# This 23-year-old Uber driver earns $25,000 a year—but has ‘everything I could want right now’



## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

Someone shoot me.

*This 23-year-old Uber driver earns $25,000 a year-but has 'everything I could want right now'*

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/10/bud...uber-driver-earning-25000-dollars-a-year.html
_This story is part of CNBC Make It's __Millennial Money__ series, which profiles people around the world and details how they earn, spend and save their money._

Jerone Gillespie has a knack for looking on the bright side - even under difficult circumstances.

His water gets turned off? It's only temporary. He has to sleep on his brother's couch because he can't afford an apartment? It's an opportunity to start saving up.

Today, the 23-year-old, who lives just outside of Baltimore, spends part of the year working in a tax preparation office and the rest driving for Uber and Lyft. He expects to earn about $25,000 total in 2020, before taxes.

But he's not stressed about his low salary: He spends his free time investing, studying money, business and science, and planning his next move.

Growing up, Gillespie's family faced their fair share of financial challenges: He remembers the lights getting turned off and eviction notices tacked to the front door. He and his brother and sister always qualified for free lunch at school.

Still, they managed to get by. If the water was getting turned off, they'd fill up the bathtub and make it last. To Gillespie, those incidents were "just things that happen every once in a while&#8230; It didn't really bother me because I knew that [the lights] were going to be coming back on sometime soon."

Gillespie started college in 2014, and he struggled to afford both food and textbooks, frequently skipping meals. "Eventually, eating once a day just became a habit, so it wasn't something that I really thought about that much. It was just one of those things that I did," he says. "To this day, I still have a habit of sometimes eating once a day."
Going into his senior year of college, Gillespie transferred from a school in Frostburg, Maryland, to one near Baltimore where his brother lived. But as he got settled at the new school, he didn't have anywhere to stay and ended up living in his 1993 Pontiac Firebird for nearly three weeks. After that, he crashed on his brother's couch for almost a year. 
Gillespie was thankful for his brother's generosity, but felt uncomfortable sleeping in the living room and not being able to afford his own place. "But at the end of the day, it gave me a wonderful opportunity to save money," he says.

*Looking toward the future*

Ultimately, Gillespie decided the benefits of college no longer outweighed the cost. He ended up dropping out in fall 2018, as a fifth-year senior. 
He never expected to go to college at all, so he spent his first few years hopping from subject to subject without a plan. 
"When I was in eighth grade, I was diagnosed with a heart condition that was potentially deadly. The doctor said, _If you exercise real hard, you could die at any moment_."

As a result of the hard times, he learned to be careful with his money from a young age. Although his family didn't openly discuss finances much, his mother emphasized the importance of maintaining a good credit score and showed him the value of interest early on. If she borrowed $10 from Gillespie, he knew to expect $12 to $15 in return, depending on how long it her took to pay him back.

At the time, Gillespie didn't want to change his lifestyle. He continued to exercise and play sports, taking the doctor's warning as a prognosis. "I never really thought that I would make it past high school," he says.

But he did.

"I was kind of in shock because I never really thought about what I wanted to do after high school," he says. "I kind of just went into college empty handed."

As Gillespie went through semester after semester trying to narrow down what he wanted to study, his student debt kept growing and growing. He had interests in science, languages and business, but no clear career path in mind.

When his loans hit $30,000, "I realized I need to sit back and really think about what I want out of life, what I want to achieve and what direction I want to go before I stack up another $30-40,000 in student loan debt."

Two years later, he has more clarity, but he isn't sure when, or if, he'll go back to school.

*Gillespie's career plans: 'Tomorrow, I'll be thanking myself'*
When the pandemic hit, Gillespie stopped driving for Uber and Lyft to keep himself safe, and he relied solely on his tax job for income. He earns $14.50 an hour as the manager of the tax office.
Now that tax season is over, he's getting back into driving, which is how he earns the bulk of his annual income. In 2019, about 16% of his income came from working at the tax office and 84% came from driving for rideshare services.

He could earn more if he spent more time driving, but he chooses instead to focus on learning about investing, tax preparation and other skills that he hopes will help him build wealth in the future. He also works on his YouTube channel, Moneyology, where he shares personal finance advice based on his own experiences. He's earned some profit from affiliate links, but hasn't otherwise monetized the channel yet.

"One of the reasons why my income is so low is because I spend a lot of my time just reading," he says. "I could be out there working and working, but I spend a lot of that time reading tax books, reading investment books, reading accounting books. That might lower my income here today, but tomorrow, I'll be thanking myself."

Gillespie also took out an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, for $20,000 to help cover business expenses, including gas and maintenance on his car. Because the interest rate is only 3.75%, and he doesn't have to start paying it back for a year, he figures he'll be able to earn more through investing than the interest will cost him in the long run. 
He hopes to get out of the rideshare game soon though. "I want to move on to something that is a bit more lucrative," he says. He's interested in accounting and software engineering but is confident he can still build wealth without going back to school.

*What he spends in a month*
Gillespie keeps his monthly expenses low, thanks to living with a roommate and relying on cooking his meals instead of takeout. His biggest splurge is on books since he spends as much time as he can reading, mostly non-fiction. His favorite topics include science, physics, computers, business, self-development, money and investing.
He still owes about $16,000 on his student debt. But earlier this year, he qualified for Economic Hardship Deferment, which gives him a three-year break on paying them down. And because all of the loans he has left are subsidized, they aren't accruing interest during this time.
Here's a look at how he spent his money in July 2020.


*Housing:* $823 (Includes his share of the rent, electricity and Wi-Fi. He shares a two-bedroom apartment with one roommate.)
*Groceries:* $200 (Gillespie rarely goes out to eat.)
*Phone:* $67 (Includes both his personal line and business line.)
*Miscellaneous:* $58 (Includes clothing, personal care items, etc.)
*Books:* $40
*Gym:* $40
*Transportation:* $30 (This number increases to around $600 when he regularly drives for Uber and Lyft.)
*Subscriptions:* $24 (Netflix and Audible.)
Gillespie aims to save and invest around $10,000 a year, but he doesn't contribute to savings on a regular basis. He'll transfer money over when his checking account hits more than he needs to cover his monthly expenses. Currently, he has about $1,300 put away.

He also hopes to max out his Roth IRA by the end of the year. In January, he withdrew $8,500 from it to pay down his student loans before putting them in forbearance, leaving $4,500 in the account. He invests in individual stocks a few times a year and has about $13,200 invested between his Robinhood and Vanguard brokerage accounts.

Although Gillespie hopes to earn six figures one day, he's content with the amount he makes now. "I have everything I could want right now," he says.

Even the times he spent forgoing meals or sleeping on his brother's couch served a purpose. "I was OK with it because I realized that this was just going to motivate me to never be in this situation ever again," he says. "I looked at it as an opportunity to sacrifice today, so tomorrow I won't have to make the sacrifices ever again.

"Right about now, I am thanking myself every single day for that decision that I made to sleep on that couch, to eat once a day, to live that lifestyle, so I don't have to live that lifestyle ever again."


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Most important part of article.

"He hopes to get out of the rideshare game soon though. “I want to move on to something that is a bit more lucrative,”


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Seems ok to me. He's making 10 or 11 dollars an hour with rideshare and says he's happy doing it; has all he wants right now.


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## Hans GrUber (Apr 23, 2016)

This isn’t news. It’s propaganda.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Seems ok to me. He's making 10 or 11 dollars an hour with rideshare and says he's happy doing it; has all he wants right now.


This is not OK.


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## OC-Moe (Oct 6, 2018)

Jo3030 said:


> This is not OK.


how much is Uber making off this happy helot?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

He could DIE any minute from his bad heart.

He should do whatever he wants.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> He could DIE any minute from his bad heart.
> 
> He should do whatever he wants.


Therefore why he should probably get paid more than what he gets paid doing Uber and Lyft.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Dropping out of college when you're a SENIOR is idiotic. At that point why not finish?

$600 a month on gas is a lot of miles. I see no plans for replacing his vehicle when it croaks.


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

To each his own, but I am not convinced he's making progress to move on. He should have completed college. Took an ELDL to keep his RS afloat? Jeez. And top it off he is youtubing financial advice...

The guy has potential, but needs financial education himself, to pull it off.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Jo3030 said:


> This is not OK.


whats wrong with this. The guy is working, living within his means and saving a little bit and he says he is happy


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

And if that's his car, it won't be lasting very long / be on the platform very long.


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## Valar Dohaeris (May 25, 2019)

Jo3030 said:


> Therefore why he should probably get paid more than what he gets paid doing Uber and Lyft.


Start his own RS company?


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

Valar Dohaeris said:


> Start his own RS company?


Or the rideshare companies could pay more.


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## Valar Dohaeris (May 25, 2019)

Jo3030 said:


> Or the rideshare companies could pay more.


Or $100 bills could fall from the sky.

Life is so unfair. Why don't more $100s fall from the sky? I'm going to mope about it.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

Valar Dohaeris said:


> Or $100 bills could fall from the sky.
> 
> Life is so unfair. Why don't more $100s fall from the sky? I'm going to mope about it.


You are missing the point.


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> Dropping out of college when you're a SENIOR is idiotic. At that point why not finish


This, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. Especially a 5th year Senior at that. There is either more to that story or displays impulsive, non thought out decision making.

Very telling that at his income level he had student loans when there are ways to get 100% grant money at his income. Again goes back to decision making.

Anyone content at wages below what it takes to survive needs a kick in the ass or is destined to lead a life of poverty.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

Attitude is everything in life. There are a lot of very unhappy, wealthy people who complain about everything. I am not endorsing rideshare driving as a career.


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

1.5xorbust said:


> Attitude is everything in life. There are a lot of very unhappy, wealthy people who complain about everything.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

This article was written for the "I'll be shocked and outraged for you" crowd to scream about injustice and how unfair life is.

Jerome is not a victim and he is not sitting around crying about how unfair life is. He has used Uber/Lyft to his advantage and he has managed to pay down his college debt and put some money in the bank. A lot of his financial "advice" is along the lines of Finance 101 and there is nothing wrong with that... he has found out that Finance 101 works very well if you are committed to it. By following (and preaching) the basics it allows him to grow financially.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

He also was told to apply for a 20K EIDL loan (and received said loan) which he took while only making 25k a year.


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## Valar Dohaeris (May 25, 2019)

Jo3030 said:


> You are missing the point.


No, I'm not. Bi*hing about low wages for RS drivers is played out. RS drivers think they deserve $40/hr plus paid vacations - we get it. Uber and Lyft sucks as companies - we get it.

McDonald's is always hiring.


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## Immoralized (Nov 7, 2017)

Jo3030 said:


> Someone shoot me.
> 
> *This 23-year-old Uber driver earns $25,000 a year-but has 'everything I could want right now'*
> 
> ...


Seems like his just going through the motions and surviving because his not sure on what he wants to do in his life or really wants to commit to anything just coasting is what they call it.

Nothing wrong with just coasting through life as a lot of people do it and the majority of people. No one is happy on 25k per year as you are just surviving and paying the bills. For some people existing and scraping out an existence without going anywhere makes them happy and if his happy then I'm happy for him.

This does seem like a propaganda paid actual via uber to recruit more drivers. If the story is even true and the guy even exist but who knows the whole thing might be a complete fabrication. I don't think anyone grew up and said to themselves all i want out of this life is to pay one bill after another and if I can do that then that all I want in life. "everything I could want right now." Sure mate :thumbup:


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

Immoralized said:


> This does seem like a propaganda paid actual via uber to recruit more drivers. If the story is even true and the guy even exist but who knows the whole thing might be a complete fabrication. I don't think anyone grew up and said to themselves all i want out of this life is to pay one bill after another and if I can do that then that all I want in life. "everything I could want right now." Sure mate :thumbup:


The guy has a very active YouTube channel and he points out what he likes and doesn't like from Uber/Lyft so this being propaganda is pretty laughable.

You really got to love the "YOU ARE A VICTIM!" crowd who are often that last people in the world you want to take any type advice from sit here and judge a man who is clearly comfortable with the direction his life is going and saying that's not good enough...


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## Immoralized (Nov 7, 2017)

Fusion_LUser said:


> The guy has a very active YouTube channel and he points out what he likes and doesn't like from Uber/Lyft so this being propaganda is pretty laughable.
> 
> You really got to love the "YOU ARE A VICTIM!" crowd who are often that last people in the world you want to take any type advice from sit here and judge a man who is clearly comfortable with the direction his life is going and saying that's not good enough...


He has said it himself and a number of times throughout the article. His just not sure what he wants to do or study but hopefully it something in the six figures salary range. Well good luck with him and if that what he actually wants in the future I'm sure he'll find a way to realize that but it not going to fall into his lap. It probably going to require him to study something but who know. If his happy with his life then that all that matters.

Been there in my early 20s just coasting not really sure about much or committing to much and that pretty true for most people as they find who they want to be later on in the years. Don't know anyone that has all the answers for themselves right away. It different for everyone and everyone on their own journey through life.

I'm unsure what you mean by victim? I believe if you work at something you can achieve it and you got no one to blame but yourself if you don't. Acting like the country owes you something or the world owes you something isn't going to get you anywhere fast.
Everyone makes choices in life that get them where they are to this point in time. Right or Wrong. well that just people opinions. What never changes is that we are all responsible for each of those choices that were made and no one else.


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## Johnny Mnemonic (Sep 24, 2019)

Checking account: $1300
IRA: $4500
Muh stoNks: $13,200

Total assets: $19000

EIDL loan: $20,000
Student loans: $16,000 (cannot be discharged in bankruptcy)
Car Loan: ???
Credit card debt: ???

Total Liabilities: $36,000

Current liquid net worth: negative -$17,000 










The good news is that he is willing to set his ego aside to be frugal and save money. He can knock out his debt in two years if he continues as is. If he does that while getting a job as a bookkeeper or programmer THEN he'll be fine.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Jo3030 said:


> This is not OK.


That's for him to decide. Right?


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

goneubering said:


> That's for him to decide. Right?


When a few companies conspire to unrealistically lower the price of a product/service below the cost of what it actually costs to operate said business, it's a bit of fraud involved in that.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Jo3030 said:


> When a few companies conspire to unrealistically lower the price of a product/service below the cost of what it actually costs to operate said business, it's a bit of fraud involved in that.


Drivers are free to walk away at any time which is what the vast majority do every year according to the %s we've seen posted here.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

goneubering said:


> Drivers are free to walk away at any time which is what the vast majority do every year according to the %s we've seen posted here.


That's true.

This does have a 'puff piece' / 'hey look at this millenial that doesn't know what to do but he uses Uber and Lyft to make ends meet' positive spin to it....


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Jo3030 said:


> That's true.
> 
> This does have a 'puff piece' / 'hey look at this millenial that doesn't know what to do but he uses Uber and Lyft to make ends meet' positive spin to it....


That's what I thought the first time I read it so I read it again. I think this dude has a remarkably positive outlook on life considering all the obstacles that have been placed in his path. I expect he will eventually be very successful.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> He could DIE any minute from his bad heart.
> 
> He should do whatever he wants.


Any of us could die at any minute from an undiagnosed medical condition, a terrible auto accident, a drive-by shooting, etc. We should all do what we want because life is very transient.

Even if you live 100 years, it is but a blip.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

Jo3030 said:


> That's true.
> 
> This does have a 'puff piece' / 'hey look at this millenial that doesn't know what to do but he uses Uber and Lyft to make ends meet' positive spin to it....


Oh yes it must be a "puff piece" or "propaganda" because the Uber/Lyft driver refuses to call himself some type of victim. His "Black Vito" YouTube channel has both negative and positive things to say about Uber/Lyft and its clear he doesn't see himself being an ant long term.

This guy has a old school view of life that we don't see anymore with today's participation trophy raised "Why do I need to move out of my parents home I'm only 33 years old" crowd. Instead of crying victim and expecting a no skills job like driving for Uber/Lyft to pay big bucks he uses the no-skill job to make ends meet while he works towards something better.

The guy said himself he is using these experiences to learn from. That should be a lesson to the crybaby ants here (or those here who have a laughable goal to make .25 a minute) that if you haven't figured out how to make money with Uber/Lyft then you are the problem, not Uber and Lyft.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Fusion_LUser said:


> This guy has a old school view of life that we don't see anymore with today's participation trophy raised "Why do I need to move out of my parents home I'm only 33 years old" crowd.


The guy in the article lived with his brother. I guess that's better than living with your mother?

I'm not really sure why it matters what place you live in. Seems to me it would make sense to live with your parents as long as possible. Otherwise you just waste money on an equivalent roof to live under alone.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

Trafficat said:


> The guy in the article lived with his brother. I guess that's better than living with your mother?


Well if you can't see the difference between staying with your brother (or any family member for that matter) temporarily to save up and move out vs today's kids who live with their parents because life is too hard I guess there is not much more to say about this.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Fusion_LUser said:


> Well if you can't see the difference between staying with your brother (or any family member for that matter) temporarily to save up and move out vs today's kids who live with their parents because life is too hard I guess there is not much more to say about this.


Personally, I think living with your parents is a really good idea at any age. Pay them rent though. It's not that life is hard. It's that life is pointless. We are supposed to move away from our parents to prove some sort of point. I guess that we prefer to be away from the few people that actually care about us, and that we'd rather pay some landlord we don't know for a lesser quality property rather than helping with the family financially and otherwise.

I mean, I get moving out if you are married or can relocate to get a better job than you can living near your family. But moving out for the sake of moving out just doesn't make much sense to me. Of course, many people have an awful toxic relationship with their family and then it makes sense.


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

Both, Living with parents or not can be good things. 

Being off on your own, is good. But saving ~$800/month while advancing education and/or career is good if not better.

The disadvantage of living at home is where the parents are enabling the young adult to get by on a easy lifestyle. Always dependent on them. He is the one that is the stereotypical millennial referred to when we talk of living w parents.

I, myself moved out by choice when I was 18. I was and am fiercely independent. Not the easiest path. Some would say that wasn't the best decision.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

Trafficat said:


> Personally, I think living with your parents is a really good idea at any age. Pay them rent though. It's not that life is hard. It's that life is pointless. We are supposed to move away from our parents to prove some sort of point. I guess that we prefer to be away from the few people that actually care about us, and that we'd rather pay some landlord we don't know for a lesser quality property rather than helping with the family financially and otherwise.


Traditionally the parents raise the child, the child moves on and then takes care of the parent when the parent can't take care of themselves anymore. And to be clear here I believe there is a huge difference between living with your parents because of unforeseen circumstances vs. living with them because its cheaper and easier having mommy and daddy take care of you.

Life is never easy and the ones I'm talking about are the ones here in this thread trying to make the subject of the article a victim. When Jerome was told he had a heart condition he didn't cower in the corner he decided (right or wrong) that he will continue on without fear. He has had a lot of bad luck but that didn't stop him and he's slowly turning things around. More power to him for that.

Contrast that to entitled millennials who have their parents pay all the "communal" expenses (like rent/food/phone/family vacations) so they can go out to lunch every day, buy $9 coffee and have a nice car. These are the ones who are complaining that no skill jobs like Uber/Lyft don't pay them enough. These are the ones who want Jerome to be a victim.


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

Fusion_LUser said:


> Traditionally the parents raise the child, the child moves on and then takes care of the parent when the parent can't take care of themselves anymore. And to be clear here I believe there is a huge difference between living with your parents because of unforeseen circumstances vs. living with them because its cheaper and easier having mommy and daddy take care of you.
> 
> Life is never easy and the ones I'm talking about are the ones here in this thread trying to make the subject of the article a victim. When Jerome was told he had a heart condition he didn't cower in the corner he decided (right or wrong) that he will continue on without fear. He has had a lot of bad luck but that didn't stop him and he's slowly turning things around. More power to him for that.
> 
> Contrast that to entitled millennials who have their parents pay all the "communal" expenses (like rent/food/phone/family vacations) so they can go out to lunch every day, buy $9 coffee and have a nice car. These are the ones who are complaining that no skill jobs like Uber/Lyft don't pay them enough. These are the ones who want Jerome to be a victim.


&#128175; yes
U/L driver feasibility, in a way, is a similar argument.

It could be a deadend path where the driver ends up failing in life..
It can be a tool while working on better things.
OR anywhere in between.

The holy grail in the pay argument is still a dead end. Still stuck in the lower class.

I think pushing for "rights" for the lowest performing drivers is like taking a bunch of "A" through "F" students, and overriding all their results to "C".

Instead of equal opportunity, where results are dependent on one's own decisions, people want equal results.

Fighting agaisnt the system will only lead to being stuck in the lower class. Instead, we should learn the game.

The rich didn't get where they are by choosing a known entry-level job and crying victim.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Fusion_LUser said:


> Traditionally the parents raise the child, the child moves on and then takes care of the parent when the parent can't take care of themselves anymore. And to be clear here I believe there is a huge difference between living with your parents because of unforeseen circumstances vs. living with them because its cheaper and easier having mommy and daddy take care of you.
> 
> Life is never easy and the ones I'm talking about are the ones here in this thread trying to make the subject of the article a victim. When Jerome was told he had a heart condition he didn't cower in the corner he decided (right or wrong) that he will continue on without fear. He has had a lot of bad luck but that didn't stop him and he's slowly turning things around. More power to him for that.
> 
> Contrast that to entitled millennials who have their parents pay all the "communal" expenses (like rent/food/phone/family vacations) so they can go out to lunch every day, buy $9 coffee and have a nice car. These are the ones who are complaining that no skill jobs like Uber/Lyft don't pay them enough. These are the ones who want Jerome to be a victim.


There will never be any "unforseen circumstance" sufficient to satisfy society as to why a person chooses to live with their parents. The more "reasons" you give, the more it looks like you are reaching into a bag of excuses to justify your incompetence at life. Just like any job gap on your resume proves you are worthless as an employee no matter what kind of justification you can pull out of your hat. Living with your parents is ALWAYS done because it is the easier option. It is ALWAYS a choice. Anyone could choose to live homeless on the street rather than choose to live with their parents. Society is judgmental though and it seems it looks down more on adults that live with their parents, even working productive jobs and contributing at home, than it does homeless guys who stand on the corner begging for change.


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## RideShare_Hustler (Jun 18, 2020)

Jo3030 said:


> Someone shoot me.
> 
> *This 23-year-old Uber driver earns $25,000 a year-but has 'everything I could want right now'*
> 
> ...


With the hours im putting in, I'm making 6 figures a year. Anyone want to interview me?


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## 3.75 (Sep 29, 2017)

Valar Dohaeris said:


> No, I'm not. Bi*hing about low wages for RS drivers is played out. RS drivers think they deserve $40/hr plus paid vacations - we get it. Uber and Lyft sucks as companies - we get it.
> 
> McDonald's is always hiring.


Mcdonalds pays $10 an hour at best outside the communist areas of the People's Republik of Montgomery county and The People's District of Columbia. In those areas its more close to $15. Dont expect 40 hours though.

Long story short, unless youre a narco, youre not getting $40 an hour plus vacations.


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## JaysUberman (Dec 19, 2017)

Something doesn't add up. How did he go from a 1993 Pontiac Firebird to a vehicle that is eligible for uber\lyft? If he is as broke as he said how did he get money for a new(er) car? If he financed it then he is lying about his expenses.

Either way sounds like he didn't do it all himself.


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## IRME4EVER (Feb 17, 2020)

OC-Moe said:


> how much is Uber making off this happy helot?


More than he's making. Uber screws their drivers over!!



Fuzzyelvis said:


> Dropping out of college when you're a SENIOR is idiotic. At that point why not finish?
> 
> $600 a month on gas is a lot of miles. I see no plans for replacing his vehicle when it croaks.


I put 43,000 miles on my new car in 1 year. Uber will run your car to the curb. They could give a damn about you. They treat their customers like they are royalty. Faulk the drivers who make sure the no-tipping scumbags get from point A to point B, even if they go less than a mile. Which I have had plenty (not even 1/10th of a mile) Uber makes 6.00 driver makes 2.37. 1 night I did 15 trips, with no tips, and made 73.47 what's wrong with this picture?



Fuzzyelvis said:


> Dropping out of college when you're a SENIOR is idiotic. At that point why not finish?
> 
> $600 a month on gas is a lot of miles. I see no plans for replacing his vehicle when it croaks.


I put 43,000 miles on my new car in 1 year. Uber will run your car to the curb. They could give a damn about you. They treat their customers like they are royalty. Faulk the drivers who make sure the no-tipping scumbags get from point A to point B, even if they go less than a mile. Which I have had plenty (not even 1/10th of a mile) Uber makes 6.00 driver makes 2.37. 1 night I did 15 trips and made 73.47 what's wrong with this picture?


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

RideShare_Hustler said:


> With the hours im putting in, I'm making 6 figures a year. Anyone want to interview me?


Details?


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

Trafficat said:


> There will never be any "unforseen circumstance" sufficient to satisfy society as to why a person chooses to live with their parents. The more "reasons" you give, the more it looks like you are reaching into a bag of excuses to justify your incompetence at life. Just like any job gap on your resume proves you are worthless as an employee no matter what kind of justification you can pull out of your hat. Living with your parents is ALWAYS done because it is the easier option. It is ALWAYS a choice. Anyone could choose to live homeless on the street rather than choose to live with their parents. Society is judgmental though and it seems it looks down more on adults that live with their parents, even working productive jobs and contributing at home, than it does homeless guys who stand on the corner begging for change.


I see unforeseen circumstances as one losing a job. Getting out of a messy relationship or divorce... Sickness. I do agree with the rest of what you said though... even the judgmental part which I admit I'm guilty of!

When I lived in San Francisco I rented a garage apartment and the son and daughter who were in their 40's still lived at home. One was a teacher with a Masters and the other worked at a department store. This was back in the early 90's when SF was not the most expensive place to live they just lived with mom. Both didn't have a girlfriend/boyfriend and they just like being at home. I didn't think that was strange back then or now though. But I also think the son/daughter are nothing like a lot of kids today who just live with their parents to make life easier on them.

It shouldn't be newsworthy though when some 23 year old straps up his boots and works himself out of an unfortunate situation. Someone working hard and pounding the pavement at one point was not newsworthy that's for sure!



IRME4EVER said:


> I put 43,000 miles on my new car in 1 year. Uber will run your car to the curb. They could give a damn about you. They treat their customers like they are royalty. Faulk the drivers who make sure the no-tipping scumbags get from point A to point B, even if they go less than a mile. Which I have had plenty (not even 1/10th of a mile) Uber makes 6.00 driver makes 2.37. 1 night I did 15 trips, with no tips, and made 73.47 what's wrong with this picture?


You know how you don't run your new car to the curb in 1 year? You don't use it for business. What do you really think business owners don't have business expenses? Even your local street hooker has business expenses. Nobody is responsible for buying a new car then running it to the curb other than you. You made that mistake.

You should be more like the 23 year that is the star of this thread and stop being a crybaby.


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## RideShare_Hustler (Jun 18, 2020)

Jo3030 said:


> Details?


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## I will crack Lyft hacks (Aug 5, 2019)

Jo3030 said:


> He also was told to apply for a 20K EIDL loan (and received said loan) which he took while only making 25k a year.


I personally don't believe that.

The story is great. Someone in Baltimore working at a Tax Firm, and doing some side gigs.

25k in Baltimore is more than above minimum wage there.

But the EIDL loan is not almost how much you make per year. My income was higher and I got WAY less.

So people actually needing a business loan didn't get it so a young man can play the stock market with 20k.



Seamus said:


> This, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. Especially a 5th year Senior at that. There is either more to that story or displays impulsive, non thought out decision making.


5 fifth year senior with student loans decides to drop out. Ok

Now he's working and living and getting by like any young 20's something does. OK

He gets a low interest loan for 20k. OK

Out of the loan, he has already spent some and is going to practice investing.

So a well presented, well written about college dropout with student loan debt and government loan is working and trying to figure out life.

I did similar in my 20's, nobody game me a trophy.

He seems off drugs, presents himself well, maybe when he is more mature, he can finish those last classes and get a degree, become a accountant. He has easily a decade to wisen up and get a actual degree.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

I will crack Lyft hacks said:


> But the EIDL loan is not almost how much you make per year. My income was higher and I got WAY less.


You did it wrong

EIDL loans were 1/2 of gross earnings. Not net income or schedule C income.

In my case my 1099k from Uber and Lyft totals nearly $60000. (That's before Uber took their share and before my actual expenses and before depreciation) My cash flow was about $30000 and my schedule C was close to zero.

My EIDL was $29200; pretty much equal to what I made..Just like the hero of our story




Johnny Mnemonic said:


> Checking account: $1300
> IRA: $4500
> Muh stoNks: $13,200
> 
> ...


His net worth may be negative $17000
but his liquid assets are $19000
His income may only be $25000/yr. but he is able to add to the savings and pay down the debt

It seems to me that as long as his assets are going up and his liabilities are going down he is doing well


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Immoralized said:


> This does seem like a propaganda paid actual via uber to recruit more drivers.


Nah, if it was Uber propaganda it would say that he earns $50k per year working part time while meeting people and exploring the city he loves on his own schedule.


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## Johnny Mnemonic (Sep 24, 2019)

oldfart said:


> You did it wrong
> 
> EIDL loans were 1/2 of gross earnings. Not net income or schedule C income.
> 
> ...


I did my net-worth breakdown wrong.

An IRA is not considered a liquid asset until you reach retirement age.

https://finance.zacks.com/401ks-iras-liquid-assets-4989.html
Therefore:

Checking Account: $1300
IRA: $4500
Muh Stonks: $13,200

Total assets: $19000
Total liquid assets: $14,500

EIDL loan: $20,000
Student loans: $16,000 (cannot be discharged in bankruptcy)
Car Loan: ???
Credit card debt: ???

Total Liabilities: $36,000

Net Worth: $-17,000
Liquid Net Worth: -$21,500

He also showed a pile of credit cards in the video, but they didn't mention how much (if any) consumer debt he has.

You're right about his savings rate though, which is outstanding. If he puts that towards paying off his loans, he can be completely debt free in a few years.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Trafficat said:


> There will never be any "unforseen circumstance" sufficient to satisfy society as to why a person chooses to live with their parents. The more "reasons" you give, the more it looks like you are reaching into a bag of excuses to justify your incompetence at life. Just like any job gap on your resume proves you are worthless as an employee no matter what kind of justification you can pull out of your hat. Living with your parents is ALWAYS done because it is the easier option. It is ALWAYS a choice. Anyone could choose to live homeless on the street rather than choose to live with their parents. Society is judgmental though and it seems it looks down more on adults that live with their parents, even working productive jobs and contributing at home, than it does homeless guys who stand on the corner begging for change.


Depends on culture. As an unmarried woman, my ex-sister in law lived with her parents until she was 42.


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## ColdRider (Oct 19, 2015)

Lots of positive comments in the video


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## I will crack Lyft hacks (Aug 5, 2019)

oldfart said:


> You did it wrong


 Great point. Your right.

I think what makes this young mans story great is the fact he has a heart condition, as well as he grew up knowing real poverty. He knows what it feels like to sleep hungry.

Unlike all other 23 year olds, he is spending less than he makes and he saves it. He is also not playing with drugs and alcohol it seems, due to his health condition probably.

He will be able to have a down payment for a mortgage in his 20's and will probebly get his accounting license.

So yes, our HERO is going places.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Johnny Mnemonic said:


> I did my net-worth breakdown wrong.
> 
> An IRA is not considered a liquid asset until you reach retirement age.
> 
> ...


When I said "you did it wrong" I was referring to what was said about EIDL loans

The point I was trying to make regarding your post is that a liquid net worth calculation is somewhat misleading here. Liquid net worth is a very important measure as it allows you to evaluate your financial security (something many people avoid because they know it isn't pleasant)..So what is financial security? *financial security* means having enough money to fund your lifestyle, as well as work toward your *financial* goals

In the case we are discussing here, although his net worth, and as you say, his liquid net worth, are negative numbers, the guy is financially secure, He makes enough to support his lifestyle and service his debts,.... and more than that. He has a enough set aside to survive an emergency or an extended period of unemployment


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## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

Jo3030 said:


> Therefore why he should probably get paid more than what he gets paid doing Uber and Lyft.


OR he could be doing something with that degree he earned as a super senior!

Oh wait. 5 years and couldn't earn a degree?

He might just have motivation issues.


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## Driveralp (Aug 25, 2019)

*seems to me his plan is working, he is famous now, too. Already has fans here lol. That boy will get to somewhere while you are still commenting about other people and their life. *


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## Kurt Halfyard (Dec 13, 2017)

Johnny Mnemonic said:


> Checking account: $1300
> IRA: $4500
> Muh stoNks: $13,200
> 
> ...


If this were anywhere in 1965-1985, this 'kid' (He's 23) would probably be earning triple the value on a cost-of-living to $-value basis.
This is late-stage capitalism at its finest, but kudos to him for keeping his chin up about it.


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## REX HAVOC (Jul 4, 2016)

This just goes to show you how cheap it is to live in other parts of the country where the cost of living is relatively low. In a lot of cities he would be hard pressed to pay his rent with the money he makes each month.


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## The Entomologist (Sep 23, 2018)




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## Johnny Mnemonic (Sep 24, 2019)

REX HAVOC said:


> This just goes to show you how cheap it is to live in other parts of the country where the cost of living is relatively low. In a lot of cities he would be hard pressed to pay his rent with the money he makes each month.


Word:










https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/baltimore-md/oakland-ca/25000


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## 34-Methoxyzacko (May 9, 2020)

JaysUberman said:


> Something doesn't add up. How did he go from a 1993 Pontiac Firebird to a vehicle that is eligible for uber\lyft? If he is as broke as he said how did he get money for a new(er) car? If he financed it then he is lying about his expenses.
> 
> Either way sounds like he didn't do it all himself.


My thoughts on this, almost from the beginning- in fact, yes- from the headline- were that this individual is possibly, if not likely, using a long-term rental option. 
So many aspects within this story "just fit" with the experiences of some (dare I say many) of the folks who remain engaged in such programs for the long haul. Particularly Lyft's option, which pays even less while charging even more.
"Everything he wants" 
Shelter ☑
Vehicle ☑
Media attention ☑


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## REX HAVOC (Jul 4, 2016)

Another thing to look at is the crime index. Baltimore is considered a high crime city.

https://www.numbeo.com/crime/in/Baltimore


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