After Chauffeuring Retirement

According to payscale.com a chauffeur with 4-10 years of experience should make close to $20 an hour. I started my chauffeuring career about 1994, driving to birthday parties and to the roller rink. Basketball games came next, then band practice, track, volleyball and eventually to part time jobs. You can't leave out driving to school, because everyone knows you can't take your tenor sax on the bus. With three busy girls, I often put drove more than 80 miles a day between their schools and home.

The day my oldest was old enough I took her to get her permit. I wanted to end the "driver" phase of my life as soon as possible. My dreams didn't all come true the day she turned 16. Grounding, engine trouble and eventually a car accident put my first young driver back in my passenger seat. The second was reluctant to get her permit, then struggled to finally pass her drivers exam but by her senior year was able to drive her self. My youngest was still asking for rides well after she was out of school. She was afraid to get her license, and I was afraid I'd be driving her to work when she was thirty.

"The Car Plan," had always gone like this: Earn some money for a car, and I will match what you've saved and you can get a car worth twice what you saved. Plans are funny - because they don't go the way you well, plan them. Number one daughter didn't save any money, she just kept asking me to take her to work and then pick her up at the end of her shift (midnight). I felt used and finally I told her she was getting a crappy car and she could pay me back for her half.

Number two daughter followed the plan, and got a car. Passing the test was the hard part.

Number three daughter didn't look like she was going to ever stop asking for rides. When she finished school, I went back to work but she still needed someone to come get her to take her to work. She didn't have a car fund when I just bought her a car so I could worry about my own job. I just had to hope she'd pay her half back. So far, it doesn't look good. At least I've been able to hang up my chauffeur hat.