There are many semi-retirement ideas to consider when we no longer desire to work in a full-time career. Actually, several million people who are sixty-five (65+) and over will be employed in some way by 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics here in the United States.
Early semi-retirement is an option for those who desire more free time, or who may be over-stressed in their full-time position.
Some people need the extra income, while others want to stay busy and involved in some way. Let’s explore some of these semi-retirement ideas.
Semi-Retirement Ideas to Consider
“I announced my retirement from international cricket in May 2018 because I wanted to reduce my workload and spend more time with my wife and young sons. Some have insisted I was motivated purely by money. They are wrong.”
Now being semi-retired can result from leaving a full-time career that is overly stressful, and enjoying a more relaxed life even with reduced income. Life is too short to sacrifice our health for a few bucks. There are many ways that we can supplement our income on a semi-retired basis.
For some, this will also allow them to delay taking social security early and tapping into their retirement accounts. They may also be able to save a bit more.
There are always other options when we take the time to contemplate and do a bit of research. Asking ourselves “what do we really want or desire?” will get us going in the right direction.
Regardless of the specific reason that a semi-retirement lifestyle is being considered, it is important to consider all semi-retirement options.
According to some surveys, 30% to 40% of people continue to work after retiring from their full-time careers because they want to stay active and involved. The main emphasis of this website is to encourage people of all ages to stay fully engaged in life.
Some people will be happy with semi-retirement jobs that keep them active socially as well as bring in a few more bucks each month. Others prefer to pursue semi-retirement careers where they are either consulting based on their prior work and experience (check for any non-compete agreements your former company may have in place), or re-inventing themselves entirely with a new area of endeavor.
What are Some of the Best Semi-Retirement Jobs?
This depends entirely on personal preference. Many are happy with working at a local store or business, while others may prefer to do gigs of some sort or the other such as driving for Lyft or delivering for DoorDash.
Taking into consideration our interests, passions, and hobbies goes a long way in providing us with some viable semi-retirement ideas. Investing our time in a way that provides meaning and emotional satisfaction is the way to increase our quality of life as well as longevity.
So whether we get into retail, consulting, teaching, or digital marketing, it is most important that we enjoy what we do. Semi-retired work that provides meaning and a positive impact in the lives of others will bring us that emotional satisfaction.
Many people find semi-retired jobs by staying with their same company but moving from full-time to part-time work. This provides social contact with familiar people but reduces the time and workload requirements.
Check out my article on the best semi-retirement jobs to get a better idea of what is available.
Keeping Retirement Simple
Simple is good. It helps avoid all the stress, worry, and overwhelm. Taking one simple step at a time we can find solutions to any challenge at any stage of our lives.
Here are a few more semi-retirement ideas to consider to help with the whole retirement process.
- Increase passive income — this can be done by creating a viable financial plan that is flexible enough to address the ever-changing landscape of the markets and global/political situation. It can also be achieved by using our skills and experience to provide solutions to the problems of others and earn a good income as a result. Whether this is through offering services or products, it is a lot simpler these days through online marketing.
- Get rid of stuff — it is very freeing to have less stuff. Empty out those closets and clean out the garage. We can even make a few bucks selling some of these things. If and when we move we will have much less to store or drag around.
- Stay out of debt — paying off credit cards, car loans, mortgage, education loans, medical debt, and anything else are all ways to free up funds for retirement. I would suggest not using any debt consolidation companies as we can ruin our credit and have to pay them extra fees. There are debt payment plans that we can implement ourselves.
- Downsize a bit — to minimize expenses consider downsizing to a smaller home. It costs less to purchase and is less expensive to maintain. There are so many options these days including tiny homes and container homes.
- Pay off the mortgage if any left — paying off the mortgage early frees up additional money for retirement. Check out the Mortage Payoff Calculator to figure out how best to approach this issue.
These are all rather simple ideas to keep the retirement process more comfortable as well as open up many opportunities to stay fully engaged in life.
Practical Semi-Retirement Ideas
Above all, we must apply any of these ideas in a practical way where we are able to see meaningful results. This is our life and not a dress rehearsal.
With a little proper planning and application, we can make constructive changes where we most desire to see them so that we have the type of retirement lifestyle that we most desire.
Semi-retirement quotes can inspire us to stay fully engaged in life. Quotes like these can stimulate many semi-retirement ideas. Here is one of my favorites.
“I have retired, but if there’s anything that would kill me it is to wake up in the morning not knowing what to do.”
This quote from Nelson Mandela is the essence of this website. It is so important to stay fully engaged in life after retiring. Whether that is to be semi or un-retired or fully retired, it is important that we follow our passions and interests and make a positive contribution in the lives of others while fully enjoying ourselves.
I look forward that we all experience meaning and purpose in our lives, and that it is reflected in our daily activities and pursuits.
Enjoy the journey,
Joseph William
P.S. For those who would find meaning and purpose in sharing their experience and skills with an online business here is My Recommendation for a Comprehensive Online Training Platform.
Hi there Joseph, Thanks for the wonderful semi-retirement ideas you have shared here. My grandmother just retired a few days ago, and just like Nelson Mandela, she’s been up and down looking for things to do because she never wants to spend a day of her retirement not knowing what to do. I am going to suggest to her the idea of doing online marketing and I am sure she will love it because she is a quick learner and loves anything to do with the internet.
Thanks Dave. I appreciate your comments and all the very best to your grandmother.