US man works as a driver for food delivery apps for 50 hours to see how much money he can make in that time
Published on Sep 04, 2026 at 5:58 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Sep 04, 2026 at 5:58 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Fenton
This guy in the US wanted to see if he could turn $1,000 in a week working just for food delivery apps.
The challenge was pretty straightforward, as the rules were simple to follow.
In the end, his attempt was successful, as he did manage to (almost) achieve his goal.
But with one massive caveat.
Can you earn $1,000 a week working for food delivery apps?
YouTuber Nuggs attempted to earn over $1,000 through gig work, using platforms like Amazon Flex and DoorDash.
The goal was to earn $1,000+ in 50 hours or less and over a seven-day period.
His strategy was also pretty straightforward.
By using multiple apps – Amazon Flex, Instacart, DoorDash – he was hoping to reduce his downtime to almost zero while also maximizing earnings.
By the end of the week, he managed to achieve his goal, earning a total of $1,158.39 in 49 hours.
After accounting for mileage and costs, his take-home profit was $997.13, averaging roughly $20.34 per hour, which is still not too shabby for a side gig.
But there’s a massive catch, which was readily and effectively summarized by a commenter.
“50 hours working, and another 50 hours of waiting to work”
“50 hours working, and another 50 hours of waiting to work,” somebody wrote in the comment section.
That’s a valid point.
First off, some of the YouTuber’s shifts were pretty long, which means you can’t really call it a side gig if it takes up most of your day.
But the main problem was unpaid downtime.
Even using three apps, Nuggs was still waiting a significant amount of time – usually 30 minutes – waiting for delivery routes to be assigned.
Also, to maximize earnings, gig workers often sit in parking lots or near hotspots, hoping for high-paying orders to pop up, which effectively turns their availability into unpaid time.
If you’re a YouTuber and do this gig as a one-off for a video, that’s not so bad.
But if that’s your only source of income, well, it isn’t ideal.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
