This can be a tough leap mentally. You've worked hard for 40 years and looked forward to calling it quits to travel and spend time with the grandkids. Now you need to work a bit in retirement? But it's not so bad, really. The trick is to find a retirement job with enough built-in flexibility that you can still do all the things you want, though possibly less often. A retirement job is about getting off the corporate ladder and finding employment that lets you work on your own terms. It should be connected to something you care about — a hobby business, a low-stress position as a consultant or, well, a dog walker or golf starter, if that suits you. Start-up costs may be minuscule if you want to launch a Web-based business or consultancy. If you're thinking bigger, loans are available through the Small Business Administration, and you can get free start-up and operations advice at score.org. The goal is to earn enough money to avoid tapping your nest egg for a few more years, and if a couple earns less than $32,000 a year, it won't mess up their Social Security benefits. You can deduct certain travel and entertainment expenses. Meanwhile, the physical and mental boost you get from working longer has been well documented, and financially, it's the closest thing out there to a silver bullet. Delaying IRA distributions, continuing to save and reducing the number of years that your assets will have to generate income is a mighty combination. If you work an extra five years and save 15% of your pay over that period, you'll boost retirement income by 39%, according to fund company T. Rowe Price. Even with no additional savings, just by delaying IRA distributions, you'll boost retirement income by 20%.