Fun jobs

[Kroeran]

To the utter horror of my wife I did a some Uber driving for a few years when it was new and edgy in town, a little bit illegal.

Had some adventures and conversations I will never forget. A lot of drama out there.

My favourite schtick was 15 minutes to change your life.

It was like those airplane conversations you can have knowing you will never see the person again.

 

[Sunny]

- Spent a year or so writing about an online game, made low 5 digits, had fun, learned a lot, and was flown out to the coast 3x for conferences. Then the publisher wanted me to go full time so I bailed.

- Mystery shopped for a few years...pocket change to a few hundred dollars a day depending. Ranging from inventory checks to employee evaluations to going undercover videoing tours to even a church service evaluation

- DW has helped out at a chocolate store during holidays. Typical part-time wages but a ton of perks in leftovers, testing, ability to give out gifts / samples, etc.

 

[folivier]

Not really relevant but while in high school I worked at a small pharmacy doing everything from cleaning, running the register, delivering drugs, filling prescriptions, etc. One of our best selling items were Russell Stover chocolates. They are dated and removed to be destroyed at their due date. We'd hide our favorites so when the RS guy came around and wrote us a credit we'd then eat our chocolates. As a teenage guy I got lots of dates with expired chocolates....

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

[/B]

When I was among the employed I met a guy who did part-time computer programming for us. (He had been an IT guy during his career). He had previously worked at Home Depot for a while because he was into DIY, tools, and helping people to figure out what products they needed to do home maintenance jobs. Seemingly, a dream part-time job for a retiree with his interests. But he had quit for for two reasons:

- standing on the concrete floors for hours on end was a killer.
- they didn't make out the work schedules far enough in advance for him to do any planning for other activities. And they expected him to be available on very short notice to fill in if another employee had an "issue". Inconsistent with the retired lifestyle.

There was a fella that I used to fly with back in the day...he was the chief enlisted guy at the base. When he retired from the AF, he most certainly could have gone off and had a fantastic bridge career but instead worked at Lowe's in the wood cutting department. I chatted with him for a bit and he said that it was mindless w*rk which he appreciated. He said it was nice to come to w*rk, clock in, do your j*b and then go home. He seemed pretty happy but not sure if he's still there or how long he did it.

Personally, my last paying j*b was the best and it was doing flight testing for the Air Force. Most of the time, I was arguing with the mega contractor about their shortcomings, but on the occasion we got to go out and do *actual* flight testing and it was a blast. It is quite thrilling to take a massive airplane and exercise it to the limits while putting on a pretty good airshow for those that could see us. Unfortunately, flying was less than 25% of the work, so in the end...it was just a j*b.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have been teaching a online college class for 8 years. Luckily when my undergraduate class ended they had a graduate course they needed me to teach. I also do some consulting in my field.

 

[cantfindmyglasses]

Good to see some sports officials on here. I retired into 2 "fun" (and paying) jobs, one of which is officiating junior and collegiate tennis, and the other being a tour director (leading group tours for a tour operator). The former is picking up steam again, while the latter is mothballed right now.

 

[papaof2]

I've become an author in my "old age". I'm having fun creating people and situations but it's probably not for everyone.

Eight fiction books published in Kindle format in four years. Two of them actually doing OK for an unknown author (1800 copies sold of one, 600 of the other). Certainly not making me rich but covering the utilities some months. The research needed for some of the topics is keeping my brain agile: Do you know how they tested diabetics' blood sugar levels in the days before glucose meters? I know more than I may ever need but it makes the book I'm currently writing more accurate.

 

[meleana]

There are fun jobs?

 

[Car-Guy]

I write and edit old-car articles for a magazine. It's fun to research automotive history, and I get paid $200 a pop for a few hours' work.

One of my go-to sources is an online library of factory auto brochures from years gone by. Maybe some other forum members would enjoy looking up the literature for a car they drove earlier in their lives. Here's the link: Classic car brochures and owners manuals - The Old Car Manual Project

Very cool.... I wonder if this is one of the sites where Mike Joy gets all his info.... (FYI, I'm watching him on Barret Jackson right now...)

 

[mcdave]

I am doing both. I volunteer at our local Historical Museum working a few hours a week selling tickets and in the gift shop plus I clean 5 hours per week for pay at a still active church that has been meeting in the same space since 1869. The restored museum is in the space Jesse James and his gang met their fate in 1876. the money is minimal but does help cover some extras. I retired three years ago at 62 and DH was a stay at home mom and will begin drawing SS in 2 or three years at 64 or 65.

 

[Santee92071]

Fun Jobs!

In retirement I didnt need a "job" that required me to work on a schedule but I do have "fun" because my jobs produce money, hahaha!
I have painted canvasses and sculptures for many neighbors who seem to love them. I also follow the stock market with a fixed amount of cash that I can
"play with". I find this quite stimulating and have learned a lot plus made some money.
I think any job that doesnt have a lot of responsibility, gives great pleasure and hobbies that produce some income are all wonderful.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Teaching university students. Online since March. Keeps the mind nimble and feels like giving back. They pay me a few bucks, socializing with other faculty, free access to campus facilities, don't need additional health coverage. I do some other consulting work which is stimulating but sometimes not so much fun.

Same here. Been doing it 9+ years now. Keeps my mind engaged, having fun learning new subjects (I teach computer science).

Only danger: I was a lowly adjunct, but got suckered into full time (now 5+ years ago).

On the other hand, "full time" still gives me some of May, all of June, July, August off along with about a month long break between fall and spring terms. If that weren't true, I wouldn't like it as much.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Ski instructor. The resort I work at gives away free lessons to the first 10 people in each of the levels between level 5 and 9 (10 is the highest and no one, including instructors, are 10's) The reason for the free lessons is that marketing discovered a lot of people plateau on their skills without further coaching. They then get bored and drop the sport. Think of it like riding a roller coaster; at first it's terrifying, then it's fun, then is o.k., then it's boring. So you find a more thrilling roller coaster or you quit riding. I will start out asking the group what they would like to work on and what is doable based on conditions that day; power, trees, bumps, carving, etc. Then off we go! The lesson is an hour long and we can usually get in 2 runs, sometimes 3. As a class, we cut to the front of lift lines, so there's that. Throughout the lessons I'll give tips. Like; show your palms to the downhill of the mountain, not your knuckles. This causes elbows to drop in closer to the body and keeps mass over the skis. Or I'll describe a carve as a western where the bar fight has you diving through the window. That body position has the skier weighting the new, downhill ski to initiate a new turn on terrain that is steep and somewhat intimidating where they may lean back against the mountain instead of getting perpendicular to the mountain. The leap pressure is called 'up unloading' and is very useful when you need to clear small obstacles quickly, like a bare spot or rock. And on it goes as I give them the techniques of slight changes that improve their skills. How to pressure turns with just your big toe, how to steer using your knees, how to stay in the fall line on a bump run and skiing just the tips of the ski while staying off the tails in order to do so. How to control speed and float in deep powder, how to do advanced stuff like cornice jump off a ledge and tip the skis into the fall line or how to ski the terrain parks for the big jumps or half pipe.
Since the lessons are free, they usually tip well too!
Welcome to my office! How do you like the view?

Sounds like fun. I did do this a bit (part time) while working at mega-corp. Mostly teaching children (some beginners, some better).

Gave it up because at that time, getting ski time was precious, and I decided I didn't want to have to be there giving lessons when I could be out doing whatever I wanted. But I do have a friend that still does this and absolutely loves it.

 

[street]

When I retired 4 years ago I took a 60 day job at an University Ag Research Station. All I could work was 60 days and got in on hand planting, caring and harvesting agriculture plants. A lot of great exercise like hoeing, weeding, watering, and taking care of plots of every grain and farm plant you can name. I did this gig for three summers for only 60 days and those days stretched out over 4 months so not an everyday job. Some weeks 2 days or 3 and they let me set my own days, so worked very well for me.

It was very hard work in the outdoors all day but love it!

 

[ears20]

W*rking at a golf course, doing a little bit of everything. Years ago when I’d been laid off from my j*b I considered a radical career change. I spoke with one of the local PGA pros; he was always very light-hearted and relaxed in conversation.

When I mentioned my interest he turned deadly serious and told me in no uncertain terms that I did not want to w*rk in the golf industry.

Fast forward 15 years and I see how he’s correct: I wouldn’t want to do this as a means of supporting my family. However, it fulfills a dream I’ve had of w*rking in the sports industry - and I can walk away whenever I want!

 

[bzribee]

I apologize for mostly lurking, and thank you all as I've learned so much from these forums.



I"m a retired classroom teacher. Now I teach beginners only to play guitar, ukulele and occasionally bass. I"m not a great musician but I"ve lots of patience and love doing this, especially as there's no micromanagement when it's my own business. Before Covid I would go into the schools but only after hours so I wouldn't have to be "observed".



I don't like teaching online as much as in person, but it works and I"ve saved enough money not paying for a studio that I dropped my rates and make more than before Covid!


It's great to earn this extra pocket money. I change what I call it based on the needs of the week: Starbucks money, travel money, restaurant visits, that new "X" I want...

 

[neihn]

I retired in 2018, mega-corp called me back in June 2020 to help the firmware development effort for the up coming mainframe. Although, I loved all the travelings during the 2 years that I retired, but I have to say - I missed works sometimes. Anyway, I've been having fun being back for more actions.

Yes, it is work, yet fun works.

 

[Andromeda]

I'm a photographer, focusing on portraits of rescued animals. I mostly use my skills on a volunteer basis (helping rescue organizations) but I also earn a little money on the side from selling prints, selling books, licensing images for magazines, and sometimes winning prize money from exhibitions. Once I retire, I could picture myself doing the occasional paid photo session, plus continuing with my fine art business.

Also, in my day job (on the communications side in financial services), I'm surprised and disappointed by how bad the stock imagery is for my industry. So I've been thinking of combining my knowledge of the industry with my artistic skills to develop more relevant stock images.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Last winter I picked up about 12 hours a week at a ski shop. Loved 40% off of merchandise, and loved helping customers (except for those few!). I didn’t like standing around when business was slow, though. Laid off at the start of the pandemic but I was eligible for unemployment due to my old job (that I retired from)!

I’m thinking of studying for a real estate license. I love nothing more than perusing listings and visiting open houses. I understand it would include a whole lot of networking and marketing, so I have to think about it carefully. I’m moving to a new area so I will need something more to get me out of the house and seeing people.

Big change from forensic psychology!

 

[LYOUNG47]

I fired myself from the car dealership as a title clerk. Then got my NYS realtor license- I work when I want, still get to meet lots of people and interesting houses, and make money.

 

[Koolau]

It's been a long time, but after I FIREd, I did a part time gig of driving dealer trade ins to the auction and also repositioning cars for the dealer. It paid almost nothing (15cents/mile). BUT it was kinda fun. During the milling about before and after, there was a social time with folks around my own age. There were folks I could tell NEEDED the 15 cents and more folks that just had nothing better to do. I really enjoyed repositioning because then DW and I could either take two cars and come back together or leave together and bring back two cars. We'd always stop for lunch (and blow our combined travel money for the most part.)

Only lasted a summer. Got to be a bit of a drag and - believe it or not - there was pecking order and politics among the drivers! Blew my mind, but I suppose everyone wants what ever little bit of power they can get. The "leader" (because he'd been doing it the longest) INSISTED that we stay together rather than driving a sensible speed with traffic and show up within a few minutes. SO, tail-end Charlie was either on the brake, so as not to run up next-to-last's tail pipe, or flooring it to try to catch up. The leader never used cruise control nor seemed to try to go a constant speed. If he could, he'd go just as fast as he could and we were all supposed to try to keep up. I'm sure from the air, it would have looked like a snake which had just swallowed a meal and was then set upon by a bigger snake.

BUT while it lasted, it was a nice diversion so I'd say "Fun job" but YMMV.

 

[rrs26ja]

I work at a winery doing tastings. I love the job, I meet some really interesting people. We are a small winery about 2 hours north of NYC so we get a lot of people from the city, CT, and NJ. Our winery also owns wineries in Italy, and CA. We also own a vineyard in CA.

 

[Mmm Rrr]

I worked as a temp for Williams-Sonoma for 7 Christmas seasons, until I had finished upgrading everything in my kitchen at a 40% discount. It was fun, both my co-workers and the customers were in happy holiday moods.

I just started a very, very part time job with a company that does cat sitting and dog walking. I figured it would get me out of the house, while still enabling me to be Covid-safe. They provide PPE and there are rarely any other people involved.

 

[aja8888]

I work at a winery doing tastings. I love the job, I meet some really interesting people. We are a small winery about 2 hours north of NYC so we get a lot of people from the city, CT, and NJ. Our winery also owns wineries in Italy, and CA. We also own a vineyard in CA.

Would this be the Brotherhood Winery I used to visit when I lived in Ct during the 1970's?

 

[Ready2Go]

Anybody ever tried being a tax preparer? I've been considering this for when I FIRE. I would want to do seasonal....January - May. Not likely to be "FUN" but something to do to get some extra cash and doesn't interfere with good weather months.