4 fulfilling side hustles for over 50s
These days, side hustles are a bit like air fryers. Everyone suddenly seems to have one, and everyone absolutely raves about the benefits.
A side hustle, by definition, is a money-earning job or hobby that you do in addition to your main job (or in addition to being retired!). It can mean extra money in the bank, but it can also be a great way to contribute to the local community, to learn new skills, or to meet people and socialise.
Our recent New Zealand Seniors Working Seniors Report showed that almost a quarter (24%) of working over 50s found the idea of working in the gig economy to be very or extremely appealing, so there’s certainly no shortage of interest in picking up a side hustle.
Whether you are still working, or fully retired – a side hustle is an option that many seniors might look to. This can be to earn a bit of extra cash, or to fulfil an interest or hobby, or even to gain some additional experience in an industry or area that you had not previously thought about.
Passion project, or money earner?
So, what is a side hustle, is it just something you do to earn a bit of spare cash? Craig McAlpine, Career Coach and Founder of MyCareerBrand thinks that it can (and should be) more than that.
The Working Seniors Report found that there are many motivations seniors list as to why they might continue to work, or hustle, in some capacity:
- Maintaining a sense of purpose (59%)
- Avoiding boredom (50%)
- Financial motivations (81%)
- Or, simply because they enjoy working (65%)
And those reasons could be why side hustles are on the rise. Craig helps people to discover their “Ikigai” – a passion that gives joy to life. He suggests, rather than simply finding a side-earner, you should aim to find something that ticks all the boxes of being something that you love, something that the world needs, something you’re good at, and of course, something you can be paid for.
Renting out rooms in your house or driving for a ride-share service might earn you some extra cash, but what if you could find a side hustle that you were truly passionate about? Unlike using an air fryer, finding these types of roles can be easier said than done. The good news is that Craig is an expert on helping people answer the question of “what’s next?"
Let’s explore some of the side hustle options that could tick all those boxes for you.
#1: Get crafty online
Have you spent a lifetime being crafty? Perhaps spending winter evenings knitting baby booties for friends and family, long weekends painting pet portraits, or lazy afternoons wood carving?
You might be surprised at just how much people are willing to pay for quality, hand-made goods.
Take a look at some of the online marketplaces and see what kind of crafts are selling now and how much they are selling for.
The perk here is that you can either make things and sell them as you go, or offer personalised crafts and work as the orders come in. You also have the option of switching your online shop off when you want a break from this side hustle.
#2: Sew and alter your way to satisfaction
Back before fast fashion and online shopping, many people had to learn how to repair, sew on buttons, do alterations, and tailor outfits for themselves. However, many of those skills have been lost amongst recent generations.
So if you have a sewing machine at home and a lifetime of doing your own alterations and tailoring, this could be a side hustle for you. You could be filling a need in the market driven by younger generations who don’t have the skills (or a sewing machine) to do these tasks themselves.
#3: Put your green thumb to work
If gardening isn’t just a fun hobby for you, but something you’re skilled at as well, then good news – you might have just found your Ikigai. Because plenty of people need a hand with their garden and they’re happy to pay for it!
Gardening as a side hustle could mean one-off jobs where you could offer a large clean-up of an outdoor space and setting up a veggie garden or it could be a weekly job where you stop by for a couple of hours regularly for maintenance work.
You might just help with the basics such as weeding, pruning and watering, or you might offer your advice for what to plant, when to plant it, and where to plant it for a successful, beautiful garden.
Every garden is different, so this is a great side hustle where you can work outside and enjoy plenty of variety as well. And according to our Working Seniors Report, the variety of jobs and how interesting they can be are some of the most appealing aspects of the gig economy.
#4: Inspire young ones by being a teacher’s aide
New Zealand is currently undergoing an ‘unprecedented shortage’ of teachers. And while you need to go and train up to become a teacher, you can become a teacher’s aide without needing any specific training or knowledge.
For anyone who loves working with kids, enjoys being around people, and wants to help pass on knowledge to the next generation, this could be the ideal side hustle for you. Your job would be to essentially help the teacher part time, working with students one-on-one, helping with activities, making lesson plans, and more. Find out more about how to enter an education job in New Zealand.
Experience with childcare and/or teaching is a big plus, as is being a parent, having work experience with people with disabilities, or nursing. However, if you have an interest in the job, great communication, and plenty of patience, you might be just what your local school is looking for.
Live for today, but plan for your future
Whether you are side-hustling or not, planning for your future is extremely important, whether it's picking new interests and skills, or building up your savings, it’s good to think about protecting your loved ones’ financial future from the unexpected.
New Zealand Seniors Term Life Insurance could help provide a financial cushion for your loved ones, should the unexpected occur. It’s easier to apply for than most jobs (just eight questions over the phone) and we offer a flexible cover amount so you can decide on a benefit that works for you and your loved ones.
12 Jul 2023