A retiree & a cafe owner share what they love about their part-time delivery gigs with Amazon Flex
For most of us, taking a week-long break to travel or indulge in a hobby is a rare luxury — perhaps three or four times a year if we’re lucky.
But for Lesley Yong, it’s almost a monthly affair.
After years of running two companies and shouldering the stresses of entrepreneurship, the 49-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident, originally from Malaysia, decided to step away from the grind in 2020.
But instead of settling into a quieter life that retirement can offer, Lesley wanted to stay physically active while maintaining the financial means to pursue her love of fishing.
Source: Lesley Yong on Facebook
Takes 5 or 6 overseas fishing trips a year
To call fishing a hobby for Lesley would be a colossal understatement. It’s a true passion, one that spans nearly 20 years and has taken her far beyond casual weekend outings to local jetties and parks.
“I just love the thrill of hooking a fish,” she gushes. “It’s so challenging and exciting — you never know when the fish will bite.”
On average, Lesley “disappears” for a few days to about a week each month to immerse herself in her fishing escapades.
Besides her regular “smaller” trips to Malaysia, she embarks on five to six larger expeditions annually, travelling the globe in search of her next great freshwater catch.
In fact, just a month before her chat with MS News on 8 Nov, Lesley returned from an angling adventure in Brazil — a destination she revisited after going there the year before, along with trips to India and Indonesia.
Source: Lesley Yong on Facebook
Her Facebook page is filled with photos of her proudly posing with massive scaly prizes, each caption detailing the exact rod, reel, and lure she used.
Takes on part-time delivery gig with Amazon Flex to fund her passion
After moving her fishing business entirely online and closing her construction company during the pandemic due to rising costs, Lesley and her husband took up delivery jobs with various delivery companies.
Fishing trips can really take a toll on one’s wallet — about US$2,500 (S$3,370) per trip, according to her estimate, and that’s not even including airfare. For instance, her plane ticket to Brazil alone cost S$3,000.
This is why Lesley and her husband, who have a 29-year-old son, needed to generate some income to avoid dipping into their savings.
Image courtesy of Lesley Yong
However, they soon realised the initial delivery gigs they took were not ideal for them.
The items they were delivering were getting too bulky, and all that heavy lifting didn’t feel very sustainable for someone their age. Plus, the hours were long, and the work became more stressful.
Then, in April 2024, Lesley started to make deliveries with Amazon Flex, quickly discovering that it was a better fit for her.
Lesley says that, in addition to good earnings, the Amazon Flex gig offers the flexibility she seeks, a manageable number of parcels to deliver, and the chance to stay physically active.
“The delivery timing is flexible, with plenty of slots to choose from, so I can plan my day and do my own things,” she explains. “It’s not stressful, and it keeps me physically active since I drive and walk a lot with this gig.”
Lesley typically makes deliveries from 9am to 5 or 6pm on weekends, leaving her weekdays free for errands, spending time with family and friends, and of course, fishing.
Her husband has been quick to notice how much the change has improved Lesley’s quality of life.
“He sees how much less stressed I am and even tells his friends to try Amazon Flex out,” she shares.
Unlike her previous delivery jobs, which required early starts at 5 or 6am to sort parcels, Lesley finds that her gig with Amazon Flex is more convenient.
By the time she arrives at the Amazon Delivery Station, the packages are ready to be loaded, saving her both time and energy.
In fact, Lesley says that the process is so efficient that even during major sales events like Black Friday, the surge in delivery parcels is still manageable for her.
Proud to be a woman in a ‘man’s world’
Interestingly, both fishing and parcel delivery tend to be traditionally male-dominated fields, but for Lesley, this only makes her prouder to be part of them.
“As a Flex Delivery Partner (DP), I feel like I’m showing that if men can do it, so can we,” she beams. “I’ve actually noticed more female Flex DPs recently. It’s great to see more of us proving that women are just as capable as men when it comes to delivery gigs.”
Lesley admits that some friends initially questioned her decision to pursue delivery work given her background in interior design and engineering.
She explains: “At my age, I didn’t feel the need to go back into those industries and prove myself again. We work primarily to pay off our obligations, so once everything was settled for me, I decided it was time to retire.”
“I enjoyed my previous career in engineering, but at my age, I felt it was time to slow down, and that ultimately led to my decision to retire.”
Once she explained to her friends that being a Flex DP keeps her active, stress-free, allows her to spend more time with her family, and helps finance her hobbies, they understood her choice.
Entrepreneur juggles deliveries & running cafe
It’s not just folks of Lesley’s age who appreciate the freedom and flexibility of being a Flex DP.
After graduating from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) with a background in IT and security in 2019, 26-year-old Singaporean Nicholas Lim found himself craving something different.
“I wasn’t really passionate about IT,” he admits. “I did an internship in the field, but I realised I preferred something that lets me move around and gives me more freedom.”
Last year, Nicholas, who had started dabbling in the food and beverage (F&B) sector before his National Service (NS), opened a cafe in Bukit Merah called The Alchemy Tea with his friends.
He also began doing delivery work alongside his business to help cover transport costs and other expenses.
“With Amazon Flex, I can plan my day and even cancel or reschedule delivery blocks if something comes up, as long as there’s at least 45 minutes before the scheduled time,” explains Nicholas, who has been a Flex DP for about eight months.
Being an Amazon Flex DP leaves him enough time to remain a hands-on manager at The Alchemy Tea.
Nicholas’ typical day involves delivering parcels early in the morning or evening, and working at his cafe during the day. In addition to general management duties, he also takes orders, serves desserts, and even helps prepare the ingredients for the dishes.
It sounds hectic, but he relishes the non-deskbound nature of his schedule. “I don’t like staying in one place all day,” he says.
Once a shy boy before NS, Nicholas has since opened up. Now, interacting with customers at his cafe and while delivering parcels as an Amazon Flex DP are things he particularly enjoys.
One memorable experience stands out: “I delivered to a house on Halloween, and the family invited me to join their party! But I had to turn the invitation down because I had more deliveries on hand.”
Learn more about being an Amazon Flex Delivery Partner
Lesley and Nicholas are examples of how being an Amazon Flex DP can fit into different lifestyles.
Whether you’re saving up for something big or simply want to make some extra money, Amazon Flex can help you get there faster.
Most delivery drivers earn S$23 to S$26* per hour using their sedan or van to deliver packages. Plus, you can choose the days you want to receive payments.
To learn more about becoming a Delivery Partner with Amazon Flex, visit the website here.
With Amazon’s Black Friday Sale underway till 2 Dec, let’s take a moment to appreciate the people like them who work behind the scenes to ensure your orders arrive safely and on time.
Speaking of Black Friday, here’s a bonus: enjoy an extra S$10 off a minimum spend of S$60 with our exclusive code.
And if Lesley or Nicholas happen to be the ones delivering your Black Friday haul, don’t forget to offer them a friendly hello.
This article was brought to you in collaboration with Amazon Singapore.
Featured image adapted from Lesley Yong on Facebook and by MS News. Photography by Ng Zhi Feng and Eldora Chong.
* Terms and conditions apply. Earnings estimates are based on delivering a number of packages across an estimated length of time (referred to as a block), completed while driving a standard motorized vehicle. Should Amazon Flex introduce blocks eligible to be delivered using scooters or other alternative modes of transportation, different rates may apply. We aim to ensure that the number of packages you are assigned to deliver within your block is realistic, taking into account congestion and the primary requirement to drive safely. However, the actual time taken per delivery may vary (because it could, occasionally, take less or more time than expected) so the earnings per hour may vary.
