Maybe just look at it from another angle.
Say you get $200 in fees, and $500 in reimbursements for one month.
Is the $500 in reimbursements for things you would have spent your own money for, if you weren't on a shop? I.e., an oil change, gas, groceries, eating out, dry cleaning, car washes,
clothing, or amusements?
Number one: those reimbursements are not taxable income -- they are required business purchases, reimbursed. Therefore, you now have $500 to spend on OTHER things you need (or to save).
So as far as cash flow goes, the $500 is a big wad of cash in your pocket that you may now spend again.
I know, it's hard to look at them as "well, the money in fees is my business income, so I'm really not earning much" -- but actually you are PLUS $700 for the month.
Just sayin.
And if you're doing jobs you enjoy, I think you're doing just fine.
I find the "recreational vehicle" shops to be much, much easier than car shops. I think you would categorize them as retail shops, but you don't have to buy anything. The reports take less than one hour (remember, I'm painfully slow on reports; they probably take a "real shopper" 15 minutes or less, LOL!), you have no out of pocket, and you're usually on site 20 minutes or less. The only "haggling" I've ever had to do is asking, "And is this your best price?" while looking at the price sticker on the vehicle. These shops seem to start at about $25. I use them as filler on routes, because $25 is just my basic mininum I'll accept.
And yes, there's a rotation on opening those checking accounts -- but there are LOTS of companies that offer "inquiry only" banking shops where you are in the bank perhaps less than 10 minutes, and they seem to start around $15. I will do a route of them, if the MSC will up that to my minimum and I can pick up 3 or 4 different banks that are quite close to one another.
And there are bank shops where you inquire about a home mortgage, or current rates on CDs, or what accounts they offer for people with, say, half a million in CDs, that pay much, much better.
Good luck.