Is it worth me continuing with this lesson?

[Janeyjacke]

It's tutoring for a friend of a friend. On a Monday I work 8-5, then commute by public transport, my buses are always late so sometimes I'll have to take an Uber to get there for the allocated time.

It's 12 miles from my workplace to the pupil's home, and then it's just over 30 minutes from their home back to mine.

It's an hour's lesson for £20.
However with the travel it's taking up nearly 3 hours of my evening, though if I stopped it I'd lose £80 per month. The pupil is only 12 so can't really ask them to come here.
It's just quite a lot of hassle and I end up wasting money on taxis to make it at a reasonable time

How much are you spending on Ubers? You’d likely find after you offset the cost of your travel, it isn’t really worth your time.

Would it be possible to move the lesson to a more convenient time?

How much is the Uber? £20 is pretty cheap. Where I live if someone is travelling to you it’s more like £35-40. So I’d renegotiate the tutoring cost. Or ask they come to you? Is there not a parent who can drop them off/pick them up?

Move the lesson time to suit you, or charge more. Three hours for £20 is under minimum wage, so that’s not worth your while.

Not worth it unless you increase your rate or add an additional travel charge.

I tend to get a bus to a certain point, then an Uber which is £5 roughly.
The parent seems to be a single parent with other young children who doesn't drive, I'm not sure it would be possible for them.
Before we ever started the lessons, the pupil's Mum told my friend she'd like to pay £20 an hour, and I just accepted, maybe I should try to negotiate

An hour's lesson for twenty quid? I'd be charging at least double that. I charged £20 for 30 mins back in 2009.

You say you'd lose £80 a month. How much do the ubers cost? Deduct that from the eighty quid and then tell me it's worth it.

£5 an uber, is that each way? So at best you're making £60 a month, at worst £40. Ten quid a week for 3 hours of your time.

As @KatherineofGaunt said. It's not £80 a monhh is it. And how many hours you are spending.

You don't owe it to them. Ask about increasing your fee or consider quitting if it doesn't feel worth it.

Can't you just move the lesson online? And try to get some other kids to tutor in the time you'll save?

It was £30 per hour standard when we had a tutor from year 3-6 and it was always child to tutor, not the other way around for that reason of tutor's time being spent travelling form one place to the next.

You need to put your business head on here. You say you’d lose £80 but how much are actually earning taking into account your travel costs? Why not move it on to zoom?

Omg of course you shouldn’t! You should be charging at least £30 per hour for tutoring and expenses on top! This is a no brainer

I’d see if you can do it over zoom.
My 12 year old does an hours Spanish each week this way.

Teacher here. I would not do all that for £20 minus all your expenses. Yes you would like £8o a month but you could probably get tutoring nearer your home if you advertised. You could probably do two lessons near home in the time it takes for you to do this one lesson. If you are a specialist you could also probably charge more. I am paying £35 a lesson for dgs A level Maths tuition. I know it's less for younger kids but I would advertise at £25 and see if you get work. Stipulate how far you will travel or only do it in your own home. The Maths tutor I use will only do online teaching. I would definitely prefer race to face.

How much of that £20 are you actually taking home once you've paid for the bus and an Uber each way This sounds absolutely bonkers!

Face to face lol

£80 minus the cost of travel (so £60 or less) is not worth 12 hours of your time each month.

You either need to increase the amount your charge or move the lesson online or to your home do you don’t have the cost and time of travelling

Why don’t you Zara on tutor for £25 and explain 3 hours for £20 is not on

Or tutor one hour one week and do one for zoom then next and charge £50 for both and say mates rate

Do it by zoom from your home or give it up and tutor someone near you for more money. £20 to tutor at their home is very cheap and you're making a lot of effort.

Not Zara - no idea where that came from … why don’t you up your rare to £25 and explain you are really doing this as a favour and this is too little for your time and expertise. £20 for tutoring after a long day.

I’m not in London but my teaching friend charges £50 an hour and parents cover petrol on top and it’s always at their house ie pupils house

Rate bloody autocorrect is going mad 😡

No.

Zoom or can't you make the lesson a bit later to fit with your transport?

Why are you only charging £20 that's way under the going rate. Charge more and ask them to come to you at a convenient time

I wouldn’t. I think it’s way under market rate. Could you try online instead?