Jobs for Retirees
If you’re retired and looking for something to do, there are plenty of jobs for retirees that don’t require a huge commitment. It happens all the time when you say “goodbye tension, hello pension” that you quickly get bored. There is a sense of loss of purpose in life when you know you have more in the tank to contribute.
There are plenty of opportunities to earn extra money in your spare time and stay engaged. You can be a consultant for a business or work part-time in community centers and libraries. You can even be the greeter at your local Wal-Mart store.
Other jobs for retirees include ride-sharing, teaching positions, tour guide for a museum or even freelance writing. However, there is one opportunity that is continuing to grow among the retirement community -- mystery shopping.
As a mystery shopper, a retiree can stay active and work as much as they want and when they want. You can find assignments to visit restaurants, retail stores, movies, apartments and new home builders at assigned times. Some assignments allow you to visit within a certain time frame. You can schedule your assignments when you want to work. This is a huge advantage for a retiree who doesn’t want to clock in or out for a job or have to worry about putting in for overtime pay.
You will be an independent contractor to any number of mystery shopping companies. I have a list of nearly 200 mystery shopping companies in my book “Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!” I have website addresses and industries they serve in my book that you can contact and be included in their database. Plus, I let you know which companies I’ve enjoyed a lot of success with over the years.
Mystery shopping can have some huge tax benefits as well. Every time you visit to a business, you can write off the mileage you drive back and forth from your home. Additional expenses and meals may also be tax-deductible. I always encourage everyone to talk to a tax professional to see what you can legally deduct.
Mystery shopping can be done anywhere in the world. If you travel to a foreign country, you can schedule several mystery shop assignments. Again, there are tax benefits involved here. Make sure to consult a tax professional to the extent of the write-offs.
Video mystery shopping jobs for retirees
One area of mystery shopping that I’m finding a lot of retirees is video mystery shopping. A person wears a hidden camera and microphone to discreetly record interactions with employees of a business. This is something business owners and managers want to see. They want to see and hear their employees performing on the job. Most of the time, these videos are used as a training tool to applaud presentations or make suggestions on improving their performance.
I’ve attended a few conventions for mystery shoppers, particularly for video mystery shopping. I’m amazed to see how many retirees do this as a side hustle. I was also surprised to see how many were working this as a full-time gig.
Conventions are a great place for new people to learn from veterans in video mystery shopping. You can hear stories from the people who’ve been doing it for a while and learn some important tips. Try to visit one in your area. They stop in different cities around the country several times per year.
Video mystery shopping can be quite lucrative if you do a lot of assignments weekly. I’ve made more than $2,000 in a month before working extreme part-time with mostly video assignments. People who work this full-time can earn much more than that. Of course, you could settle for a couple hundred dollars with mostly written assignments. You really don’t make money from restaurant assignments. You would receive a reimbursement of the food you ordered. But you can try different foods and restaurants in the process.
Podcast I did with Jason Meza of the Better Business Bureau talking about scams in mystery shopping.
There are some pitfalls that retirees have to be concerned about when doing assignments. The process of aging may be hard for people with declining eyesight or hearing to follow through with all instructions. Many assignments need to know at least the first name of a person, which is on a name tag. Or there may be some important dialogue you need to listen for. If you have trouble with both, mystery shopping may not be the best option for you.
Despite this, older people who are alert and have plenty of enthusiasm, can find mystery shopping to be a rewarding activity in the retirement years. Business owners and managers are always looking for valuable feedback from retirees.
There are some opportunities in mystery shopping that a retiree doesn’t have to leave the house for. There are several mystery shopping companies that only do telephone assignments. Plus, there are more and more assignments where you fill out information on a website and wait for a response back. Some assignments require both before visiting a business, like an apartment or new home builder.
Jobs for retirees like mystery shopping can help you stay socially active and mentally sharp. By accepting assignments of all kinds, if gives you a chance to experience different activities. You can visit businesses you normally wouldn’t try on your own.
The mystery shopping business is always looking for new faces to visit different places. Learn how you can start your own mystery shopping business from my book, “Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!”
