Perhaps you’ve been dreaming about retirement for years and like most people, you’ve got big plans. Those plans might include visiting family, traveling overseas, or catching up on your hobbies. One thing is for sure: you’ll have more time on your hands than you did before.
Some retirees find that after they’ve spent a few months pursuing bucket list items, they eventually feel motivated to take on something new. In today’s digital age, it’s easier than ever to use your free time in retirement to earn some extra income. This can be incredibly helpful with making ends meet in retirement as well as having extra fun money to pursue a fun lifestyle.
Let’s look at some of the ways you can use that spare time in your retirement years to earn extra cash:
Do Some Freelancing
If you have a way with words, there are several sites where you can sign up to get freelancing gigs. This may include both copywriting and editing jobs. Typically, companies that are looking for freelancers will post jobs on popular job sites like Upwork, or Problogger.
They will list out the freelancer job skills they are seeking usually along with a list of requirements and you can apply for that position by sharing your resume and sending them some samples of your work.
On the other hand, if you are more of a technical person than a grammar person, you can join sites like Fiverr to post gigs to help others with video editing or graphic design.
Become a Consultant
Chances are that you retired with some pretty good skills in one area or another. You can use these skills to do some consulting, either through an agency or on your own. It’s common for people with accounting experience to do part-time consulting during retirement as a tax advisor or bookkeeper. Check into local temp agencies in your area for opportunities.
You can also consider consulting for the company from which you retired. My stepfather retired from the steel industry, but now that he is retired, they hire him for projects on a short-term basis. He negotiates his pay rate and travel schedule for each project, and it works out to be a win-win for both parties.
Drive for Uber or Lyft
Earning extra retirement income has never been so easy as it has since ride-sharing became a thing. It’s incredibly easy to sign up to be a driver with popular rideshare programs like Uber or Lyft. You’ll need a smartphone, a driver’s license, and a clean car.
If you prefer not to have other people in your car, you could also consider related part-time jobs like delivery food through DoorDash.
The best part is that you will set your own schedule and only accept rideshare requests when you want to.
Cuddle Some Critters
Do you love animals? If so, you can get paid to spend time with them via popular pet-sitting and dog-walking websites. Sites like Rover allow you to sign up for this incredibly easy way to earn extra money.
You can also consider making a post on the Nextdoor, where you can let neighbors in your community know that you are available to help them with watching or walking their pets while they are at work or traveling.
My pet-sitter handles all of this for me when I’m away, and I pay her $50 for each overnight stay. This is easy cash for her and gives me peace of mind that my furry friends are not too lonely while I’m gone.
If you aren’t a critter-lover, you can always consider just ordinary housesitting. Plenty of professionals will be happy to pay you to water their plants and collect their mail while they travel.
Teach Students Online
It’s easier than ever to teach online. You could consider teaching English as a second language online. You can also tutor students in a variety of other subjects.
You’ll need to have a good knowledge of the various subjects in which you wish to do tutoring, although you won’t need to have a college degree in these subjects.
You can sign up with sites like Tutor to find assignments. Review the jobs available and apply for those that you feel confident you could be successful tutoring others in. Sharing your knowledge with others is rewarding a great way to earn money, too.
If teaching online is not your thing, you could also consider signing up with local school districts to become a substitute teacher. Many districts do not require a teaching license for substitute teachers, and you can accept only those jobs that interest you.
Think about things you enjoy doing and then see if you can come up with some additional ways to earn money in retirement. Whatever you decide to do in your spare time, there is likely a way that you can monetize that and put the extra income to good use pursuing the things you love best.
Danielle K Roberts is a member of the Forbes Finance Council and co-founder at Boomer Benefits where she and her team help retirees navigate their Medicare benefits.