After retirement you may experience a sudden shift in lifestyle: no more clocking-in, no more worrying about next week’s deadlines, no more putting up with the boss; it’s something you’ve been looking forward to all these years and now it’s here you find you’re missing the routine. Well, adjusting to life on the pension can be difficult but here are a few activities that will not only keep you busy but will add a few pounds to the coffers at the same time!
Sure, it’s a great hobby and one that comes with its own rewards, but in the modern digital age, those rewards can be both financially satisfying as well as personally satisfying! Whether you’re painting local landscapes, sculpting, or hand-making handicrafts, there are plenty of people online on sites like eBay willing to pay a little extra for the personal touch. You could even consider having your creations showcased at local community centers or cafes that you frequent where locals could take a shine to your work.
You’ve spent your whole life accruing valuable information and skills that others will happily pay for you to share with them. Music lessons, foreign languages, maybe group-orientated classes at local community centers – why not make the most of your skills and pass them on to others? Don’t fancy house calls? There’s always the option to work from home. You may find that schedule is exactly what you need in the transition from the workplace to retirement.
This one may be a little more of an investment than others, but with enough set-aside or taken out from the pension, it may be reasonably simple – especially if you’ve already moved out to where people might want to visit on their trips away from the city. Opening up a bed and breakfast not only keeps you plenty busy but also assures a supply of fresh faces at your home to help you to feel sociable without the hassle of even having to go out! And don’t forget, with a B&B you are your own boss – which might make a nice change from your old workplace environment.
Believe it or not, there is now good money to be made in writing, especially with the Internet connecting people across the globe. Maybe you could take up blogging as a way of having your experiences and memoirs published – or maybe work on that children’s book you’ve always planned to write? For former educators, fact checkers, clerks, and assorted grammatical wizards there’s also the option to take on proofreading work for students and other associated struggling essayists!
This one might sound a little outlandish – but considering that an increasing number of retirees are supplementing their pensions with winnings on the pools or down at the local bingo hall, why not get in on the act where the big money is at? Simply keeping up with the finance section is enough to keep the brain active and what better way to motivate yourself to stay up-to-date with current affairs than to be in for the chance of profiting from them!
Of course, for many of these activities, you will need to be sure that you are getting the full value of your pension and savings working for you as best as is possible. Considering a pension transfer may be your first step to unlocking the funds you need to start your new side-line as a self-employed retiree.