Would a little extra money help your retirement? Here’s 20 simple ideas. Posted on October 3, 2018October 5, 2018 by David Winter For most people, the end of fulltime work means running a tighter ship where the purse strings are concerned. Which means a little extra income would go down well – to get by, spoil yourself or spoil others. That’s why you might want to check out ways to add some income to your pension that don’t take you back to fulltime employment. And it’s worth keeping in mind that keeping active is likely to contribute to your health and wellbeing too. Of course, what you can do depends on your age and state of health. But here are a few ideas to get you going, most of which come from the experience of those known to me. Delivering the local free paper Dog walking for those at work all day Light gardening maintenance Ironing – friends tell me this is in great demand Childminding – which will need complying with regulations so check with your council’s Child Care Officer Shifts at a supermarket or DIY store Catering for parties and events Book-keeping and/or tax returns Home tuition Music lessons Secretary to the parish council or local charity School lunchtime supervisor Take in a lodger Make money on eBay – clear your own ‘junk’ or unwanted items or pick them up at car boot sales Mind pets for those going on holiday Become a mystery shopper – check out the Mystery Shopper Providers Association Be a television or movie extra Teach English as a second language Be a doula – ladies only of course Self-publish a book To explore any of the above just head for Google and search. There’s lots of help out there and also excellent advice from those who are already doing what you are thinking about. If these seem a bit lightweight to you, you might explore something more demanding. Something like becoming a consultant or mentor, sharing your skills and experience with a new generation or to train as a life coach or counsellor. You could even start your own online business. There’s lots of good advice out there and the tools to build your own website with automatic order taking and processing. Remember, if you earn extra income it is likely to have tax implications. So keep not of the money you receive and any expenses involved. Possibly you many need to register as self-employed – to check with HMRC. And the Tax Office can make sure you receive the right tax-free allowance. David Winter – adapted from his book The Highway Code for Retirement (CWR) David Winter David has retired three times from different settings, including as a Parish Priest and as the BBC’s Head of Religious Broadcasting. He was a regular contributor to Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’ for more than 20 years. Do you have your own experience of adding to your income? Then please share it here or our Facebook group. We’d love to hear from you.
