Hauling three large laundry bags into an Uber in August, I sat in silence as I contemplated whether this was one of my more stupid ideas.

I didn’t know that I was about to take my first steps in developing a lucrative side hustle.

It all started when I realised I’d become unhappy with my style.

Where detailed vintage beading, embellishment and silk once suited me, I now preferred a cleaner, more tailored look.

That meant I had a lot of beautiful clothes, but I just didn’t wear them enough. And despite my best efforts to sell them on Depop and Vinted, they weren’t shifting.

So I decided to change tack and set up a stall at Hackney Flea Market, one of my favourite places to buy vintage.

But as I looked around at everyone’s perfectly curated vintage wares, imposter syndrome set in. Was my stuff actually any good? I wondered whether it would be obvious that I was indeed selling the pre-loved clothes from my own wardrobe and that I was not in the business of clothing resale.

When I was younger and experimenting with my fashion, I had been more inclined to make quick purchases that I later regretted. The impact that fast fashion has on the environment is devastating and also having to store lots of clothes I don’t wear made me feel ashamed of overconsuming.

So I started shopping second hand as a way to find more unique pieces no one else had – and I also found items to be so much cheaper.

I found original 70s pieces like jumpsuits for a tenner at a car boot or a genuine Burberry coat for £40, leather jackets or vintage New Rock boots. In fact, pretty much my whole wardrobe became filled with second hand or vintage items.

But as I got older and my shape changed, my clothes started to fit me less. This was also a turning point in me becoming unhappy with my style. I knew I had to simplify my wardrobe and get rid of items once loved that no longer fitted.

Studies have shown that we need to cut how much we buy by 75% in order to make our wardrobes more sustainable – and that was certainly true in my case.

Like many others, I have been feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis. My rent has gone up by £50 per month, which has meant I’ve been looking for new sources of income to help me keep afloat. I’m constantly seeing people online selling secondhand clothes as a business and it got me questioning whether this would also work for me too.

I had no luck on the traditional resale platforms and it turns out I’m not alone in that area as a study by Samsung proved that 39% of Brits gave up on selling old clothes, with 55% admitting to throwing them in the bin.

In a last ditch attempt, I turned to the brilliant vintage clothing markets near my home in east London.

Clearing more than half my wardrobe into three large laundry bags, like knitted jumpers, leather coats and pretty sheer tops, I photographed all the items I wanted to sell in a professional way and enquired about how I could get my own stall.

A stall at a Hackney Flea market cost me £50 per day and I asked to book two days.

I invested in an £18 clothing rail to display my clothes, spent a further £11.98 on bags and price tags, £8.99 on laundry bags to transport stock and, on top of all that, I also spent £16 on Ubers there and back.

All in all, I was nearly £155 down before I’d even begun.

I was really nervous about not making that money back, let alone any extra on my clothes. That feeling only worsened when I noticed how small my collection looked in comparison to the huge rails other sellers had.

Still I persevered. I hung up my clothes and priced them up – my highest cost item was an embellished leather jacket that was £130 and my cheapest item was £5. I tried to make sure I priced things so that it was accessible to all.

I also had a really small amount of home wear, which I displayed on the tablecloth.

Once the doors opened, my worries eased. There were more people at my stall than I could count and some said it was one of the nicest collections of clothes they have seen.

I realised that, because my wardrobe was so carefully curated, it actually made my stall quite niche.

It was quite overwhelming watching clothes I could remember wearing over 10 years ago go to someone else. But after a couple of hours it was actually really fun and I was happy they’d be loved and worn more than they had been for years.

Of course, there were moments when people would take my clothes off to the bathrooms to try them on, which made me nervous as it was hard to keep track of who had what, but everything came back and there was no trouble.

On the second day, another seller came and asked me if I was ‘mainly selling bric a brac’. I tried not to be oversensitive but it felt like a dig at the quality of my items.

But most people asked when I’d be selling again or what other markets I traded at.

By the end of the two days, I was ecstatic with how much I’d made – £1,423.50 in total.

I didn’t have many clothes left to sell, but it didn’t take long to decide to make this into a side hustle. In my normal creative work, I’d struggle to make this sort of money so quickly.

I re-invested £300 back into the new business and called my stall ‘Three Bags Full’ – mainly because I can’t store any more than three bags in my flat, but it also helps to keep my stock carefully and individually selected.

Now I have been restocking my bags with newly-bought second-hand items that I’ve found with the intention of selling and not wearing.

Getting rid of things from my wardrobe has really helped re-evaluate my relationship to consumerism. For me, the simpler my wardrobe the better now.

For anyone considering whether to start a market stall, my advice would be to do one and see what happens. I didn’t expect so much good to come out of it in terms of financial help and it’s really boosted my confidence.

I haven’t confirmed my next market yet as stalls are so busy over Christmas I can’t get a slot this last minute – but I can’t wait to get back there.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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Even if it feels like life in Britain is becoming less and less affordable with each day that passes, it’s worth remembering (even if just for your sanity) that things could be worse.

Rapidly rising food costs are an area of concern for many households in the UK, with the price of some weekly shop staples almost tripling over the last two years.

While it’s likely scant comfort to those struggling, it may surprise you to learn that those living across the pond actually spend more on buying the same items.

After Abigael Lanai moved to London from Colorado, US, she posted a TikTok explaining that ‘cheap groceries’ were one of the things she liked most about her new home.

‘Are we living in the same England?’ joked one bemused commenter, which prompted Abigael to compare prices of a selection of everyday essentials in each country.

She clarified first that the supermarkets featured were two she had frequented personally – Sainsbury’s here and King Super’s in Colorado – so there would be variations depending on where you live and shop.

Getting down to the numbers, Abigael went on to analyse a four-litre bottle of milk. In the US, this would set you back $2.49, while in the UK it was priced at £1.65 (roughly $2).

‘That’s 50 cents or 40p more for the exact same item,’ commented the nurse and vlogger.

Next up was apples, coming in at up to 95 cents (79p) each over the Atlantic or 25p on the Sainsbury’s website, meaning Americans are paying more than triple what Brits are for the fruit.

One of the biggest differences shown in the video was beef mince. As Abigael explained, a 500g packet of mince costs £1.99 (the equivalent of around $2.40), while at King Super’s you’re looking at $5.49 for the same amount.

Carrots, meanwhile, are 50p (60 cents) per kilo here or $1.99 for 2.2lbs in the States: an expensive place to be a bunny rabbit owner.

In the comments, a number of people pointed out that there were some caveats to Abigael’s experiment.

One user said they were ‘shocked at how much cheaper’ the UK was when they lived here in 2017, adding: ‘Restaurants seemed more expensive, though.’

‘Depending on where you live in the US, you may have to pay sales tax also,’ said another. ‘7% sales tax on groceries in my state!’

Others highlighted the fact the average wage in Britain is much lower than in the US, and as a result people would have more money to spend despite higher food prices.

‘That definitely plays a role,’ Abigael added.

‘But for my family in particular, we went from being a two-income household because I was working full-time, to being a one-income household. And my husband makes the same amount, so his money goes a lot further here.’

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With prices of everything from property to the weekly shop skyrocketing, many of us will be looking for a pay rise in the near future.

In some professions, however, the potential for a decent salary bump that matches inflation is somewhat limited.

According to new data by RIFT, certain jobs are likely to see big pay rises over the coming year – and they’re probably not the ones you’d expect.

The tax refund service analysed ONS earnings figures across different industries in the UK from 2021 onwards, using trends to predict future increases and decreases.

The highest earners all-round were (unsurprisingly) chief executives and senior officials with an average salary of £109,937, while cleaners came in bottom at £11,628.

Among the employees who made most were those in marketing, finance and information technology directors, medical practitioners, pilots and headteachers, with the worst-paid including kitchen assistants, retail cashiers, waiters and waitresses, bar staff, playworkers and lollipop men.

In the research, RIFT found that over 60 professions had seen wages drop in recent years, yet those on the lower end of the scale were often better off on an annual basis.

Authors, writers and translators saw the largest salary reduction of all, falling by 17.6% when compared to the previous year – a cut of over £6,000. Managers within the creative industries also saw a hefty drop of 17.1%, taking their yearly wage from £48,438 to £40,170.

Actuaries, economists and statisticians were third, taking a pay cut of 15.2% or £8,670, followed by travel agent owners and managers, insurance underwriters, and legal professionals.

On the opposite side, the workers set to see their bank balances grow most over the cost of living crisis were found to be hairdressers. Salon owners’ salaries grew 42.2% in a single year – a rise of almost £8,500 – so it may be worth dusting off your clippers if you want the opportunity to grow your income.

Bar staff have also seen one of the highest pay rises while pulling pints, earning 29.7% more on an annual basis (£2,025) and coming in second place in the ranking.

If you’re after the best of both worlds, not only do information and technology directors earn one of the highest salaries at £80,142, but they’ve also enjoyed a 27% pay rise year on year – the third highest of all occupations. 

Other roles where pay rises have been abundant include glass makers (+26.6%), sports coaches (+25.9%), barristers (+25.6%), youth workers (+25.5%), health care managers (+24.2%), beauticians (+23.6%) and travel agents (+22.1%).

Commenting on the findings, Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, said: ‘It continues to be an incredibly tough time for many where our household finances are concerned and with the dark clouds of economic uncertainty yet to lift, the last thing anyone needs is for their income to take a hit. 

‘Unfortunately, the figures show that many professions have seen a reduction in earnings, from crane drivers to dentists, bakers to engineers. 

‘However, this isn’t the case across the board and there are actually more professions who have enjoyed a boost to their pay packet when compared to the previous year. 

‘Of course, it’s unlikely that you would leave a higher paid job for a sector enjoying positive pay growth, but if you are working in a profession that has seen a reduction in earnings, it might be worth discussing a pay rise in 2023.’

Keep in mind, too, that these are averages. Regardless of the industry you’re in, don’t rule yourself out, build on your skills, and seek progression where you can.

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