Kerikeri resident Hannah Whiskey has a successful side hustle selling vintage clothes. Photo / Jenny Ling
Kerikeri resident Hannah Whiskey has a successful side hustle selling vintage clothes. Photo / Jenny Ling
More Northlanders are turning their passions into successful side hustles to “try and take the pressure off” the soaring cost of living.
They are doing extra work outside of their main job to get more income.
While some people pursue a side hustle that involves their passions and talents, others may use it to explore a new career and end up turning their part-time job into a burgeoning business.
Michael Salmon was working full-time as a teacher at Kerikeri High School in 2022 when he spotted an opportunity to create a business that complemented his career.
He began tutoring students in maths after school and now has a thriving side hustle.
“I realised there was a need for it; a lot of kids were wanting extra tutoring, and I had the time. I put two and two together and started doing after-hours tutoring.”
Salmon, now a full-time science teacher at St Peter’s College in Palmerston North, does about eight hours a week tutoring, and has become so busy he’s had to hire staff.
“I did one session [in Kerikeri] then I was chatting to a stranger and he hired me on the spot to tutor his son.
“The best thing about it is it allowed me to get to the States last year to meet my fiancee’s family.
“Without doing the tutoring I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go over and meet them.
“You have to work pretty hard to get ahead at the moment.
“I don’t have as much downtime and work/life balance as I’d like, but at the same time it’s a super rewarding job.”
Michael Salmon’s side hustle as a math's tutor meant he could visit his fiancee Sarah’s parents in the United States.
Kerikeri resident Hannah Whiskey has been supplementing her main job as a “clippy” on the Opua car ferry with her love of vintage clothing for the last 18 months.
She works several days a week at her main job, then spends the rest hunting for clothes to sell at her stall at the Merchants, one of Northland’s biggest second-hand shops which hosts numerous individual pop-up shops.
Whiskey started selling vintage clothing at Auckland markets three years ago, sourcing stock from her own wardrobe, and from friends, and op shops.
She made a bit of money and thought “this is something I can do regularly”.
“When I moved to Kerikeri I wanted to continue doing that.
“It really indulges my passion for vintage clothes.
“It allows me to have a bit more money from week to week, and helps with unexpected costs as well.”
The extra cash also helps fund Whiskey’s passion for creating art, particularly rolls of film for her photography experiments which she exhibits at art galleries.
Her side hustle gives her freedom and flexibility; without it she’d have to work full-time on the ferry and wouldn’t have time for her art.
“It can be really exhausting, but then it’s really fulfilling as well,” she said.
“With side hustles, it’s generally something people are passionate about and would do anyway, but they’ve taken it to the next level.
“It’s satisfying knowing you can make money from something you’re interested in.”
Ari Rose sells recycled leather earrings to bring in extra income on top of her cleaning job. Photo / Jenny Ling
Kerikeri resident Ari Rose has been selling recycled leather earrings for the last two years to bring in extra income on top of her private cleaning job.
Rose sources the leather from handbags, clothes, shoes and furniture and transforms them into unique earrings.
Each pair is cut and designed by hand into different shapes including feathers, leaves, squares and circles, some with Māori designs.
Rose, who also has a stall at the Merchants, said she started making the earrings during the first Covid-19 lockdown.
“I gave the first lot away to friends and they put photos on social media.
“They got so many compliments; people told me I need to make more of them.”
Rose’s side hustle helps her be self-sufficient and she hopes to make it into a profitable business.
“The money I make helps out my partner and two boys.
“Everything has become so expensive now. I try and take the pressure off.”
Vanessa Owen said more locals have been signing up to have “micro-shops” at the Merchants. Photo / Jenny Ling
The Merchants’ co-owner Vanessa Owen said more locals have been signing up to have “micro-shops” at the building on the corner of Cobham Road and Mill Lane.
Tenants are charged between $10 and $60 a week depending on the space, and the Merchants process their sales, so the stall holder doesn’t have to be there the whole time.
Not a bad deal during an economic downturn, she said, when food, rent and petrol costs are at an all-time high and insurance premiums are soaring.
Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.
