LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — When Emilee Rogers started driving for Uber two years ago, she didn’t realize just how much she would enjoy it.
Rogers works at the U.S. Postal Service and said she was looking for supplemental income.
“Gas went up, apartment prices went up, cars went up,” said Rogers. “Everything went up.”
Now, she uses the app as an essential way to pay for basic needs and said it will help her with holiday gift shopping.
“If I drive during the holidays, I can easily add an extra couple hundred dollars a week,” said Rogers. “So that not only helps myself, but it helps me get stuff for my grandson, who was born last year.”
Rogers said she was able to pay for some of her grandson’s items, like diapers and formula. Because she was seeing a lot of financial success on the app, she persuaded her son David and daughter-in-law Natasha to join Uber too. Now Natasha and David Rogers drive for the platform full-time.
“Once I saw [Emilee] start and then [David] start and saw the profits they were making, it was kind of a no-brainer,” said Natasha.
The husband and wife said the ride-sharing app has been really profitable.
“Both of us clear more than $5000 a month just for Uber,” said David. “So together driving for Uber, we’re making six figures.”
They said with the holiday shopping season, Uber has given them the leisure of buying gifts they want for their loved ones while being able to pay for other day-to-day needs.
According to Uber, last year 45% of new drivers said affording the holidays was a factor in starting ride-sharing. In the most recent quarter, Uber also reported driver earnings being up 24% compared to one year ago.
