After retirement, many people feel the harsh realities that come with living off a fixed income. It can be a bit of a difficult adjustment. However, if a tight budget is something you don’t feel you can live with, here are a few money making hobbies you can dive into during retirement.
Pet Care
Animal lovers can take their skills to the next level. Pet services such as walking and boarding can bring in a decent amount of money for very little time commitment. Maryalene LaPonsie, a writer for money.usnews.com states, “Dog walkers can generally charge up to $20 for a 20-minute walk, according to Angie’s List, a website that connects service providers to clients.” These services can easily provide you with some extra spending cash.
Woodworking
Another hobby you can explore after retiring is woodworking. It’s an incredibly useful skill that has endless possibilities. LaPonsie also mentions, “Woodworking is another hands-on hobby that can be used to create goods for sale. Items can be sold locally through art shows, craft shows or online classified ads such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.” Beautiful, handmade items will always be in high demand.
Baking
Baking is an excellent hobby for retirees. It can be set up to be an extremely flexible and enjoyable source of income. Setting up a system of pre-orders and select pick up dates and times can offer you a lot of freedom while still bringing in money. If you have some special family recipes that people go crazy for or if you love experimenting, baking can be a fun and lucrative hobby.
Crafting
Having some sort of creative outlet is crucial after retirement. It’s an excellent time to learn new crafting skills, and perfect old ones. Michele Lerner of investopedia.com states, “If you love to quilt, sew, or make jewelry or other crafts, Etsy.com can be your marketplace. The website makes it simple to market your wares. You can also sell vintage clothing. So, if you have a trunk full of old clothes in the attic, this could be a goldmine—and help you clean out those stored treasures.” Take a class or teach yourself something you’ve always wanted to learn. Crochet, cross stitch, embroidery and knitting are great options.
Sales
A passion for yard/estate sales, consignment stores and flea markets is a common theme among retirees. Instead of spending a bunch of money on things you may or may not have room for, consider turning this hobby into a job. Sell some of your amazing finds in online marketplaces such as eBay. This way, you can purchase items without feeling guilty. When you have a resale plan in place, it takes away the financial burden of the experience and makes it stress free and fun.
When you’ve worked the majority of your life to retire, you want to make sure you enjoy every second of it. Exploring new hobbies and earning some disposable income can help make that possible.