Big Time Gains from Part-Time Gigs…

Dear Richer Lifer,

The first few days of retirement are invigorating and strange. Should you set an alarm? Should you get to the gym early, or sleep in and enjoy a few days of extra rest?

Your schedule is fluid and you find yourself relishing all the extra time on your hands. Want to go play golf mid-morning? Sounds great. Have lunch at 3pm? Sure, why not! That hobby you have been wanting to pursue? Try it out!

A few days turns into a few weeks, and if you’re like a lot of people, you’ll find yourself filling the hours in weird ways. You watch some tv, read a few books, take naps…

Then boredom sets in. The hours and hours of open time that were once so appealing, are now dull.

You may be surprised to find that you wish you were working again! Not necessarily full time, don’t get me wrong, but a few hours at a time just to stay engaged and energized.

You might find that you miss the fulfillment you used to get from working. Maybe you don’t find yourself wishing for your 40 hour a week, 9-5 grind, but you do want to be on a team again. There is something special about working toward a common goal you enjoy with others.

Or maybe you aren’t bored, but you might find you could use a little extra cash, now that all those retirement dreams of travel and leisure are here. Some additional spending money when you’re visiting the tropics might come in handy, or get you on the plane in the first place.

No matter what your reason, you may find you want to pick up a part time job.

Here are some part time jobs that are perfect for retirees:

Driving for Uber / Lyft

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve chatted with my Uber driver and had them say some version of: “I retired a few years ago and I wanted a way to fill the time. Uber is perfect – I wish I’d done this years ago!”

With flexible hours and a low barrier to entry, Uber and similar driving gigs are an easy way to get started making part time income. This is so popular with retirees that more than half of all Uber drivers are age 61 and up. If you want a gig that’s interesting, variable, and available to you on demand, ride-share driving might be perfect for you!

Translating / Tutoring In A Foreign Language

If you speak more than one language, you’re in luck. Translators and foreign language tutors are always in high demand.

Like teaching, you can look for positions at local companies or go it alone and offer one-on-one lessons. Best of all, you can often offer this service online. So if you don’t want to leave your home, you don’t have to!

Acting As A Park Ranger / Docent

Maybe your heart yearns to be in the great outdoors, or maybe you really dig the Paleolithic Era. Either way, you can find a great part time gig at National or State Parks or a local museum.

These amazing resources are always in need of friendly, dependable staffers, so find your favorite park or museum and offer your time and talent.

Real Estate

If you’re looking for a position with lots of opportunities to meet people and share your knowledge of your hometown, real estate is a great option. You can become a licensed agent with just 4-6 months of training, and as for the income potential, the sky’s the limit.

If you’ve got a great community of friends already, real estate is great in that case, too – you can quickly build a network of potential clients with people you already know.

Consulting

If you have considerable professional experience you may find that consulting can be a fantastic gig for you. Companies, small or large, may be able to benefit from your knowledge.

In order to get started, decide on some areas of specialty and update your LinkedIn profile so people know you’re available to help them. Don’t forget to reach out to past colleagues, too. With a little effort, you can have a thriving and lucrative consulting job in a short amount of time.

Freelance Writing

If you have considerable professional experience you may find that consulting can be a fantastic gig for you. Companies, small or large, may be able to benefit from your knowledge.

In order to get started, decide on some areas of specialty and update your LinkedIn profile so people know you’re available to help them. Don’t forget to reach out to past colleagues, too. With a little effort, you can have a thriving and lucrative consulting job in a short amount of time.

Offering Childcare

Parents and grandparents have experience in one extremely useful, high-demand skill set — childcare. Wherever there are people, you’ll find moms and dads who need all the help they can get.

You can offer your services as a babysitter, or get certified through your state and offer complete childcare services. If you want to make a big difference in a child’s life, you can even move into foster care and take in kids who need help temporarily. While this isn’t the typical part time gig you might have been thinking of, it certainly is an invaluable way to give back.

House Sitting / Pet Sitting

Perhaps working with people isn’t your thing, but you love dogs. Pet sitting could be perfect for you. You can offer your services on sites like Rover.com or sign up for local Facebook groups and reply to anyone who needs help there.

If you want something even easier than checking on Fido and Fluffy, then look into house sitting. This easy gig is little more than checking on someone’s home from time to time and making sure their plants don’t die while they’re out of town, so it’s perfect for someone with extra time on their hands.

There are just a few ways you can earn some side income in your retirement years. If one of them piques your interest, give it a shot! If you find you want to try something else in the future, you can always change.

After all, the best thing about retirement is the flexibility to do what you enjoy, so factor in what you like, and you’ll find new satisfaction every day.

To a richer life,

— Nilus Mattive
Editor, The Rich Life Roadmap