- Sarah Jones Lauderdale, 44, is a married mom of 3 who lives in Bend, Oregon.
- She started driving for Uber in 2018 to earn extra cash and ended up loving it.
- But with rising gas prices, she's had to cut back. Here's her story, as told to writer Jenny Powers.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarah Jones Lauderdale, a 44-year-old Uber driver from Bend, Oregon. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I became an Uber driver in September 2018 shortly after the service first became available where I live in Bend, Oregon.
Initially, it was a way to pay off some large medical bills, make my monthly car payment on my then-new Subaru Ascent, and earn some extra cash on top of my job as a marketing consultant for radio ad sales. I wound up loving the work and when I realized I was earning way more than I initially expected, I decided to keep on doing it.
When it comes to the price of gas, we're normally pretty lucky
In what I've now come to refer to as "normal times," gas cost about $3.50 a gallon around this area of Oregon. This past weekend it was closer to $4.60 a gallon, even higher than the national average.
I used to be able to throw $20 worth of gas in the tank and do a ton of rides but sadly, times have changed. My Subaru has a 16-gallon tank — it's a great car for driving a lot and luckily I can usually get between 20-26 miles per gallon. But these days that $20 doesn't take me as far as it used to and I feel like I'm stopping to get gas more often.
The way gas prices are right now, I'm far more hesitant to turn on the app at random times like I used to
Now due to rising gas prices I can no longer justify doing short rides here and there and instead stick to busier times of day. Bend is a tourist town and Sunday mornings tend to be the best times to grab an airport ride or two. Those longer types of rides feel far more worth it especially when I'm paying so much for gas.
Having lived in the area for nearly 13 years, I know which gas stations have the lowest prices in town and I always keep an eye out for changes when I'm out and about. I've never used an app to find cheap gas, although I've heard they exist.
Before the pandemic, I used to drive a few early mornings and almost always at least one weekend night
But when COVID-19 hit and business was slow all around, I started driving much less. Now even though many restrictions have been lifted and there's an increased demand for rides, with gas prices as high as they are, I've been driving less and not making as much money. It's a vicious cycle.
One way I've started to compensate for the high price of gas is to cut down on how often I go to the car wash. Since I often have a lot of people inside my car, I like to keep my car clean, inside and out, but now I'm definitely doing car washes less frequently to save some cash.
Uber recently announced they are adding a new temporary fuel surcharge for rides. I'm not sure how long it will last but I'm glad it's happening because, even if it's just a small amount, it all adds up and every little bit helps.