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My dad loved this. He was a very handy fellow, and very personable. got to hang out with professional contractors. he was in heaven.
Plus they usually have good benefits. When we were in our 20s and renting, our landlord owned rental properties and worked part time at Home Depot for the health insurance.
Plus they usually have good benefits. When we were in our 20s and renting, our landlord owned rental properties and worked part time at Home Depot for the health insurance.
A 70 year old friend of mine did this (PT at Home Depot) and found out that, at least at her store, they really took advantage of her and kept giving her additional hours until she was working 39 hours a week most weeks. They also expected her to come in on a moments notice to cover for others who called in sick, etc. Sometimes she was "on call" without compensation. She was hired to work in garden department, that's what she wanted since she's a Maser Gardener, but after a few weeks they trained her on the register and that's where they used her for the rest of the year she worked there. Eventually she asked for a week off (weeks in advance) to vacation with her grandkids. They told her "NO". At that point she gave them 2 weeks notice and quit.
She wanted a few extra bucks in retirement, not a full-time job! Unfortunately for her, they found her so much more reliable and efficient that they preferred her to work over the young folks she worked with. I told her from the get-go not to let them push her into full-time but she didn't want to leave them in a lurch, so she worked whatever they asked her to, until they wouldn't even let her go visit the G-kids.
I took my skills I acquired in my profession and turned in to a gig teaching at an electrical distributor . I work one day a week when not traveling and teach what I know best , motor controls and variable frequency drives..
My wife and I love photography and we are out shooting as much as we can . We sell photos and files for commercial use on our website .
I started life as a pro drummer and in retirement got back in to my drumming big time again . I am doing some gigs with a well known group on their 50 th anniversary tour .
So basically I am turning all the things I enjoy and would do for free , in to little gigs that bring in fun money
Whoever rep’d me asking who the group was but did not leave a name ,if you d/m me I can give you the info . I can’t say publicly just yet until all the recording companies involved have okayed the performers involved
A 70 year old friend of mine did this (PT at Home Depot) and found out that, at least at her store, they really took advantage of her and kept giving her additional hours until she was working 39 hours a week most weeks. They also expected her to come in on a moments notice to cover for others who called in sick, etc.
During my final years of working life I found similar things to be true. Once an employer learns that you don't have the typical family responsibilities of younger and/or married workers they seem to ASSUME that you are more available timewise... as if the older/elderly worker has nothing "better" (or important or pressing) to do with his/her off-work hours than sit around watching soap operas or feeding their cat(s), LOL
Compounding this potential problem is that many of our generation, especially women, sometimes have an exaggerated sense of duty and/or politeness or don't-rock-the-boat mentality that often results in us going along with unfair demands with little or no protest.
This is my main source of income, and I'm 44. I also provide dog-walking services as well. And after doing this for about seven years now, I really can't see myself doing much else, at least not in terms of a main job. I love the flexibility that this type of job gives me. And truthfully, I don't think I could ever go back to working a traditional 9-5 type of job, one with a set schedule and fixed hours -- that type of set-up is just way too restrictive and demanding for my taste.
Now, I do have other interests and am open to doing other types of "non-traditional" work, so it's not as if I am only interested in doing the pet-sitting/house-sitting. I think often about incorporating other duties into my present service, or perhaps getting involved in something completely different. But anything that I do in the future would have to be of a similar set-up: something with non-traditional work hours and/or a highly flexible schedule, one devoid of a rigid, formal schedule and one that affords me abundant free time to pursue other interests (at least on average).
If you are an animal lover and are good working with and caring for pets (along with being exceptionally trustworthy and dependable), then this is a viable business, especially if you live in a relatively large metro area. It may be harder to set up if you live in a rural area (because you need a sufficient client base in order to exist and prosper).
Personally, I have no desire for a so-called "real" job, and I don't care about impressing anyone with my job title or chosen profession, so this works out great for me.
^^^^Pet sitting/ house sitting is also a great opportunity in 55+ communities. So many seniors traveling need their pets cared for, and so many snowbirds who need someone to check on their place while they're gone and do tasks while they are out of town.
Part-time consulting does it for me. Good hours and a nice regular reward at the end of every month!
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