IT’S been said that kids these days love spending loads of time on their devices, and it’s not uncommon to hear parents complain their children don’t get outside enough.
Although 11-year-old Eydan Hatzigiannis does like to get outside, his dad Vasilios said the young man from Golden Square is no exception.
Yet when Eydan wanted a way to pay for some new games, he decided to start a small enterprise selling firewood out of his back garden.
“We bought him a brand-new gaming PC,” said Mr Hatzigiannis. “From there, he’s actually been going out and buying his own gaming keyboards, headsets, steering wheels.”
Selling firewood isn’t Eydan’s only side hustle, with a few other income streams set up and running.
“Firewood, and chores around the house,” said Mr Hatzigiannis. “He’s always helping me in the shed.”
As a result, Eydan makes the kind of pocket money most kids his age would dream of, making sometimes close to $100.
Mr Hatzigiannis said most of what Eydan sells is wood from recycled untreated pine pallets and he helps with the cutting.
“I use a saw, but he’s got to split it and bag it and all that,” said Mr Hatzigiannis. “He’s got to scale it and everything.
“He’s got a deal going, you buy 25 kilos for $25 and you get five kilos for free. It actually works, because he’s got some repetitive customers coming back already.”
Mr Hatzigiannis said Eydan wanted to start selling firewood last year, though was too late in the season.
“He wanted to get in nice and early this year,” he said.