Cars • Finances & Money • Making Money

Have a Car? Here are 7 Ways to Make Extra Money

Do you know that if you have a car, you have tons of opportunities to make extra money? Getting started is usually a breeze, and you already have the most important part of the equation: a vehicle. Wondering how to make money on the side using your car? Here’s how.

1. Make Sure the Masses Never Go Hungry with Uber Eats

Many people consider Uber Eats one of the best ways to make extra money simply because it offers the same level of flexibility as driving passengers but eliminates transporting actual people. Instead, you’ll pick up food from a variety of restaurants and bring it to the customer, similar to pizza delivery. You get full control over your schedule, making it a job you can adapt to your needs.

To get started with Uber Eats, some of the requirements are (including but not limited to), you have to be at least 19 years old as well as have a valid driver’s license and insurance. A minimum of one year of driving experience is also required. Your vehicle also needs to be from 1998 or a more recent year.

2. Make Money as a Professional Errand-Runner

Running errands for someone else is another way you to make money with your car. Sites like Task Rabbit, Favor Delivery, and Care.com all support errand running services, allowing drivers to connect with busy customers looking for a little help.

The types of errands you may find on these sites can vary dramatically and may or may not involve time outside of your car as well. For example, someone may hire you to simply pick up their dry cleaning; someone else may want you to actually handle a shopping trip for them and deliver the items.

3. Handle the Grocery Shopping for Busy Families

Shipt and Instacart both focus on the grocery delivery niche. Not only will you use your car for deliveries, but you also select the grocery items. This can be a fantastic option if you want to stretch your legs while working since you’ll have to spend some time going through the store aisles for every customer order.

The requirements to start are also pretty simple. As long as you are a licensed and insured driver, age 18 or older, with a reliable vehicle that is a 1997 or newer, you have most of what it takes. You will need to invest in a few insulated cooler bags, though that shouldn’t run you a ton. The requirements to be a Full-Service Instacart Shopper are similar.

4. Be a Mobile Billboard and Earn with Car Ads

If you are okay with allowing a company to advertise on your vehicle, then you can make money with your car by signing up with companies and promoting ads. Usually, these companies wrap your car in an advertisement, using a process that doesn’t damage your paint or impact your vehicle’s usability. Then, you just drive around as you normally would.

Some companies, like Wrapify, pay per mile while others pay flat rates every month. However, this isn’t an option that is available to everyone. You usually have to live in a densely populated urban area to even be considered, and there are other eligibility requirements as well.

5. Earn Extra Cash and Help People Start Their Lives in Their New Home

SUV, van, and truck owners who don’t mind a little heavy lifting can use their vehicles to help people move or get a large purchase home. This can be one of the best ways to make extra money if your vehicle is large and consumes a lot of gas, as the pay rates are usually higher than options like driving for Lyft or Uber. However, if you don’t live in a highly populated area, there might not be as many opportunities.

If you want to explore this as an option, Dolly, a company that functions like Uber for moving, allows you to earn extra cash if you can provide a truck or van to transport items and aren’t afraid of some heavy lifting.

6. Take Advantage of the Rideshare Craze

One of the most popular options for making money with your vehicle is driving passengers with companies like Uber and Lyft. Depending on where you live, and how often you drive, it can be a potentially lucrative gig. Plus, you get a significant amount of flexibility in managing your own schedule. Your earning potential with both Uber and Lift vary depending on how much you drive, where you live, and whether surge pricing or other earnings offers are in play.

7. Let Your Car Make You Money All On Its Own

If you have a secondary vehicle you can live without for a few days, consider renting it out to travelers. Turo allows you to list your car and connect with people visiting the area. Typically, you meet at the airport to finalize the agreement and then pick your car up there when they are done. Getaround is another app that provides essentially the same service, though it focuses on a slightly different niche. Instead of concentrating on travelers, Getaround targets locals who need a car for short periods, such as to run a specific errand.

The amount of money you can earn with Turo or Getaround largely depends on the kind of car you offer up and the length of the rental. Those who list luxury vehicles on Turo are going to make substantially more than someone who lists a standard sedan on Getaround.

Bottom Line

If you’re considering ways to make extra money with your car, getting started is usually quick and easy. In fact, you can sign up for a few different options if you want, giving you even more flexibility and increasing your earning potential. If you’re going to make the most of your vehicle, consider exploring everything on the list and see which ones might work for you. 

Read More

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• Saving Money on Car Maintenance
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• How To Make $200 Dollars Fast

Bonus: if you’re looking for ways to make extra money, you could always consider doing some dumpster diving.  Some people don’t like it, but sometimes one person’s trash is another man’s treasure.  

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Tamila McDonald

Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor. After retiring from the Army, she spent eight years as an AFCPE-certified personal financial advisor for wounded warriors and their families. Now she writes about personal finance and benefits programs for numerous financial websites.