Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Discover ways to make extra money after retirement in Canada. From downsizing your home to exploring other possibilities, find out how to increase your income.
If You Have Time, There Is Extra Money To Be Made
I think the obvious for most seniors who own a home would be to downsize and either move to an apartment, condo, or smaller residence to lower expenses.
If you’ve already paid your mortgage off, this may or may not make a significant financial difference apart from paying property taxes and other forms of home maintenance.
By this, I mean needing a new roof, windows, and so on instead of keeping the yard tidy and cleaning the gutters.
As Canadian seniors age, downsizing for other reasons, such as health and lack of need, could quickly free up extra cash.
Recently, my father-in-law passed away, and my mother-in-law is finding herself in a situation where she has too much house and property and needs help with her health.
What we’ve learned over a year is that there are many people out there willing to work to make extra money.
If you’re a senior feeling healthy and up for the challenge, you can make extra money by offering services or even opening up your home in many ways.
Whether you declare any extra income you earn is up to you, but I will share some tax-exempt ideas.
Reader Question
Dear Mr.CBB,
Thanks for writing such a wonderful blog as it’s helped me to conquer my fears about debt and growing old with little money over the past few years.
One of the things I’m curious about is earning more money and ways I can do this aside from cutting my tight budget further.
As a Canadian senior my pension is very small as I collect just shy of $1900 a month in Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) and have some retirement savings put by.
I own my home which is a 2500 sq foot 4 bedroom bungalow on a half acre property which keeps me busy but not busy enough.
My spouse passed away 3 years ago from lung cancer and I’ve been alone ever since to tend to the duties of being a homeowner.
It’s tough but I get by with the help of my children but would like to find simple ways I can make extra money on the side.
Sometimes it’s not easy navigating the internet to find certain resources and not knowing who to call in the community is also a struggle.
While I’m still healthy and willing to do odd jobs I was hoping you might have ideas to help this bubbly Canadian senior make extra money.
Thanks for listening,
Carol
Chatham, Ontario
Ways Canadian Seniors Can Make Extra Money In Their Community
Canadian seniors who are worried about their finances or want to fill up their time can turn to these ten needs in their community to earn extra money.
The following are only a few ways you make extra money, as they may be things you’re already doing, such as going for a walk or grocery shopping.
Let’s take a look.
Room Rentals
Our neighbour, an older lady, rents a room in her basement to a gentleman monthly. However, he lives with his family in another city.
He comes and goes throughout the month as he works locally but would prefer to stay close to work during the week.
She earns $500 a month from renting a room that has garage access to the basement.
This earning potential is not for every senior, especially if you are worried about who you rent to.
If you are unsure about the rental process, ask a friend or family member to help.
Renting a room is a simple way to make extra money, but your renter may want a rental receipt, which you should claim as income.
Host An International Student
This is where seniors may benefit from a tax-free way to make extra money because businesses like Red Leaf Canada and the Canada Homestay Network exist.
Red Leaf is a hosting company for international students looking to place them in houses within the community they are visiting.
Related: How we became a host family for international students
The significant part is you know that the international homestay student coming to live with you for a month or even a year is screened by the hosting company.
They do all the hard work; the easy part is showing your international students about life in Canada and participating in it with them.
Simple.Easy.Cash.
Landscaping and Gardening Services
We recently hired a senior couple to landscape my mother-in-law’s property and add grass seed to an old vegetable garden.
They did a fabulous job and even went as far as to clean out her gutters, which were full of leaves.
They were paid $1300 for four days of work, and we hired them to mow the lawn twice a month.
We pay them $50 each mow, which is an excellent deal for the size of her property.
They will make extra money from simple chores they love to do, and you can do the same.
We are not their only clients; word-of-mouth keeps them well-known in the community.
Dog Walking/Pet Sitting/House Sitting
If you’re a senior, you can make more money by taking pets for walks and even pet sitting when their owners are gone on holiday.
My parents do this in the UK along with general house maintenance and get to live in castles and mansions most of the year.
They save their money by doing laundry where they house and pet sit and can eat food from the property garden if available.
Although they make more money, it’s not much, but the savings from other aspects of what they do keep them going.
Each day, they earn about 30 pounds or 51 Canadian Dollars between them, although it may be more in Canada.
Plus, they love it, and it funds their holidays around Europe when they aren’t house or pet-sitting.
Babysitting/Before and After School Care
Before and after-school care in Canada is a need for parents since daycare costs are high, and it is not easy to find a spot.
Cash can be made if you’re willing to take on the challenges of getting kids to and from school five days a week.
My neighbour does this, and she earns $20 in the morning before school and $20 after school for 3-4 hours a day per child.
Most days in the spring and fall, she stays at the school after it is done, and the kids play at the park, or she brings sports equipment.
This keeps the kids outdoors getting fresh air, and her house stays tidy.
She also provides healthy snacks and beverages for the children, which is easy.
If you’d rather babysit for the entire day for parents heading back to work full or part-time, there’s also a need.
You can earn up to $40 per child per day, $200 a week, or extra money for one child if you’re ready for the challenge.
Professional Organizer/House Cleaner
If your passion is geared towards cleaning and home organization, many homeowners need help in this department.
Related: How to tidy up and organize your home using the KonMari Method
You may even find neighbours struggling to keep the house tidy and would like some help weekly or even once a month.
Chores might be as simple as dusting, washing floors, sparkling up the windows, and spring and fall cleaning the inside of the house.
Sell Your Skills
If you have any skills that could be put to work, such as fixing small engines, cleaning, and landscaping, these can earn extra cash.
My mom paints store front windows in her community and does some hemming and small sewing projects.
Kim Threeolives- Facebook
Selling homemade crafts, doing Farmers Markets seasonally (selling crafts, veggies from your garden, canning preserves, baked goods, etc.)
Bijie Kowalski – Facebook
Host A Billet
Earn up to $500 monthly if you host a hockey billet in your home, paid directly to the family.
The family is to provide three meals a day to the billet and treat them like family.
Taking in a Billet for a minor league hockey team member can be an option for extra income.
Bijie Kowalski – Facebook
Learn more about how to become a host billet.
Companionship/Driver
If you drive, you could easily find another senior or adult in your community who needs companionship and get paid for it.
Some ideas of what a companion can do with others in need;
- Visiting for an hour each day
- Taking them grocery shopping
- Bingo
- Cooking and Cleaning
- Sight-seeing
- Sports events
- Visiting relatives
- Community events
- Senior Centres Day program
- Walking buddies
- Medical and other appointments
One of the most complex parts about being a housebound senior without a vehicle, bus services, or declining health is not getting outside enough.
Exercise for seniors is critical to physical and mental health, just as it is at any age, making becoming a paid companion an even greater need in most communities.
Senior fitness may mean a casual walk in the neighborhood or accompanying them to a local gym or seniors community centre.
You may want to network with friends about becoming a companion, look at advertising boards such as Kijiji and Facebook, or even call your local Canadian Seniors Association.
Sell Stuff
As you age, you may notice you’ll need less of everything from living space to stuff you have collected around the house.
Selling your stuff won’t earn you tons of money, but it will put money back in your pocket.
It’s a great way to downsize before you sell or if you want to clear clutter.
Related: How To Host A Community Garage Sale This Summer
A garage sale is always fun, and participating in church community garage sales or neighborhood garage sales can become a fun weekend event.
If you love to bake, you can also sell your baked goods at garage sales to make more money!
Related: 20 Garage Sale Tools You’ll Need To Attract Buyers
Focus Groups
Many focus group companies or businesses across Canada seek your opinion on the products you purchase.
It can be anything from insurance to food to the types of vehicles you drive or even your opinion on certain community events.
These focus groups pay well for your opinion, as we’ve been to quite a few over the past ten years.
Most focus groups we’ve been to have been held at local hotels where you sit in a room filled with other participants.
There will almost always be complimentary beverages and snacks for all participants and, sometimes, dinner or lunch if the focus group falls in that time frame.
Most focus groups we’ve been to take about one hour, and we always pay a minimum of $100 cash in an envelope at the end of the session.
It has always been one of our favorite ways to make more money.
Just recently, Mrs. CBB participated in an online focus group from home and earned $275 for her time over three days of 45-minute sessions.
Look on Kijiji for needed focus group participants and source whether your community has businesses like the ones below that recruit participants for focus groups.
Non-Affiliate
- Leo Leger Opinion
- Metroline Research Group (we did lots with this company) – Permanently closed.
- Contract Testing
- Focus Group Finder Canada
- Itracks Saskatchewan
You can search the Top 40 Paid Focus Groups In Canada for more information.
Earn Extra Money For Your Budget From Home
If you love being on the computer, why not earn money while doing what you enjoy?
Earn cash for taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games without sweat.
You can’t earn cash any more efficiently, and it will help add money to your savings to free up the debt you’re working to get rid of or help increase your money power.
It’s a WIN WIN…Sign up for Swagbucks. It’s FREE; we have it and LOVE it.
Read my Swagbucks review here to learn more about the program.
If you love to earn extra cash, Sign up for Survey Junkie. (non-affiliate)
You earn Points for taking Surveys and making gift cards for your time.
- Earn Extra Cash when you shop online. Sign up with Rakuten Canada and receive your money back when you shop! We LOVE it! Get $30 when you sign up using my link and spend $30. That’s $30 FREE!
- Don’t miss the savings by signing up for Checkout51 and other Coupon Apps.
- Honey Honey is a browser extension that automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout with a single click.
- Great Canadian Rebates
- My Points All payouts are made through gift cards to Amazon or other leading retail companies.
Seniors Helping Seniors
Whether you’re a senior living in Canada or elsewhere, if you want to make more money, it’s pretty straightforward, but you have to look for opportunities.
The good part is once you establish networks, you may find that they will come knocking on your door.
This is how we found the landscaping seniors who helped my mother-in-law out, and boy, are we happy we found them.
Discussion: What other ways can Canadian seniors make extra money in their community?
Please leave your questions below.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. CBB
Hello, I so enjoy your blog Mr. CBB … a senior lady living on $1500 per month, I love any ideas to make extra $$ … I could pet sit, but my accountants have strongly advised I first have special insurance to enter other peoples homes, and it is quite expensive ($500). perhaps it is different in Ontario, but that is the case in BC. just a warning to others!! I make about $30 in the spring selling plant seedlings and have run out of personal items to sell. ann
I’m not sure actually but you could always pet sit in your home. My mum and dad in the UK work through an agency so I suspect they are insured.
Don’t try survey sites with the expectation of income supplement. I have been doing surveys for several sites for a number of years, and never earned more than pocket change.
Canadian survey companies offer “survey bucks” or some such name for you to earn, but they do not translate into cash dollars. They give you chances to enter for merchandise draws – competing against thousands of other survey participants – but seldom for cash.
A few let you accumulate points which can be exchanged for cash cards redeemable at Walmart or other stores, which are useful but not very lucrative.
I enjoy taking surveys, as it keeps me aware of issues in politics and world news, but it won’t pay many bills.
Hey Barrie,
Thanks for your feedback Barrie.
taking surveys,,,i signed up and took surveys every day twice a day for 6 months and finally recieved a 25 dollar gift certificate,the certificate was valid but the time involved was insane
Hi Robert,
There are so many survey sites in Canada that all pay differently and often times it’s hit or miss based on what you like and don’t like. I know what you mean though. When I was in the UK I registered with Neilsen Home Scan UK and earned enough money to buy a new refrigerator just for scanning my groceries. I also picked up gift cards and CD’s.