How to earn money driving your car
It can be stressful when you check your bank balance and suddenly realize you’ve got more month than money left. After rent, groceries, gas, repair bills and all of life’s little daily expenses, you feel like you barely scrape by, never mind save for the future. What can you do to give yourself a bit of a cushion, even get ahead?
We’ve got a solution for you: get paid to drive your car. Yes, you can earn cash just by using the car you have now to cart food, people and equipment around town, and make others’ lives easier in the process. You can even rent your car out, so you don’t have to drive at all. Here are some tips on how to earn money driving your car:
Join Lyft or Uber
Are you a people person and a natural conversationalist who enjoys helping others get where they need to go? Signing up for a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft might be for you.
Both ridesharing services allow you to set your own hours and make more during peak times, such as after hours or when bars close. You’ll have a couple of payment options for each. In addition, you’ll need to pass basic requirements to become a driver for either Uber or Lyft, so be sure to have your licence, registration and all paperwork in order before applying.
With the latter, you also have to own a smartphone.
Learn more about:
Uber’s driving requirements and how it works
Transport equipment
Are you more introverted but are fine with delivering items instead of people? Consider transporting equipment – it doesn’t talk back, and there’s no need to maintain a conversation.
If you’ve ever bought an oversized, bulky item from a department store or garage sale, you know it can be a hassle to get it home…if you’re not lucky enough to have a pickup truck, van or large SUV. If you do have one of these vehicles at your disposal with room to spare, why not lend your services?
You’d be helping people avoid paying the outrageous prices stores charge for home delivery and earn a little cash in the process. An added bonus: you don’t have to depend on word of mouth alone to build up business – you can sign up for the app TaskRabbit to promote your services in your neighbourhood.
Deliver food and groceries
This one is popular for people who live in large, urban cities, where food delivery services have gained popularity in recent years. There are a bunch of grocery and on-demand food delivery apps that allow drivers to pick up and drop off orders. This way, clients avoid the lineups at the store or restaurant, and you earn cash for bringing them food they love.
Similar to other apps, you must be of at least legal driving age and have a valid licence, registration, insurance and a clean driving record. Each have specific policies and pay rates, but you can expect to make anywhere between $13-$25 per hour on average. Check out platforms like UberEATS, Grubhub, Shipt and more.
Bonus: Rent your car out
This option may not be for the risk-averse, but if you only use your car for incidental trips, why not let it make money for you while you’re at your day job? That’s the idea behind HyreCar, a car sharing platform for rideshare drivers.
It works much like the ridesharing apps themselves, but this one lets you rent your car out to other drivers. You’ll create a free listing, describe your car, upload a few good-quality photos, your vehicle registration and Uber/Lyft inspection documents. There’s a time limit on rental requests – someone asks to rent your vehicle, you’ve got 24 hours to confirm. According to HyreCar, drivers tend to book multiple vehicles to increase their chances of getting on the road faster, so the first owner to approve their booking request will earn that money.
Next, you’ll verify documents, including registration, vehicle inspection and insurance, verify the driver’s licence and hand off the car. When you approve the application, drivers are charged and there’s a secure payment system to ensure you get paid. When the rental is over, you coordinate a pickup time and location with the driver.
Wrapping up
These are just a few of the multitude of options you can consider to make money driving or renting out your car. While they can earn you extra cash and it doesn’t take much to get started, don’t forget about extra expenses you may need to take on and factor into your budget, such as maintenance, gas, and general wear and tear that happens with such regular use.
Learn more about how to earn money driving your car
40 ways to make money with your car (with apps) – MoneyPantry
19 flexible ways to make money with your car – The Work at Home Woman
9 apps that let you make money with your car – NerdWallet
5 ways to make more money driving your own car – HyreCar
Beyond Lyft and Uber – How to make money using your car – Forbes
What it’s like delivering food for Uber – Ridesharing Driver
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