Best Retirement J*bs

Shabby

Shabby

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
185
Location
Redmond, WA
I am 54, living in FL with my girlfriend who is still working from home. I have been retired about 2 years and pretty fit and sporty. I was thinking it would be fun to have a job that I actually liked and maybe provided a bit of income, nothing crazy. I was a winemaker, Financial Analyst and owned a staffing company for my career. My first thought was to work in a wine shop. I did my resume and they wanted to hire me but they needed 40 hours a week and weekends. That doesn't work. I took a job as a dockhand at a resort, but again, the hours they needed me were not going to work. Talked to a guy in the pool yesterday and he suggested a golf starter at a country club. Interesting. What other options have people done that they liked?

My Requirements:
1. Fun job with interaction with people
2. No working Fri-Sun
3. Likely 2-3 eight hour days of work a week
4. Compensation doesn't need to be much if the job is fun
5. The job must exist in Florida

Thanks in advance!
 
Oh don't get me wrong, I don't wanna w*rk. I am looking at this as fun. I am headed out today on a 8 day cruise to the Caribbean if it makes you feel better :)
 
I don't know if something like this job would work for you... but...

Frank loved his "fun job" doing sound and lighting for shows at bars in the French Quarter, here in New Orleans. He did have to work on the weekends, but I'm sure one could find a similar gig where they need someone to fill in on weekdays, to give the weekend guy a break. He loved hanging out with the musicians and locally famous folks like that. They loved him too and often would even tip him generously in addition to the money the bar paid him. He got to do sound for a drummer that he had idolized since he was a teenager, and for a comedian that everyone locally knows and loves, and many others. Everyone appreciated him and said he was the best sound guy in town, which of course he loved hearing.

This year he quit because he's getting older and feels like the music is getting more and more loud and tasteless and the younger musicians are less and less professional than their predecessors. Also we read about more older guys getting mugged while walking to their cars alone in the wee hours. But he had a wonderful time with that job for several years.
 
I had one primary reason I never got a part-time j*b after ER: even if I could find a "fun" pursuit, there would still be an obligation to report on designated days/hours. Plenty of other reasons for me, but this one aspect made it a slam-dunk I'd never w*rk again.
 
mystang52 said:
I had one primary reason I never got a part-time j*b after ER: even if I could find a "fun" pursuit, there would still be an obligation to report on designated days/hours. Plenty of other reasons for me, but this one aspect made it a slam-dunk I'd never w*rk again.
Click to expand...

+1000
 
If you don't need the money, is there something you could volunteer at? You often need to give them certain number of hours, but you can generally pick which days you want.
Habitat for Humanity
Helping in schools/ Big Brother type thing
Senior Center
Hospital hospitality/greeter/gift shop
 
Local or state parks is what I'm hoping to do part time after retirement. Something outdoors where I can get some exercise, interact with other humans, and maybe do some good.
 
I was going to suggest the volunteer route myself if you're not doing it for the $$.
 
If you live in an area of FL that has things of scenic or historic interest in a relatively concentrated area (like a downtown or waterfront or historic district), you could start up your own walking tours or bike tours. Many of these are advertised on the web as "free" with reservations required, and the attendees usually tip ($10 or $20 per person) at the end.

Tours are scheduled online...I've seen 10am, 2pm, and 6pm/pre-sunset.

You can be your own boss, control the size of the group, and work as much or as little as you wish.

Print up flyers and place in 'trafficked areas' and create a website. Boom, you're in business. Let local papers know, and you can get free listings in their "things to do" section...and maybe an article about the new tour company in town, too.

Lots of snowbirds and tourists look for these types of tours for themselves and/or for their visitors.

omni
 
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Shabby said:
I am 54, living in FL with my girlfriend who is still working from home. I have been retired about 2 years and pretty fit and sporty. I was thinking it would be fun to have a job that I actually liked and maybe provided a bit of income, nothing crazy. I was a winemaker, Financial Analyst and owned a staffing company for my career. My first thought was to work in a wine shop. I did my resume and they wanted to hire me but they needed 40 hours a week and weekends. That doesn't work. I took a job as a dockhand at a resort, but again, the hours they needed me were not going to work. Talked to a guy in the pool yesterday and he suggested a golf starter at a country club. Interesting. What other options have people done that they liked?

My Requirements:
1. Fun job with interaction with people
2. No working Fri-Sun
3. Likely 2-3 eight hour days of work a week
4. Compensation doesn't need to be much if the job is fun
5. The job must exist in Florida

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

After FIRE in 2009 at 51 and doing a part-time stint with a client, I decided to teach a class as an adjunct at a local college.

It was fun, met 3-4 hours a week, and I had lots of time off.

Then I got offered an additional class that was asynchronous learning. No specific hours, just use the learning management system to post assignments and to grade, etc. It was fun, and I had lots of time off.

Then I was offered a third class. Why not I thought? A bit more money (which really didn't matter), but I enjoy teaching, having kids learn computer science.

Then after a few years a full time temp position opened up. Only a couple more classes - with a good amount of asynchronous distance with some physical classes mixed in. Why not I thought - full time money (vs adjunct), nice medical benefits. Not a lot more classes as a lot of Computer Science classes are 4 credit.

Then after a year, I was offered tenured track. Why not I thought, I'm here anyway, and basically the same as FT temp. Just have to participate in Department meetings and be involved with course selection/enhancement.

Then I was offered additional classes on top of regular load. Mostly because the school was trying to not hire additional FT tenured as some older employees (hey, that's me isn't it?). So a couple/few more classes here we come.

It still is a "good job", in that I get nice breaks and the summers off. But I will say, it is also an example of getting SUCKED IN, especially if you have that type of personality.

Would I change the path I've taken? No, but it is interesting the way it happened. I was the FIRST of my friend set to retire - way before others - yet here I am the last man standing (at work that is).

Good luck with your retirement!
 
I umpire baseball and officiate volleyball. There are games year round. Baseball from late Feb thru the end of Oct. Volleyball basically year round. Can work as much or as little as you like. U r independent so take the games/leagues/levels you want.
 
I agree with volunteer/community-service opportunities. I'm still waiting to FIRE but already spend 1 day/week doing service work; mornings at the senior center and afternoons in a few meetings with execs and fellow board members of a local non-profit. In between I often do things like sweep, dust and mop while chatting with employees and clients. With my background as a research scientist, I assist the organization with things like grant writing and assessment. If your background is in finance and HR, I'm sure there's no lack of local non-profits looking for someone to assist with financial accounting or help with developing various guidelines.

I'm super introverted, so online consulting works amazing for me. However, my post-FIRE plan for being around people more than one day a week is guest services at our local resort, which I think would meet all your requirements. It's seasonal, but pay is decent ($22/hr), there's a 3-day/wk cap on work, and all you do is ski or stand around outdoors saying hello, offering assistance and handing out hot coco coupons. You also get a year-round season pass, employee parking, a locker as well as employee perks that are good at many other resorts.
 
REWahoo said:
I've always thought the term "retirement job" was one of those impossible phrases like "temporary eternity".
Click to expand...

Same here. Even if it is only one day, the thought of a schedule, a boss, and someone else telling me what to do is too much.
 
Drive brand new cars around for your local dealerships. This can involve dealer to dealer new car trades and/or delivering new vehicles to customer's homes or places of business.
 
I haven't done it, but I always thought a good gig would be a handy man. When my parents got old it became hard or impossible for my father to do simple jobs like hang a screen door. They had a hard time finding someone who'd show up for a quick job like this even though they were willing to pay a fair rate. Contractors only want to do large jobs. If you lived somewhere with a lot of retirees I bet you could build up a clientele pretty quick by word of mouth if you showed up on time, were polite, and cleaned up after yourself. And you could pick and choose what jobs and when, unlike a retail job.
 
MichaelB said:
Same here. Even if it is only one day, the thought of a schedule, a boss, and someone else telling me what to do is too much.
Click to expand...


Yeah. I got a job after I officially retired from my career.
Even with making good money these were just too much.
I’m sorry- you want me where and when? Oh heck no!
End of job. [emoji12]
 
Work for Home Depot...help customers find screws, nuts, nails, pipe fittings, but may have little choice on which days to work / not to work.
 
Get your credentials to be a home inspector.

All they do is go down a long list of things to look at. Find a problem and you take a picture. Then write a small note on the deficiency. At the end, you cut them a copy on a portable printer and go on to the next job.

This is a $800-$1000 per day job, and you can work as much or little as you wish. The hot real estate market is making many people do very well financially.
 
I work 4-5 days a month at a local winery. I work in the tasting room, help bottle/label, help the winemaker with blending trials, help out at festivals.
I know so many people now as a result of the gig. It fulfills a lot of my post retirement social needs, gives me some nice pocket money to blow and helps me learn more about a hobby of mine. It adds another layer or balance to retirement. I really enjoy it.

I also have earned income so I can contribute to my Roth.
 
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