12 Flexible Side Hustles Anyone Over 50 Can Do to Earn Extra Money

Whether you’re working full-time, part-time, or you’re retired, it’s nice to have extra money coming in when you want or need it. Having a side hustle can pay for bills, vacations, or give you that extra padding for your retirement. 

The trick with any good side hustle, though, is flexibility. Anyone can get a part-time job with regular hours, but it’s tougher to find a side gig you can truly do at your convenience. Here are 12 such jobs. 

Be a substitute teacher. 

This one might not be for everyone, but if you like kids, give it a try. The requirements for being a sub varies from one state to the next, but for most, it’s not that involved. Check with your local school to learn more and get on their list. Be sure to be open and honest about the type of sub gigs you’d be willing to take on. For instance, if you only want to be in elementary schools, let them know. 

Teach a class in your local community. 

Do you have something to share with your community, either a hobby or something from your professional life? Consider teaching others through community classes. To start with, check with your local rec department, library, or community center to see if they are looking for instructors. Don’t be shy about pitching your own idea for a class. Many of these places will probably OK your idea. And who knows, you might end up loving teaching and passing on your knowledge or passion to others!

Become a consultant. 

A good way to stay involved with your professional side is to become a consultant in an industry you are familiar with. You might have methods of working or knowledge you can pass down to others. This is where LinkedIn can come in handy. Connect with people you’ve worked with in the past, and reach out to them to ask them about consulting opportunities. 

Walk dogs or pet sit. 

There are severals apps available for pet sitting and dog walking. Wag and Rover are two such apps to check out. All you need to do is create a profile and mark your availability. With pet sitting, you can offer to host in your home or go to theirs, so it’s an easy and convenient way to make some extra money and to get your dog (or cat or rabbit or turtle) fix. With these apps, you control your hours, so you can really do it at your convenience. 

Rent out your home. 

Have you heard of Airbnb? It’s a website and app where people can rent out their home to others passing through town. There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you can rent out a room and earn regular income. Or you can rent out your home when you’re traveling or on vacation so they can have the entire place to themselves. It can be a little intimidating to think about doing this at first, but it’s a really good and easy way to make extra money. If you’re considering it, try finding a group on Facebook to join. They’ll be able to give you advice and answer all your questions. 

Sell your crafts. 

If you like to knit, crochet, make quilts, or anything in between, consider selling them to others. This is a really good side hustle to do with a friend. You can join up to motivate one another and even split the cost of a booth or space at a craft fair. If you’re considering trying this one, go to a few craft fairs yourself to see what is popular and does well. This will help you figure out what to put your time into. Even baked goods might be the way to go for something like this. 

Give rides in your community. 

Lyft and Uber are two very popular ways for people to earn side hustle income. All you need is a tidy car, and you can make yourself available to give rides. It’s relatively easy to get set up, but you do have to like driving and being friendly to strangers.

Work special events. 

If you don’t want a regular gig, then consider applying to a place that just has special events. Sporting places, concert venues, and theaters are all good options. Summer is a great time of year to look for pop-up events like fairs, too. Check out what’s available around you where you can pick up a gig from time to time. 

Become a ref, ump, or sports official. 

Training for these is often inexpensive, and there’s such a need out there for good officials. This truly is a gig that’s in high demand, but it’s really flexible so you can take it on as you’re available. If you’re not sure where to look, start by contacting you area school, Little League organization, or another youth sports program. They should be able to point you in the right direction. 

Run errands or shop for others. 

Shipt is an app that hires people to shop for others. There are other options, too, where you can run errands or pick up food for a fee. For instance, Doordash is another idea. Do a little searching to see what’s available in your area. 

Teach English online. 

There are a few different companies out there where you can work from home teaching English to kids. If the at-home option sounds like a good choice for you (and you like kids), here’s one to check out. You can usually set your own hours, making it easy to work around your schedule.

Take what you’re good at and spread the word to others. 

Whether it’s any of the above or something else, sometimes you just have to be proud of your talents and share them with others. Are you a handyman or handywoman? Are you a good cook? Put a post out on Facebook or share with your friends that you’re available for side jobs. You might be surprised what you get from just letting your own network know you’re available. 

This article was originally written by Stacy Tornio.

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