Retirement is not the end of one's work. In fact, 7 out of 10 retirees still want to continue working years after their retirement, according to a recent study. One main reason why retirees work even after retirement is the need for money. They receive lower company pensions, there's the constant price hike on consumer goods and the world is experiencing economic downturns. During these situations, retirees really need to have additional income so they do not have to spend much from the money they have received as a retirement benefit.
While some retirees consider earning money as the main reason for working again, others want to work to stay physically active, keep social connections, stimulate their intellectual capacity and achieve a sense of purpose. With the help of retirement savings and Social Security, these retirees have more freedom to choose what work they want and make money dependent on what they can do.
Here are the top 5 ways retirees are making money:
Offering dog-walking services - Typically, young couples and other pet owners who have hectic full-time work and travel schedules can not take good care of their dogs. Pet-loving seniors take this opportunity to earn money by becoming dog-walkers for a day. Aside from helping them stay fit, this also allows them to get acquainted with others and establish friendships with other dog walkers.
For aspiring dog walkers, it's much better to undergo dog training or acquire credentials on pet care to impress potential clients. Not only does it help them in earning more money from offering a wide range of pet care services, it also lets them build a network for future clients.
Being a freelancer or a consultant - Regardless of the industry that they were previously in - be it marketing, video production, accounting, writing, engineering or teaching - seniors may turn their previous carers as a money-making instrument by doing freelance works or consulting jobs. One best way to start with this is by going back to their previous employers. They should make use of their past experiences and acquainted skills to provide professional help on the current employees of those companies.
This is also a good way for seniors to show that they still have what it takes to work in a corporate setting. Whether it's about answering sensitive questions, giving out professional advice to employees or providing feedback on new management systems and policies, seniors will surely have great time earning money because they have another chance to work with companies that have previously developed all their skills through the years .
Teaching or tutoring - In this present world where kids and teens have aggressive psychological behaviors towards life's stages, seniors who can do coaching, mentoring and teaching is in demand. This is the time when they can share their experience and expertise to the young ones. Of course, this should not be bound to doing full-time classroom teaching. Seniors can also do the following: work as part-timers in some literacy programs, act as substitute teachers, tutor kids in different subjects and train adults in using computer software or program.
Apart from subject areas, seniors can also teach other skills depending on their field of expertise such as fiber arts making, brewing beer, sewing garments or 3-D modeling. This goes to show that the opportunities are limitless when teaching or tutoring.
Writing or blogging contents - Seniors will always have thoughts to share the moment you ask them about something. This is because baby boomers, being in a particular industry for quite a while, generally have a lot of good stories to share and valuable pieces of advice to give on various topics like politics, religion, careers, life experiences and hobbies. It's just up to them how they would want to write the contents - either through pen and paper or via online using a computer.
Gardening - For seniors who have the passion for growing fruits and vegetables at the backyard, they can earn money by selling these fruits and vegetables at a nearby market. With this money-making hobby, higher production demands will also be possible depending on a specific season. For added income, retirees can also teach gardening to aspiring farmers and sell seeds to farmers.
These are the 5 ways retirees are making money. Although it may be difficult for seniors to constantly make time for something profitable and productive, what matters is that they still have the desire to do the things that really love.