I’m 28 & make £100k a year thanks to my easy side hustle – I’m so glad I quit the boring 9-5
SOME of us have an eye for spotting goodies to buy at the car boot sale, but others, like Sonny Green, have a knack for knowing what to sell – allowing him to turn his side hustle into a full-time job.
His bargain-hunting ways have led him from working as a youth worker earning £1,000 a month to selling at car boot sales and raking in £100k a year.
Speaking to Fabulous, the 28-year-old from Southend-on-Sea, revealed exactly how he got to where he is by knowing exactly what tat to sell.
A jack of all trades, the self-described ‘Del Boy with bars,’ has his fingers in lots of pies including owning his own furniture warehouse, selling at car boots, clearing peoples houses, rapping and poetry.
Sonny, was working as a youth worker at the age of 24, teaching others to rap and write lyrics following his own successful music career – but he decided he wanted more so began doing car boot sales at the weekend to rake in extra cash.
He soon realised he could make hundreds in the space of a few short hours, saying: “You get to wake up at 5:30, by eight you’ve made a couple hundred quid and still have the rest of your day, I’d make a big chunk of money in a short space of time.”
Like many, Sonny was working a 40-hour job for a measly £1,000 a month until his side hustle kicked off into a full-time job.
His savvy eye for a bargain deal has led the rapping ex-youth worker to rake in £100k a year thanks to what started as a hobby.
And the bargain hunting pro revealed he now knows exactly what tat to spot at a car boot sale and what to sell to rake in hundreds.
He reveals: “Decent trainers, vintage consoles like PS1s, Gamecubes, and vintage football shirts are the jackpot, if you see that you have to get it.”
The entrepreneur first got a taste for the hustle and bustle of car boot sales when he was just eight years old, helping his mum shift bits she no longer wanted.
He reveals he soon realised he could intertwine elements from other jobs to make the most out of car boot sales.
Now, he not only does car boot sales, but also owns a man with a van company, helping people move homes and clear out houses where he occasionally finds hidden treasure to sell on.
The ‘Southend Boy’ even has his own furniture store to help him keep the cheques coming.
He says: “The first proper car boot sale I did was about five years ago as a business, the shop was a natural progression.
“I can buy a wardrobe for £30 at a car boot sale, do it up and sell it for £180 in the shop.”
Now Sonny claims he can make up to £10,000 in a good week according to his song Southend Boy on YouTube.
” I’m a modern-day Del Boy, but with bars,” his music career spans from BBC live lounge sessions to spoken word poetry.
“If Eminem was selling at car boot sales, rap, English, from Southend – that is basically me.”
While Sonny’s humble beginnings are a far cry from his achievements to date, he reveals not much has changed in his personal life.
Family and friends have stuck around congratulating Sonny for ‘smashing it’ he adds: “I’ve got a good eye for people as well as second-hand bargains.”
Sonny's top tips for first timers
Bring a rail for clothes
Make sure you have lots of change
Always be willing to haggle and do a deal everyone wants a pound off, so don’t be stuck on your price
Boot sale banter – talk to people and don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy yourself
Be happy, happy people make more sales
Good presentation – bring a fold-up table and if something is worth money present it properly and bring wipes to clean items
If it rains – don’t bother going