breadmaxxer · learn
plain answers to the money questions that come with variable income — tip-out, real gig pay, the no tax on tips law, and budgeting a paycheck that's never the same twice.
"No Tax on Tips" lets you deduct up to $25,000 of tips from federal income tax for tax years 2025–2028. It does not make tips tax-free. You still owe payroll tax (7.65% if you get a W-2) or self-employment tax (15.3% if you drive gig), and your state may still tax tips too. So keep setting money aside. read →
The tips you collect are not the tips you keep. After tipping out support staff (commonly 10–30% of your tips, or 1–5% of your sales) and setting aside for taxes, a server who collects $300 in tips often takes home closer to $200–230. Your real number depends on your restaurant’s tip-out structure and whether you track it. read →
DoorDash’s advertised "$20–25/hour" is gross pay. After self-employment tax (~15.3%) and what your car really costs (the IRS puts driving at 72.5¢/mile in 2026 — gas, wear and depreciation in one number), many drivers net $10–15/hour — sometimes less in a thirsty or financed car. The only honest figure is the one you calculate from your own numbers. read →
Most budgeting advice assumes a steady paycheck. When your income swings week to week, the fix is to budget off your lowest month, not your average, keep a separate tax bucket, and save the high months to cover the low ones. Plan for the dead Tuesday, not the great Saturday. read →
Breadmaxxer uses a few of its own words so it can talk about variable income clearly. The big three: a cycle is your pay period, runway is how long your money lasts, and your position (a.k.a. safe-to-spend) is what’s left after bills and set-asides. Here’s the rest, plainly. read →
Breadmaxxer is a web app you install — no App Store or Play Store needed. Open it in your phone’s browser and add it to your home screen, and it opens full-screen like any other app, with its own icon and push notifications. On any page, tap install web app at the bottom and it walks you through it for your device. read →