If you regularly travel around the UK in your vehicle, why not get paid to deliver a parcel en route? You could easily make enough to cover fuel costs by doing courier work.

In recent years there has seen a big increase in the number of private car/van owners offering to transport goods.

It's not just courier companies in Manchester or throughout the rest of the UK that are moving consignments around the country on a daily basis. It's now private vehicle owners too, who are looking to make deliveries. On average, they can make around £70 on a single journey of 300 miles, effectively covering the cost of their fuel. If they make one long journey a week, that is £280 a month for the slight inconvenience of picking up and delivering goods.

There are lots of things that will easily fit into a family car. For example, a customer this week wanted a document moved from Manchester to London. They were flexible on dates, and, and an owner-driver carried it out for a cost of £70.00

It's no accident that the rise in private car owners are carrying put courier work with the rise in fuel prices. The majority of car owners are doing deliveries in people carriers, SUV's or estate cars, as they have plenty of boot space.

For example, before just before Christmas we had a woman who was driving her car over to Dublin more or less empty. She picked up two chairs from Liverpool for us for delivery and earned £150."

Car owners need to check the weight and dimensions of a load before carrying out courier work, and check with their vehicle's insurer: if you agree to carry valuable items you need to be clear about who is providing goods-in-transit cover.

Also bear in mind that any extra income earned would need to be declared to HMRC in the normal way, although you would be able to offset the cost of the fuel against the income, plus other costs of running the vehicle.