If you’re looking for a good side hustle, you might be thinking about doing DoorDash and are asking yourself, how old do you have to be to DoorDash?
Here’s the answer. To be a DoorDash Dasher, you have to be at least 18 years old. Plain and simple. There’s no way around the 18-year-old minimum age requirement.
With that being said, this post will look into some more details about the requirements to become a DoorDash Dasher, then explain why DoorDash is such a great side hustle for any young person looking to make some more money.
How Old Do You Have To Be To DoorDash?
As stated, to become a Dasher, you have to be at least 18 years old. In addition to being at least 18 years old, you’ll also need to meet the following requirements:
- Have a valid driver’s license (or state ID if you aren’t driving).
- Have a smartphone.
- Access to a vehicle (car, scooter, or bike)
- If you’re using a car, you’ll need valid insurance.
- Pass the DoorDash background check.
Most people won’t have trouble meeting these requirements. The background check will require you to have a clean criminal history, as well as a clean driving record if you are planning to use a car.
After applying, you’ll receive a DoorDash activation kit, which includes the Dasher Red Card, a delivery bag, and information on how to use the Dasher app. I’d also recommend reading this post I wrote to get more information and learn some strategies to maximize your DoorDash earnings.
Why DoorDash Is The Perfect Side Hustle For Young People
DoorDash is one of the best side hustles you can do as a young person. Back when I was in college, I wish I had DoorDash because it would have been a perfect way for me to make extra money.
Here are some of the reasons why I think DoorDash is a great side hustle for someone just out of high school or in college (or just beginning their career).
1. Flexibility
The main reason being a Dasher is so good is that it comes with great flexibility. You can usually log in and accept deliveries whenever you want, work for as much or as little as you want, and accept or reject any delivery requests that come your way.
This flexibility means that you can fit DoorDash around your schedule. If you have time during the day, log into the app, do some deliveries, and make some extra money. It doesn’t matter when you have spare time either. As long as people are ordering food, you can do DoorDash. That makes it particularly well suited for young people and students, who often have odd schedules and spare time on their hands.
If you’re a student, you often have spare time during the evening or in between classes. Try turning on DoorDash and see if you can do some deliveries around campus. You might be surprised at how busy you can stay and how much you can make.
2. You Don’t Need To Use A Car
One of the reasons DoorDash is so appealing – especially for young people – is that you can do DoorDash using a bike, rather than a car. I’ve been doing DoorDash for over 5 years and have exclusively used a bike. You can save a lot of money using a bike instead of a car.
If you’re a student, you probably live in a dense area that’s more conducive to bike deliveries too. On many college campuses, for example, traffic is a pain and you don’t have a lot of places to park. But with a bike, you can fly through traffic and don’t have to worry about parking. And since college campuses are small areas, you can stay in a tight zone and get a lot of deliveries done. Plus, you also get the benefit of improving your health and avoiding the costs associated with operating a car.
You aren’t limited to just using a traditional bike either. My brother often does his deliveries using a skateboard. I’ve transitioned towards doing most of my deliveries using an electric bike or electric scooter. Try out various modes of transportation and see what works best for you.
3. The Reverse Latte Factor And The Power Of Compounding
Becoming a Dasher can be very valuable financially thanks to a concept that I call the Reverse Latte Factor. There’s a concept in personal finance called the Latte Factor (coined by David Bach, who wrote a great personal finance book called The Automatic Millionaire).
The idea behind the Latte Factor is that we spend small amounts of money daily on things that we don’t really notice. If we save and invest that money, it can add up to hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars if given enough time.
The Reverse Latte Factor takes that idea and applies it in reverse. Instead of saving small amounts, what happens if we earn small amounts of extra money and save it? It turns out that it can add up to a lot of money.
Consider this. Earning an extra $10 per day means you’ll end up with $3,650 by the end of the year. If you invest that amount each year for 30 years and average a 7% annual rate of return, you’ll end up with over $368,000. Double it to $20 per day and you’re looking at over $735,000. Save $30 per day, and you’ll end up a millionaire – just from 30 dollars a day.
When you’re young, compounding can be an amazing force. Take the time now to earn a bit of extra income and your future self will thank you.
4. It’s Fun
Perhaps most importantly, DoorDash is a great side hustle because it’s fun. There’s something about going out and completing these little tasks that I find very satisfying.
In a way, it sort of gamifies my life. It also probably helps that I’ve been doing it so long that I know the best ways to make DoorDash as stress-free as possible. You don’t have a lot to lose by trying out DoorDash – so just give it a try and see if you enjoy it. If not, you can always find something else to do.
Final Thoughts – I Wish I Had DoorDash Back When I Was In College
DoorDash is something I wish existed back when I was in college in 2009. I had a variety of jobs in college. I worked as a janitor in my dorm for a bit. Then I got a job at a golf course, which worked out well because it gave me access to free golf.
But I also had a lot of free time on my hands too – time that I would have loved to use doing something more productive. If DoorDash had been around back then, I definitely would have done it. And I’d probably have had a lot more money.
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