30 Opportunities for Retirees

29. Taking Online Surveys

There are a lot of websites out there who will pay you for a survey. Marketing companies want to know the opinions about products, shopping habits, and so much more. They are usually targeting certain demographics that they are willing to pay to get that information. Check out websites like Swagbucks and InboxDollars for opportunities to take online surveys. Once you reach a certain threshold which is usually around $25 to $30, you can withdraw all that money in a PayPal account or you can exchange it for gift cards to use for free merchandise.

28. Selling Your Crafts on Etsy

Do you love to craft? Are you the type of person who shops at Michaels or Hobby Lobby once a week? Maybe you knit sweaters for your family, or you enjoy painting. No matter what you make, there is probably a market for it on Etsy.com. Compare how much people are charging for the crafts that you specialize in. Depending on how much it costs for you to get the materials and how long it actually takes for you to make these creations, you could be seeing a nice profit.

However, there are some crafts that will actually only break even with the money you put in. If you aren’t careful, you might over-spend on materials and barely scratch the surface of what you spent in the first place. So be careful before you run out and buy a lot of craft supplies. Even if you do this as a hobby-business, there is nothing wrong with that, either. There are plenty of people out there who genuinely love the fact that they can occasionally sell their crafts on Etsy, because long as it helps to pay for the materials they would be buying, anyway. It means that they get to maintain their favorite crafting hobbies for free.

27. Professional Consulting

If you are retiring from a professional field, chances are you have years of valuable experience behind you. Ask yourself if the knowledge that you have attained could potentially be valuable to people who are just beginning in the industry. Becoming a professional consultant is a great second career path for retirees. Usually, this works best if you have an MBA, so you can be a business consultant, financial consultant, or legal help. The best part about helping others is that this can be done from home over the telephone through Skype calls or one-on-one meetings at your home office.

26. Renting Out a Spare Room on AirBnB

A lot of people are confused when they hear about Airbnb. They assume that this means that their house will become a traditional bed and breakfast. Many retirees imagine having to be up at 6 a.m. making toast for their guests. This is very far from the truth. Yes, traditional bed and breakfasts exist, but that’s not what Airbnb is all about.

The way that it works is that Airbnb hosts offer either a single bed or their entire home to people online who need a place to stay. Some people like to cook and they enjoy the atmosphere of a home far more than going to a hotel. They might have children or dogs, and a house or apartment is far more comfortable to stay in instead of a tiny box of a motel room. Today, many Millennials actually prefer to stay at Airbnbs over hotels. If you are afraid to let your entire house out to a stranger, don’t worry. Airbnb has a review system where people can leave ratings for one another as both a renter and a landlord. So you can choose to only rent out your rooms to people who have a lot of ratings from other landlords, you already know that they are trustworthy. Airbnb also has insurance that guarantees that if anything happens to your home, you will be covered for damages.

In popular urban areas or vacation destinations, people can get an average of $200 per night by renting their home to guests. If you are only renting out a single bedroom you may only get between $30 and $60 a night depending on where you live. Just keep in mind that these are averages. You will not know exactly how much you will get until you do some searching for your particular area.

25. Pet Sitter

Do you love dogs and cats? Well you’re in luck, because pet sitting is a great business to get into. You can choose to either let the animals stay in your home while people are on vacation, or occasionally stop by to visit your client’s house. Typically, clients will want you to feed their pets, clean their dishes, play with them, and make sure they go to the bathroom. This might only take you an hour to accomplish, and you get to play with some adorable animals.

If you want to get started as a pet sitter, post on Facebook that you are interested in getting a gig started. You may also want to create a Facebook business page and ask people to like and share your information. After a while, friends and family will begin to recommend you through word-of-mouth. Many people do not want to leave their pets in a doggy hotel or kennel. You would be surprised to know just how many people need a reliable pet sitter to help them when they travel for work or go on vacation.

24. House Sitter

When some people travel a lot, they are afraid to leave their house alone. They might also have pets that require far more attention than just stopping by for an hour to feed them. Sometimes, they may have plants and other things that need caregiving around the property. Professional house sitters come in all shapes and sizes. Some people are page to occasionally check in on the house. Others are given free rent in exchange for living in the house while they are taking care of it. The best way to find house-sitting gig is to go through a reputable agency in your local area, like MindMyHouse. Or, reach out to friends and family to see if anyone needs this kind of help.

23. Babysitter

If you have had kids and grandkids, you already have plenty of experience raising children. Plenty of first-time parents out there feel worried or uncomfortable about leaving their children in the care of an inexperienced teenager. After all, who knows if they are going to throw a party while they’re away? If you put your services out there as a child caregiver, people are far more likely to trust your experience. Start by announcing on Facebook that you are offering your child care services. Through family and friends, people will begin to recommend you as a babysitter. You can also advertise with posters at your local library.

22. Selling on eBay

Almost everyone has things sitting around the house that they can sell for profit. Especially when you are in retirement, you may have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. Even if you don’t have any experience, selling on eBay is actually very easy. Just sign up for an account through the eBay app on your smartphone, and you can follow the step-by-step instructions to begin listing things online. If you run into any trouble, they have a customer service phone number, so you can speak with a representative to help guide you through the process.

Once someone buys one of your items, you can either hand-write their address onto a package and pay for it at the post office, or print the labels at home, if you have a computer and printer. If you feel particularly confident after a while, start to scope out some of your local thrift stores. With your years of knowledge in valuable items, it should be easy for you to find things to flip for a profit.

21. Proofreading

If you were always great in English class, or if you helped your kids with their homework, you would probably make a good proofreader. We almost don’t even need to tell you what the job entails, right? Proofreading is checking over someone’s writing for typos, spelling and grammar mistakes, etc. Usually these gigs pay by the word. You can find them on websites like Fiverr and Upwork.

20. Transcription

A transcription is a written record of an audio file. This usually comes in handy for people who have podcasts, and they want to turn their information into a blog post. In case you are unaware, a podcast is kind of like a talk radio show. Two or more hosts talk to one another about a topic. They are extremely popular nowadays, especially for people who want to listen to something besides music when they are driving to work. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing still want to know what these podcasters are saying. A lot of these business owners will hire a transcriptionist to listen to their podcast and type what they say word for word. You can find these kinds of gigs on Upwork.

19. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is someone who helps a busy person complete tedious tasks that they do not have time for. These are usually very easy things to get done, but time-consuming. For example, a virtual assistant may answer emails, make appointments, proofread a document, or book flights. Usually, the types of people who are looking for virtual assistants are busy entrepreneurs, and they do not have time to do all of these things on their own. For people who are trying to take this seriously, they will have several clients that they work for. After a while you may be able to get the tasks done in less than an hour but you still get to keep the hour’s pay. If this is something you might consider, check out this list of virtual assistant services by The Penny Hoarder.

18. Freelance Writing

Becoming a writer might seem like a pipe dream, but it actually is possible. (In fact, this article is being written by a writer who works from home! Who knew?) However, it is a little bit of a catch-22 situation. In order to become a professional writer, you need to have some samples published on reputable websites to prove your skills. These are called “bylines.” And a byline is worth its weight in gold, because it proves to every other publication that you are worth of writing for them. But you can’t really have samples until after you’ve been hired somewhere. See the problem? Sometimes, you can get your foot in the door by showing college essays or a sample of your writing. Or, you can create your own blog. If people notice your talent, you can try to network and get paid gigs.

17. At-Home Customer Service

Gone are the days when customer service representatives are forced to sit in cubicles with headsets. With the internet, it is possible for people to be in their own homes and talk to customers. You may have noticed that some companies outsource customer service overseas, but that it not always the case. Many companies still want native English speakers to help their clients. As long as you have a good enough computer and connection to the internet, you will be allowed to work for several different companies as a customer service representative over the phone. Amazon.com Apple Bend U-Haul are just a few examples of companies for willing to have CSR’s working from home. Check out this list of companies.

16. Become an Uber or Lyft Driver

If you have a decently nice car, a clean driving record, and you enjoy speaking with people, you may want to consider becoming an Uber or Lyft driver. People who live in urban areas can actually make a decent amount of money by driving during peak hours. For someone who is retired and only wants to work when they feel like it, Uber is perfect because you can choose to accept or deny opportunities that come through on your smartphone. Just keep in mind that if you live in a rural area, you may not find anyone who needs a ride, because it is far more likely that they have their own vehicles.

15. Become a Mystery Shopper

Being a mystery shopper is almost like a dream come true. You get to go shopping like you normally would. At the end of your trip, you give a rating about customer service cleanliness of the store. Even better, the company will reimburse you for whatever you bought as a mystery shopper. If you are interested in finding an agency that you can work for, check out this list that has been compiled by The Penny Hoarder.

14. Rent Your Garage or Parking Space

If you live in a city, you already know that it can be extremely difficult for people to find a place to park. In certain places like San Francisco, people notoriously get parking tickets because they are forced to park illegally when they are trying to get to work. If you are lucky enough to own a piece of land or a garage in one of these hot spots you can actually make a decent amount of money by renting your parking space each month. (After all, paying rent for a guaranteed parking space is much cheaper than paying all of those tickets!) If you live in the United States, check out JustPark.com. And if you live in England or the rest of the United Kingdom, check out YourParkingSpace.

13. Download a Cash-Back App

It may sound too good to be true, but you can actually get cash back for things that you already bought in the past. Download Apps like Ibotta and collect your receipts that you got from the store recently. Ibotta will offer cash back rewards for certain items. If you can take a photo of your receipt to prove that you bought these items, they will deposit that money into your account. You can withdraw all that cash through a PayPal account and eventually transfer it to your bank. If you combine using these apps with coupons, you may actually get items for free. If you want to get more details on how to use cash back apps, check out the krazycouponlady.com

12. Data Entry

Data entry is exactly what it sounds like. It is the process of typing in information on a spreadsheet or a Word document. In all honesty, this is sort of boring and tedious work that requires a lot of patience. It also only pays around minimum wage. But the great thing about it is that it is very easy and you can do it whenever you feel like it, so long as you complete the deadline. And it can easily be done from home. You can find data entry gigs on websites like Craigslist, Fiverr, and Upwork.

11. Translate Foreign Languages

If you can speak more than one language you just might be able to put your skills to good use by becoming a translator. There are plenty of opportunities out there for YouTube video scripts podcasts and so much more. People need scripts translated between English and other languages all the time. In order to find these gigs sign up for an account on Fiverr.com. If you live in the United States, there is also a huge need for bilingual Spanish-and-English speaking customer service representatives. They are usually paid far more than English speakers, as well.

10. Sign Up For a Medical Trial

If you suffer from a particular health condition, you just might be able to sign up for a medical trial. This is when doctors and scientists are experimenting with new medications to see if it helps with certain ailments. You will not know going in if you will get the placebo or the real medication. The pay that you will receive will vary, depending on the trial. Unfortunately, you are not guaranteed to be apart of a medical trial, and you may have to wait before you find one that you are qualified for. If you would like to know more information, check out ClinicalTrials.gov.

9. Dog Walker

There are so many people out there who love dogs, but they just don’t have the time to walk them. If you happen to be a canine lover, you just might be able to make a great gig out of helping these dog owners out. You’ll find dog walking gigs more often in urban areas where people do not have the option to let them roam free in the back yard. In the city, it is a little bit more difficult to pick up after your dog. So there are more dog walking opportunities there than there are walkers. You can go online and advertise your services on Facebook, Craigslist, and other online agencies to get you connected with clients.

8. Metal Scrapper

Do you have a pick up truck? Then you just might be able to make a few dollars scrapping metal. As the name suggests, scrapping metal is finding materials that are able to be recycled and taking it to your local recycling center. You may be able to do this with old appliances and metal that is in your own house or backyard. Some people even go as far as to get permission to go through other people’s yards to get scrap metal to take to recycling, or they wait to find things that have been thrown away on trash day. Just keep in mind that each type of metal is worth something different. At the end of the day, if you’re only bringing in aluminum cans and other cheap metals, you may only walk away with around $2 to $5. Not exactly enough to make a part-time living, but it just might get you a treat at McDonald’s.

7. Sell Clothes on Poshmark

Almost everyone has clothes in their closet they have never worn. Some of it may even still have the tags on them. This is such a waste, especially if no one will ever wear it again. Luckily, you can get some of your money back with your clothes by downloading the Poshmark app. You can take photos of these clothes right on the app and uploaded to the internet. It will help you print a label so that you can send the clothing to your customers.

Keep in mind that the clothes and accessories that sell the best on Poshmark are the hip and up-to-date brands. You may actually have better luck selling your second hand clothing on eBay if you feel that young people may not want what you have in your own closet. After all, almost all retirees are looking to get a good deal, and they shop on eBay, too! If you can offer your clothing on eBay for a discoun,t you’re almost guaranteed that someone out there would love to buy it from you.

6. Start a Home Daycare

If you absolutely love taking care of children, you just might want to consider creating a home daycare. The laws and regulations about what you need to do in order to qualify as a home daycare will vary from state-to-state. Most of the time you can have a few children in your home before you need an official license. It is best to start out with friends and family who are willing to pay you to keep the child in the home when they go to work. However, if you get the proper licensing you could potentially turn a home daycare business into the equivalent of a full-time job.

5. Sell Vegetables or Eggs at the Farmer’s Market

Do you have a cute vegetable garden in the backyard? And you you keep chickens to lay eggs? You just might be able to sell your leftover vegetables at the local farmers market. Every summer most rural towns will have Farmers Market where you can rent a table and try to sell your items to people who walk by. Some people also set up a stand in front of their house and sell little bushels of vegetables to people who are driving past. If you can guarantee that these vegetables were grown organically, that makes it even better.

4. Sewing, Tailoring, and Clothing Repair

Years ago, it was a requirement for all the young girls to take home economics classes in High School. Most baby boomers know how to use a sewing machine and a needle and thread. But the vast majority of Millennials do not know how to sew at all. There is a huge market for people who are looking to create costumes in a hobby called “cosplay”. If you are very skilled at sewing you could actually sell a costume for someone else who is try to look like a character. You could also tailor a suit or dress especially when it comes to prom and homecoming season. Of course then there are also the standard clothing repairs if someone has a rip, too. Start by advertising your services on Facebook, and show some examples of clothes that you have made in the past.

3. Laundry Services

If you have a laundromat in your local area, they probably already offer a laundry service there. But if you live in a rural town, there may be people who are far too busy to do their own laundry. They will ask for you to either come to their home to do the laundry, or you can take it home with you and get everything done while bringing it back in laundry baskets. This is a common service that new mothers like to pay for, especially when they feel too overwhelmed taking care of their baby in order to get their laundry done.

2. Become an Online Juror

Do you love watching TV shows like Law and Order in Boston Legal? Then you would probably enjoy being an online juror or a member of a professional jury. The first place you should look is your local courthouse. Ask if they have any opportunities to be a professional juror in your local area. They will most likely be able to hook you up with any online resources that the county uses as well. There are also several websites out there that will hook you up with online jury trials. These are usually set up for high-profile cases that have an expensive legal defense. They want to pay for an online jury before it goes in front of real people so that they can gauge public opinion.

1. At-Home Catering

You know what they all say: “There’s nothing like grandma’s cooking”! This is such a popular phrase because most mothers have a lifetime of experience cooking for their children and grandchildren. If you are an exceptionally good chef, you may want to consider having an at home catering business during your retirement. This may be possible if you live in a rural area without many options that are your competition.

The best way to get started is for you to cook a lot of sample dishes and create an online presence somewhere like Facebook. Then you can be added to tasting events with people who are getting married and looking to also have public events. If you know someone who is getting married you may also want to offer to do the catering for free. Yes this is a lot of hard work without much reward but if the people at the wedding love your food then now you have a hundred people who may want to hire you for the next event.