Part-time/Seasonal Work

[horrnsfan]

I have early retired at 48 and am financially secure. My wife is a school teacher so our health insurance is covered. I have done a fair amount of volunteer work over the past six months, but I'd like to supplement this by doing some part-time work to fill my time and give me some spending money. I've done some HS sports officiating which is a blast and it puts some change in my pocket. It gives me a great deal of flexibility and I enjoy doing it. I'm looking for similar type opportunities....those that give be freedom and flexibility.

I'm not interested in commuting or traveling, working as a substitute teacher or making any type of investment (home based businesses). I am considering a few consulting (human resources/executive coaching) opportuntities, but I'm not interested in establishing an ongoing practice.

Any thoughts?

[crazy connie]

If you enjoy it... do it! Pin money is an old term and it still sounds nice to me. Call it mad money or whatever, it is icing on the cake and fun for you to get.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by horrnsfan

I'm looking for similar type opportunities....those that give be freedom and flexibility.
I'm not interested in commuting or traveling, working as a substitute teacher or making any type of investment (home based businesses). I am considering a few consulting (human resources/executive coaching) opportuntities, but I'm not interested in establishing an ongoing practice.
Any thoughts?

- If you enjoy writing, you could try freelancing articles for local magazines or newsletters. This probably turns out to be more for love than for money.
- Website development-- not from scratch but rather from the tools & templates already out there. It could be for your business, your family, genealogy, or whatever strikes your interest.
- eBay. A retired friend of ours shops neighborhood garage sales for 50-cent kid's clothing & toys and marks them up a couple bucks. It added up to $25K last year.
- Craigslist buying & selling. Many people dispose of their possessions at fire-sale prices because of a moving deadline or their own lack of pricing skills. Just refurbishing furniture will give you more work than you want.
- Handyman. It's as simple as fixing dinged wallboard or as complex as a new water heater. At the very least you can help an uninformed homeowner decide whether to have you patch it, to call a contractor, or to go buy a new one. Regular contractors can hardly make a living on the jobs that cost less than $250.
- Tutoring for free or for profit. Even helping with the basics like reading, math, and testing skills will keep you busy, whether it's third-graders or adult college students.

[sgeeeee]

Try it if it doesn't require a long-term committment. After my initial retirement, I dabbled in several things. I consulted, I worked local events (gates, security, etc.), I worked for my local election board, I worked 1/4-time for a start-up, I wrote one book and edited another . . . Eventually (after about 3 years) they all seemed to get in the way more than they kept my interest. But I enjoyed all of them until I didn't. Then I quit and moved on. I still do a lot of volunteer work.

[Mr._johngalt]

Originally Posted by sgeeeee

Try it if it doesn't require a long-term committment. After my initial retirement, I dabbled in several things. I consulted, I worked local events (gates, security, etc.), I worked for my local election board, I worked 1/4-time for a start-up, I wrote one book and edited another . . . Eventually (after about 3 years) they all seemed to get in the way more than they kept my interest. But I enjoyed all of them until I didn't. Then I quit and moved on. I still do a lot of volunteer work.

I did a bunch of stuff and had the same result, i.e. it still got in the way
of other activities. I would really like to write even if I never get published.
I told someone the other day that it (writing) may have to wait until I am
too old to do anything else.

BTW, I told the same person that I read
(again) a couple of fav. Hemingway short stories ('Hills Like White Elephants' and 'The Sea Change'). Talk about layered and nuanced.
Anyway, I opined that I would give up my cojones to be able to
write like that. They could call it the gelded age of literature.

JG