Best lifestyle jobs for early retirees?

[Did]

If including non paid jobs then we volunteer with a local animal society and the beer festival.

[FBeyer]

Writing tabletops settings...

What. On. Earth. Is. This?

[TheWanderingScholar]

Writing tabletops settings...

What. On. Earth. Is. This?

Tabletop RPGs? Setting are like worlds place can play in.

Examples being:
Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc. for D&D. Deadlands: Reloaded for Savage Worlds

Stuff like that.

Sorry for being extra nerdy.

[vexed87]

Building shit would be freaking awesome if it wasn't for all the morons!

Hah, I'd never considered that about carpentry, but then again, I always imagined most would be thinking of building fine furniture etc.

[distracted_at_work]

Examples being:
Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc. for D&D. Deadlands: Reloaded for Savage Worlds

Sorry for being extra nerdy.

Don't apologize for being a nerd! We are legion.

[Mickey]

It's not necessarily a low key kind of thing, but I've considered getting a wilderness EMT, in the hope that I could maybe get invited on climbing/mountaineering trips and expeditions as a 'medical guy' eventually (so I could hopefully go cheaply or even free), and also maybe pick up some seasonal work as a ranger or something similar. I haven't done enough research to figure out if this is really viable, but I've been wanting to do some more climbing and exploring as I get more free time, and this seemed like it might be a good way to do it. I also recently read the book 'A Thousand Naked Strangers', and that re-kindled my interest in that sort of thing (regular EMT/paramedic, not in the wilderness) as a way to have some new experiences and see a different part of life, and maybe a different part of society - I know it could be difficult and stressful though, and not sure I'd really be likely to go through with that part of it, but it'd be an option.

Your post made me un-lurk.

You might consider the volunteer Search and Rescue groups as a way to get less expensive training. Civil Air Patrol comes to mind, as does NASAR, and while the volunteers often pay for a lot of things, there are also many classes that are offered free or reduced cost to members. CAP is focused upon generic "Emergency Services" but does lots of missing person, lost hiker, wander-away calls, as well as their bread-and-butter small aviation mishaps (cessna crashes or is overdue on flight plan, emergency beacons are detected, etc). NASAR seems to be the 'go-to' calling list for many missing person cases, and disasters, and they have a lot of volunteer dog teams if that is intriguing to you.

[RealPerson]

I don't know what it takes, but being a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) instructor looks like an awesome job. I assume the pay is minimal but you get to go on some incredible adventures. I don't know if there are formal qualifications required, or how you even apply for such a job. Maybe TheAnimal can chime in. He did NOLS in Alaska.

[RealPerson]

@Did. Which websites do you use to find housesitting jobs? What are their pros and cons?

Great topic. Thanks for the really helpful suggestions everyone.

[Did]

I just use the one. If I were globetrotting some more I would share the risk with others. Which is best probably depends on which part of the world you wish to sit in. I'm sure review sites out there list pros and cons of different sites. PM me if you really want to know the one I use.

[Solvent]

Writing tabletops settings...

What. On. Earth. Is. This?

Tabletop RPGs? Setting are like worlds place can play in.

Examples being:
Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc. for D&D. Deadlands: Reloaded for Savage Worlds

Stuff like that.

Sorry for being extra nerdy.

You can get paid for that? I used to do that for hours and hours as a teenager...

[TheWanderingScholar]

Tabletop Settings? Yeah, just make your own company and publish it. That is what I plan on doing.