Cost of living Qld: More parents turning to food delivery second jobs

More and more families are being forced to take on side gigs to combat cost-of-living pressures, even if it means bungling up the kids in the car to do deliveries at night.

A new wave of parents desperate to combat cost-of-living pressures is turning to night-time food delivery to make extra cash. 

New figures show the surge in people taking on second jobs as delivery drivers, where they can mind their children in the car at the same time as working. 

One desperate couple who are part of the trend said they made the decision to take the pressure of their mortgage increases and grocery bill. 

Gemma Bates-Smith started as a DoorDash driver earlier this year to bolster her income as a teacher aide when the family’s mortgage repayment went up $180 a week.

Her husband also joined the service soon after.

“We thought ‘can we pay the mortgage or buy baby formula’?” she said.

“We have cut back on a lot of things.

“We bulk buy groceries with friends and family and split between us.

“Everything increased so much we couldn't afford it on what we were doing.”

A recent DoorDash survey showed nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of “dashers” had another job and nearly a third (29 per cent) had a full-time job.

Food delivery rival Menulog had a 34 per cent increase in Brisbane drivers from January to June this year compared with 2022, and a 39 per cent increase in Gold Coast drivers.

DoorDash deliverers Tristan and Gemma Bates-Smith with 10-month-old Zachariah and two-year-old Ezekiel. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Bates-Smith said between them, her and her husband drove for DoorDash five nights a week, often with their children asleep in the back seats.

“The financial pressure was there and was affecting us as a couple which then affects us as a family,” she said.

“If we work five nights a week, we don’t get time together and that’s not good for anyone.

“So we pile everyone in the car, put them in their PJs, and they fall asleep and we get some quality, deep and meaningful times.

“We just have to drive and deliver food to people as we go.”

DoorDash general manager Puji Fernando said the company had seen more people turn to food delivery as a convenient way to earn some extra money.

“Dashers aren’t locked in – they get to choose how much they earn, and when they earn it, so they can balance it with work and family commitments,” he said.

“They are in control.”

Menulog’s director of delivery Steven Teoh said they had seen an increase in applications to become a courier for their network.

“Menulog courier research tells us the main reason people choose on demand delivery work is because of the flexibility it offers, that they can immediately start earning supplemental income,” he said.

“So it’s no surprise we’re seeing such a large increase in people wanting to take on additional delivery work, as people are feeling the pinch.”