The commute to your first stop is not tax-deductible nor is from your last stop to your home or office.  As far as the money, it is not out there right now.  We are charging the same or less as we did 5 or more years ago and we are dealing with less volume, double gas prices (and it's not just one stop to the office and your done with gas costs for the day), higher parking, etc.  I am a person that will be honest with you.  I don't think right now is a good time - doesn't mean it won't be in the future.  But right now there has been so much change in the industry no one quite knows what to do as far as pricing their product - should you go up or down - what is the cause of the volume change - will that change, where are all the online searching going to leave us - is there potential to go more directly to banks and lending institutions, corporations, investors.  In other words, we are in the midst of even finding our place right now.  Several of my friends have gone out of business and many are using their savings from better times to keep going.  Starting a business in the best of times is hard much less these times.  I just would suggest that if you are interested, keep visiting the site and see when we have more positive things to say about everything before you attempt going out on your own again.