Hi everyone, what do you think is a reasonable fee for covering the costs of traveling for professional cuddlers? Just curious as to what people have been asked 😊.
Half rate for travel hours + for longer trips everything paid in advance
When I travel I find exactly how much it’s going to cost me for gas. Plus I think about the time if it’s two hours I would pay myself what I would pay at my regular job plus the gas. So if I make $20 an hour at my regular job I charge that plus gas.
It's up to each professional. The most important thing is that whatever the charge is, it is clearly stated in advance.
For short distances, up to perhaps an hour each way, many professionals do not charge. It's a normal commute kind of journey. Professionals who offer hosting are more likely to charge for journeys like this than those who don't. Tolls and other direct costs are always for the account of the customer.
For slightly longer journeys there may be any or all of a minimum booking length, a deposit, and an allowance for travel time in addition to all or part of the cost of the return journey.
For long journeys (more than two or three hours each way) then the client usually pays the full cost of the travel in advance plus the professional's rate while they are travelling. The travelling rate is often discounted from the normal cuddling rate, but not always. There may also be a subsistance allowance.
If the professional is driving, then the basis of calculation is normally a mileage allowance not the cost of fuel. (In the UK for example, the tax authorities allow a charge of up to 45p per mile so when I'm driving for business that's what I charge.)
All of which is merely adding detail to @cde123's answer.
And all of which is true for my previous career, my current career, and professional cuddling.
Anything over 20 miles of driving, I typically offer $1 per mile, each way. IRS guidelines for mileage vary by year but we can estimate 60 cents per mile, plus something for the pro cuddler's time, so that's how I get to $1 per mile.
Anything is fair as long as it is clearly stated.
For reference, $0.55 per mile in the United States on average to cover the total costs of driving. So if it’s 50 miles one way, charging $100 for this travel would be within the realm of recouping costs.
They can deduct miles as expenses right? When I was an independent contractor driving to a job I didn't get anything extra for travel. I was able to Deduct per mile from my taxes. When I worked for a company and used my vehicle, the company would give me per mile payment, but then I could not deduct anything on my taxes.