Meet Sam Tomlinson, the 30-year-old FIFO worker from Adelaide who’s turning car rentals into what we can only assume is a one-way ticket to Financial Freedom Land. His magic number this year? A dazzling $37,000—all earned with that classic “hands-off” approach that usually only involves lifting the remote to change the channel.
Sam, who spends his days operating machines in a mine (yes, it’s as exciting as it sounds), has decided that during his off weeks, he should dive into the glamorous life of car-sharing. Think of it as Uber’s less famous but equally lovable cousin. So far, it sounds less like a side hustle and more like an elaborate game of Monopoly that went right.
“It keeps me busy, and the extra income is, well, fantastic!” Sam exclaimed, probably while sitting on a mountain of cash made up of rental fees. “I mean, who doesn’t want to become ‘work optional’ by 40? I just prefer my retirement to be more ‘surfing beach waves’ rather than ‘pushing spreadsheets.’”
Now, you might think Tomlinson’s just another guy with a quirky hobby. But Sam’s not just any car enthusiast. He’s the proud owner of *multiple* vehicles, including some MGs that make your grandma’s old sedan look like a rusty piece of junk. He got into car rentals after a buyer approached him about renting his Audi instead of purchasing it outright. Because who needs a car when you can have a week’s worth of rental fun?
With his knack for car trading and selling, it’s no surprise that Sam quickly set up shop on Turo—what some like to affectionately call the “Airbnb for cars.” “I rented that Audi, and it was an awesome experience. It made me think, ‘Why not let some random person take care of my car so I can generate cash flow while I twiddle my thumbs?’” Tomlinson mused.
Fast forward to now, and he’s snagged himself a fleet of vehicles that would make a rental service weep with envy. “Year to date, I’m at $37,000 earnings, but that’s mostly with two cars,” Tomlinson said, trying to sound casual about *that* kind of money from a couple of idle cars. His math skills turned him into a financial wizard as he added more vehicles to his “money-generating machines.”
However, it’s not all joyrides and easy money. Sam is, of course, confronted with the hazards of being a car rental mogul—such as totalled cars and expenses that sneak up like a ninja in the night. Fortunately, Turo has protection plans, because who wouldn’t want to pay for the joy of dodging financial responsibility?
Who knows, if Tomlinson expands his fleet to sixteen cars, he’ll match his mining salary. “If I can get 16 cars happening, I could essentially leave the mines. But then again, who needs fun if you can work hard in a mine?” he pondered. Meanwhile, he’s also building a share portfolio because, let’s face it, one stream of income is so last year.
