Retirement Work

I made a request last week for stories of people who found interesting jobs in retirement. I had a great response and will be sharing these in the upcoming weeks.
I want more stories, so be on the lookout for retired jobs to share with others.

Margarite shared her experience as a substitute teacher. She lives in California, so you will want to check out the requirements for your state.

My idea for part time work is Substitute Teaching. I did it the entire time I was working on my MA and it worked well for me. I had a special credential that allowed me to work in high schools also, so switched to that level. All one needs to Sub is a BA in any area, the schools are flexible if you have a Math degree they will let you work in pretty much anything one wants to do, PE, science, debate, I did both boys and girls PE, band and orchestra as they just needed a certified Sub in the room. I knew enough Spanish & French to get by, so one can sign up for anything really. One doesn’t need a Teacher’s Certificate to Sub, just a BA and the CBEST test. It is given frequently and there are books available to study for it. It tests in 3 areas, English writing, Math and Grammar. The best book is CBEST for Dummies. One can take the test as many times as needed to pass, then a TB test and go off to whatever school district needs subs. The pay is usually $80 to over $120+/day depending on school districts and if extended subbing is needed. Who knows if the person enjoys it they might even want to become a Teacher!

In retirement, teachers are also returning to substituting. There are many other areas where you can work with children. If you don’t have a degree, you might look at being an aid in a classroom or childcare facility. Look at programs in non-profits, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs, and programs through your park and recreation. Consider being a tutor. Parents are always looking for qualified babysitters, for the night, weekend or when they travel. There is always a need for foster parents and foster grandparents.

The new retirement should be called Retirement Inc. The boomers retirement will be different. Now is the time to create your own retirement income security.

Fish in Sheep’s Clothing

I’m not a big fish eater. It probably has to do with growing up in Middle America. My husband feels the same way. I love Salmon and eat it when we go out, but it’s not my husband’s first choice. To accommodate our senior citizens health, we are trying to make adult nutrition choices.

About a year ago, we discovered Tilapia fish. I had never heard of it, but we tried it, liked it and have become regular connoisseurs. We liked Tilapia because it doesn’t have any bones, bakes easily and the flavor is light and delicate.

Why are we eating fish? Because, fish has high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids which is good for us. We were surprised to discover recently, not only is Tilapia low in Omega-3, it’s high in Omega-6, the bad fats. In addition, it’s highly contaminated with pollutants if it comes from Asia or South America. We’ll finish eating the frozen Tilapia we have, but won’t eat any more or only on rare occasions.

The lesson is we can’t assume that because something is ‘fish,’ it’s automatically good for you. That’s true because of the nutrients in the fish, but also because of pollutants and over fishing. In researching what fish we should eat, we came across a site that provides great information about fish that is good for you and the environment. It’s provided by Environmental Defense Fund. The fish are organized in alpha order in three columns: Eco-best, Eco-ok, Eco-worst. When you click on the fish, it describes the health effects, as well as the environmental situation. You can learn what seafood is good to eat as well as not damaging to the environment.

Adult Seniors Seek Retirement Income Security

In last Sunday’s paper, I read a nationally syndicated columnist address the issue of part time income in retirement. He confirmed organizations that offer to set you up in business for a small fee are usually scams and should be avoided. The columnist then suggested the solution was to find a part time job doing retail. This solution to part time income was both limited and inane. First of all, retail has been hit hard in the recent economic down turn, so it’s just not a viable option for quick short term money.

Retirees make up a broad group of people with a wide range of skills and talents. As they have watched their savings plummet over the last few months, many retiring baby boomers and persons older are looking for retirement work. Some need to augment their retirement income security. Many active adult seniors are looking for ways to turn activities, hobbies and other interests into ways to increase retirement pay.

Over the next few days, I am going to compile resources so the new senior can generate income through either part time jobs (working for someone else) or starting a part time business. There are amazing activities, seniors have engaged to create new retirement careers. Some have found interesting ways to be of service to others, turn adult homemade crafts into salable products, or shift a passion into a way of making money.

Please share websites, books, experts and examples of how retired people work to increase their income. I’m looking for creative examples; turning hobbies into income, earning money while contributing, income while traveling, project based or part time work. I’m looking for examples of what people can do, not how to get a job or start a business.

Emotional Calculator: Retirement and Money

Last year I started approaching authors whose books I thought would be of interest to my readers at Retirement Life Matters. One of those authors’ was Brenda Hendrickson who wrote a nicely compact book called, How To Be A Frugal Millionaire: Eight Simple Steps to Creating Personal Wealth. Initially, the idea was for me to read the book and then provide a review on the website, in my newsletter and in my blog. Then if Brenda wanted to continue to add articles to RLM, she could do so. In addition, Brenda has a developed a free online series called How To Be A Frugal Millionaire,” which was delivered to my inbox.

Unfortunately, I never fulfilled my end of the bargain, which was to read the book and provide a reivew. At first, I used the excuse that I was busy and didn’t have the time to read the book. As time wore on and I began to feel guilty, I realized there was more to it. When I stopped to analyze the situation, I realized I hate the word frugal. In my mind, frugal means to do without.

Lest you think, I’m a consumption driven boomer who shops at the drop of hat, let me assure I’m not. I would say I’m very conservative financially. In looking up to word frugal, one definition is to ‘avoid waste,’ which I think is wonderful. Somehow I associated frugal with deprivation. So, while I don't want to indulge myself, the idea of being deprived isn't too appealing either.

The reason I share this story with you is twofold. One, I want to tell you about Brenda’s book. She offers some easy, common sense advice to live within your means. Something, we all need to learn how to do better, especially now.

I also want to share how emotionally charged is the discussion around money. Good depression era folks who always told me there wasn’t enough raised me. Even though I have worked on my abundance consciousness, if you will, there is still emotion that I haven’t been able to get passed.

What are you’re emotional issues about money and how do you mask them? Retirement often changes our relationship to money. Retirement costs are not just the dollars and cents but your own peace of mind. Understanding your personally feelings about money will help retirement work for you.

Are Your an Active Citizen Senior?

I’ve been working on key words for my web site. Which basically means identifying words that people key into Google and then including them in my writings. There is a great Key word, ‘citizen senior’ that I haven’t been able to figure out how to use.

I don’t want to politicize Retirement Life Matters, but I just read in my morning paper and it was on the news last night that the Republican minority wants to find a way to help with the mortgage crisis. I certainly appreciate their wanting to be a productive part of the process instead of just being resistant to anything the new administration is proposing.

I think their suggestion of wanting to work with the mortgage situation is about four months too late. It doesn’t matter what your mortgage situation is if you don’t have a job. While it is helpful to be able to work with a bank if you lose your job, for many there isn’t much they’re going be able to do if they don’t have any income. The most important thing the Congress can do now is create an incentive to stop companies from bleeding jobs. Somebody needs to figure out how to put a finger in the dike.

After reading the paper, I decided to write to Mitch McConnell and tell him what I think. This is part of being a good citizen. In fact, you can write to your senator and let him or her know what you think about the stimulation package. This involves all of us and everyone should be willing to take a moment to communicate to their elected leaders. And while not perfect, is this an example of a citizen senior in action?

Two ingredients to a satisfying retirement are staying connected and engaging in meaningful activities. How do you stay connected and what have you done that was meaningful recently? Sign up for the Retirement Life Matters Newsletter and download the 7 Ingredients for a Satisfying Retirement for free.