Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 8:16 AM 5 min read
Aaah, retirement! After working for 40 or 50 years, it’s easy to believe that retirement will be idyllic. Sitting by the pool, playing endless rounds of golf, or spoiling the grandchildren may be the only things on your to-do list.
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But what if you find that you’re bored? Or you don’t really have quite enough money to live a life of leisure?
Here are five ways to make money in retirement that don’t involve going back to work full-time.
Do you have a hobby that you’re looking forward to spending more time on once you stop working? You may be able to turn it into an income stream, combining your creativity with some cash flow. Maybe you’re a woodworker and could start a side business making furniture or children’s toys. If cooking is your jam, you could start a catering business or sell your kitchen creations at a local farmer’s market. Many hobbies could easily turn into businesses.
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You’ve gained a lot of expertise and knowledge during your working years. You may be able to call on that as a way to earn some extra income in retirement. If you’re a specialist in a certain industry, you could be well-paid as a consultant. If you were a teacher, you could probably find some students who could use you as a tutor.
The nice thing about consulting in the field you worked in is that you can name your own hours and decide how much work you want to take on. Ten hours a week instead of 40? A month off to travel or visit the kids? When you’re the boss, you set your own hours and your own prices.
In addition to the knowledge you’ve gained by working, you’ve also acquired some wisdom from just living. Your life experiences may have something to offer those who are younger and may be just starting out. How can you monetize your life experiences? Write a book, start a blog, become an influencer. There are lots of people on social media who are retired and offer life advice to younger people who may have missed some things while growing up.
If you’re newly retired and still active, you may be able to earn some money by running errands for those who may no longer be able to do as much for themselves. You may have elderly friends and neighbors who need a ride to a doctor’s appointment or someone to pick up groceries. Rather than calling on their children, who may be too busy or too far away to help, they may be happy to pay you a nominal fee for helping them out.
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