How to turn your hobbies into income during retirement

Interesting. I never thought about "how to do it", like outlined in the article.
My career was a factory worker. My hobbies were, doing whatever needed to be done, shining more on the mechanical side. I used to work on cars and trucks on the side for cash.
Now retired for 10 years, I've been working on outdoor power equipment for cash. Sometimes 8 hours a day, sometimes not at all. I like that schedule.
It gives me purpose, helping friends and neighbors. They are quite generous.
"Purpose" being the key word here.
 
This is a good article especially for those transitioning into retirement. Some people truly donā€™t know what to do with themselves once they retire. I thought my husband would be one of them but surprised. He has a small business but once he discovered that heā€™s not actually making money ( by doing our taxes ) he stopped doing it and got into gardening.
Heā€™s actually really good at gardening.
 

PeppermintPatty said:
This is a good article especially for those transitioning into retirement. Some people truly donā€™t know what to do with themselves once they retire. I thought my husband would be one of them but surprised. He has a small business but once he discovered that heā€™s not actually making money ( by doing our taxes ) he stopped doing it and got into gardening.
Heā€™s actually really good at gardening.
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Yes, I thought it might be of interest to some people
 
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stretch5881 said:
Interesting. I never thought about "how to do it", like outlined in the article.
My career was a factory worker. My hobbies were, doing whatever needed to be done, shining more on the mechanical side. I used to work on cars and trucks on the side for cash.
Now retired for 10 years, I've been working on outdoor power equipment for cash. Sometimes 8 hours a day, sometimes not at all. I like that schedule.
It gives me purpose, helping friends and neighbors. They are quite generous.
"Purpose" being the key word here.
Click to expand...
Small engine repair is a good sideline business that can be run out of a home garage ( if the local regulations allow that ) Remember that most of the University educated high income earners have no clue how to fix the toys they have bought. I see lots of ads on FaceBook Market Place for "broken lawn mower, take it away for free ". In many cases the mower just needs some basic fixing. Clean fuel, clean spark plug, clean air filter, and maybe the pull cord needs to be replaced, sharpen the mower blade and you have a $99 mower to sell. For perhaps $20 in parts.
 
jimintoronto said:
Small engine repair is a good sideline business that can be run out of a home garage ( if the local regulations allow that ) Remember that most of the University educated high income earners have no clue how to fix the toys they have bought. I see lots of ads on FaceBook Market Place for "broken lawn mower, take it away for free ". In many cases the mower just needs some basic fixing. Clean fuel, clean spark plug, clean air filter, and maybe the pull cord needs to be replaced, sharpen the mower blade and you have a $99 mower to sell. For perhaps $20 in parts.
Click to expand...
I fix what is brought to me. I don't collect anything to fix and sell. Most people looking at used machines want to buy them for little to nothing.
 
I think it depends on your hobbies.

One relative had a hobby of restoring vintage cars. His hobby made him about as much as his job.

On the other hand, I would need to sell my crochet shawls for a ridiculously high price or earn a very low per hour amount.
 
This kid's hobby is going around probing the earth for long-forgotten outhouse pits, then digging down into them and pulling out dozens of antique liquor flasks, prescription bottles, inkwells and other glass-wares, and the occasional Edison light bulb, enameled cooking pot, and child's toy.

For every outhouse pit he dives into, he probably brings out at least a few hundred bucks worth of bottles and jars.

 
Iā€™ve always found that increasing my income was more difficult than reducing my expenses.

I have sold a few things on eBay and directly to fellow collectors but itā€™s more to unwind my collections and reduce the clutter than to make money.

For me, selling on eBay is about as exciting as having an entry level job in the mailroom or customer service.

Retirement should be about doing what makes you happy and if working makes you happy then go for it!
 
Murrmurr said:
This kid's hobby is going around probing the earth for long-forgotten outhouse pits, then digging down into them and pulling out dozens of antique liquor flasks, prescription bottles, inkwells and other glass-wares, and the occasional Edison light bulb, enameled cooking pot, and child's toy.

For every outhouse pit he dives into, he probably brings out at least a few hundred bucks worth of bottles and jars.

Click to expand...
:sick:šŸ¤®
 
Murrmurr said:
This kid's hobby is going around probing the earth for long-forgotten outhouse pits, then digging down into them and pulling out dozens of antique liquor flasks, prescription bottles, inkwells and other glass-wares, and the occasional Edison light bulb, enameled cooking pot, and child's toy.

For every outhouse pit he dives into, he probably brings out at least a few hundred bucks worth of bottles and jars.

Click to expand...
I just read that the bottles this kid digs up fetch him from a few bucks to over $3,000 each. He gets from $20 to $200 for a majority of them. Not bad for basically ditch-digging.

His $3,000+ jackpot find was a tiny cobalt blue poison bottle from the turn of the century.
 
Aunt Bea said:
Iā€™ve always found that increasing my income was more difficult than reducing my expenses.

I have sold a few things on eBay and directly to fellow collectors but itā€™s more to unwind my collections and reduce the clutter than to make money.

For me, selling on eBay is about as exciting as having an entry level job in the mailroom or customer service.

Retirement should be about doing what makes you happy and if working makes you happy then go for it!
Click to expand...
The only problem with this approach is that eventually you run out of things to cut or itā€™s so unpleasant that you donā€™t want to live that way.

I donā€™t disagree with you as I have had to make many cuts since my income was cut in half 3 years ago because of a divorce. The biggest money saver was selling my house and buying a condo and continuing to drive my 16 year old car.
 
I do some hobby woodworking and have managed to sell a few things and to make the odd commission piece. My oldest daughter and my grand daughter helped me sell some of my woodturning at craft shows and "Art in the Yard" type of things.
I was making spurtles on the wood lathe that sold well and some wands, thanks to the popularity of Harry Potter.
The first picture is a spurtle, second is of some wands. Third is a walnut bowl and saucer, four is the saucer by itself.
 

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I also sold a few French style rolling pins, vases and darning eggs.
First is the French style rolling pin, second is a vase and third is of the darning eggs.
The vase doesn't have a water proof liner so it would only be used for synthetic plants or similar.
Back in the day when people actually darned you would slide the egg inside the sock you were darning to make it easier to mend the holes.
These piece are all made out of Maple.
 

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@BeefStu

Your work is beautiful. I've always dreamed of having a workshop with a lathe .. but, now live in a condo, so, that dream is quashed. There is something visceral about working with wood.
 
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