V018 | I'm Cutting Back On DoorDash (Here's My Plan)

Time for a real talk episode. After weighing out the numbers and the miles, I'm making a change to how I run my days out here - cutting back hard on one app that's been costing me more than it pays. We had an alright stretch to start the week, then took some time off to reset. Since then, we've been leaning harder into a different strategy with the wife's shifts, and it's got me rethinking one of the apps I've relied on for a long time. I get a LOT of comments telling me to just quit or "get a real job," and I'm finally addressing that head on in this one. I'm also breaking down why tips in this space don't work the way people think they do, and why the whole system feels more like a bid than a tip. 📱 Apps I Use: DoorDash, Instacart, Shipt This one runs a little long because I wanted to cover every angle - the app changes, the customer side, the "just quit" comments, and where I'm taking things from here. 💬 Let's Talk: Have you had to cut back on an app that used to be reliable? Do you agree tips are basically a bid for good service? Small market drivers - are you seeing the same slowdown? What app changes have hit you hardest this year? If you're new here, we're a tag-team husband and wife duo running gig work in small-town Michigan - one car, alternating orders, showing the good days and the rough ones. Subscribe to follow along as I figure out what's actually still worth running in 2026. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Check-in and where things stand 0:20 - How the week went so far 1:00 - Why I'm cutting back on DoorDash 2:20 - The 5% tip problem 4:00 - Responding to "just quit" comments 6:30 - Why tips are really just a bid 9:00 - What I'm doing instead going forward #gigwork #doordash #sidehustle #gigeconomy #instacart #smalltownhustle