Jade Crossfrench uses DoorDash work to supplement Chicago insurance job
NBC News followed Chicago mother Jade Crossfrench through an 11-hour day of insurance sales and DoorDash deliveries.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
Jade Crossfrench’s DoorDash work is the second job NBC News documented as the Chicago mother of three tried to cover everyday costs alongside commission-based insurance sales. NBC’s Sept. 30 report followed Crossfrench through a day in its “Affording America” series, when she had $20 in cash and said her bank account was overdrawn by $572.35.
Crossfrench, 30, sells insurance during the day, but said her pay can vary sharply because it is based on commission. She told NBC that in some weeks she takes home about $500, while in others she brings home nothing.
For Crossfrench, gig work meant making DoorDash food deliveries after her office shift. She told NBC the money was for immediate needs, including gas and day-to-day expenses.
How did Jade Crossfrench use DoorDash work?
On the day NBC filmed, Crossfrench said she had earned no commission from her insurance job. She then took a delivery that required a one-hour trip to bring boba tea to a customer. The order paid $10.40, plus a $1 tip, according to the report.
That delivery was one part of a longer shift. After working for 11 hours between the two jobs, Crossfrench said she was heading home with $35. Since she began with $20, she calculated that she had made $15 above her starting cash that day.
The report did not present the day as a measure of usual DoorDash pay or a typical household budget. It showed one worker’s cash flow during one day, with the uncertainty of commission income in the background.
Child care was also part of the calculation for Crossfrench. NBC reported that the cost of care meant her children sometimes came along on deliveries, riding in the back seat, eating dinner and doing homework while she worked.
Crossfrench said she hoped her children would not have to depend on gig work themselves, although she added that people should do what they need to do when it is necessary. NBC said its report concerned a mother working two jobs and long days as she tried to make ends meet.
NBC also cited a figure of 8.7 million people nationwide working more than one job to make ends meet. The report did not identify the underlying source or methodology for that number in the material available. Watch NBC News’ report.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.