The Retirement Newsletter: Would it be possible to turn being a couch potato into a side-hustle?
Issue Number: -58 — Can I make money from sitting on my sofa, and how old is your hot water bottle?
Welcome
Welcome to issue -58.
This week, I ask — can you turn being a couch potato into a side hustle?
And I also ask the all-important question, “how old is your hot water bottle”?
Being a couch potato — hobby or side-hustle?
When I retire, I want to set up several side-hustles to bring in a little extra cash to buy a few luxuries. And the side-hustle should also keep me mentally and physically active. Hence, I’ve been looking for side-hustle ideas, and you will have seen a few of them in previous newsletters.
When I was making the list of possible side-hustles, one of the things I added was "couch potato”. That is, I wondered whether I could turn sitting on the sofa all day from a hobby into a side-hustle and make some money. As a side-hustle, it fails one of my goals for a side-hustle; it won’t keep me physically active.
The more I think about it, the less likely I think you can turn being a couch potato into a side-hustle. After all, being a couch potato is about doing nothing and to run a side-hustle, you need to do something.
I struggled to think of ways of turning being a couch potato into a side-hustle, and this is good news, as the last thing I need in my retirement is an excuse to spend all day sitting on the sofa.
But, if I were to go down the route of turning sitting on a sofa into a side-hustle, what could I do?
Here are eight feeble ways I could turn being a couch potato into a side-hustle.
1. Manage my other side-hustles
I could spend the time sitting on the sofa working on my other side hustles. For example, I could use it to respond to comments on my YouTube channels or blog. Or to write blogs and answer queries. I could spend the time doing research or writing newsletters.
But is that being a couch potato? I will be busy.
2. Blog about films, games, and TV shows
I could spend my time sitting on the couch, watching films and TV shows, playing games and then blogging about them. I could live-stream my game playing via platforms like Twitch and make videos about game playing for YouTube.
One slight problem with the above, I am not a gamer.
3. Take online surveys for cash
Some websites will pay you for your opinions and views. I could sit on the couch and complete surveys for cash.
4. Become a freelance writer
If you have a knack for writing, you could earn some money by offering your services as a freelance writer. You could create content for websites, blogs, and other online platforms.
But if you are good at writing, why not write for yourself?
5. Doing tasks for others
I could sell my time and services to do tasks for others. I could use sites like TaskRabbit or Fiverr to find small tasks or jobs to complete for other people.
You could become a virtual assistant if you are good at organising things.
6. Become a proofreader
This is like number five above. That is, I could offer a proofreading service via sites like Fiverr.
7. Invest in the stock market
Another thing I could do while sitting down on my sofa.
8. Write a book
Again, I could sit on my couch with my laptop and write a book.
Summary
I am surprised I came up with eight things I could do as a side-hustle while sitting on my couch.
Apart from number two, none of the eight is turning being a couch potato into a side-hustle. And my current side-hustles of blogging (but not about TV, films, or games), writing, managing my retirement funds, and proofreading are all things I currently do from my sofa.
Maybe I have already turned my hobby of being a couch potato into a side-hustle.
Overall, it is good news that turning being a couch potato into a side-hustle might be challenging. Therefore, if I want to make money in my retirement for a few extra luxuries, I will need to be active and not spend my time watching television. Good news.
If you disagree with this and can think of some good ways of being a "couch potato" and making money, please let me know and leave a comment below.
Health — cold weather and hot water bottles
Wow…. It has been cold in the UK this week. Not cold by really cold standards, but it has been cold for the UK.
The other night it got down to -7 ºC. Nippy. And yet, compared to the temperatures I experienced when living in New England (USA), that is not cold. But, in the UK, -7 ºC feels colder than I experienced in New England. Why?
Well, it all comes down to humidity.
Where I lived in the US, the average temperature for December was a high of 2 ºC and a low of -8 ºC, with a humidity of 72%. In the UK, the average December high is 7.3 ºC, the low is 2.6 ºC, and the humidity of 91%. And in the recent cold snap in the UK, we have had local temperatures down to -7 ºC overnight, with a humidity of 90+%. And it is that humidity that does it. It makes it feel so much colder than the dry cold of New England.
In the cold weather, you may be tempted to dig out the hot water bottle from the back of the cupboard and use it. But beware. Hot water bottles have a very short ‘self-life’ of only two to three years, after which you should no longer use them as they might leak very hot water onto your skin. And that could result in a trip to AnE (Emergency Room).
In my cupboard, I found these three beauties:
But which ones could I use? A, B or C?
How do you age a hot water bottle?
In the UK, hot water bottles have a weird and difficult-to-read mark that gives the month and year of manufacture. I have photographed the marks, and they are shown below for bottles A, B and C.
The year of manufacture is given by the number in the middle of the mark, and the month is indicated by the number of segments that contain dots.
So, for my three hot water bottles:
Bottle A — the number in the middle is 03, so it was manufactured in 2003, and eleven segments are filled, so it was made in November 2003. It has just had its 19th birthday — long past two years.
Bottle B — the number in the middle is 16, so it was manufactured in 2016, four segments are filled, so it was made in April 2016. It is six years old and should also be retired.
Bottle C — the number in the middle is 22, so it was manufactured in 2022, six segments are filled, so it was made in June 2022. It is less than six months old — a baby.
Bottles A and B are now out for recycling, and bottle C is being used.
Next week
Next week, issue -57 will be the Christmas issue — it doesn’t seem possible that Christmas is here.
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you have something you would like to contribute to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.