8 Retirement Side Hustles That Are Actually Fun (plus 5 Side Hustles You Can Do Anytime!)
Now that you’ve made it to retirement, you might be wondering: now what? You’ve got all the time in the world to visit your kids and grandkids or maybe finally take that trip to Europe with your spouse. Recently-retired women have so opportunities to engage in new activities or hobbies. Some of these new avenues can bring in some extra cash, too.
Whether it’s becoming a part-time substitute teacher, giving piano lessons to neighborhood kids or taking up some seasonal work as a tour guide, seniors have a lot of options during retirement. If you’re looking to try something new or just want to continue working a little bit during your retirement years, take a look at the best side hustles available for retired women.
1. Rent out your space.
Turn your home into your own bed and breakfast. Listing your home on AirBNB allows you to host people from all around the world and bring in some extra cash. Allow your guests to sample some of your favorite generational recipes and make them feel like they’re part of your family. For retirees who are more interested in traveling, listing your home on Airbnb allows you to add to your travel budget while giving tourists the chance to explore your hometown. Renting out your space is incredibly easy and doesn’t require a lot of effort from you. Best part? No cleaning! You can have your guests clean the place up and/or charge them for the service.
2. Give life coaching a try.
You’ve gathered a lot of life experience over the years, so why not share that knowledge with others? There are a lot of benefits to life coaching, including improving clients’ self-esteem/confidence, finessing relationships (professional and personal), or helping your clients with career development. Many women are doing it successfully. Aside from helping people, being a life coach allows you to set your own schedule, be your own boss and set your own fees.
3. Become a substitute teacher.
If you enjoy working with kids and love surprises, becoming a substitute teacher is the perfect side hustle for you. As a sub, you never know where your job might take you. One day you might be teaching science in a Jr. High and the next, educating a classroom full of third graders about geography. You can show them all the places you have traveled to throughout your life. It can be incredibly rewarding. You’ll also have the flexibility to pick which jobs you want to take, which ensures that you only take the jobs that sound the most fun for you.
4. Sign up to become a Lyft or Uber driver.
One of the most flexible jobs you can have during retirement is driving for Uber or Lyft. Every day, you decide how many hours you want to work—whether it’s two hours a day or ten. This enables you to enjoy the freedom of retirement, while still bringing in some extra money. Plus, you’ll have the chance to talk to people from all around the world and learn a little something about them. You never know when one of your passengers will become one of your closest friends.
5. Turn your hobby into a full-time job.
What better way to turn your crafty hobby into a full-time job than by selling your stuff online? If you’ve got a knack for creating your own products, there are plenty of sites where you can sell your work. Craigslist, Etsy, eBay or Amazon are all great places to feature your work. Or you can create your own online store that matches your product’s style. Why not pursue your true passion? Spend your retirement years doing something you truly enjoy, all while making some extra money.
6. Become a tutor.
Chances are you still might be an expert at certain school subjects. Whether you’re really good at math, English, or science, you can easily set up a side hustle as a tutor. By offering your expertise to others, you help those in need and continue to use the knowledge you’ve built up over the years. You’ll have the chance to engage with kids and help them get better grades, which is incredibly rewarding. Setting up your own tutoring hours and fees gives you the power to choose how involved you want to be in tutoring.
7. Try online freelancing.
If most of your career was spent as a writer, project manager, designer, or developer, there are plenty of businesses that could use your skills. Some of the biggest benefits of doing freelance work during your retirement years are flexibility and financial independence. And you get to keep doing the work you love. To help you get started with freelancing, check out this list of the best freelancing websites.
8. Take up some seasonal work.
Enjoy the most exciting parts of each season—all while earning a little extra cash. There are so many opportunities: working in retail over Christmas, guiding through national parks during the tourist season, or becoming a tee starter at your local golf course during the summer. Seasonal work allows you to work for only a few, short weeks or up to a few months. These positions are fun for many reasons: season work is typically more laid back and offers flexible scheduling and great pay. Additionally, if you’re the type who likes to switch it up a bit, seasonal jobs allow you to do something new almost every day. Plus, most seasonal jobs involve working outside, which is perfect for retired ladies looking to enjoy their retirement years outdoors.
One of the biggest benefits of taking on a side hustle during your retirement years is that you’ll have something new to do that you didn’t experience in your career. And 86 percent of working retirees say they get a lot of enjoyment from their side hustle, according to Prudential research. Fill the freedom and flexibility of your golden years with an exciting new experience that will also bring in some extra dollars.
For those who aren't quite retired, try these
1. Blog.
For those who have a gift for writing and a lot to say, blogging can be a great way to share your opinions and advice on countless topics with the world. Don't know where to start? Get going by following these painless steps.
2. Take surveys.
Online surveys, though sometimes tedious, can easily earn you money quickly. Just make sure you're using a reputable platform because there are some scams out there. Swagbucks is one good option.
3. Babysit.
Love kids? Babysitting is the perfect way to be around children while also making some side money. And if you do it at night, chances are, you'll have some time to yourself to unwind or do work while the kids are sleeping.
4. Go on MTurk.
Amazon MTurk enables you to perform tasks through the crowdsourcing platform and get paid. Learn how to get started.
5. Get moving.
Fitness instructing can be a great side hustle for the exercise-oriented among us. You can even do it from the comfort of your own home or work with a gym or studio.
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