10 side hustles you can do to earn extra cash in retirement. Find one that will work for you today!

10 side hustles you can do to earn extra cash in retirement

by | Oct 12, 2022

For many, retirement is the time when we put aside our work and finally focus on the more important things in life, such as relationships, hobbies and our general day-to-day well-being. However, many look for ways to earn extra cash in retirement to ensure financial stability and also as a means of keeping themselves busy, their minds active, and their life full. 

If you’re wondering what side hustles you can do to earn extra cash in retirement, we’ve developed this guide to help you find the right niche for you. Use this guide to find one that could work for you!

What is a side hustle?

A side hustle is really just a job that you can do in addition to your regular job. But if you don’t have a regular job? It’s just a small ‘gig’ that allows you a healthy work/life balance. 

Unlike a regular job, side hustles don’t require many hours and can often be picked up and put down whenever you find the time. For example, if blogging is your side hustle, you can easily post every week or every other week, when you have the time and inspiration to write. 

Side hustles make it easy to earn extra cash without the pressure of a real job and, oftentimes, they’re more aligned with hobbies and passions as opposed to a lifestyle career. They’re the perfect job in retirement as they’re incredibly flexible and truly make earning easy!

1. Editing or proofreading

Proofreaders and editors are in high demand and it's the perfect side hustle for retirees

Nowadays, eBooks, blogs, online publications, and self-publishing is becoming more and more popular thanks to the worldwide web. Proofreaders and editors are in high demand for all classes of writers, and they’re willing to pay well for it. 

If you’re a keen reader, a passionate English student, or just have a keen eye for detail, then editing or proofing may be a great side hustle for you. 

Writers of all kinds need someone to go over their content carefully, picking out any errors and checking grammar, making it an easy job for those with confidence in language, as well as an interesting one. No two jobs will ever be the same, meaning you’ll always have some variation in your work. 

Upwork, Freelancer and ProofreadingServices.com are all great places to get started, however there’s such a range of jobs out there you’ll be able to find thousands of results from a single Google search.

2. Become a blogger!

While blogging may seem a little far-fetched to some, it’s actually a great job for making good money in your spare time. Of course, research and facts make great blog writing, but the best thing about a blog? If you have enough to say, you can write about pretty much anything. 

Traveling, food, wine, parenting, mental health, education, politics, relationships, real estate, boating, golfing, gardening are just some of the many things you could focus your blog on. Even easier, you could make a blog with general information about all of these things!

It may take a few years to gain a real following, but if you’re passionate about what you’re doing and are good at expressing your opinion, the money can (and will) flow. 

Once you have a good library of useful content on your site, you might want to bump up the revenue by adding Google ads. That way you get paid for the clicks on those ads!

3. Refurbishing furniture

Refurbishing furniture is becoming incredibly popular. People love the idea of breathing love into old, damaged furniture and making them like new, with a touch of personality and spunk, and videos of these transformations are becoming widely popular among social media sites. 

If you have the time and knack for refinishing wood, reupholstering, or even just painting, then there’s a lot of potential for you to make some good money from buying old furniture, refurbing it, and selling it for a good profit. 

You’d be pretty surprised how much can actually be made (and how easily, too!). 

Refurbishising furniture can help you breathe new life into the old, and make a pretty good profit doing so!

4. Ridesharing apps

You’ve likely already heard of ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft that allow everyday people to sign on, accept fares from people in their surrounding area, and make a small living from doing so. It may not be a super-profitable side hustle, but it’ll put extra cash in your pocket, help you engage with the community and, if you’re an avid driver, you’ll get paid to drive around the city. 

Many retirees are finding that, if they accept a job in a direction they’re already going, they can help make their journeys more enjoyable and, in turn, get paid to get where they’re going. It makes a big difference to grinding for 8 hours, trying to make a small profit. 

Plus, if you’re a friendly, go-the-extra-mile kind of person? There are always tips to be earned!

5. Sell products on Etsy

Etsy is an excellent side-hustle for creatives of all kinds

This is probably one of the easiest and least stressful side hustles you can pick up. Whether you’re a knitter, crafter, builder or jewelry maker, Etsy has become the leader in allowing creative individuals to sell their products. 

From paintings, personalized shoes, all the way to wedding favors, you’ll find it all on Etsy and can easily set your prices, post your creations, and watch the orders come in. 

The best part? It’s easy to make your product once and sell that one order – it also gives you the added advantage of uniqueness and individuality, which people really go for these days. 

We’d recommend exploring everything there is out there to buy on Etsy before you start planning your sale, so you can get a feel for the vast variety of products you can sell.

(Writers: you can even sell prints or self-published books to leave behind your legacy!)

6. Yard maintenance

If you have a green thumb, yard maintenance can be a great side hustle. It can be hard work, but it’s well worth it for the final result and the chance to work outdoors. But it’s not just all lawn mowing, you can offer services such as leaf removal, weeding, planting bulbs, gutter cleaning and even snow removal.

The neat thing about this one is that it means you get a little exercise built in!

7. Deliver groceries

Food delivery services have become super popular, especially since the pandemic. Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes and various grocery stores offer grocery delivery and people love not having to leave the house to do their weekly shop. 

If you have a reliable vehicle and some spare time, sign up for one of the food delivery services to boost your earnings.

If you have a reliable vehicle and some spare time, food delivery services to boost your earnings.

8. Start a podcast

Though it may sound a little daunting to some, hosting a podcast can be an incredibly rewarding side hustle. Much like a blog, all it takes is passion and knowledge on a topic of your choice to exceed. 

Popular podcast topics include travel, make-up, fashion, philosophy, conspiracy theories, supernatural stories and true crime. 

Though there are low start-up costs, it may take some time to earn money, even if your content is good. You’ll have to build up a following to make money, either through listeners or selling products.

9. Become an influencer

The older generations are finally starting to catch up and make a name for themselves in influencing - why not try it for yourself?

Nope: you don’t have to be a rich millennial to get into the influencer game. Sure, the younger generations have this one in the bag already, but the older generations are finally starting to catch up. 

There are an endless amount of topics that you can use to become an influencer. It may take a while to build a following, but once the numbers reach 100k+, you’ll be able to start earning some real money from this gig. 

Better yet: if you’re going to step into crafting or reupholstering as a side hustle, you can easily film your creative process to get started as an influencer, without having to wait for the profit!

10. Airbnb

Becoming an Airbnb host is a great way to make extra money. It can help you pay your mortgage, bills, and even start saving toward that holiday. (Which will be all the more enjoyable if you can earn money while you’re away, too…).

You can easily rent a room or space out whenever you want, whether that’s for a day, a week, or for a much longer period. The options are vast, making this an ideal side hustle for those with a bit of extra space. 

These are just some of the many side hustles you can do to earn extra cash in retirement. There’s a whole wealth of side hustles to capitalize on nowadays. All you need to do is find your niche, interest, or talent and go from there. If you’re interested in more creative ways to make money? Check out our blog here