Retirement does not necessarily mean having to live on money already saved. There are many ways that a retired couple can earn additional money from home, and this can help them remain active as well as bringing in some extra cash. Some of the best options include the following.
Online Writing
Pensioners that have a passion for writing can put this to good use on the internet. There are a number of online opportunities that provide the chance to make money. Those that enjoy writing short stories or novels can now self publish these online, and royalties will be paid for any copies that are sold to customers.
A number of blogs also offer upfront payments for people to write short articles for their site. HubPages and Suite101 also offer the chance to earn a revenue share from advertising on articles written. If you are fairly tech savvy and want to go it alone, you could set up a blog to share your knowledge about a particular topic, selling advertising spaces on your blog can grow into a nice residual income.
Bed and Breakfast
Many retired couples find themselves living in a large family home on their own, with a number of spare rooms available. Rather than downsizing to something smaller, it is possible to put the extra space to good use by offering it to paying guests as bed and breakfast accommodation. This does involve some additional work in terms of providing breakfast and cleaning rooms, but for outgoing couples it can be a great way to retain the home they have lived in for many years and earn a fair amount of extra money.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are studies that focus on establishing the ideal dosage, safety, and efficacy of new treatments and drugs. Every new medicine needs to be tested on volunteers to determine it’s suitability before being made available to patients on prescription. Trials can run from around one to thirty days, and those wishing to take part have to undergo an initial screening appointment to ensure they are fit and healthy enough to take part. The payment made to the volunteer is intended to remunerate the participant for their time. Take part in a trial with Covance, and your travel costs will also be reimbused up to a maximum of £100.
Although the actual payment recieved usually depends on the length of the trial, volunteers can expect to be paid over £100 per day for taking part. Your eligibility for a specific trial will depend on whether you meet the specified requirements in terms of age and gender. Many trials have a requirement for older volunteers and taking part can be a way for retired people to make new friends and earn additional income. Trials are heavily regulated to ensure the safety of volunteers, and after a rest period of three months has passed from the final day of your trial, you are free to volunteer to take part in another.
Tutoring
A lifetime of experience means that many pensioners have skills that they can offer to others through paid tutoring. Retired teachers already have knowledge of tutoring pupils and can continue to offer their expertise in one or more educational subjects on a part time basis. Others may have an aptitude for a musical instrument or games such as chess. They can offer the benefit of this experience to those interested in learning about a particular skill.
Gardening
Pensioners that enjoy spending time in their own garden will likely have the experience and equipment available to offer gardening services to others in their neighborhood and surrounding areas. The services offered could be limited to simple tasks like mowing lawns, pruning roses, or weeding.
Depending on your experience and fitness, you may wish to offer more substantial garden renovations such as landscaping. Many retirees that downsize from a larger home may find that they no longer have a garden of their own. Offering paid services to others will allow you to continue enjoying the health benefits and fun of spending time in a garden.
Retiring does not mean you have to give up earning a bit of extra cash, and we hope that the ideas above provide some inspiration those amongst you who are looking to make some extra cash.
