Sell your existing items
Landed here by mistake? No harm no foul. It you want to be here, then you are like me and looking to supplement your income in retirement. I have gathered a few examples of what you can do around the house and local community. I will build on this list in the days to come with related posts. Here I will expand on various methods for retirement home employment opportunities that you can implement right away.
Nooks and Crannies
Every home has nooks and crannies be it in the basement, the attic, or the storage room at then end of the hall. Most of us have expanded our dwelling size as we expanded our collection of dust gatherers that are filling all of those nooks and crannies. It is time to show them the light of day and expand your horizons. Armed with paper and pencil go into the darkness seeking and you will find…….stuff.
Stuff can be golden, it just needs to be cleaned up, dressed and presented to the buying public. So, shine the light in there and get out all the stuff you no longer need. Chances are if it is hiding in a nook or a cranny you don’t need it and should get rid of it. Make a list of stuff that you have had and not used for a month, 6 months, a year, or longer. Anything not used for over 6 months, is not something that needs to be held on to.
Depending on the amount of stuff accumulated over the years, this can be a short term or long term employment for you.
Yard Sale
Yard sale – the time honoured classic. Yard sales are easy and fun. Sure there is a lot of work that needs to go into getting your stuff ready to sell at a yard sale, but think of this as preparation for every other selling opportunity online. Many people have forgotten the Yard sale in the age of digital mania. With everything being done online it seems like nobody wants to have a sale in their yard.
There was a time when everyone had a yard sale and many a weekend was spent traveling around to all of them searching for bargains. You may not get top dollar for your items, but dollars will accumulate as items are sold. If your location is good enough, you might want to consider accumulating more tings to sell at your home, on a semi-permanent basis. Items can be picked up from other yard sales, thrift stores, bargain-basement clearance sales etc.
You will need to advertise your yard sale and its location. This can be done in your local newspaper and with signs around the neighborhood, community, town.
Pros of a Yard sale.
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- Items already belong to you
- Easy to get your items ready
- Easy to advertise
- You already have the location to sell items
- Cash in hand at then end of the day
- More than once is perfectly acceptable
Cons of a Yard sale
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- Has to be set up on the date advertised
- Weather can be an issue
- Prices tend to be lower, as people are looking for bargains
- You have to pack everything back up that did not sell
Community Yard Sale
The community Yard sale is another option if you get along well with your neighbors and are content to take you items to the communal location. There may be a small fee involved in getting a spot at the communal location, but this should be outweighed by the advertising that will be done on your behalf and the greater numbers of people expected at a larger location with more items to sell.
Often shopping malls will have community yard sales early on the weekends in order to maximize the space that would otherwise be unused at that time. These can be a great location in times of inclement weather and during the winter when a yard sale is impossible.
Flea Markets
Flea markets are another avenue of retirement income. Flea markets often happen in and around your community and a simple online search will uncover the locations. They are often held at the same location each time. There is a multitude of things sold at flea markets and will generate large crowds of people.
Pros of the Flea market
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- Large numbers of people
- Same location each time
- Advertised continuously
Cons of the Flea market
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- Many sellers with products to sell
- Floor space is limited and costs money
Rent out some space in your Home
If you have cleaned out all of your stuff around the house, you now probably have extra space that you can rent out to others. Be it a bedroom, basement or your garage, chances are someone out there is looking for space. Advertise on local community boards, the mall, or grocery store. Extra $ may only be a phone call away. If a university or college is close by, post there as well. If you are looking for online renters, there is always Airbnb. I will cover online alternatives in an additional post.
Reduce your expenses
I know this seems like something that has already been done, but often we 
do not give enough thought to where the money is going and what for. Now that a paycheck is no longer coming into the household, all spending needs to be reviewed to determine if it is necessary or just something you are used to having. If it is the latter, it needs to be purged from your life.
Examine your expenses with a critical eye, chances are that there is room to cut some items that you do not really need at this time. Once times get better, you can always add them back to your lifestyle. Now is the time to be critical of everything that you are spending money on and focus on the essentials only.
Analyze your Interests and target them for work opportunities
Coffee, check out the local coffee shop for part-time work
Reading books, local book stores may need a helping hand.
Pet lover, check out pet sitting or pet walking services.
Know the area well, offer guided tours of your area.
Love people, check out the local community center and offer to help.
Love to talk, try your hand at private lessons in English or any subject you are passionate about.
Now that work is not the primary focus, there will be time to do research on the area and see what is available. Drive around your community to see what is out there. This time focus your attention to what is happening and if there are any opportunities to exploit. Often there is opportunity close by that we are unaware of, because we have not been looking for it.
Drive services
If you have two cars, consider selling one. Alternatively renting one out is a possibility. This will require checking on local laws and statutes, so may not be feasible. There are various services that can be utilised to offer your car as a ride sharing. For now, you can check out Uber, Lyft, Grab. There are many that will be covered in an additional post
It will not be easy, but it will be worth it
All the things listed above have the potential to bring in extra income. How much and how often depends on you and how much time you are willing to invest in each endeavor. I have deliberately kept this post low tech in order to save online activities for later. Many people are not that comfortable jumping into online businesses. This post shows you that, as always, you are only limited by your imagination as to what you can accomplish around your home, neighborhood, and community.