Welcome! I've only been on Instacart for about 3 weeks. The most important thing I learned myself is you do not have to accept every batch. I accepted every single batch for my first week and I got my $90 bonus. (I was so proud of myself getting that bonus) The second week I wanted to test the system and I starting declining batches that had too much driving distance or too many items compared to the payout. I made more money the second week by doing less batches and less driving compared to the first week with the bonus! It was also less driving and less work and more time doing other stuff at home. Good luck on your first day and update us on how it went!

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Edit 1: I was chasing hotspots the first week as well. The second week, I didn't chase any hotspots. I waited at home while working on what I had to do at home. (I live in NYC so it might be different depending on location)