Today, I have a special guest post from a reader named Kelsey. He is a retiree who understands the common struggles of living below the poverty line. This is especially the case when he lost my job. To overcome basically poverty, he started tinkering around his garage trying to earn money. Also, he found a few pen pals and these friends have helped him come up with ideas to help get back on his feet. I thought his story was interesting and his tips were great, so here is his post! Take it away Kelsey.
Unfortunately, throughout my life I’ve had to learn the importance of saving money the hard way. Periods of joblessness, illness, and struggling have had a huge impact on how I now live my life. I wish very much that the Internet had been around in my early years, so that I could have learned more easily the ways in which other people handle their money.
I’m settled down now and enjoying a comfortable lifestyle, but I know the same isn’t true of everyone. A whole 7.6% of people worry about their finances when they get old, the very time in which they should be enjoying their golden years instead. So I’ve listed here my recommendations for some small but significant things you can do to make extra money after you’ve retired.
Grow your own vegetables to sell
Not only does this save money (on the fuel you would have spent driving to the supermarket as well as the food itself), but also you get to know from the outset where your food came from! I now home grow almost all my vegetables and they’re a lot better than the store-bought ones I’ve been eating all my life.
Setting up your own vegetable patch is a fairly easy business, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Start with a few easy things, like tomatoes. Then move on to more and more – carrots, rhubarb, cucumbers, whatever you enjoy to eat! Bear in mind, too, that if you have any surplus you can even sell it to your neighbors. They’d be getting it for cheaper than they would get it at an organic supermarket.
Put your skills to good use
Maybe you really enjoy gardening, or find it relaxing painting fences, or love walking dogs? You can monetize these hobbies if you go about it the right way. Start a mini-business! Let your friends and neighbors know that there are certain jobs you can take off their hands. Maybe place an ad in the local newspaper as well and you should hopefully soon find yourself with a lot more disposable income than you would otherwise have had.
I chose the walking dogs option as I’ve always loved dogs. I walk them, feed them, and spend a bit of time with them while their owners are at work. Everyone wins – I get to enjoy the company of animals, the animals get to enjoy the company of me, and the owners get to know their pets are being cared for.
You’ll have to declare the income you make to the IRS, of course. But once word gets around that you’re a good and reliable worker, you might even end up with more money than you know what to do with. So you can always treat your grandkids, or go on a holiday, maybe even both!
Walk more, drive less for health and wealth
Have you ever really considered just how much money you spend on your car? I have. So I decided it was time to start really using my legs whilst I still could, and walk to places I would otherwise have just driven to. This doesn’t just save on fuel and car expenses, it saves on doctor’s bills too, as walking has an endless amount of health benefits. I now make it a point to walk every single day, come rain or shine.
This all applies to cycling too! If you have a bike, get on it! Don’t overexert yourself, but take gentle exercise every day and watch your energy and bank balance both improve.
Rent out space you don’t need
Do you have a room you’re not using, or a storage area you don’t need, or even a parking space that other people could use? You’d be surprised at how much money people are willing to pay for those things.
Place an ad in your local newspaper, or if you’re social-media savvy make a post on Facebook, advertising the use of your space for a reasonable price. In areas where parking is scarce, or areas where students come and go a lot, you might find yourself with a lot of offers. Vet your customers carefully, keep the space you’re renting safe and clean, and you’ve got a good thing going.
These are just four things out of many! Hopefully, you’ll be able to use them to help put your money fears to rest.
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Kelsey Tedeschi
Latest posts by Kelsey Tedeschi (see all)
- 4 Easy Ways To Make Extra Money, Even In Retirement - January 23, 2017
I love the idea of selling vegetables! We plan to start a garden in the spring, and I’m sure we’ll produce more than we eat. Thanks for the idea!
I live in an area where my neighbors plant so much that I end up getting quite a bit of leftovers, but there are plenty of stands up nearby that sell corn, veggies, etc! Hope you are successful at it!
Ton of great ideas here. Following up on the bike thing, I do some on-demand bike messenger delivery using apps like Postmates, Caviar, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. The great thing is that since I can bike my deliveries around, I don’t have to put any wear and tear on my car and I get paid to exercise and explore my city. It’s like playing a little game basically! My brother skateboards his deliveries around town even. It might be the perfect retirement gig for someone who doesn’t need a ton of money and wants to stay in shape.
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Ahh, that’s pretty cool about the bike idea! Never thought of something like that! I guess it doesn’t cross my mind since I live in a rural area vs the city! That sounds like a win-win-win for you!
Hi! I really liked the thought – Walk more, drive less; by doing so, anyone will save money both ways. By driving less, one can save money on gas and by being healthy, one can save money on healthcare cost.
Renting out unused space is also a great thought – You get money and another person gets a place at an affordable rate.
One can actually save money by following these things.
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Sure can, Good Nelly! Looking at some great win-win’s in this post! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Great tips Kelsey! Those tips will not only help you earn extra money but will also keep yourself on the move! I personally like the grow and sell your own vegetables, because gardening is a form os stress reliever and boredom killer. There are fun ways to earn and save even during retirement.
On the other hand, don’t neglect to plan ahead and consider your health. Do you still have what it takes to do those activities? Are your Medicare, Medigap plans and other health coverages already in place? Assess yourself, as negligence in one aspect of retirement can cause total downfall of your finances.
Leandro, thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed Kelsey’s tips! I think these tips do go for someone not in retirement as well. Sure, some people won’t be able to do them all but hopefully it will get some ideas stirring other than just collect social security.
Great tips! Especially love ditching the car. Nothing like a good bike ride to work.
I wish I could have done this when I was working, but we each have a 25 mile commute each way… That would be a bit far to commute. Maybe some time in the future. We were actually discussing it last night if we were to move closer to my wife’s work and we were in walking distance, we could actually go down to one vehicle…
Not quite retired but making short term plans to get there.
My father always said “there are two ways to make money…. working hard and spending less.”
Great tips. Great site!
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Hi Marc, thanks for stopping by! Great quote! Hope you are able to retire comfortably and your plans go well.
I love this. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Nice! I am a huge fan of gardens. You can reduce your overall food costs by incorporating raised-bed gardens in even the smallest of properties. Spinach, kale, chard, green beans, and other vegetables produce well and can be frozen, canned or even dehydrated for later use. I dehydrate a large amount of kale and keep it in a half-gallon mason jar. It crumbles easily into soups and stews!