Turning your retirement hobbies into cash

So you’ve retired from your job, but you’re still active and you’re looking for a creative way to potentially supplement your income.  Retirement can deliver the opportunity to indulge your passions, discover new interests and apply your skills outside of what was your full-time career.  There are creative ways to do this in retirement, and below are some suggestions on how you might be able to supplement your income from your hobbies and passions.   

Whether it’s using your skills or turning your unwanted items into cash, here are some ideas that might inspire you: 

Use your skills to earn some extra cash 

Are you crafty and make things or is baking something that interests you? Do some research and see if there are markets that are run locally that you could sell your items at or look at online marketplace options for selling your items.  There are many sites that can help you.   
You might also have a green thumb and grow items that you could sell.  Local farmers markets or stalls are a good option to explore.   
Don’t forget, it’s important to understand the tax implications of any extra money you earn, so do your research here as well.   

Rent your space 

Did you know you could earn money for hosting people in your own home?  There are sites such as Airbnb for example where you can rent out a room or your whole home for a night, a week, a month.  Why not cash in on that next event in your city!  

Try house sitting 

There are options to do this locally or even internationally.  A growing number of people are being paid to look after someone’s house and sometimes their pets when they’re away on holidays.  Use the internet to research options available to you.  A change of scenery is sometimes as good as a holiday and you can potentially explore new locations. 

Sell your homemade products online

Join the online movement using sites like Etsy to sell your homemade products.  This site empowers creative people to sell their products and gives you a platform to work from.   

Create a side hustle 

You may be retired, but whatever your skill set, there’s plenty of room for competition and don’t be afraid to give it a go.  We all have abilities that we can share – whatever they are!  

Try tutoring 

There are plenty of students who struggle, whether it be younger students with the basics, or international students who need help with the English language.  Whilst you need to be knowledgeable in your area of expertise, you may not need a degree or formal qualifications and you may not even need to know a second language.  Think about what you’re good at and get paid to help others.   

Calling all mystery shoppers 

Did you know that there are companies who are happy to pay you to shop in their stores and then provide them with feedback on the shopping experience?  It’s not about actually purchasing their products … it’s about telling them what the shopping experience was about and whether you were satisfied with the experience.   

Use Trade Me or other selling sites 

You can use Trade Me to sell any unwanted items.  You might be thinking about downsizing where you live, or just decluttering your garage.  Do you own things that other people might be looking for? Look at Trade Me – they have help online for how you can become a seller and make some extra money from things you no longer want or need.  

Looking after someone’s pets 

Taking care of someone else’s pets while they’re away, or even looking after their animals while they’re at work is a good way to supplement your income.  If you’re fit and healthy, you may even want to consider dog walking someone’s pets.  It’s a great way to keep healthy and getting paid for it.   

Rent your garage or parking space 

Do you live in an area where car parking is hard to find? Do you have a parking space or garage that you don’t use?  Think about advertising if you have a space to rent or check online if there are any local providers who can manage this for you.   

Get paid for completing surveys

Check online and see what options are available online to complete surveys and be paid for it.  You may also earn extra money for referring friends and family.  And the best thing is you can do as many or as few as you like, depending on your own circumstances.

Be a movie extra 

Did you know you could register with a talent agency to become an extra for movies or television shows?  While the days may be long when it comes to working on set, with a general day being between eight – 12 hours, you’ll have the opportunity to be on a big screen and get paid to rub shoulders with movie stars. 

This list is by no means exhaustive – you’re only limited by your own creativity.  This is just a starting point for you to think about some of the options available to you.  Some may be a thought starter for you.  There may be nothing here that’s of interest.  But hopefully, it’s given you some food for thought and you can consider what you might like to do, if you’re looking to make some extra cash.