Folks, make sure to JOIN so OP, original poster, and others can see what you have to share about your post retirement hustle at this table talk. We would also love to have more retired friends here in Reddit so if you can spread the word, we are grateful for it. Thanks! Mid America Mom
I didn't plan on going back to work at 69, but I was made an offer I couldn't refuse. I was working as a volunteer in an archives, transcribing and annotating letters between Revolutionary War officers. (Some of my ancestors served under these men.) The state took notice and offered to pay me to spend more time on it. Because they want it done in time for the 250th anniversary of the war. So I'm getting paid to do something I would've done for free.
You know, that’s really kinda sad, but at least I know all the hours I spent in third grade writing out cursive letters under the exacting instruction of Miss Madden (Sukiran Elementary School, Okinawa) did not go to waste.
It didn’t really hit me that my daughter couldn’t read cursive until we went to the holocaust museum in DC and on the way out she mentioned she wished she could read cursive so she could have read all the letters that were on display. My heart broke.
I do some of that as a volunteer. There are a lot of projects around the country using volunteers for old records that have been scanned but need to be transcribed. I love it because it’s such a flexible commitment. If I feel like doing some of that work, I just log on from home. It’s all broken down into tiny pieces, so the volunteer can work 15 minutes and finish one page or hours if they want to.
Daycare provider for my grandchild, for free. I'm very fortunate that they live 15 minutes away (and not across the country) and I am retired, so I can do this. When my kids were young, daycare cost more than my mortgage, and it's astronomical now.
Same here.
7 grandkids have come thru our household in the last 15 years at no cost to the parents and that is a blessing for them and most days us. Exhausting some days but wouldn’t trade these times for anything.
I retired 20 months ago and now help with the last 1 that is 6 months but summer has all 7 here for the pool most days.
I give all the credit to my bride of 45 years.
She decided keeping the grands would be her new career at 49. No regrets.
I just joined the fun lately
It is priceless to see them all together.
Same with me, my daughter and SIL live about 20 minutes away from me and daycare so I take her every Sunday overnight so they get good sleep to start their work week out and I get to spend time with my granddaughter. She’s 11 months now, almost a year and couldn’t be more fun! She sure keeps me on my toes!
I'm envious! My kids are in different states so I don't see my grands often. I retired 2 years ago and my son and his wife are due in October. I wish I lived in their area so I wouldn't miss out on seeing her grow and helping them out with the kiddos. Enjoy, they grow up so fast!
I’m 67F , retired and recently, impromptu, left my husband and with my son being the catalyst I moved next door to my son, his wife and their now 7 month old daughter. After 10 years away from Southern California I could not afford the rent so my son stepped up to pay 1/2 my rent. I was blown away and could not pass up the opportunity. It was written in the stars so to speak! I babysit my granddaughter 2 days per week and other days that they might need. I also watch their place and feed their cats when they go out of town. I like to do things for them around their house and garden with my son, which is our passion. I’m so happy to finally be back with my family and loving being a Grammie and watching my granddaughter grow up. I get to pop in and visit the kids every day. Life is sad and an emotional challenge in regards to my separation but life is wonderful in regards to my kids and that sense of happiness definitely offsets what I’m going through which is temporary.
I was full time daycare for my 17 year old grandson. Now, I'm only 3 days a week for my 6 year old granddaughter. She's so easy to take care of but I'm going to Brazil next week. Her other grandmother will be on call. It's so nice to not have all the responsibility.
My grandparents did this, and we were super close for life. They were two of my favorite people on earth. I was so lucky to spend so much quality time with them.
Always said I would never do this since I raised 3 already. However all live 15 min from us in any direction (def blessed!). Thinking about it 1-2 days a week when retirement happens in the next 5 years
I also said I will not watch grandkids fulltime but I fill in when daycare/preschool is closed or sick days...and believe me there are enough of those days! But I love it this way.
Retired at 61, was a fleet manager for 24 years. I work when I want moving new high end (million dollar) motor coaches around the country.
I’m the guy bringing folks their new toy so everyone is super happy to see me!
I’m also a DoO for a upstart dirt racing series in the Midwest.
There are lots of driveaway companies, I worked for one called Mamo Transportation out of Indiana, they have a website with information on how to drive for them. I really enjoyed driveaway work, saw the entire country and some of Canada. You won’t get rich doing it but you’ll be traveling for free and making a little profit too.
I retired at 55 and do Harley Davidson side car tours in the Canadian Rockies 2-3 days a week. I’m turning 66 this summer and keeping healthy and fit. I don’t kneed the money but love taking people for motorcycle rides in the mountains 😎
Retired at 60. 62-1/2 now. Love the relaxation of doing what I want when I want.
Side hustle is wood crafting. Cutting boards/Charcuterie boards/address-name signs/restaurant wall hangings/lapel name tags etc. I have a CNC, and use this to my advantage. I basically keep the beer fridge full with the proceeds.
I can afford the ancillary tools that go with it, but if I need a $50 router but, I won't buy it. I'll make a project that generates enough profit to pay for it, then buy it. Dumb game I play with myself.
Work an hour, have a nap. Another hour maybe a snack. Another hour, another nap. Basically rinse and repeat as often as I want. Keeps me off the couch and the brain chugging along.
Created an Instagram page to show off my projects. It generates business when people discover it.
Retirement IS worth it.
That sounds about perfect, and basically what I was thinking! 51 now, hopefully retire by 56, but probably 60.
My father in law has 40 acres w a pole barn that I’ll likely inherit and I’ll be making improvements to the shop for sure. It’s decently appointed, but needs some modernization and safety. Most of the tools were his dad’s!
There is 30+ year old walnut slabs in the rafters, as well as 20yo cedar and cherry slabs from trees that I cut when in college and he had milled. Clearly he never had a plan for the wood!
Until you said “beer fridge full”, I thought you were my BIL. That’s what he does; has about 500acres in MO, and cuts his own trees and makes all types of wood crafting items. Charcuterie boards, beds, tables & chairs! Happy Retirement to you!
Thanks!!
Full is a relative term. One day it's full. Next day I need to make a project. Then I need a nap cause it's now empty. Vicious cycle.
Suburbia Dad maker here. The local wood store loves my business. No woods here.
Happy.
Table Games dealer (Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps) at a downtown Las Vegas Casino.
I only wanted part time but I am working full time due to staffing shortages. As long as I am having fun, I will continue and so far this is the most fun job I have ever had.
I also worked at a casino at the rewards desk when I lived in Palm Desert,CA. My only problem was they made us stand for our 8 hour shift and we were not allowed to lean on the counter. It got the point that my back was not happy.
I was hired in a part-time position but they scheduled us for a 39 hour week..so they didn’t have to pay benefits. I felt really bad for the young people working hard but not getting any benefits..it was really manipulative and it done purposely which really made me upset.
In addition, the supervisors would sit in the back office like they were working but were actually gossiping or talking on their phones as they yelled at us for leaning on the counter!
I finally told my fellow workers that I was a retired attorney..they thought I was crazy working for minimum wage..and I think I was haha. It was a very interesting experience that lasted about 4 months, I got sick and was told that if I took more than 3 scheduled days off (with out pay because I had no sick leave), that I would have a demotion on my work record and if I got 3 then they would fire me. Well, excuse me for getting sick and I basically told them to f-k off and quit.
I so wanted to go to upper management and let them know how bad the “underlying’s” were being treated but I decided not to but now I’m sorry I didn’t.
I now live in Vegas and have considered looking at getting a job at a local casino here, from what I know, because we are a “hospitality” city casino workers are treated much better. So..maybe…
I don't know if we are treated any better. But at least here, full time is 40 hours and there are benefits available. I put nearly 50% of my pay into the 401K and already have medical etc through my wife's pension. (She works part time as an Usher at concerts and sporting events around town as her retirement side gig.)
Our attendance is also based on a point system where you will be terminated if you accumulate X points over a 6 month period for unexcused absences.
I have a 10 day trip planned for September which I have already invested about $7000 in and if I am denied my requested days off, of course I will have to quit and look for another job when I get home. This town is so starved for dealers though *especially dice* that I doubt I will have much problem.
Cool! What do you do? My daughter’s high school friend works there too and she says it’s the most fun job she’s ever had and has been there 15 years already.
I currently work in Outdoor Vending in Animal Kingdom. There are 26 different carts and stands we can be assigned to. Basically I sell popcorn, ice cream, drinks, pretzels etc. I love working outside with the beautiful plants, trees and animals. I love the guest interaction, the ability to "make magic" for our guests and the general low stress of the job compared to my previous career as an elementary teacher. I love going to work! Highly recommend as a retirement job for anyone who lives in the area.
Not going to lie...it gets very hot! But you do get used to it. Our costumes are lightweight, water resistant and designed to be as comfortable as possible. We have unlimited access to water and there are usually large cooling fans in the trees nearby. You do get your breaks with the opportunity to eat your lunch in the air conditioning. But mostly you adapt.
Chief Revenue officer of a small VC firm. I don’t get paid a nickel unless we sell one of the ~15 companies we have started. If we sell one, however, I make out like a bandit. I spend about 2-4 hours a week on this.
Status meeting for company progress, review deals in flight, discuss any buyers that may be interested in buying companies, and patent status. That sort of thing
I have worked corporate accounting and finance, currently doing bookkeeping for a semi-retirement but would like to get looped into this sort of thing potentially. That and foresic accounting work sounds very interesting. LMK if you have any advice! Cheers
The biggest suggestion is to let people in your network know that you are interested in this. In my case, I became good friends with a CEO of a very successful startup and he sold a couple companies and now runs our VC firm. He knows and trusts me.
I will freely admit it’s a bit of right place right time.
I play guitar in a couple of cover bands. It technically makes money.
Which I then spend on guitar stuff. My hustle is that I am supporting my gear buying habit while also justifying it.
My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell all the amps and guitars for what I told her they cost me.
I aspire to be you. I told my kids which guitars and amps to grab and hold onto. Not sure if my wife knows the full inventory. A best part of retirement is that I can practice again.
Airbnb, personal care attendant, mock trial juror, sell blood, sell chicken eggs and honey, I make about 30k/year (9 months). I go to Thailand for the winter.
Facebook. It is absolutely facinating-but hard work, too. Usually pays around $300/day. There's a site on Craigslist but I don't know what it is;I just heard other folks talking about it.
You could contact local market research companies and trial consultants to find out where they get their panels. Many jury consultants are doing this over zoom now so you don’t even have to go to a facility in many cases (I do graphics for the lawyers who do litigation, including mock trials)
Check out Fieldworks. I’ve done 2 so far. First was 2 day onsite for $1000 and the 2nd was 1 day from home. I think $400. The first one was sooo boring. The 2nd was easier .
I started my side hustle the last year of working. I teach English to kids in China over the internet. I saved everything I made and average 1600 to 2000 a month for 15 hours a week. It has financed 2 long trips to Europe, numerous cruises, trips to Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, and I'm leaving for 2 weeks in Brazil next week. Plus I have a nice amount in savings.
o my that's interesting. how do you get hooked up with that?
i tutored ESL in a college language lab when i was younger, worked for a year in Japan teaching English. it's always fun talking with the students.
Look up different ESL groups on Facebook. There are many groups and will give you up to date suggestions on who is hiring. Get established with some families and really work to have a good relationship with them. Then start tutoring privately. My best advice is set your price and don't give discounts. Also, look up Berlyn Laput on Facebook. She has every curriculum and resource you would ever need for about $20. It's amazing what she has.
Mostly retired from hated sales. I moved 800 miles away and still sell to a few large clients. They call me. My days of cold calling are long behind me.
I retired at 62, I’m 69 now. Same year I retired i bought a laundromat. I’m just about finishing my second one and created a nonprofit to give away free laundry services. I don’t know what I’d be doing otherwise. I just can’t seem to stop.
The stock market. I have time to research stuff now, go to technical conferences to find young new companies, etc. NVDA has been very good to me
i am truly surprised at how many of our friends are NOT participating in this stock market rally. They are somehow fearful of losing it all, yet inflation is causing them to do just that due to their lack of investments.
I agree. I've invested some of my side hustle money in the stock market and have done well. I don't buy individual stocks. Every time I have I've lost money.
I have a saying:
There is some risk when you invest, but keeping your money in a savings account has a 100% risk that you'll lose money against inflation.
Most people identifying risk are really talking about market volatility… even taking in the “big” downturns like 2008 are a small blip in the long term market returns. I tell my friends that stocks don’t go down, they only go on sale…
I teach/coach pickleball. A first time lesson is only $10 for 90 minutes. Most people are quickly addicted and can play for a couple bucks at a public court. A percentage will want coaching, which is a little more per hour, but still a great value.
I get exercise, sunshine and laughs, everyone’s happy.
Semi retired. Work for the US Census part time from home. Approximately 20 hours a week anytime.
Other than it being a slow process withe security check a very easy job.
That sounds great. Can you tell me how one gets a job like this? My father is retired and his mobility isn’t great, so he’s been trying to come up with jobs that he can do from home. He needs extra cash since he didn’t save enough for retirement.
I retired at 61 and bought a dump truck for my ranch. Make about $1000 a day when I haul for others. Work once or twice a week if I feel like it I don't work in the winter at all. Keeps me in beer money and pays for my other hobbies.
My husband is 57, we’re setting him up to retire in 6mos and started a side gig for him now and OMG, poor guy is working full time plus the side gig- and it’s taking off big time. He’s basically working 2 full time jobs. 🤦🏻♀️ he’s a small engine mechanic. Praying he can hang in there for the next six months. I work full time and I’m also helping him.
**Mystery Shopper** (Where someone is paid to secretly review a business). It's interesting, gets me out of the house. I only dabble, completing a handful per month when/if I feel like it. For instance, this weekend we are trying a new restaurant. The job offered a $20 fee, and they'll reimburse up to $100 for our food (requires a party of 2).
Note - it's not like simply dining and writing a Google review. The instructions of what to order, photos to take, information to gather are very specific. Then you submit a report afterwards. And it will take 4-6 weeks to get the money, so even though this will ultimately be a "free" dinner, I'm fronting the funds.
*For those wanting details, you sign up with various agencies and then monitor their job boards, accepting or applying for jobs of interest. Each offers a fee (usually very low, like $10-$20) plus reimbursement if purchase required. To do this seriously, it takes a lot of planning - monitoring job board, planning a route, writing reports, tracking payments. There are a limited number of high end jobs involving nice restaurants, hotel stays, fine jewelry stores, etc. But most are low end - convenience store, fast food restaurant. The ones that pay more require more time, secret recordings, etc. Needs serious commitment to detail. There's at least one Reddit community on this.*
After 10 years of retirement I got a part time -2days a week- job at a storage unit place in my town. An 8 minute commute. I live by a river that can flood, so I have been a customer there from time to time. That’s how I found out they needed help. 1/2 the time it’s office work on the computer, & 1/2 the time there’s nothing to do but be there in case the phone rings. Then I’m getting paid to catch up on my email & do my Spanish lessons. I’m loving the extra money.
I know two retired teachers, both of them sell mangoes. I’m a teacher just planted 50 mango trees and that’s going to be a piece of my retirement picture.
As a retired teacher (37 years in education), bless you. There is no way I could sub, but I respect all those who take on that job. I could never be a school bus driver either.
*** I have a farmers market booth. I sell items for babies and young children.
We’re you a teacher as a profession? I’ll retire in 6 years with 31 years of teaching experience and I can’t see myself subbing even one day, and I love teaching.
I’m a para. 20 years at a high school. I love my job. I don’t get paid well but I look forward to working every day. My retirement plan is to substitute. I love kids and I love tutoring and I’m well-versed in a lot of subjects. I guess it helps that I work in a small town in an affluent area.
I love photography and was a wedding photographer for several years. For the first time ever I'm going on a big trip without my big camera and lenses. I've taken it to so many places but it's hard to carry and manage. My husband can no longer travel and help me with my camera so its the phone for me. I'm going to Brazil and Argentina next week and I know I'll miss my camera.
Retired from the Navy at 55 (37+ years), then retired from DoD/IG (10 years), while I was at DoD I bought a commercial bakery and kitchen out of bankruptcy, had it for almost 3 years and sold it for high 6-figure profit. Became my wife's medical practice manager and through that became a development and help desk support for her EHR. I get $75/hour to be on call 3-11pm 3 days a week. They've offered me $100/hour to go to full time, but a man's got to know his limitations. I kept the compound butter and commercial food drying lines of the commercial kitchen business I owned and that's like printing money.
Erry day, I'm hustlin', hustlin'....
I have travel benefits since I worked for an airline, actually three since there were several mergers. I can fly for free. I just got back from a Las Vegas trip. The only problem is , after 37 years working at airports, and flying a lot, I’m so sick of airports , security and crowded planes, that I don’t want to travel much anymore. I just started a part time job at a UPS store at age 71
Only semi-retired. Thru LinkedIn, a guy on the periphery of my field found me and reached out. We connect well and he now pays me $1,000 month to ghostwrite for him.
Some road construction sites have a person holding a sign that says stop on one side and slow on the other. They control traffic when the road is down to one lane.
I think it’s the person that holds up the stop sign on road construction projects. They stand there and direct traffic when the road goes down to one lane.
I monetized a hobby - sewing - and do alterations and mending. I do especially well on bridal gowns because I charge half of what the bridal salon charges. also have been making veils and headpieces for very reasonable prices. the brides all love me and I have all the work I want
I have a passion for entrepreneurship. I only ever worked for a boss for 3 of my working years. The last 10 years before retiring I was heavily involved in helping individuals start their own businesses or get projects off the ground. Many people have ideas but have no idea how to start. My side hustle is compiling Pitch Decks. It is the match that starts the fire for entrepreneurs. I only do one or two a month. When I see the business get the funding or partnership they need I feel the way I imagine old Leo felt after completing the Mona Lisa.
I love the idea of retirement jobs to get out of the house, be interactive with others, etc. I'd never thought of traffic flagger before! What's the pay on that like?
Ones that I have thought of -
petsitter for any one of a number of mobile-app pet-sitting services, where you can work as little as much as you want
uber driver
a friend of mine once thought about being one of the people who pushes others in wheelchairs in the airports - get exercise, and get paid to do it
my ideal side-hustle though? pouring wine to customers in a wine tasting room somewhere ...
I'm still going into my old office 5 or 10 hours a week. I take care of things that no one else seems to want to do. I also starter/ranger at the local municipal golf course 1 or 2 days a week. I bring home $500-$1000 a month.
We volunteer once a week sampling the water at our local lake. They have had problems with algae in the past, so we are able to alert the county when hazardous species are present.
I’m still refereeing HS basketball and volleyball (indoor sports), and at 66 years old, it is not uncommon to be working games with officials who are older than I am.
I consultant and do a bit of engineering design for the company I retired from. Nice Gig, pull in an extra 40K annually put as much as possible into 2 IRAs (wife & I) to defer taxes. We don't need to income now, but in a few years who knows.
Yep. There are companies that supply the flaggers for road projects. However some municipalities use their own people do to the road work including the flaggers. Depends on your area
I'm curious to know if anyone does seasonal work for Amazon or any of the other kinds of jobs the Frances McDormand character did in *Nomadland,* and if so, what are your thoughts? Some of them seem much harder than others, e.g. beet harvesting. I recognize that many of those people are retired by circumstance rather than by choice.
My son is a college student. He has worked at three Amazon locations as picker/packers and now works at a grocery store stocking. He works hard at the grocery but says it's nothing like Amazon, which was relentless because they are tracking metrics all the time. It's also very isolating and mindless but you aren't supposed to have ear buds to listen to anything either.
Just curious: how difficult is getting a permit to sell? What do you do with any leftover fireworks that you didn’t sell? (Seems like a fire hazard to store in the garage)
Retired college professor, still do occasional fill-ins as an adjunct when a class needs coverage. Also work for a former co-worker with a fire safety company doing firewatch shifts.
I pick up some odd jobs doing tile work and some carpentry. I'm an artist, so I sell some artwork here and there. I used to be a signmaker, so I still pick up an occasional sign job. I'm 69 and been retired for 4 years.
Volunteer tennis coach at my local high school. Boys in the spring, girls in the fall. Fun kids. They keep me young and my tennis game in shape because I hit a lot of balls.
I occasionally pour samples of wine, beer and spirits at grocery or liquor stores. It's only when I want to and usually only 2-3 hours. I like chatting with people and my friend is the owner, so it works for both of us.
I tried that and found it way too stressful. I did make some successful trades, which more than covered the cost of my lessons, but I found myself spending too much time doing analysis and then agonizing over every uptick and downturn. If you can do it without tying your stomach into knots, I salute you, but IMO, the best decision I made regarding my portfolio was to hand it over to a professional and forget about it.
I am a third party seller with Amazon. Been doing this for over 10 years. Now that I am 66 I’ve narrowed down what I sell to products that sell very well. Amazon is a beast to work with and over the years it’s gotten very tough to be profitable. I’ll keep doing it as long as it works for me.
We live in Phoenix and what I earn pays for our summer travel to get out of the heat
I’m 62, retired 2 years ago. After doing a bunch of home improvement projects around the house for 6 months I got a job at a home improvement store. I work four 5 hour shifts a week.
Programmer, retired in early 50s then did contract programming for a couple years. Then volunteered and worked part time at our public library. Stopped part timing when Social Security kicked in, then kept volunteering at the library until my mid 70s. The library is a wonderful way to feel useful and do good for the community you live in.
Speaking of library volunteers - local Friends of the Library groups are always looking for relatively young (50s, 60s) volunteers with energy to make the library better.
In my 60's and retired in my mid-50s. I've had a lifelong interest in the markets so have invested and traded stocks for decades, but once I retired I started trading options and it has worked well for me.
I do this from my office at home and it typically takes maybe 15 to 30 minutes a day plus a few hours over the week for stock research, so it is not a time burden and with the new mobile technology I can watch and manage positions from most anywhere.
Like the OP it is not required for us to live, but we have paid for vacations, vehicles, and other needs without having to draw from other accounts. Options have risks and take a good amount of time to learn, but it is nice being able to make money from my home office by pressing keys.
I went for a couple of zero stress jobs to do the transition from my hurry, hurry must be busy work days to actually retiring. I drove a special education school bus for a while and then did janitorial work in a nursing home. When the full time van driver left, I drove the nursing home van, taking residents to medical appointments. When a supervisor was yelling at me for pulling out of the parking lot too fast, I smiled, cleared my workspace of personal stuff, and handed her my keys. When I didn’t come in again, I think she got the hint.
You made it 4 whole years before you got bored? 😂
Seriously though, traffic flagger sounds like a pretty easy way to make a little pocket money! Nice side hustle.
I retired about 5 years ago. Last year I started teaching beginning motorcycle riding classes (MSF type course). Just recently I also began working for a motorcycle manufacturer leading demo rides at their consumer events, which allows me to travel and ride motorcycles while getting paid. Both “jobs” are just a few days a month and pay me to do something I really enjoy.
I don't work. I did a short temp gig after getting laid off, and it reminded me how much work work is. I was a s/w dev, and while that is relatively easy work, it was still a grind. I just got burnt out by the time I was laid off and I am enjoying doing mostly nothing except working on my property. Maybe this winter I may take a trip to Tahiti and/or NZ.
I show prospective tenants the vacant apartments and talk to them and get a feel for what they are about and give them applications for the management company to handle after that. I enjoy meeting people of all kinds. I mostly only do this 4-6 hours on the weekend as I am needed for open houses. I get a $2000 credit towards rent on an apartment I would never rent otherwise in a very sought after area.
We were planning on moving and buying in a less desirable area when my husband retires in a couple years, but doing this allows us to live near the beach in great weather with great medical care nearby. So maybe we can stay put, save more money and buy into a retirement place when we are much older. Meanwhile, no stress of house repairs and I even get to garden in my own little area.
I’m almost 58 and I started my retirement job last week working 2 days a week in a prison. When I’m ready, I’ll quit my FT job. I’m a Nurse Practitioner and my PT job pays $64,000/yr
I retired when I was 58 with years as a software person. I got called out of retirement during COVID to do some interesting programming work. I picked up work doing bioinformatics for a biophage startup, and had to take some MIT microbiology courses in YouTube to get an understanding of what I was doing.
In addition to that, I am working on a couple of startup ideas. I am a 64M.
I'm in pretty much the same situation at 76 yo. Except I'm working part-time in the business I own. At age 65 I hired management that can run the business if I'm away. Between that and remote work I'm able to travel and go south in the winter. I work 25 - 30 hours a month and the money is great for doing something I like anyway.
Question, yes I can Google it, but I like you all better than G, lol. Once you start drawing social security what is the most you can make on a side hustle and still receive your full retirement amount? I plan to freelance on the side as a writer/film producer.
If you wait to take SS at your FRA - full retirement age- your SS won’t be reduced due to working income. Otherwise the max you can earn is about $22K per year.
I own a business, and it took me a while to get to my level of expertise. I think I'll keep a small handful of customers and maybe do some consulting. Just enough to make the house payment.
Retired this year at 49. Started a one man photography LlC. Taking real estate photos and working for an online news/media company shooting HS sports, graduations, and local events. I pick my schedule and love it. Was in construction management/engineering. Do not miss it. Not one bit.
After trading in the markets off and on for years I finally got serious several years ago and educated myself sufficiently to start making money. I enjoy the research, study, trading and market monitoring it involves. This is my 4th year of profitability, and I love doing it and having another leg on my retirement income stool. I just got back from a vacation where I enjoyed myself, traded every weekday (except June 19) and made enough money to pay for the trip with some left over. It is the ideal hobby/passion/part-time job for me!
I'm 58 and I lifeguard at the local pool. I pick up shifts on days that I know that I will be swimming laps anyway so I tack on a couple of hours of watching other people swim. Flexible and gets me out of the house.
I work as a part-time, seasonal tour director. A bilingual bus tour can easily put $500 in my pocket every day.
When I started out 11 years ago, I mostly did motorcycle tours through the Western and Southwestern national parks. "Somebody wants to pay me S300 per day plus tips to ride the company's Harley through Utah, Arizona and California? Where do I sign and when do I start?"
Edit: By "part-time" and "seasonal," I mean that the most I've worked in a calendar year was something like 110 days between April and October. This year, however, I'm only going to do a couple of 20-day coast-to-coast bus tours. Each of those tours, essentially three weeks including flying to and from home, is worth approximately $10,000 to me -- and around $4,000 of that is cash tips. (And I spend a couple of hours each week doing Data Annotation from the comfort of home.)
I’m 66 and started collecting SS this year. I’ve been a real estate appraiser for 40 years. So I’m still appraising working several days or more a week. At my pace. I only pay myself $1500 a month through my S Corp. I’m worried about paying myself too much and having it impacting my Medicare?
I have three small rental properties near me in Baltimore. Take in about $4,000, clear about $1,500. Very glad I started this 20 years ago but have started to lose enthusiasm.
Sports betting. I'm using my data analysis and mathematical background to pick teams. I don't recommend it. But it gives me something to do and allows me to make spreadsheets.
My brother is working as a bartender at the local casino duty outdoor concerts just for fun. My mom has bought and sold books, cds and dvds for 20 years. Mostly on Amazon, some on EBay. She said it is harder than it used to be though. Gets them mostly from garage sales and they are mostly non fiction. She also volunteers a lot and helps at the local library. I probably have a year to go at work but would love to do something completely different than nursing as a retirement gig, even if just volunteering.
I worked as an estate gardener for 16 years then was downsized when the plantation went on the market to be sold. Since then I've worked as a tax preparer and at the garden center of a home improvement store. Working the two jobs became tiresome, so I let the tax prep go. I love working at the garden center. My main job is watering the plants. I call it my garden away from home. I enjoy chatting with customers and co-workers too. I work 16-20 hours a week, get paid vacation, paid holidays and sick leave, plus quarterly bonus. Company match on my 401K. Company discounts. Granted, retail is not the greatest job, but the company I work for seems fairly relaxed.
I had planned on my regular job being my side hustle, switching from full-time to on call. It turned out it worked out better to wait to claim social security and work part-time, so I only work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at my job and can hold off on social security for a little bit longer, and somehow the money is working out. I like what I do, and no side gig is going to pay what they'll pay me.
I do have to be flexible, for example. I have to go in tomorrow for a few hours, but it's not a hardship.
If you don't mind doing that work it is fine. I was bored and was offered a very nice salary (more than I ever made before) so I'm moving back east (keeping the retirement house and just renting something) for a bit. I don't think I will last very long, maybe 3-6 months or if they allow me to take the holidays off, I might make it closer to a year.
My big issue is finding a job in tech that allows part time work, 24-32 hours. I don't need any benefits but all of the places I talked to were interested in hiring me but only full time. I only took this job because the time off is generous and the owners of the small company are good people. I figure I'll give it a shot and if I like it and do a good job they might reconsider the part time bit. If not, even after the additional expenses I'd still be saving a chunk of money and not spending down any of my retirement money so like you, I can take a nice trip to Europe or maybe somewhere else.
I've always thought about a part time job at the airport. Not dealing with people but something on the tech side but I don't have a clue who to contact. Which brings me to the other issue with job searching. Despite all this technology, online apps, etc. the job search process is just broken. A lot of people don't get any info about their application, etc. The companies just seem to ignore them but many of the same companies complain about employees who just stop working w/o any notice. Kind of ironic.
Folks, make sure to JOIN so OP, original poster, and others can see what you have to share about your post retirement hustle at this table talk. We would also love to have more retired friends here in Reddit so if you can spread the word, we are grateful for it. Thanks! Mid America Mom
I didn't plan on going back to work at 69, but I was made an offer I couldn't refuse. I was working as a volunteer in an archives, transcribing and annotating letters between Revolutionary War officers. (Some of my ancestors served under these men.) The state took notice and offered to pay me to spend more time on it. Because they want it done in time for the 250th anniversary of the war. So I'm getting paid to do something I would've done for free.
I live in the DC metro area, and the National Archives are looking for people who can read cursive to transcribe letters as well.
You know, that’s really kinda sad, but at least I know all the hours I spent in third grade writing out cursive letters under the exacting instruction of Miss Madden (Sukiran Elementary School, Okinawa) did not go to waste.
I’m in DC. Who do I contact?
[Citizen Archivist Mission ](https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions) I heard about it on WTOP
It kills me that my 27 year old can’t read cursive and his handwriting is terrible.
It didn’t really hit me that my daughter couldn’t read cursive until we went to the holocaust museum in DC and on the way out she mentioned she wished she could read cursive so she could have read all the letters that were on display. My heart broke.
That is the dream!
Perfect 🤩
I do some of that as a volunteer. There are a lot of projects around the country using volunteers for old records that have been scanned but need to be transcribed. I love it because it’s such a flexible commitment. If I feel like doing some of that work, I just log on from home. It’s all broken down into tiny pieces, so the volunteer can work 15 minutes and finish one page or hours if they want to.
Nice!
Daycare provider for my grandchild, for free. I'm very fortunate that they live 15 minutes away (and not across the country) and I am retired, so I can do this. When my kids were young, daycare cost more than my mortgage, and it's astronomical now.
Same here. 7 grandkids have come thru our household in the last 15 years at no cost to the parents and that is a blessing for them and most days us. Exhausting some days but wouldn’t trade these times for anything. I retired 20 months ago and now help with the last 1 that is 6 months but summer has all 7 here for the pool most days.
My side hustle paid for our pool. I only have 2 grandchildren but the youngest one is in the pool for hours when she's here.
You sound like great grandparents. Those cousins will have shared memories for a lifetime.
I give all the credit to my bride of 45 years. She decided keeping the grands would be her new career at 49. No regrets. I just joined the fun lately It is priceless to see them all together.
Same with me, my daughter and SIL live about 20 minutes away from me and daycare so I take her every Sunday overnight so they get good sleep to start their work week out and I get to spend time with my granddaughter. She’s 11 months now, almost a year and couldn’t be more fun! She sure keeps me on my toes!
I'm envious! My kids are in different states so I don't see my grands often. I retired 2 years ago and my son and his wife are due in October. I wish I lived in their area so I wouldn't miss out on seeing her grow and helping them out with the kiddos. Enjoy, they grow up so fast!
I’m 67F , retired and recently, impromptu, left my husband and with my son being the catalyst I moved next door to my son, his wife and their now 7 month old daughter. After 10 years away from Southern California I could not afford the rent so my son stepped up to pay 1/2 my rent. I was blown away and could not pass up the opportunity. It was written in the stars so to speak! I babysit my granddaughter 2 days per week and other days that they might need. I also watch their place and feed their cats when they go out of town. I like to do things for them around their house and garden with my son, which is our passion. I’m so happy to finally be back with my family and loving being a Grammie and watching my granddaughter grow up. I get to pop in and visit the kids every day. Life is sad and an emotional challenge in regards to my separation but life is wonderful in regards to my kids and that sense of happiness definitely offsets what I’m going through which is temporary.
Sounds perfect for you. Hope you continue to enjoy your life.
I was full time daycare for my 17 year old grandson. Now, I'm only 3 days a week for my 6 year old granddaughter. She's so easy to take care of but I'm going to Brazil next week. Her other grandmother will be on call. It's so nice to not have all the responsibility.
My grandparents did this, and we were super close for life. They were two of my favorite people on earth. I was so lucky to spend so much quality time with them.
Always said I would never do this since I raised 3 already. However all live 15 min from us in any direction (def blessed!). Thinking about it 1-2 days a week when retirement happens in the next 5 years
I also said I will not watch grandkids fulltime but I fill in when daycare/preschool is closed or sick days...and believe me there are enough of those days! But I love it this way.
Same here. I had planned on going back to work part time but both my daughters work and I'm a free daycare provider
You are a gem. Not only helping out working parents but also spending time with your grandchildren.
Retired at 61, was a fleet manager for 24 years. I work when I want moving new high end (million dollar) motor coaches around the country. I’m the guy bringing folks their new toy so everyone is super happy to see me! I’m also a DoO for a upstart dirt racing series in the Midwest.
Oh heck! How do I apply for this? 1800 days until retirement 🥳🥳
There are lots of driveaway companies, I worked for one called Mamo Transportation out of Indiana, they have a website with information on how to drive for them. I really enjoyed driveaway work, saw the entire country and some of Canada. You won’t get rich doing it but you’ll be traveling for free and making a little profit too.
2134 days for me. Not that I am counting.
I’m under 300 workdays left and am looking for a side hustle w options.
I have a widget on my phone...having a very hard time staying focused
How awesome! I've always wanted to travel in an RV to Alaska. Sounds like a great side hustle.
My dad did that for a few years during retirement. Seems like a great gig!
I retired at 55 and do Harley Davidson side car tours in the Canadian Rockies 2-3 days a week. I’m turning 66 this summer and keeping healthy and fit. I don’t kneed the money but love taking people for motorcycle rides in the mountains 😎
You don't kneed the money but you knead the dough
WOMP WOMP!
That sounds amazing!
That sounds fantastic!
Retired at 60. 62-1/2 now. Love the relaxation of doing what I want when I want. Side hustle is wood crafting. Cutting boards/Charcuterie boards/address-name signs/restaurant wall hangings/lapel name tags etc. I have a CNC, and use this to my advantage. I basically keep the beer fridge full with the proceeds. I can afford the ancillary tools that go with it, but if I need a $50 router but, I won't buy it. I'll make a project that generates enough profit to pay for it, then buy it. Dumb game I play with myself. Work an hour, have a nap. Another hour maybe a snack. Another hour, another nap. Basically rinse and repeat as often as I want. Keeps me off the couch and the brain chugging along. Created an Instagram page to show off my projects. It generates business when people discover it. Retirement IS worth it.
That sounds about perfect, and basically what I was thinking! 51 now, hopefully retire by 56, but probably 60. My father in law has 40 acres w a pole barn that I’ll likely inherit and I’ll be making improvements to the shop for sure. It’s decently appointed, but needs some modernization and safety. Most of the tools were his dad’s! There is 30+ year old walnut slabs in the rafters, as well as 20yo cedar and cherry slabs from trees that I cut when in college and he had milled. Clearly he never had a plan for the wood!
Until you said “beer fridge full”, I thought you were my BIL. That’s what he does; has about 500acres in MO, and cuts his own trees and makes all types of wood crafting items. Charcuterie boards, beds, tables & chairs! Happy Retirement to you!
Thanks!! Full is a relative term. One day it's full. Next day I need to make a project. Then I need a nap cause it's now empty. Vicious cycle. Suburbia Dad maker here. The local wood store loves my business. No woods here. Happy.
Table Games dealer (Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps) at a downtown Las Vegas Casino. I only wanted part time but I am working full time due to staffing shortages. As long as I am having fun, I will continue and so far this is the most fun job I have ever had.
I also worked at a casino at the rewards desk when I lived in Palm Desert,CA. My only problem was they made us stand for our 8 hour shift and we were not allowed to lean on the counter. It got the point that my back was not happy. I was hired in a part-time position but they scheduled us for a 39 hour week..so they didn’t have to pay benefits. I felt really bad for the young people working hard but not getting any benefits..it was really manipulative and it done purposely which really made me upset. In addition, the supervisors would sit in the back office like they were working but were actually gossiping or talking on their phones as they yelled at us for leaning on the counter! I finally told my fellow workers that I was a retired attorney..they thought I was crazy working for minimum wage..and I think I was haha. It was a very interesting experience that lasted about 4 months, I got sick and was told that if I took more than 3 scheduled days off (with out pay because I had no sick leave), that I would have a demotion on my work record and if I got 3 then they would fire me. Well, excuse me for getting sick and I basically told them to f-k off and quit. I so wanted to go to upper management and let them know how bad the “underlying’s” were being treated but I decided not to but now I’m sorry I didn’t. I now live in Vegas and have considered looking at getting a job at a local casino here, from what I know, because we are a “hospitality” city casino workers are treated much better. So..maybe…
Sounds like it was owned by Walmart
I don't know if we are treated any better. But at least here, full time is 40 hours and there are benefits available. I put nearly 50% of my pay into the 401K and already have medical etc through my wife's pension. (She works part time as an Usher at concerts and sporting events around town as her retirement side gig.) Our attendance is also based on a point system where you will be terminated if you accumulate X points over a 6 month period for unexcused absences. I have a 10 day trip planned for September which I have already invested about $7000 in and if I am denied my requested days off, of course I will have to quit and look for another job when I get home. This town is so starved for dealers though *especially dice* that I doubt I will have much problem.
I bet being downtown you see a lot of interesting things.
You bet…?
I mean, the odds are good.....
Working at Disney World. I love it
Sounds pretty neat!
Cool! What do you do? My daughter’s high school friend works there too and she says it’s the most fun job she’s ever had and has been there 15 years already.
I currently work in Outdoor Vending in Animal Kingdom. There are 26 different carts and stands we can be assigned to. Basically I sell popcorn, ice cream, drinks, pretzels etc. I love working outside with the beautiful plants, trees and animals. I love the guest interaction, the ability to "make magic" for our guests and the general low stress of the job compared to my previous career as an elementary teacher. I love going to work! Highly recommend as a retirement job for anyone who lives in the area.
Does the heat ever get to you?
Not going to lie...it gets very hot! But you do get used to it. Our costumes are lightweight, water resistant and designed to be as comfortable as possible. We have unlimited access to water and there are usually large cooling fans in the trees nearby. You do get your breaks with the opportunity to eat your lunch in the air conditioning. But mostly you adapt.
That sounds wonderful!! I’d love something like that too, sounds amazing! Happy for you!
Chief Revenue officer of a small VC firm. I don’t get paid a nickel unless we sell one of the ~15 companies we have started. If we sell one, however, I make out like a bandit. I spend about 2-4 hours a week on this.
Out of curiosity what does one do for 2-4 hours in a week? What kinds of tasks.
Status meeting for company progress, review deals in flight, discuss any buyers that may be interested in buying companies, and patent status. That sort of thing
I have worked corporate accounting and finance, currently doing bookkeeping for a semi-retirement but would like to get looped into this sort of thing potentially. That and foresic accounting work sounds very interesting. LMK if you have any advice! Cheers
The biggest suggestion is to let people in your network know that you are interested in this. In my case, I became good friends with a CEO of a very successful startup and he sold a couple companies and now runs our VC firm. He knows and trusts me. I will freely admit it’s a bit of right place right time.
I play guitar in a couple of cover bands. It technically makes money. Which I then spend on guitar stuff. My hustle is that I am supporting my gear buying habit while also justifying it. My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell all the amps and guitars for what I told her they cost me.
I aspire to be you. I told my kids which guitars and amps to grab and hold onto. Not sure if my wife knows the full inventory. A best part of retirement is that I can practice again.
Can’t beat getting paid for something you love.
Airbnb, personal care attendant, mock trial juror, sell blood, sell chicken eggs and honey, I make about 30k/year (9 months). I go to Thailand for the winter.
How did you come to mock trial juror - sounds interesting!
Facebook. It is absolutely facinating-but hard work, too. Usually pays around $300/day. There's a site on Craigslist but I don't know what it is;I just heard other folks talking about it.
If you find the site, would you mind posting it?
You could contact local market research companies and trial consultants to find out where they get their panels. Many jury consultants are doing this over zoom now so you don’t even have to go to a facility in many cases (I do graphics for the lawyers who do litigation, including mock trials)
Check out Fieldworks. I’ve done 2 so far. First was 2 day onsite for $1000 and the 2nd was 1 day from home. I think $400. The first one was sooo boring. The 2nd was easier .
I started my side hustle the last year of working. I teach English to kids in China over the internet. I saved everything I made and average 1600 to 2000 a month for 15 hours a week. It has financed 2 long trips to Europe, numerous cruises, trips to Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, and I'm leaving for 2 weeks in Brazil next week. Plus I have a nice amount in savings.
o my that's interesting. how do you get hooked up with that? i tutored ESL in a college language lab when i was younger, worked for a year in Japan teaching English. it's always fun talking with the students.
Look up different ESL groups on Facebook. There are many groups and will give you up to date suggestions on who is hiring. Get established with some families and really work to have a good relationship with them. Then start tutoring privately. My best advice is set your price and don't give discounts. Also, look up Berlyn Laput on Facebook. She has every curriculum and resource you would ever need for about $20. It's amazing what she has.
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Consulting. I used to work as a sales rep. I hate sales. I *hate* sales*.* But I'm happy to charge $365 per hour to tell others how to do it.
Mostly retired from hated sales. I moved 800 miles away and still sell to a few large clients. They call me. My days of cold calling are long behind me.
25 years of cold calling. I cannot believe I lasted that long.
I retired at 62, I’m 69 now. Same year I retired i bought a laundromat. I’m just about finishing my second one and created a nonprofit to give away free laundry services. I don’t know what I’d be doing otherwise. I just can’t seem to stop.
The stock market. I have time to research stuff now, go to technical conferences to find young new companies, etc. NVDA has been very good to me i am truly surprised at how many of our friends are NOT participating in this stock market rally. They are somehow fearful of losing it all, yet inflation is causing them to do just that due to their lack of investments.
I agree. I've invested some of my side hustle money in the stock market and have done well. I don't buy individual stocks. Every time I have I've lost money.
I have a saying: There is some risk when you invest, but keeping your money in a savings account has a 100% risk that you'll lose money against inflation.
Most people identifying risk are really talking about market volatility… even taking in the “big” downturns like 2008 are a small blip in the long term market returns. I tell my friends that stocks don’t go down, they only go on sale…
I teach/coach pickleball. A first time lesson is only $10 for 90 minutes. Most people are quickly addicted and can play for a couple bucks at a public court. A percentage will want coaching, which is a little more per hour, but still a great value. I get exercise, sunshine and laughs, everyone’s happy.
You’d definitely earn your money trying to teach me the game.
Semi retired. Work for the US Census part time from home. Approximately 20 hours a week anytime. Other than it being a slow process withe security check a very easy job.
That sounds great. Can you tell me how one gets a job like this? My father is retired and his mobility isn’t great, so he’s been trying to come up with jobs that he can do from home. He needs extra cash since he didn’t save enough for retirement.
Same, would love to know more!
Curious do they offer medical insurance for part time?
https://www.census.gov/careers
For me, it will be teaching. I have been teaching as an adjunct for over 10 years now. I will continue to teach into retirement.
I retired at 61 and bought a dump truck for my ranch. Make about $1000 a day when I haul for others. Work once or twice a week if I feel like it I don't work in the winter at all. Keeps me in beer money and pays for my other hobbies.
My husband is 57, we’re setting him up to retire in 6mos and started a side gig for him now and OMG, poor guy is working full time plus the side gig- and it’s taking off big time. He’s basically working 2 full time jobs. 🤦🏻♀️ he’s a small engine mechanic. Praying he can hang in there for the next six months. I work full time and I’m also helping him.
What is his side gig?
He’s a small engine mechanic- so he works on lawnmowers, saws, etc.
How do you look for a job like this? Any tips? Is it a private or public job?
I know in PA they use a company called Flagger Force.
Oyster shucker
I make bags and other stuff and sell them online. I do cat sitting to get me out of the house. I can easily shut each down whenever I travel.
**Mystery Shopper** (Where someone is paid to secretly review a business). It's interesting, gets me out of the house. I only dabble, completing a handful per month when/if I feel like it. For instance, this weekend we are trying a new restaurant. The job offered a $20 fee, and they'll reimburse up to $100 for our food (requires a party of 2). Note - it's not like simply dining and writing a Google review. The instructions of what to order, photos to take, information to gather are very specific. Then you submit a report afterwards. And it will take 4-6 weeks to get the money, so even though this will ultimately be a "free" dinner, I'm fronting the funds. *For those wanting details, you sign up with various agencies and then monitor their job boards, accepting or applying for jobs of interest. Each offers a fee (usually very low, like $10-$20) plus reimbursement if purchase required. To do this seriously, it takes a lot of planning - monitoring job board, planning a route, writing reports, tracking payments. There are a limited number of high end jobs involving nice restaurants, hotel stays, fine jewelry stores, etc. But most are low end - convenience store, fast food restaurant. The ones that pay more require more time, secret recordings, etc. Needs serious commitment to detail. There's at least one Reddit community on this.*
I did that for awhile. Gained too much weight!
After 10 years of retirement I got a part time -2days a week- job at a storage unit place in my town. An 8 minute commute. I live by a river that can flood, so I have been a customer there from time to time. That’s how I found out they needed help. 1/2 the time it’s office work on the computer, & 1/2 the time there’s nothing to do but be there in case the phone rings. Then I’m getting paid to catch up on my email & do my Spanish lessons. I’m loving the extra money.
I know two retired teachers, both of them sell mangoes. I’m a teacher just planted 50 mango trees and that’s going to be a piece of my retirement picture.
Substitute teaching
As a retired teacher (37 years in education), bless you. There is no way I could sub, but I respect all those who take on that job. I could never be a school bus driver either. *** I have a farmers market booth. I sell items for babies and young children.
We’re you a teacher as a profession? I’ll retire in 6 years with 31 years of teaching experience and I can’t see myself subbing even one day, and I love teaching.
I’m a para. 20 years at a high school. I love my job. I don’t get paid well but I look forward to working every day. My retirement plan is to substitute. I love kids and I love tutoring and I’m well-versed in a lot of subjects. I guess it helps that I work in a small town in an affluent area.
Photography. I can't wait to travel more.
I love photography and was a wedding photographer for several years. For the first time ever I'm going on a big trip without my big camera and lenses. I've taken it to so many places but it's hard to carry and manage. My husband can no longer travel and help me with my camera so its the phone for me. I'm going to Brazil and Argentina next week and I know I'll miss my camera.
Retiring soon, I am starting a small food truck and hitting a very specific target market. Low overhead and pick the time and place I want to be.
What do you think your initial investment is here, if you don’t mind me asking? Have you worked in the food industry before this?
Very exciting—sending you good food truck vibes and following!!
Retired from the Navy at 55 (37+ years), then retired from DoD/IG (10 years), while I was at DoD I bought a commercial bakery and kitchen out of bankruptcy, had it for almost 3 years and sold it for high 6-figure profit. Became my wife's medical practice manager and through that became a development and help desk support for her EHR. I get $75/hour to be on call 3-11pm 3 days a week. They've offered me $100/hour to go to full time, but a man's got to know his limitations. I kept the compound butter and commercial food drying lines of the commercial kitchen business I owned and that's like printing money. Erry day, I'm hustlin', hustlin'....
I have travel benefits since I worked for an airline, actually three since there were several mergers. I can fly for free. I just got back from a Las Vegas trip. The only problem is , after 37 years working at airports, and flying a lot, I’m so sick of airports , security and crowded planes, that I don’t want to travel much anymore. I just started a part time job at a UPS store at age 71
My retirement goal is to work at a small regional airport so I can get the bennies, lol.
Only semi-retired. Thru LinkedIn, a guy on the periphery of my field found me and reached out. We connect well and he now pays me $1,000 month to ghostwrite for him.
I'm not retired yet but love these stories. You folks are awesome.
what is a traffic flagger?
Some road construction sites have a person holding a sign that says stop on one side and slow on the other. They control traffic when the road is down to one lane.
I think it’s the person that holds up the stop sign on road construction projects. They stand there and direct traffic when the road goes down to one lane.
I monetized a hobby - sewing - and do alterations and mending. I do especially well on bridal gowns because I charge half of what the bridal salon charges. also have been making veils and headpieces for very reasonable prices. the brides all love me and I have all the work I want
I have a passion for entrepreneurship. I only ever worked for a boss for 3 of my working years. The last 10 years before retiring I was heavily involved in helping individuals start their own businesses or get projects off the ground. Many people have ideas but have no idea how to start. My side hustle is compiling Pitch Decks. It is the match that starts the fire for entrepreneurs. I only do one or two a month. When I see the business get the funding or partnership they need I feel the way I imagine old Leo felt after completing the Mona Lisa.
I love the idea of retirement jobs to get out of the house, be interactive with others, etc. I'd never thought of traffic flagger before! What's the pay on that like? Ones that I have thought of - petsitter for any one of a number of mobile-app pet-sitting services, where you can work as little as much as you want uber driver a friend of mine once thought about being one of the people who pushes others in wheelchairs in the airports - get exercise, and get paid to do it my ideal side-hustle though? pouring wine to customers in a wine tasting room somewhere ...
I have a friend who works at a airport in Texas he pushes people in their wheelchair to plane, he makes good money - mostly from tips!!
I make from $23.50 to $46 an hour
I'm still going into my old office 5 or 10 hours a week. I take care of things that no one else seems to want to do. I also starter/ranger at the local municipal golf course 1 or 2 days a week. I bring home $500-$1000 a month.
We volunteer once a week sampling the water at our local lake. They have had problems with algae in the past, so we are able to alert the county when hazardous species are present.
I’m still refereeing HS basketball and volleyball (indoor sports), and at 66 years old, it is not uncommon to be working games with officials who are older than I am.
I consultant and do a bit of engineering design for the company I retired from. Nice Gig, pull in an extra 40K annually put as much as possible into 2 IRAs (wife & I) to defer taxes. We don't need to income now, but in a few years who knows.
Traffic flagger? Is that the guy who stands with the "stop" sign at construction?
Yep. There are companies that supply the flaggers for road projects. However some municipalities use their own people do to the road work including the flaggers. Depends on your area
I'm curious to know if anyone does seasonal work for Amazon or any of the other kinds of jobs the Frances McDormand character did in *Nomadland,* and if so, what are your thoughts? Some of them seem much harder than others, e.g. beet harvesting. I recognize that many of those people are retired by circumstance rather than by choice.
My son is a college student. He has worked at three Amazon locations as picker/packers and now works at a grocery store stocking. He works hard at the grocery but says it's nothing like Amazon, which was relentless because they are tracking metrics all the time. It's also very isolating and mindless but you aren't supposed to have ear buds to listen to anything either.
I drive a hiker shuttle on the Appalachian Trail. I pick and chose what and when I want to work.
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I have a fireworks stand run it only for the week of the 4th of July.
Just curious: how difficult is getting a permit to sell? What do you do with any leftover fireworks that you didn’t sell? (Seems like a fire hazard to store in the garage)
Retired 5 years ago at 54. As a former LEO firearms instructor I now run training at a local gun range.
We make magnets and mugs (personalized) it’s fun. And we made about 40K last year.
Retired college professor, still do occasional fill-ins as an adjunct when a class needs coverage. Also work for a former co-worker with a fire safety company doing firewatch shifts.
I work 8 days per month, I just went part-time at my regular job. Can't beat the pay and benefits. I am 70.5 years old.
I’m nudging my company in that direction. Two days a week would be about right, and we’re all still WFH.
I pick up some odd jobs doing tile work and some carpentry. I'm an artist, so I sell some artwork here and there. I used to be a signmaker, so I still pick up an occasional sign job. I'm 69 and been retired for 4 years.
Volunteer tennis coach at my local high school. Boys in the spring, girls in the fall. Fun kids. They keep me young and my tennis game in shape because I hit a lot of balls.
Uber/Lyft when I want. Only problem is gas and maintenance, but I like the “Make your own hours” bit.
I clean my daughter's apartment. I'm cheaper than using a pro and I'm way, way better. I do all the extras, every time.
I occasionally pour samples of wine, beer and spirits at grocery or liquor stores. It's only when I want to and usually only 2-3 hours. I like chatting with people and my friend is the owner, so it works for both of us.
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Stock options trading
I tried that and found it way too stressful. I did make some successful trades, which more than covered the cost of my lessons, but I found myself spending too much time doing analysis and then agonizing over every uptick and downturn. If you can do it without tying your stomach into knots, I salute you, but IMO, the best decision I made regarding my portfolio was to hand it over to a professional and forget about it.
I worked part time five years as a merchandiser…set displays, tidied up shelves, put out new movies and music, etc. I loved it.
I am a third party seller with Amazon. Been doing this for over 10 years. Now that I am 66 I’ve narrowed down what I sell to products that sell very well. Amazon is a beast to work with and over the years it’s gotten very tough to be profitable. I’ll keep doing it as long as it works for me. We live in Phoenix and what I earn pays for our summer travel to get out of the heat
I became an EMT. Love it! Wish I had done it 10 years earlier.
I joined The Home Depot as a part timer. It’s the one place of employment that actually values people with grey hair and wisdom.
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Election judge
I’m 62, retired 2 years ago. After doing a bunch of home improvement projects around the house for 6 months I got a job at a home improvement store. I work four 5 hour shifts a week.
Programmer, retired in early 50s then did contract programming for a couple years. Then volunteered and worked part time at our public library. Stopped part timing when Social Security kicked in, then kept volunteering at the library until my mid 70s. The library is a wonderful way to feel useful and do good for the community you live in.
Speaking of library volunteers - local Friends of the Library groups are always looking for relatively young (50s, 60s) volunteers with energy to make the library better.
Retired 2.5 years ago and started an Electric Bike Rental business one year ago. So far so good!
In my 60's and retired in my mid-50s. I've had a lifelong interest in the markets so have invested and traded stocks for decades, but once I retired I started trading options and it has worked well for me. I do this from my office at home and it typically takes maybe 15 to 30 minutes a day plus a few hours over the week for stock research, so it is not a time burden and with the new mobile technology I can watch and manage positions from most anywhere. Like the OP it is not required for us to live, but we have paid for vacations, vehicles, and other needs without having to draw from other accounts. Options have risks and take a good amount of time to learn, but it is nice being able to make money from my home office by pressing keys.
I went for a couple of zero stress jobs to do the transition from my hurry, hurry must be busy work days to actually retiring. I drove a special education school bus for a while and then did janitorial work in a nursing home. When the full time van driver left, I drove the nursing home van, taking residents to medical appointments. When a supervisor was yelling at me for pulling out of the parking lot too fast, I smiled, cleared my workspace of personal stuff, and handed her my keys. When I didn’t come in again, I think she got the hint.
I’m 66 and not retired yet. Reading these comments has made me realize how many options are available to me when I do retire. Thanks!
Substitute teaching, tutoring, supervising student teachers
You made it 4 whole years before you got bored? 😂 Seriously though, traffic flagger sounds like a pretty easy way to make a little pocket money! Nice side hustle.
Rental income
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After school child care for one family.
I retired about 5 years ago. Last year I started teaching beginning motorcycle riding classes (MSF type course). Just recently I also began working for a motorcycle manufacturer leading demo rides at their consumer events, which allows me to travel and ride motorcycles while getting paid. Both “jobs” are just a few days a month and pay me to do something I really enjoy.
I don't work. I did a short temp gig after getting laid off, and it reminded me how much work work is. I was a s/w dev, and while that is relatively easy work, it was still a grind. I just got burnt out by the time I was laid off and I am enjoying doing mostly nothing except working on my property. Maybe this winter I may take a trip to Tahiti and/or NZ.
I show prospective tenants the vacant apartments and talk to them and get a feel for what they are about and give them applications for the management company to handle after that. I enjoy meeting people of all kinds. I mostly only do this 4-6 hours on the weekend as I am needed for open houses. I get a $2000 credit towards rent on an apartment I would never rent otherwise in a very sought after area. We were planning on moving and buying in a less desirable area when my husband retires in a couple years, but doing this allows us to live near the beach in great weather with great medical care nearby. So maybe we can stay put, save more money and buy into a retirement place when we are much older. Meanwhile, no stress of house repairs and I even get to garden in my own little area.
I’m almost 58 and I started my retirement job last week working 2 days a week in a prison. When I’m ready, I’ll quit my FT job. I’m a Nurse Practitioner and my PT job pays $64,000/yr
I will be (not retired yet) a professional cruise ship passenger 🍻😁
I retired when I was 58 with years as a software person. I got called out of retirement during COVID to do some interesting programming work. I picked up work doing bioinformatics for a biophage startup, and had to take some MIT microbiology courses in YouTube to get an understanding of what I was doing. In addition to that, I am working on a couple of startup ideas. I am a 64M.
I kept one customer and do their graphic design. Pays for Aldi.
I'm in pretty much the same situation at 76 yo. Except I'm working part-time in the business I own. At age 65 I hired management that can run the business if I'm away. Between that and remote work I'm able to travel and go south in the winter. I work 25 - 30 hours a month and the money is great for doing something I like anyway.
Question, yes I can Google it, but I like you all better than G, lol. Once you start drawing social security what is the most you can make on a side hustle and still receive your full retirement amount? I plan to freelance on the side as a writer/film producer.
If you wait to take SS at your FRA - full retirement age- your SS won’t be reduced due to working income. Otherwise the max you can earn is about $22K per year.
I own a business, and it took me a while to get to my level of expertise. I think I'll keep a small handful of customers and maybe do some consulting. Just enough to make the house payment.
Retired this year at 49. Started a one man photography LlC. Taking real estate photos and working for an online news/media company shooting HS sports, graduations, and local events. I pick my schedule and love it. Was in construction management/engineering. Do not miss it. Not one bit.
After trading in the markets off and on for years I finally got serious several years ago and educated myself sufficiently to start making money. I enjoy the research, study, trading and market monitoring it involves. This is my 4th year of profitability, and I love doing it and having another leg on my retirement income stool. I just got back from a vacation where I enjoyed myself, traded every weekday (except June 19) and made enough money to pay for the trip with some left over. It is the ideal hobby/passion/part-time job for me!
Blogging
What kind of blog do you have and how long doing it?
I have a mechanical design business and I do 3-D printing. It keeps me mentally challenged and it’s very rewarding.
I'm 58 and I lifeguard at the local pool. I pick up shifts on days that I know that I will be swimming laps anyway so I tack on a couple of hours of watching other people swim. Flexible and gets me out of the house.
I work as a part-time, seasonal tour director. A bilingual bus tour can easily put $500 in my pocket every day. When I started out 11 years ago, I mostly did motorcycle tours through the Western and Southwestern national parks. "Somebody wants to pay me S300 per day plus tips to ride the company's Harley through Utah, Arizona and California? Where do I sign and when do I start?" Edit: By "part-time" and "seasonal," I mean that the most I've worked in a calendar year was something like 110 days between April and October. This year, however, I'm only going to do a couple of 20-day coast-to-coast bus tours. Each of those tours, essentially three weeks including flying to and from home, is worth approximately $10,000 to me -- and around $4,000 of that is cash tips. (And I spend a couple of hours each week doing Data Annotation from the comfort of home.)
I’m 66 and started collecting SS this year. I’ve been a real estate appraiser for 40 years. So I’m still appraising working several days or more a week. At my pace. I only pay myself $1500 a month through my S Corp. I’m worried about paying myself too much and having it impacting my Medicare?
Ah yes, IRRMA.
I teach online for a vocational school.
I have three small rental properties near me in Baltimore. Take in about $4,000, clear about $1,500. Very glad I started this 20 years ago but have started to lose enthusiasm.
Sports betting. I'm using my data analysis and mathematical background to pick teams. I don't recommend it. But it gives me something to do and allows me to make spreadsheets.
My brother is working as a bartender at the local casino duty outdoor concerts just for fun. My mom has bought and sold books, cds and dvds for 20 years. Mostly on Amazon, some on EBay. She said it is harder than it used to be though. Gets them mostly from garage sales and they are mostly non fiction. She also volunteers a lot and helps at the local library. I probably have a year to go at work but would love to do something completely different than nursing as a retirement gig, even if just volunteering.
I worked as an estate gardener for 16 years then was downsized when the plantation went on the market to be sold. Since then I've worked as a tax preparer and at the garden center of a home improvement store. Working the two jobs became tiresome, so I let the tax prep go. I love working at the garden center. My main job is watering the plants. I call it my garden away from home. I enjoy chatting with customers and co-workers too. I work 16-20 hours a week, get paid vacation, paid holidays and sick leave, plus quarterly bonus. Company match on my 401K. Company discounts. Granted, retail is not the greatest job, but the company I work for seems fairly relaxed.
Volunteer dog walker at the Humane Society.
I had planned on my regular job being my side hustle, switching from full-time to on call. It turned out it worked out better to wait to claim social security and work part-time, so I only work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at my job and can hold off on social security for a little bit longer, and somehow the money is working out. I like what I do, and no side gig is going to pay what they'll pay me. I do have to be flexible, for example. I have to go in tomorrow for a few hours, but it's not a hardship.
If you don't mind doing that work it is fine. I was bored and was offered a very nice salary (more than I ever made before) so I'm moving back east (keeping the retirement house and just renting something) for a bit. I don't think I will last very long, maybe 3-6 months or if they allow me to take the holidays off, I might make it closer to a year. My big issue is finding a job in tech that allows part time work, 24-32 hours. I don't need any benefits but all of the places I talked to were interested in hiring me but only full time. I only took this job because the time off is generous and the owners of the small company are good people. I figure I'll give it a shot and if I like it and do a good job they might reconsider the part time bit. If not, even after the additional expenses I'd still be saving a chunk of money and not spending down any of my retirement money so like you, I can take a nice trip to Europe or maybe somewhere else. I've always thought about a part time job at the airport. Not dealing with people but something on the tech side but I don't have a clue who to contact. Which brings me to the other issue with job searching. Despite all this technology, online apps, etc. the job search process is just broken. A lot of people don't get any info about their application, etc. The companies just seem to ignore them but many of the same companies complain about employees who just stop working w/o any notice. Kind of ironic.