You might simply view your car as a means to get work and run errands. Instead of thinking of your car as an expense, you can actually make money with your car. Sure, you’ll still have to change the oil and replace the tires, but these side hustles can earn recurring income.

Related: Need Some Summer Cash? 18 Ways to Make Money This Weekend!

Side Hustles to Make Money With Your Car

If you’re ready to turn your car into a gold mine, these side hustles are the perfect option. You can either pursue these hustles on a part-time or full-time basis.

Drive for Uber

Uber is probably the most widely recognized rideshare platform in the world. As an Uber partner, you accept rides using the Uber app and can name your own hours. The best time to drive might be on the weekends or commute hours, but you can also drive during the day or weeknights too. People always need a ride and want to save money by using a rideshare service like Uber.

You will need to be at least 21 years old and have a vehicle with four doors to drive for Uber. Before you can drive, you will need to pass a personal background check and vehicle safety inspection.

Drive for Lyft

Maybe you’ve been in public and seen a vehicle with an Uber and Lyft sticker in their window. As an independent contractor, you can drive for Uber and Lyft at the same time to double your driving opportunities. When you’re waiting to accept a ride, you can check both apps and choose the better option.

The driver application requirements for Lyft are similar to Uber. As a new Lyft driver, you also have the opportunity of earning a $500 cash bonus.

Deliver Food for Restaurants

Instead of hiring delivery staff, restaurants are partnering with food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash to deliver online orders to homes and businesses. You can add this position to your docket when you’re not being an Uber or Lyft driver. Or, you might prefer this side hustle for the following reasons:

  • You don’t have to drive people around
  • Only have to be 18 years old
  • Can also deliver food by foot, bike, or scooter

Just like being a rideshare driver, you can name the hours and days you want to work and aren’t required to work a specific shift. Depending on the day, you may deliver orders for one restaurant or multiple restaurant brands. How cool is that?

Be a Personal Grocery Shopper

You also have the option of delivering groceries as an Instacart Shopper. When you receive an order, you physically buy the groceries from the store and deliver them to the customer.

Tip: To boost your profits and make more money shopping, activate Ibotta offers whenever possible.

Deliver Medication to Home

Your local pharmacy might be hiring delivery drivers that deliver medication directly to customers at home. You might be able to find these jobs online or asking your local store for the application process.

Become a USPS Rural Letter Carrier

You will need a right-hand drive car (the steering wheel is on the passenger side in America), but you can also establish a good career with the US Postal Service. As a rural letter carrier, you’ll drive your own vehicle to deliver the mail in your local community. If you live in an urban area, you can also drive the USPS vehicles (instead of your own) to make money driving too.

Advertise on Your Car

If you don’t mind using your car as a moving billboard, you can make money renting out the real estate on your car. There are several companies to choose from, but you can use Carvertise to start with.

Collect Scrap Metal

If you own a pickup truck or can tow a trailer, you can also make money collecting scrap metal or hauling off bulky items for customers who can’t haul away their discarded items. Once you decide what you can collect and sell for a profit, find a local recycling center or scrap metal yard that will pay you for your haul.

Another option is to offer moving services for bulky items. For example, you can haul furniture, appliances, outdoor grills, and landscaping items that don’t fit in a car or SUV. The possibilities are endless and you can advertise your services for free on Craigslist and by asking your friends to spread the word.

Additional Money Making Tips

Offering to drive for cash is a great starting point, but these additional tips can help boost your profit.

Track Your Mileage

Because your income from these side hustles can be taxed, make sure you track your miles. If the company doesn’t compensate you for mileage, you can claim your miles driven on your tax return. To make sure you don’t get into trouble with the IRS, talk with a tax professional or your tax prep software experts if you have any questions.

This reimbursement helps offset the cost of gas and vehicle maintenance when you use your personal vehicle for business purchases.

Get Rideshare Auto Insurance

Your car insurance company probably offers add-on rideshare protection. If you plan on driving for Uber or Lyft, you will need this coverage.

Stay Current on Vehicle Maintenance

You need a reliable vehicle that preferably isn’t a gas guzzler to make a consistent profit. Make sure you routinely follow these maintenance procedures:

  • Change the oil according to your owner’s manual recommendation
  • Maintain proper air pressure in your tires
  • Replace the engine air filter when necessary
  • Monitor your brake pads and rotors for excessive wear

Your car needs to stay out of the shop so you can make money. And, by being proactive about maintenance you can prevent costlier repairs later. After all, you don’t want an entire month’s earnings to buy new tires because you kept them underinflated and they wore out early.

Summary

Most people lose money instead of making money by owning vehicles. This is primarily because new vehicles depreciate rapidly, but also because the vehicle doesn’t make them money. By pursuing at least one of these income streams above, you can be the exception to the rule.

Mentioned in this article:

More About: