Once you’ve reached retirement age, your free time is yours to do as you wish. You can spend your days doing things around the house, going on day trips and vacations, or spending quality time with family and friends.
You might invest more time in hobbies and other interests. Sometimes, your hobbies, like the ones listed here, can be monetized into a side hustle to make a little extra money.
1. Teaching
Former educators or experts in particular subjects can use their knowledge and expertise to make money on the side. There’s always a huge demand for substitute teachers for all grade levels.
If teaching kindergarten through grade 12 isn’t your cup of tea, you can always become an adjunct college professor. You can teach as many or as few classes as you want in a variety of subjects, from English to HVAC repair.
2. Antiquing
Shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops is more than just a fun way to pass the time. You can find hidden gems there, like rare books, vintage glass, and other collectibles that someone else didn’t want.
Knowing what to look for is the most important aspect of antiquing. Once a find has been discovered, money can be made by selling it online or at an auction specializing in antiques.
3. Homestays
Retirees with a second home can profit from one of their properties by renting it out short term. Platforms like Airbnb and VRBO help you find renters and handle the arrangements before a rental contract is entered.
Renting out your furnished home requires a degree of trust that it’ll be well taken care of, and it’s best to confirm with the company what protections owners have. It’s a good way to earn passive income.
4. Writing
Journaling and writing are relaxing and fulfilling activities. Writing online can bring in some dollars, too. You can be a guest or contributing writer for someone else’s blog or website.
There are other ways to get your writing out there. You can create your own blog or website based on any topic with ads and sponsorships. You can also write an online newsletter, offering exclusive content for subscribers.
5. Childcare and Aftercare
There’s always a need for safe, quality childcare providers. So if your previous career was in childcare, or you just enjoy working with children, this could be an option for you. Childcare can be provided in your home, the parent’s home, or at a daycare center.
You can also work as an aftercare provider for school-aged kids who are too young to be alone after school. Aftercare programs usually operate at a school or other public community center.
6. Tour Guide
Having in-depth knowledge about a particular area or landmark and an enjoyment of sharing that knowledge with other people makes for the perfect tour guide. You may take individuals or groups of people on these tours.
Some guides drive as they’re giving tours, some organize walking tours, and others may do the talking while someone else drives a bus or other vehicle. Researching the history of the places being visited also helps.
7. Coaching
Sports enthusiasts who want to know what it’s like being in charge of a team should consider becoming a part of the coaching staff for amateur youth and adult teams. You can be a head coach, assistant coach, or specialty coach.
Coaches teach their athletes a variety of techniques and skills related to their respective sports and advise them on fitness and nutrition. They also prospect and recruit new athletes for their teams.
8. Pet Care
Pet parents understand firsthand what it’s like to need pet care in their absence, whether they are at work for the day, or have to be away for several days. It’s not always possible to take pets along.
This is the perfect opportunity to become a pet care provider. Your responsibilities can include dog walking, changing the cat litter boxes, feeding, and providing companionship. You’d be amazed how many pet parents use the services of pet care providers.
9. Tax Professional
Retired accountants can use their skills and knowledge for a side hustle as tax professionals. Not surprisingly, the services of tax pros are in demand in the first several months of the year, when most people file their taxes.
Some tax professionals work only during tax season, but some work year-round. The nice part about this job is that you can decide when you want to work and how often you work.
10. Gardening
Gardening is a fun, relaxing, and rewarding hobby that provides proof of your hard work by way of flowers, plants, and produce. Your efforts in the garden can also yield some extra money as a side hustle.
Buyers love to purchase fresh produce, flowers, and plants that are starting to bloom. Farmers and growers may buy your seeds or seedlings. Your live goods can be sold online or at local markets.
11. Bookkeeping
If you have proficiency in math or with numbers and are highly organized, a side hustle as a bookkeeper can be a very profitable one. Bookkeepers record a company’s incoming and outgoing financial transactions, including invoices, payments, revenue, expenses, and purchases.
They work with businesses of all sizes to keep their finances in order. This role requires accuracy, sharp attention to detail, and the use of a manual ledger or accounting software.
12. Graphic Design
You don’t have to be an artist to become a graphic designer. If you can create basic sketches and learn how to use graphic design software, you’re more than halfway there.
Graphic designers use software to develop and create images and designs for a variety of purposes, including product logos, infographics, posters, and signs. As a graphic designer, you can work freelance or be part of a company’s staff.
13. Consulting
A consultant is one of those words that everyone has heard of but can’t quite define what they do. Consultants are experts in a given field, and they use their expertise to help businesses meet their goals and objectives.
No formal education or degree is required to be a consultant, but you need an in-depth knowledge of a particular subject matter. That could include areas like cybersecurity, risk management, and human resources.
14. Photography
It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, which equates to the ability of a photograph to tell a story. If your photographs can paint a narrative, you might be able to market them.
Amateur and professional photographers can sell their pictures directly to companies and publishers, or sell them as stock images online. You keep the rights to your photos, but consumers pay to use them.
15. Tutoring
There are several ways to provide academic support to students, like teaching or working as an adjunct professor. If those options don’t appeal to you, tutoring is an option.
As a tutor, you’ll work with students in one or more subjects that you’re proficient in. You can work part-time or full-time and choose whether you want to work with students in person or online.
16. Mentoring
Youths of all ages and backgrounds may need a caring adult to look up to for guidance, and mentors fulfill this important role. Retirees who are ready, willing, and able can be ideal role models.
Mentors offer direction and guidance to young people. As a retiree, you’ve developed the life wisdom and experience to extend a hand to those who may be struggling. Mentoring may not be the highest-paying gig, but it pays back in ways better than money.
