Secret #31 Emergency Retirement Cash

Your retirement plan should include a way to raise emergency money that doesn’t involve selling assets, incurring taxes, or paying high interest rates.

emergency-retirement-cash

Pension Loans Scheme

A voluntary reverse equity mortgage that offers older Australians an income stream to supplement their retirement income.

You can claim a top-up of your pension as a loan if you own real estate in Australia.

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/pension-loans-scheme

Personal Experience with Retirement Cash

Over the years I have run quite a few businesses and jobs. As I got older it became more difficult finding paid work so I developed my own small businesses.

Now if you need some emergency cash in your retirement it will depend on how you have structured your life. Luckily here in Australia if it’s illness then you can bulk bill pretty well any emergency procedure.

When I got cancer we were very low on cash however it was all done for free as a pensioner. It took a little longer than if I had private insurance however it was done in a timely manner.

The other day a friend called and their washing machine had broken down and wanted help. To him it was a real problem. I went round to his place and laid out the alternatives as he did not have much savings or a plan.

He had quite a new machine but when he tried to get it fixed the parts were not available. So we looked in Gumtree, Facebook Market etc for a good quality second hand one. We also went to a second hand white goods shop and the guy told us that the newer brands are hard to repair and sold him an old repairable model for a couple of hundred dollars. Problem solved.

As retirees we have to look outside our comfort zone. When I worked I would just go to any retail store and fork out $500 to $700 and buy a new machine. These days every penny counts.

RETIREES NEED TO BUDGET carefully to stay within their fixed income. I know  have said it before but it is necessary especially if you are living on the pension. If the value of their investments sinks after retirement, seniors often have little choice but to spend less or return to the workforce. But there are plenty of ways to make a little of extra cash without having to deal with an alarm clock and a commute. Here are a few creative ways to boost your retirement cash.

Sell your stuff. Retirees have a lifetime’s worth of accumulated clothes, books, and furniture. Make some quick cash by holding a garage sale or selling your stuff on eBay, Facebook markets or Gumtree. Take clothes to a consignment shop and a box of books to your nearest used bookstore. Downsizing from two cars to one can also give your monthly budget a significant one-time boost. Savvy sellers can purchase under-priced used goods and resell them at a higher rate.

Market your skills. Whether you know how to hem and alter clothing, research family genealogy, or troubleshoot computers, someone in your neighbourhood is likely to pay for your skills. Put an ad in your local newspaper, hang a flier on a community bulletin board, or offer your services online.

I was a web designer so I made a course and sell my skills at https://webmarketingforprofit.com

Get a higher interest rate. As you age, you’ll want to keep a significant amount of your savings outside of the stock market. Shop around for the best interest rate on certificates of deposit, bonds, and savings accounts. Consider an online saving account, which will likely offer a higher interest rate than the brick-and-mortar variety.

Prune your investments. Review your investment portfolio and get rid of funds that consistently perform poorly. Also, “identify investments that have high expenses and transfer that money into a comparable investment that has lower management fees and expenses,” says Eric Tyson, a financial planner and co-author of Personal Finance For Seniors For Dummies.

Consult. Put your lifetime of accumulated experience to work by taking on consulting work. “By the time you are in your 50s, you probably know people from a variety of companies based on where you’ve been,” says Mark Miller, publisher of RetirementRevised.com and author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work, and Living. “You can go out and do project-based stuff. It is a way to gain flexibility and set you own schedule and work from a home office.”

Tutor. Consider offering to help teach children algebra, a foreign language, test preparation, or even drilling younger students on their multiplication tables. “People continue to spend on their kids,” says Tyson. “If there is a service you can provide to parents to help them with their kids, such as tutoring kids, your skills will be in demand.” Sports fans may be able to land a gig coaching or refereeing youth games or giving golf lessons. And those with teaching credentials may substitute teach or instruct a class at a local community college.

Babysit. Help harried working parents by offering babysitting services. Or better yet, work out an arrangement to get paid to spend time with your own grandchildren. “When I was working and had young children, I paid my mother to babysit,” says Jan Cullinane, coauthor of The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life. “The kids couldn’t have had a better caregiver and she did the laundry for me as well.”

Elder Care. At the other end of the aging spectrum, you can provide non-medical elder care services for an older retiree. “You go to someone’s house and you help them out with lunch, light housekeeping, and take them to appointments,” says Cullinane. “Basically you help keep someone’s elderly parent company.”

Hobbies and crafts. Turn your hobby or craft into a stream of income. Offer to frame pictures, make scrapbooks, or sell your hand-crocheted doilies online. “If you love making jewelry and can sell it to little boutiques, you can make a little business out of it,” says Cullinane.

Rent out your space. Retirees who live in big cities or vacation destinations can rent out rooms to travellers. When you leave town, you can lease out the entire house. If you don’t want to share your space, consider renting out your garage or basement as storage space.

Blog. Pick a topic that interests you and start researching and writing posts online. The more hits you generate, the more money you will make if you have advertising on the site. Strive to make enough to pay for your Internet connection.

Temp. Employers reluctant to hire new full-time workers with benefits may increasingly rely on short-term help. Temporary jobs and project assignments can be ideal for seniors who want to bring in some income but also enjoy a significant amount of leisure time. Contact a temp agency about short-term projects, seasonal work, or a job filling in for employees who are on vacation or maternity leave.

Garden. Avid gardeners can sell their excess fruits, vegetables, and flowers to farmer’s markets, local garden centres, or even neighbours. Alternatively, you could help others learn to prune their rose bushes or select the ideal plants for a sunny spot. Outdoor lovers who don’t mind mowing lawns and weeding are sure to find eager customers.

Errands. Retirees who are handy around the house will never be without extra cash. Other easy errands you could provide include grocery shopping, rides to the airport, and picking up dry cleaning.

Cook. Bake sales aren’t just for children’s fund raisers. Try selling freshly baked pies, bread, or cookies at local events. If you’re more of a cook than a baker, jams, sauces, and even prepared meals could be easy to sell to busy workers.

Pet sit. Animal lovers should have no problem making a few extra dollars dog walking or grooming. Also consider pet sitting when owners go on vacation or travel for work. A good way to generate Retirement Cash

Tour guide. History buffs should look into a post-retirement job as a guide at a local museum or historical monument. A part-time tour guide position will allow you to share your knowledge with others and interact with tourists from throughout the world.

Ask for discounts. Some senior discounts are well publicized, but others are only available to those who ask. One of the best perks of getting older is getting a discount simply because you’re willing to admit your age.

 

Secret #32 Plan For Longevity


 

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