take a break and go offline for 30 minutes with out being penalized which is great if you want to get to another area before orders come in that you might not want to take. You can ignore an incoming order or Deny an incoming order but if you do this too often the APP will end your dash.

We are still working on our Door Dash technique so be sure to subscribe to learn with us.

Cozy Christmas Reads courtesy of NetGalley

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Yeast of Eden by Amanda Fox

(A Pancake House Mystery)

Kensington Books Publishing

Christmas is right around the corner and things are getting festive at the Flip Side. At least until Wally the self proclaimed Waffle King  announces his arrival. Wally is long on odious and short on friends and soon finds himself, or rather Ivan finds the man dead in the Waffle Kingdom store, a victim of foul play and  liquid nitrogen. Was it for money, for revenge, or for no other reason than because the guy was a blow hard. Now the sheriff has his sights set on Lisa and Ivan as possible suspects and there is now way that  Marley can sit this one out. Balancing the business her boyfriend Brett, Marley will get to the bottom of not one but three murders. This was another great installment and I really enjoyed the mystery within the mystery. Looking forward to the next Flip Side and starting the new book pub series expected to release next month.

Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jaqueline Frost

( A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery)

Crooked Lane Books Publishing

What a fun story! Mistletoe, Maine is a winter wonderland and what better place to grow up than on a Christmas tree farm with a lumberjack for a Dad and a baker supreme for a Mom. The only thing better is to be a crafty gal who is about to run her own Inn on the family property that holds Reindeer Games during the festive time of the year.  Unlike other characters I've encountered,  Holly is threatened from the get go for trying to help her Caroline who is suspected of knifing a local judge's son and leaving him dead in a giant bowl of candy mints. Several people have a motive and means, more so than cupcake creator Caroline and faster than you can say Chris Cringle the Contractor (could it be) Holly is working through the clues and a  menacing mints, while recycling glass into the cutest bracelets that are being ordered faster than she can create. With all of this and the Hearth restaurant going through a major kitchen remodel and the construction of the Inn how will Holly get it all done without being done in! Great read loved the teasing bit of romance with the local Sheriff and the introduction of his sister. Can't wait for the next one!

Premediated Peppermint by Amanda Fowler

(Amish Candy Shop Myster #3)

Kensington Publishing

Bailey King,  New York confectionary creator and one of the few non-Amish workers in the town of Harvest, Ohio is ready for the Christmas season with peppermint bark and her new romance with the local deputy. Last thing she needs is for her ex-boyfriend Chef Eric Sharp to blow into her town like a blizzard with Hollywood hype and a producer bent on  filming a "real" Amish Christmas. Seems no one likes his yelling personality on the reality chef show. Bailey wouldn't mind a little publicity but not when it becomes murder and the main suspect is  Eric. Bailey is as soft hearted as a marshmallow in a cup of warm cocoa and does her best to help Eric while making it clear that his amorous attentions are not wanted. Why give her boyfriend the investigating Sheriff's Deputy any more reason to lock him up than he already has. Thankfully her partner in crime or chocolate; the new boss at JP Chocolates, Cass is back to help. Bailey is a wonderful character and those recipes are the BEST.  Read this fast and still didn't figure it out until the very end, so many possibilities and a twist or two for added measure. The only thing sweeter than this story is the next one that I can't wait to read!

In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon
(A Tea and Read Mystery)
Crooked Lane Books Publishing

They say you can never go home, but Callie Aspen is just visiting during her slow season as an international tour guide.  Back in Heart's Harbor to help Aunt Iphy to oversee an afternoon tea party complete with puzzle cake based on an Brother Cadfael mystery. This authors first cozy is off to a good start. Callie seems to be your typical heroine/main character with the good heart and inquisitive spirit. She is a little older, but she has been leading a busy whirlwind life abroad visiting far off exotic places leading grand tours. She is a little more morose than most but once she realizes that she no longer has the "school girl crush" feelings the thoughts of "what if" or regret disappear making her even more determined to learn who did in the gardener and why. What is the secret of the will and who will be the master of Haywood Hall.. Not as light hearted as a normal cozy but the story ends on a sweet note filled with future possibilities, if Callie just looks for them. Just like I will be on the lookout for Joy Avon's next installment Sweet Tea and Secrets.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz

(A Food Lovers Village)

Midnight Ink Books Publishing

It's Christmas time and the whole town is busy decorating Main Street with lights and all the trimmings. All those special touches like the items you might find at The Merc, the place to find your boutique-like specialty foods, for the true foodie. It's a time for family and friends or at least you would think so, but not for Merrily who returns home after turning her life around only to find that it isn't enough for her Mom who is as cold as the weather in Jewel Bay. Erin Murphy the manager of Murphy's Mercantile AKA The Merc believes in second chances and befriends Merrily, just in time for the annual cookie exchange. Unfortunately Merrily never makes it to the exchange and won't be able to make anymore in the future. Erin works to not only clear Merrily's name of theft suspicions but to also find the killer as well as plan her wedding that is set to take place on Christmas eve. I would LOVE to have the multitasking skills of the cozy heroine. Erin is a fun character and her conviction in getting to the bottom and belief in someone she barely knew was heart warming. Looking forward to the next installment. OH and if you like to cook you will LOVE the recipes as the end of the story. I really appreciate that they are not in the middle, so that I don't get side tracked. 


Christmas Cake Murder by Joanna Fluke

(A Hannah Swenson Novel) 

Kensington Books Publishing

I have been a long time Joanne Fluke/Hannah Swenson fan. From the story lines to awesome cookie recipes every book has been a blue ribbon winner. The Christmas Cake Murder is the best one yet because it is the prequel. Before she was married, before the dentist and the cop, before the cookie truck and the shop there was a girl who loved to cook and was finished with school, who moved back home and suffered the loss of her father. To get her Mom to reengage life after the death of her husband Hannah, her two sisters and a couple of civic minded ladies. This is a story within a story quite literally as Hannah reads each night from Essie's story book journals. This is a great story and just in time for the holiday season. Wonderful recipes for both cakes and cookies can be found scattered through the story, usually shortly after Hannah makes them. I for one cannot wait to try my hand at the hazelnut truffles.

Death of a Russian Doll by Barbara Early
(Vintage Toy Shop Mystery)
Crooked Lane Publishing

New favorite character! Liz is a no nonsense, straight-up, heroine! So very relatable with spot on character development. While she would never wish her ex boyfriend ‘s wife any ill will, she certainly goes above and beyond to help solve her murder to help prove that Police chief Ken, aka the ex didn’t do it. That doesn’t mean she will forgive his forgetting to mention that he had an estranged Russian bombshell for a wife. Besides, there are better slightly more mature fish in the sea whom even her former police chief father approves of. Speaking of former, Liz’s Dad is put back on active duty to head up the investigation which spurns Liz on even harder to help solve the mystery of the holiday who done it to the hairstylist. Her Dad is supposed to be enjoying his golden years as a rare and collectible toy seller, not giving Liz conniptions about his health and well being. Leave it to Liz though as she pieces the puzzle together.

Can I Get This Gig To Go

    READY, SET, DELIVER

     So now that you have scooters covered and have decided that cold night-time scavenger hunts  are for the "birds," it's time to make "limes" into limeade. Flexibility is the #1 characteristic for a gig, and your time is worth money. Why else would you be considering a gig. Which brings us to Uber Eats.

     All it takes is an APPLICATION and an APP. You will need to be at least 18 years old and have access to a bike, moped, or car (with proof of insurance). The beauty of Uber Eats is that you can be ONLINE or OFFLINE as often as you like. You can decline a job or just let the timer run out. No harm, no foul, no penalty and no time commitments that lock you in.

     As an approved driver, there are a few tips you'll want to know. First of all, you will want an insulated bag (I will share how to get a good one for free in the next post Dashing for Dollars). Next you will want to create a "thumbs up" card to be attached to the bag (leave a comment if you need a template). Most importantly you will need to become familiar with the promotion time slots work with the area map in the APP.

     Which brings us to Boosts, which make it possible to work smarter and faster. Your average delivery fee is about $3.49 for a short drive. Same distance in an area with a Boost will increase this based on the boost amount which ranges from 1.0 to 4.0 and can change depending on the day or even the hour. Which is why Boost is BOSS and brings us to 2 simple rules. Rule #1 Don't accept a job with less than 2.0 Boost. Rule #2 don't take an order that is more than 10 minutes away unless it is getting you closer to a bigger Boost.

     Now for the fun part. Think of it as a date night that pays you. Gabe and I, do this as a team, we even grab a bite to eat.  As soon as we get going we both open the APP (we each have an account) and whoever gets the best job first accepts and the other goes OFFLINE. The delivery person helps navigate although the APP has a navigation guide built in I like to know what which lane to be in after a turn and help finding street names/numbers. When you have two people it is more efficient for finding parking, grabbing the order, and remembering the comment reminder card. Imagine how much a of a challenge it would be to rob a bank without a wheelman!    

     Unlike scooters you are only limited by the amount of free time you have and how much fuel is in the gas tank. Sometimes Uber Eats/Uber will post Quests which are challenges that give a bonus such as "complete 5 deliveries and get a $15 bonus." 

Scootters...The Gateway Gig

     If you have been downtown Raleigh or by NC State then you have seen the scooters either on the sidewalk or in the street. It seems that people either LOVE this mode of transportation or they HATE it. It is not for me to debate the greater good or ultimate evil but rather to illustrate how these mechanized modes of transportation are a great way to enter the gig way of life. 

     The job entails locating, taking temporary possession, recharging the unit, and returning it to a designated location. In order to get the job, which is an  independent contractor position; one must apply. Applying for the position is not as hard as one might think. For the Bird scooter, the "application" is found on the Bird website. For the Lime S scooters visit the Lime website. You will need to be able to download the App. In addition to the application it is necessary to purchase the charging cords. These are similar to a laptop charging cord. Before you go out looking for extra cords be aware that the end pieces are not the same. Bird charges a deposit of $10/charger and will with hold your first $30 of earnings to cover your deposit. Lime will charge you $6 for a set of 4. Tip #1 be sure to follow up with both Bird and Lime if you have not been approved within 2 weeks. Be sure to use the zip code of the area where the scooters are to be picked up. You will need to be willing to charge and return scooters at least 3-4 times a week and have a vehicle large enough to carry several scooters. We have a crossover SUV but primarily use the Elantra as our commuter car and scooter transport. Better gas mileage and all.

     Now that you have been approved to charge scooters  be aware of some general "rules". You can acquire 20 Birds and 12 Limes per day. Birds and Limes must be returned to a designated spot before 7 AM. Birds must be returned between 4 AM and 7 AM while Limes may be returned at anytime before 7 AM. In order to be paid by either, the scooter must be fully charged.  Prices paid are determined by the dollar amount assigned to the scooter. This is based on ease of acquisition in other words if it is in plain sight you will be paid the lowest amount. The harder the scooter is to locate the more it is worth, we refer to these higher priced scooters as "unicorns" because they rarely exist even if the map shows them. Scooters become available for charging based on their battery levels. Lime will release scooters if they drop below 17% charge. The lower the charge level the longer it will take to fully charge so keep in mind that if you need all night to recharge a 3% scooter battery do not pick up more scooters than you have chargers or you will be up half the night switching out. Tip #2, we suggest you get two $5 scooters with more than 50% charge rather than a $6 or $8 scooter with only 3% charge because you can recharge the higher charge % sooner. Tip #3, the chargers are interchangeable so if you have Lime scooter chargers they can be used to recharge Bird scooters and vice versa. Tip #4 when you set your scooters out in the early morning hours go ahead and see if there are any scooters which can be scooped up for recharging.

So you see, this is a super easy way to make a few extra dollars in a sort of scavenger hunt sort of way. Easy peasy and even somewhat fun! I would suggest buddying up and working as a pair or a team if nothing else it is very efficient. Up next is the next level with Uber Eats be sure to subscribe to learn the tricks and tips!

Can you Gig It!

Can you Gig It!

Welcome to the gig economy. "The what economy" you say? According to Bing, the gig economy is defined as a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. Think about disruptive innovations like Uber and Lyft. No special training or certifications are needed outside of being 18 years of age, have a valid drivers license and auto insurance plus a smart phone. Before you had to be a part of a fleet or taxi company to be able to pay to "taxi" people around and now anyone can do it in their spare time or full time. You can do it after work, before work, even on the way to or from work. You pick the day of the week or the hour of the day. You pick the location from one town to the next or go back and forth. You can be as young as a high school senior (age 18) or as old as you want to be. There are several opportunities here in the Raleigh area, and over the next few blog posts I'll share our experiences, that's right Gabe and I do these together; and let you in on some of the tips and tricks, ins and outs that we have learned thanks to trial and error. So be sure to subscribe and check back.

Supper Club Super Slueths Cozys courtesy of NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing

Black Beans and Vice (Supper Club Mysteries #6) by Ellery Adams
*Courtesy of Beyond the Page and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If the Scooby Doo Mystery Inc gang had been created in this day and age and then aged up to their 40's it would be the Quincy's Gap Supper Club friends. A great group of friends with varied backgrounds and love of food, fun, friendship, and solving murders. The group is trying to balance their love of good food with great health and are making a group commitment to work towards thinner and healthier goals. Not only do they try the Mediterranean diet but also a little hypno therapy to curb carbs and slate their desire for sugary sweets at the Wellness Village. Unfortuneatly they encounter not only some animal rights extremists but also the body of the mayor who may or may not have been playing loose and fast with the town finances. There are side stories aplenty from stalking to stealing and other such fun bits in between. Excellent read with a story that didn't slow down once.

Pasta Mortem (Supper Club Mysteries #7) by Ellery Adams
*Courtesy of Beyond the Page and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The gang is back and this time it's nostalgic. Everybody's favorite TV family is having a reunion in Quincy's Gap. The cast of Hearth & Home are in Quincy Gap the site of the original filming for a reunion show. Everyone is excited, the gang...not so much. Everyone has something else on their minds, like James who is an expectant father. Even with everything on his plate he and most of his friends still find time to help Murphy, the bane of their existence. Murphy is difficult and while they would all like to "kill" her for using their lives to write a murder mystery novel that does not cast them in a good light. There is no way Murphy would have killed her lover and business partner. There are plenty of other suspects who did not want Murphy's Gap to become the next tourist trap and over developed town. Besides, it's almost Valentines Day and love is in the air or is it hate? There is a fine line and so many of the characters are walking on it. This is an excellent series and I even read them in reverse order by mistake so things made better sense after reading Black Beans & Vice, nonetheless this was a fun story and another great series which includes awesome recipes for any palate.

Halloween Cozys 2018

If the Coffin Fits by Lillian Bell (A Funeral Parlor Mystery)

From investigative reporter to assistant manager of the family funeral parlor isn’t exactly how Desiree Turner saw her life going. It certainly makes things interesting and she has the side job working for the local paper. So of course she can’t help but want to investigate when she over hears a couple of bereaved sisters talking in hushed tones about something that shouldn’t  have happened. Did the caregiver sister Iris end her father’s life a little sooner than nature would have? And why did her latest “customer” Violet have bruises on the tops of her hands if she supposedly fell asleep at the wheel and fatally crashed into an embankment. Not that Desiree needs any encouragement to snoop around but when her former high school boyfriend and current interest ME Nate says that something is “hinky” about the death. To top it off Desiree is the only person who believes that her Dad did not die when he went surfing 6 months ago, after all there was no body recovered and the odd trinkets and notes that were left shortly after the incident that pointed to her Dad still being in the land of the living. Desiree is the girl next door, even though that door leads to a mortuary. She is outgoing and jovial with a great group of friends. While we don’t usually think of a funeral home being a true home, the Turner family, sister Donna and Uncle Joey make it feel just like that. Great story line can’t wait to read the next, especially with the cliff hanger ending.

A Deadly Brew by Lynn Cahoon (A Tourist Trap Mystery)

What could be more fun than spending time with friends, maybe spending time with friends solving a 15 year old mystery about a supposed witch in an abandoned house right before Halloween! With a ghost and a séance the "lock-in" is sure to be an experience none of the group is soon to forget. Excellent Halloween read with a great cast of characters. Jill Gardner makes a great heroine, very real and relatable. The story line was very interesting and while I was able to figure out part of the mystery I did not see the whole picture until the author was ready for the big reveal. I cannot wait to get my hands on more of the Tourist Trap Mystery books to see how Jill and her Aunt Jackie fend with their shop, Coffee, Books, and More.

Samhain Secrets by Jennifer David Hesse ( A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #4)

Attorney Keli Melanni is a closet Wiccan getting ready to celebrate one of the most sacred of Wiccan holidays, Samhain. That is until her mysterious eco conscious aunt turns up dead. Keli didn't have a chance to get to know Aunt Josephine although she was familiar with her good works with Sister Seeds. Why was Aunt Josie doing in the woods that night and why does Mrs. Hammerlin think her new home is haunted, how are Keli and Wes ever going to find time to be together even though they share a home. I liked the dash of occult mixed with the multiple story lines and interesting characters. The mini mysteries did not take away from the main thread and in fact enhanced it while helping the reader to get to know the other characters as well. Great read, great series can't wait to see what is up next!

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier ( Lucy Stone Mystery) Two stories

This is another Meier two-for. Trick or Treat Murder. The early days of Lucy Stone after the catalog ordering business, but before she became a Mom of 4.  Lucy is one bar working Mom who is trying to balance home, investigative reporting and a baby all on a minimal amount of sleep. Why else would she agree to make 12 dozen Halloween cupcakes for the town Halloween party. Yet she still finds the time to add a bit of sleuthing when the latest in a series of arson related fires takes the life of a summertime neighbor. So many suspects from a cheating husband to the energetic mistress, or was it just a group of kids looking for kicks and it all went wrong. These earlier story lines have a different character feel than the previous novels and the endings seem rushed. Overall it was entertaining and a quick read. It is interesting to compare and contrast early Lucy with older Lucy as the next story in the book is The Wicked Witch Murder. Funny thing, it’s a warlock not a witch who ends up dead as we see how little Tinker’s Cove reacts to a self proclaimed Wiccan with a new age storefront. Lucy endeavors to have an open mind but not all of her neighbors feel the same way especially after the next door neighbor’s wife becomes ill and dies. Plus Lucy’s girls are enamored with the idea of being new age Wiccans. With hostilities growing Lucy fears for her girls and their new Wiccan friend. It does seem that these more updated timelines are more political than they used to be which I find distracting from the entertainment of the story line. The Stone’s do seem more relaxed and less uptight than in the “younger” novels which is a nice progression in character development that mirrors life. All in all an easy read and an appropriate Halloween story.