Making your list, checking it twice

The holiday season can usually be overwhelming, with the usual list of errands, trips, get-togethers and activities crowding our day planners. But, after a 2020 holiday season in which we all did our part to stay home and stay safe, it’s starting to feel like, this year, that list has doubled, or even tripled.

Good news for holiday merry-makers on the go: Getaround is here with a list of tips and tricks to help you get everything you need to get and do everything you need to do this holiday season — and we have just the car (or service) to make it possible for you to check everything off yours:

Get your holiday shopping taken care of

Guests, if you don’t own a car, or the car you own is on the smaller side, Getaround can help you get into a crossover, SUV, minivan or hatchback with enough space for all your holiday shopping finds. When planning a shopping trip, we recommend going on a weekday, when demand tends to be lower among guests, and you have a better chance of booking the car you need. By offering booking by the hour, Getaround car sharing makes it easier, and more cost-effective than ever to cross every item off your holiday shopping lists.

Hosts should also look at holiday shopping time as a big opportunity. If you have cars with more cargo space, make sure they have plenty of available hours during weekdays for guests in your area — and if you happen to have a larger vehicle that you’ve been considering listing on Getaround for sharing, there’s no time like the present!

Get on your bank account’s “nice” list

Guests know all too well that along with the holiday gift shopping spree also comes the holiday bank account crunch. It’s fun to play Santa when you can, but for many of us, this year is another reminder that budgets are getting tighter and tighter. But with Getaround’s Drive With Uber partnership, you can participate in the gig economy, and earn extra holiday bucks even if you don’t own a car. Just sign up to drive with Uber, link your Getaround and Uber accounts, find and unlock eligible cars, and start driving and earning. You can even deliver food with Uber Eats … and by booking by the hour, there’s no more convenient way to earn some quick cash for the holidays. Drive with Uber is currently available in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, and Atlanta markets.

Hosts who haven’t yet made the decision to list a car on Getaround can help overcome the bank account blues by turning the unused (or underutilized) car sitting in your driveway into passive income by signing up to share a car. Take it a step further and begin your path to financial independence with a low barrier-to-entry way to being your own boss, by starting your own car sharing business.

It’s the best holiday gift you could get for yourself as either a guest or host!

Get home for the holidays — wherever “home” is

Guests all across the country are ready to get on the road for the holidays, after a year of limiting travel and staying safe at home. Vaccinated and protected guests everywhere have been looking forward to making the trip across the neighborhood or across the city to reacquaint themselves with mom’s (or dad’s) home cooking. But with a year’s worth of absences to make their hearts grow fonder, many of your friends and neighbors may have the same plan in store, so be sure to book your holiday trips well in advance to make sure you’re getting the car you want, when you want it.

Hosts should also make sure that you’re giving your guests as many options as possible during this busy travel time, so be sure that all your car’s (or fleet’s) available hours are up-to-date, and see about freeing up even more car hours, if you can. Last year, Christmas Day had 56% higher demand patterns than a day during a usual week, and New Year’s Day had 71% higher demand. Getaround’s per-day and per-hour pricing model means that many hosts make more money during peak holiday times, when other platforms may be booked up or sold out for entire days. With demand looking to be even higher this year, make sure you’re ready to help out car-needy members of your community, and make even more extra cash at the same time.

It’s a win-win for everyone!

Get your “give” on

Lastly, one tradition with which both guests and hosts can get on board with is the time-honored tradition of giving back during the holiday season. Toy drives, coat collections, food donations, animal shelter runs … or whatever other charitable endeavor has become your annual giveback, chances are it may require use of a car. So to make sure you’re able to get to and from the charitable activity of your choice, and help make the holiday a bit brighter for those less fortunate, make sure you book a car from Getaround to help you on your way.

And if you feel the spirit of the season, but are still looking for ideas for how to give back this year, Town & Country Magazine has a list of ideas to help you get your “give” on, either in-person or online.

We all have a lot on our lists this month, and there’s always bound to be something we forget. But here at Getaround, we’re doing our best to make sure that, for guests and hosts, the 2021 holiday season is one to remember.