As a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, flexibility is key. I enjoy having the ability to go about my day without time restraints or restrictions on my availability.
In an effort to get ahead of the holiday shopping rush, I decided to look for flexible ways to make a little extra money on the side while maintaining our flexible homeschooling life.
Enter Amazon Flex. I mean, the name in and of itself sparked my curiosity. Amazon Flex is a delivery program that allows you to use your own vehicle to deliver packages to customers all over town. It’s super easy and only requires an up-to-date Android or iPhone, valid driver’s license, state minimum vehicle insurance coverage, and a reliable vehicle. You can begin scheduling delivery times and making money just as soon as your account is approved. The approval process is rather quick and easy—mine took just a few days. Delivering for Amazon Flex has been a great opportunity and experience for me so far. I’m enjoying all the benefits, and the deliveries are typically quick and easy. It’s a great way to earn extra cash in your free time.
Top 3 perks of working for Amazon Flex
- Amazon Flex is passenger-friendly. I love the fact that Amazon Flex allows you to bring along passengers and pets. Just be sure your passengers are not a distraction or prevent you from properly loading all packages into your vehicle. This is an awesome selling point for moms with children. I will advise, you may sometimes get routes with apartment or office locations that require you to be away from your vehicle for a short period of time which isn’t ideal for smaller children. Of course, you never want to leave little ones alone in a vehicle so be sure to take everything into consideration before hitting the road with little ones in tow. My kids enjoy riding along and even receive their very own money for assisting me with my routes. When I get paid from Amazon, which happens twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, I transfer funds over to my kids’ debit card accounts and they enjoy seeing their money grow as they assist.
- Amazon Flex is, well, flexible. I absolutely love the flexibility that comes with working for Amazon Flex. With shifts beginning as early as 3:30 am and extending as late as 10:00 pm, there is something out there to fit just about every schedule. If you’re a working mom looking to pick up a route before or after your regularly scheduled day job then Amazon Flex delivery could be the perfect match for you. Scheduling is super easy using the Amazon Flex app. If something comes up or you’re unable to make your scheduled shift for any reason, simply forfeit the selected shift at least 45 minutes in advance with absolutely no penalty. With payouts being made twice per week you can easily schedule shifts to specifically cover certain bills or expenses you have coming up and only work as needed to help pad your existing income.
- Amazon Flex offers great rewards and benefits for its drivers. As if the flexibility of creating your own work schedule and bringing the kiddos along isn’t enough of a benefit, Amazon flex offers great perks like preferred scheduling to ensure you have the opportunity to select the times and locations that work best for your schedule. Amazon Flex also offers cashback rewards on fuel purchases, Amazon.com orders, and purchases made using the Amazon Flex Debit Card with varying percentages off depending on your current reliability and delivery quality standing. You also gain access to deals on auto parts, service, and repairs as well as food and dining deals and more.
{Read More: 3 Tips for Choosing a Debit Card for Kids}
Having a side gig has been a great and flexible way to make a little extra cash on my own terms and without the restrictions of a typical part-time job. There are so many perks and benefits you almost forget you’re actually working. I enjoy the opportunity to get out of the house, with the kids and puppy at times, and enjoy a nice afternoon of delivering smiles to Amazon’s great customers. I definitely look forward to delivering in my free time and also helping my kids continue to grow their bank accounts, which helps teach them financial literacy, time management, and how to creatively maintain multiple streams of income.
