I am a student but make thousands with a super-easy side hustle just using my car – and I can now save for a mortgage
A STUDENT makes thousands with a super-easy side hustle using just a car - and now she can save for a mortgage.
Issy is just one of thousands of students turning to side hobbies to pay off their debts.
The Aussie uni student from Melbourne has earned a smooth £3,400 since listing her vehicles on the peer-to-peer car sharing platform Car Next Door in November 2021.
Issy was in the process of selling her car when her mum Kristen gave her the idea of renting it out to strangers.
"When I moved out of home last year, I couldn’t afford to keep my car due to increased living expenses and planned on selling it until my mum recommended I try Car Next Door," Issy said of her latest side hustle.
She said mum Kristen helped set up her car on the app - which she can take off at anytime to drive herself - and said she's "able make extra income off it each month".
Issy's using her new revenue stream to save for a first home deposit.
"It took a little bit to set up and work out how to do everything. But even that was pretty easy, and once we were up and running the car started to get booked. It was just super easy," Issy said.
Mum Kristen added: "It's allowed her to not only pay for her car costs but actually get an income each week as well."
Car Next Door founder Will Davies said the number of people listing their car on the app has skyrocketed in recent years.
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"We are seeing a huge spike in car listings on Car Next Door, which is no surprise given the increasing cost of living and people’s desire to not have to sacrifice the things they want and love – like holidays and entertainment," the young entrepreneur said.
"Savvy Aussies are effectively supplementing their income by renting their car out on the platform, which is great for their pocket, and great for borrowers who want to avoid the financial and environmental cost of car ownership".
It's possible to hire out your car in the UK on apps like Hiya Car, though it's advised drivers be aware of the dangers of doing so and to consult with their insurer.
It comes as a savvy bride paid for her honeymoon in the Maldives and most of her wedding thanks to her lucrative side hustle.
Melissa Howard has made so much money she also been able to quit her job to focus on her growing business.
Fashion-mad Melissa, from Sydney, came up with the idea of her side hustle after running out of space in her wardrobe.
She started renting out her designer dresses to other women through a web service called The Volte.
Now she has made around £23,000 and bought more dress for hire.
“I’ve been doing it for about four years now,” Melissa .
“It started as a side hustle. I had a bit of a shopping problem and I’d heard about The Volte, so I thought it would be a great way to pay for my own shopping.
“I was one of those people who wanted the latest pieces in my wardrobe, but my income wasn’t keeping up with that.”
Melissa said she started with a couple of frocks, but now has 34 listings on The Volte including designs by Zimmerman and Aje.
The most popular is a £1,000 Rachel Gilbert minidress which she rents for up to £320 a go. It has already paid for itself twice over."
According to Aussie professor Simone Scagnelli, side hustles are on the rise.
"I would say probably people should start easy, meaning do something they like … or they might be good at, because if it doesn’t take off, you’re still OK because it’s about the value of your time," he told NCA NewsWire.
"It’s not your primary thing, of course, it’s a side. So even if it goes wrong, you might look at it as a learning opportunity that can improve yourself."
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Last week we told how a woman is coining in £660,000 a year working just ten hours a week on her side hustle.
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