@oldfort , I went and put your description of downsizing. It sounds better. Well, I submitted an application. Maybe or maybe not I’ll get asked to come in. I suppose I’ll never know if I’ll like it unless I try it, if given the opportunity.
@conmama, in our area pretty much anyone can get a subbing gig - I don’t think they worry about work history at all.
I do our subdivision books using Quickbooks - it’s a volunteer position I have held for years. I didn’t even think about doing books for pay down the road. Another option to keep in my back pocket.
My computer-naïve wife, when she started her own company, sat for a day with an accountant friend who showed her how to use QuickBooks. I don’t think you will need a whole course since you already understand most of what it does.
My favorite part-time gig is a friend who works every third weekend at a ski shop from October to January. It’s enough to get him the industry discount on equipment and lift tickets.
I looked up quick books and the classes in town charge anywhere from $450 to $600 for one to two days, I don’t want to do that. I like the idea of finding someone to show me, maybe even trying to find a self tutorial on line. Although I’m better with a person.
I owned and managed an independent retail store for many years. I would ABSOLUTELY take on an associate that could only work weekdays (like 9-2, possibly 8-12) if they were mature and hard working. There are a lot of things that need doing in retail … it’s not just helping customers and ringing the register. If I could have had someone that could help with inventory and orders? Or with merchandising? Or with social media? Someone that I could trust to show up and work hard … I would have tried really hard to find a spot for such a person. (I will say that I might have asked if this person could pick up extra December hours and we had a policy of “All hands on deck” for Christmas Eve where everyone was expected to make a minimum of 2 hour contribution (which could be 6am-8am getting the store ready for the hordes)!
I do ACT/SAT tutoring very part time-- just a few hours a week. Mostly math. It is low-stress (compared to classroom teaching). I like working with one student at a time, and it is satisfying to see kids reach or exceed their goals. I think working at a store or restaurant, or volunteering at a museum or arboretum/botanical garden would be enjoyable. When my kids are a little older, I might get something more regular for a few years until H retires.
Our continuing education is right now having a Quick Books session. It’s all of $45.
I learned QuickBooks on the fly at my old job. I found it easy peasy and I wish my present job used it.
If you were in my area, I’d have 2 jobs ready
- Help elderly with paying bills and dealing with insurance issues. Bookkeeping
- Helping people de-clutter their closets and ,homes . At a more high end point, helping people downsize and chose what to take to their new “home”.
Congrats on applying to be a substitute teacher! Several stay at home moms in my district do that and like it. And our super begged me to be a sub when he found out I was a preschool sub. I’m guessing many schools are always looking for people to fill in their sub list. If that doesn’t work out or you find it too intense, you could try being a substitute preschool teacher (or a preschool teacher). I’ve been a sub at my kids’ old preschool for 10 years. It’s certainly not much money, but it is “fun” and really low hours. I love the other teachers there and consider them friends. I’ve also taught swim lessons at the Y, preschool age so during the day like you want.
I find being a server (as in a restaurant) “fun”. I would think that a cafe that’s open for breakfast and lunch, or somewhere where you could just work the counter/cash register and not be a server, would be fun.
Substitute teacher pays $80 to $90 for a full day of work by me. Two hours of tutoring math or science pays about the same.
Another job desperately needed is elder care. Taking them shopping, to doctors appointments and helping them pay their bills.
A very occasional job is working as a poll worker on Election Day. Different states pay different amounts but typically you get well over $100. Could be “ fun” I guess if you are assigned to your own neighborhood and get to see the neighbors. Once you are on the list of workers, they’ll contact you for future elections.
@MaterS, I could make that amount also with contract work. But It’s not easy to find those PT jobs. Then I’d be sitting at a cubicle. I just need something else.
I’m a travel planner, working as an independent contractor for an agency.
You could take care of someone’s errands – grocery shop, pick up dry cleaning and prescriptions, and deliver. I know several older folks who use this as well as busy families, commuters, and people who want to show up at their weekend or vacation home and have the fridge stocked, heat on, etc.
I do lots of volunteer work (My last real job ended more than 10 years ago!). Just last year I applied/signed up to be a substitute teacher, mainly because the job offers incredible flexibility. I can go online at midnight and decide if I feel like working tomorrow. Doesn’t pay much, but it gets me into the schools to see what the kids are up to, and is much more flexible for me than volunteering at the schools. The other thing I have done for small pay is work as an extra in TV shows and movies.It can be lots of fun, or you can sit around all day doing nothing. At this point I like to go just to catch up with friends I only see on set. Availability depends on where you live. There used to be a lot going on in the Charlotte area. Now, not so much. I would have to drive to Charleston SC or Savannah GA to work, or there is a lot going on in Atlanta GA.
Dog walker and/or house sitter. The former is a great way to get exercise and see different parts of your community. People really need someone they can trust to do both. The latter does not necessarily require that you stay the night - just make sure the mail is brought in, the trash goes out and no catastrophes go unnoticed while the owners are gone.
I dream of working part-time at the gourmet cooking store near my home in Maine where we spend the summer and plan to live when we retire from our current positions. Who comes in upset when they are going to buy a special pan, or food processor, or apron or whatever? It’s fun to peruse the wall of gadgets, taste the olive oil, watch the cooking demos. It’s no generic mall store. It is such a fun store.
Where I live they are so desperate for retail help you could tell them when you will and won’t work.
Keep your eye open for church offices that might be hiring (or needing fill in work when some one is sick or wants to go south). My church hires a part-time secretary and sometimes we have a had time filing that position weather it be temporary or when the job cycles around.
I too was thinking local library as someone else mentioned as well as substitute teaching. If you don’t want the teacher position you could sub as a Teacher’s Assistant. They are also desperate for those in my area.
I’ve heard Home Depot is a great place to work and I know someone who works part time at a Hallmark store. Both for the reasons you mentioned. If you were really ambitious you could get your real estate license. You might enjoy the classes and then you could dabble in real estate. Good luck!