Top 10 Ways for Seniors to Supplement their Retirement Income in 2022
Trying to supplement our incomes is never easy as we get older. Our pensions get eaten up by inflation. The cost of living outstrips our Social Security payments. Meanwhile, our expenses keep going up, especially our healthcare costs and there is only so much that Medicare can cover. We faced an entirely new challenge in 2020 with the global Pandemic. Not only were Seniors more disparately impacted by the disease itself, but many of the part-time jobs we do disappeared as our employers of choice like Costco, BJ's and CVS laid off scores of workers. Often, our positions were the first to go as Costco and BJ's no longer needed us to give out free samples of the latest Ramen noodles and pot stickers. This left us having more expenses with less money to cover them. But don't despair; there are options to make a few extra bucks to supplement your income in 2022. Here are 10 of the best ones, all of which can be done from the comfort and safety of your own home, on your own time.
1. Survey Websites
One of the most fun and easiest ways to make a few dollars on the side is to participate in online survey websites. Some like SurveyJunkie allow you to scroll through the various surveys based on a point system, allowing you to do as few or as many as you want to in a single sitting. SurveyJunkie even gives you some consolation points if you do not qualify for a specific survey. Others like InboxDollars add shopping and watching videos to the surveys so there are many different ways to win points. There are some survey websites like SurveySavvy that take a focus group approach where participation in a specific survey is prearranged based on your personal background. In addition, SurveySavvy has a downloadable app that allows you to get paid just for having it on your computer, smartphone and tablet. The way that most of these sites work is that you build up points as you take surveys and do other tasks. You can then cash them out for money, merchandise or gift cards. There are some that simply pay you on a per-survey basis, but these are not as common. The best part about these survey websites is that you can do them any time of the day at your leisure.
2. Online Teaching and Tutoring English to Kids
Are you an outgoing and patient person? Do you like to teach people things? Do you love children? Well then, you may have what it takes to be an online English language tutor. VIPKid and Qkids are two sites that will pay you to help young learners around the world between 4 and 12 years of age learn how to speak English. Some are new to learning English while others are conversant and looking to brush up on their language skills. This is where you come in. As an online English teacher, you will work with these kids and have fun doing it. This is also the perfect side job for a retiree, since many of the kids will want to learn in the morning on the other side of the world, allowing you to do this in the evenings and weekends without infringing on your daily routine.
3. Freelance with Fiverr
If you've never heard of Fiverr, it is the number one website for folks looking to do freelance services. The brainchild of a group of Israeli entrepreneurs, Fiverr allows you to market your skills to companies and individuals around the world. Did you work in graphic design? Use Fiverr to get paid helping create a company's logo. Did you work in publishing? Get a job through Fiverr as a freelance proofreader or editor. Are you a retired attorney? Fiverr will help you find consulting positions where you can use your legal experience to help a startup company or small business with its questions. Let Fiverr help you leverage your life experiences to generate some extra income.
4. Virtual job with Amazon
The world's biggest retailer may have a job for you! Virtual Locations allows you to work as a contractor for Amazon without ever having to leave home. Just log onto
www.amazon.jobs/en/locations/virtual-locations and see what full time, part time and seasonal jobs are available with Amazon. Most of these Virtual Locations jobs are in places where Amazon does not have a physical presence or is looking to get assistance from folks who want to work from home. There are over 1,000 positions available at a time, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a position that suits your experience.
5. Learn bookkeeping
If you have a knack for numbers and an attention to detail, then you should consider learning to be a bookkeeper in your spare time. At
bookkeepers.com, you will be given all the tools you need to build your own virtual bookkeeping business. Most small businesses and startup companies cannot afford the cost of a full-blown certified accounting firm to help them with their paperwork. Also, many entrepreneurs don't want to spend their time keeping their own books. This is where you come in with
bookkeepers.com. You will develop an expertise that is very marketable in today's economy and build a portfolio of paying customers, all from the comfort of your home.
6. Transcription from Home
Just like bookkeeping, being a transcriptionist requires attention to detail. Here, though, the skills favor those with strong writing and language skills. If you have those skills, then you should consider taking a mini-course on transcription with
transcribeanywhere.com. This will introduce to the world of transcribing reports, lectures and legal proceedings right from your own home computer. Once you've taken these courses, you will be well on your way to supplementing your income with pay for transcription. What's more, transcribe anywhere offers lifetime support including lifetime updates to course materials. This will keep you updated on the latest skills, techniques and equipment for your transcription business.
7. Sell your Arts & Crafts on Etsy
For those retirees who are creative, Etsy offers a fun and potentially lucrative way to earn by selling your arts & crafts projects to collectors on their platform. Whether you make jewelry, greeting cards, artwork, clothing, toys, ceramics, or other crafts, you are sure to find a market for your creations on this amazing website. Etsy truly is the best of both worlds, as you have fun creating your craft while also providing a place to not only show off your work but also earn extra money by selling to fans. Etsy even has themes where they focus on certain holidays and celebrations like Christmas, Valentine's Day, Black History Month, Fourth of July and Chanukah. No matter what you make, there is always a place for you here. Just have fun producing your craft, take a picture and post it for sale on Etsy. They will do the rest.
8. Set up an Online store with Shopify
Did you ever work in retail? Do you want to use the skills you developed from your job to add extra income to your budget every month?
Shopify helps you sell online by creating your own store, with pricing as low as $29 per month. With prices that low, your first sale can pay for your entire month's expenses, so you will be seeing profits in no time. In addition, Shopify offers a free drop-shipping option so you won't have to worry about carrying a FedEx or UPS account. It's also easy to get started as they offer customizable websites that are easy to set up. These beautiful themes allow you to choose your own layout, content and colors with no design skills needed.
Shopify takes all the mystery and suspense out of setting up an online store so you can be ready to go in no time without any aggravation.
9. Work as a Virtual Assistant
One of the unforeseen aspects of the Pandemic has been the closing of many offices as companies moved their office work online. As a result, the days of having receptionists and administrative assistants on-site may a thing of the past. This is your opportunity to work as a Virtual Assistant to a professional, small business or company. If you are outgoing and have an engaging personality, you should consider working out of your house as a Virtual Assistant. This job entails answering emails and phone calls, organizing calendars for staff and executives, scheduling appointments and meetings, and maintaining online records for the company. The job roles may vary depending on the business, but one thing is for certain: being a Virtual Assistant is a great way to earn extra income for yourself.
10. Freelance Content Writing
Do you like to write? Do you have special interests, such as cars, business, world history, music, art or sports? Then we have great news because there are plenty of companies looking for people to work as Freelance Content Writers. This is where you get paid to write articles for professional websites, news agencies, sports teams, businesses, and others who are marketing their products or services on the Internet. As a Freelance Content Writer, you will get a series of topics to research and write about, with payment based either on word count or number of articles. This is an ideal position for a retiree who loves to read and write, and can take their skills and make extra money on the side.
There are other ways to earn a few dollars on the side. But in our experience, these ten are the best way to supplement your retirement income, especially since you can earn money without leaving your home, leveraging the technology of the Internet to work for you.