Work From Home and Make Money

Work Wherever You Want!

Whether you are just barely getting by, hoping to raise extra money for your kids' college expenses, saving for retirement, or supplementing your current retirement income, there are many good reasons you may want to earn extra money by working at home.  However, you may be uncertain about the different options that are available to you.

Most work at home opportunities fall into two different categories.  You can either offer a personal service, or you can work online.  Here are some options that you should consider:

Provide a Service 

Babysitting: Our family has hired bonded baby sitters several times while staying at out-of-town hotels.  On several occasions, the babysitters were older women who were earning a little extra money on weekends by registering with a babysitting service.  Another option is to become a licensed babysitter and provide childcare in your own home.  You could do it every day or, if that doesn't appeal to you, you may want to just host a "Mom's Day Out" or "Date Night" service.

Sell a Product:  Companies like Mary Kay Cosmetics, Tupperware and Pampered Chef all have independent sales people.  If you enjoy selling, this can be a fun way to supplement your income.

Teach a Skill:  Retired school teachers often earn extra money by tutoring children.  However, you don't have to be a retired teacher to earn money passing on a skill.  If you know how to play a musical instrument, speak a foreign language, or paint water colors, you can offer classes or private lessons as a way to earn money from home.

Make Money Online

Start an Online Store: With websites like eBay available, you can now easily sell your own crafts and artwork, or collect things from garage sales and thrift stores and sell them online.  It's a fun way to start a business without having to rent a location, spend a lot of money on inventory, or hire sales people.

Freelance Writing:  With sites like InfoBarrel.com you can write articles, post them on the internet and occasionally earn a little money from the advertisers.  You can see samples of the articles I have written there at www.infobarrel.com/users/deborah-diane. If you enjoy writing, you could also start a blog like this one.  Either way, you may not make a lot of money, but any extra income is always a good thing.  In addition, it is mentally stimulating to share your experience and knowledge by writing about it online.

If you are interested in staying-up-to-date with new developments that could affect your retirement plans, you may want to receive regular information through http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/.

(Photo courtesy of photoxpress.com)

2012 Social Security Benefit Increase

Finally!  An increase is coming to
Social Security Benefits.
photo by Wikipedia.com/commons

Good news for recipients of Social Security.  After having gone without any increase in benefits since January, 2009, the Social Security Administration has announced that recipients will receive an increase of approximately 3.6% in January, 2012.  Since the average Social Security payment is $1,082, a 3.6% increase averages out to almost $39 a month.  It will vary, depending on whether you get more or less than the average amount of money.  The increase will apply to both retirees and disabled recipients.

I have a number of friends and neighbors who have been living on a fixed income the past few years.  Several of them are either totally dependent on Social Security, or it makes up a large part of their income.  This increase, although small, will provide them with some help. 

The reason that there has been no increase during the past two years is because the official rate of inflation was considered too small.  Only twice since 1975 have Social Security recipients gone without a Cost of Living Increase ... and that was in the past two years.

It is important to also note that the increase in benefits will be partially lost because Medicare premiums are expected to increase by around $3 to $8, and these premiums are deducted from Social Security payments.

Continue to stay up to date with your retirement planning.  You may be interested in following this blog by email, or reading the articles listed in the sidebars.

Get more retirement information at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/

Baby Boomers Spur Job Growth

Care Givers & Medical Careers
are increasingly in high demand.
Photo by morguefile.com

Baby Boomers are spurring job growth in the economy, whether we realize it or not.  Although many Baby Boomers are having a difficult time deciding on new careers to pursue in our 50's and 60's, we are beginning to create jobs for young adults.

According to research using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and completed by the website "Main Street," the careers where job growth is expected to be greatest between now and 2018 are primarily connected to health care ... and which group is going to need health care more than retirees?

The anticipated top career of the future is Biomedical Engineer, followed by Network Systems Analysts, Home Health Aides, Personal & Home Care Aides, Financial Examiners, Medical Examiners, and Physician Assistants.  Some of these careers are expected to have high job and income growth in the next decade. Of these seven fast growing career opportunities, five are connected to the medical field.

Two of these careers, in particular, have to do with assisting senior citizens ... Home Health Aides and Personal & Home Care Aides.  These aides are the people who will make it possible for many of us Baby Boomers to remain in our own homes as we age.  Home health aides earn money by helping people take care of their daily living needs and handle basic medical care.  These careers are expected to see substantial job growth over the next 10 years.

In addition, as we give up our jobs, Baby Boomers who leave the business world create job openings for future generations in a wide variety of careers.  Who knows? Perhaps we Baby Boomers will provide the engine to stimulate the economy as we begin to retire during the coming years ... both by giving up our current jobs and creating demand for assistance in the future.

For more information about retirement and Baby Boomers, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles about where to retire, retirement careers, medical issues, financial planning and more.

If you are interested in retirement information, read http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

(Source: "The Cities with the Jobs of the Future" by Seth Fiegerman on Main St.  Provided by Yahoo Finance.  10/9/11)