1) Explore a second career

Whether you are semi-retired or just trying to break into a new field, social networks like LinkedIn can help you connect with people in any profession. The first step is to create a profile with your career experience, educational history, and skill set. Once you’ve finished your online resume, start adding everyone in your rolodex to your LinkedIn network. Now the important part: let everyone in your network know your goals and ask them to put you in touch with people in their own network that can help. Ask for an informational interview and you might just end up with a new job.

2) Meet people with similar interests

Social networks have enabled people with any hobby, no matter how niche, to connect with others who share the same passion. Do you collect Beatles memorabilia? Go on sharing social network Pinterest and browse other people’s collections before posting pictures of your own. Converse with other collectors in the comments of blogs dedicated to Beatles vinyl and toys. Before you know it, you’ll be on Twitter talking to people halfway across the world and trading tchotchkes.

3) Find friends online, spend time with them offline
Making friends with people on blogs, Twitter or Pinterest has its advantages: you’ll have access to  diverse people from all over the world and you can interact whenever you have a free moment – even if it’s in the middle of the night. Despite these advantages, online interactions never will (and never should) replace tangible in-person contact.

If you feel like making new friends or just want to tell your favorite stories to someone who hasn’t already heard them 100 times, try a service like GrubWithUs.com. GrubWithUs allows individuals to create a profile and reserve a seat at an eight person restaurant table. The set menu is served family style, so instead of worrying about ordering and check-splitting, just show up and enjoy meeting other people who are also looking for new friends. There are even sites like ActiveEmptyNesters.com geared specifically for baby boomers. There you can find other local baby boomers looking for golf or gardening partners. Making friends with shared interests has never been easier, so for everyone’s sake, please leave your children alone on Facebook.

4) Find that special someone

Speaking of needing tangible contact, social networks are changing the way baby boomers meet potential love interests. Have you found that the dating options at your church are lacking? Login to ChristianMingle.com to find Christian singles ready to mingle. Sites like OurTime.com cater only to people over 50 years old, while Match.com and eHarmony.com have an immense and diverse user base.

Dating on social networks can save u a lot of time, money, and help reduce the chances that you’ll be stuck silently staring at your dirty martini during a dud date. Dating sites allow u to explicitly state who you are, your interests and values, and what kind of relationship you seek. If you’ve ever returned from a blind date where you couldn’t imagine why your friend suggested the pairing, you already understand how online dating can save you time and improve your life.

5) Have Good Clean Fun with Online Social Games

Minesweeper, solitaire, pinball – computer games have been around just about as long as computers themselves. The Internet opened up the possibility of always having someone to play against no matter the time – turn on the computer and there will always be someone in Egypt or Brussels or New Delhi ready for a friendly game. The rapid rise of social networks makes online gaming even more attractive by incorporating profiles so that you know your opponent and can challenge the same people to endless rematches.

If you are on Facebook, there is no way that you haven’t stumbled upon social game juggernauts like FarmVille and Mafia Wars. Your kids feel too cool to play scrabble with you? Hop onto Words with Friends and play multiple scrabble games concurrently with fiends. Winster.com features countless games and is especially popular among baby boomers. When you don’t feel like leaving the house but want some social interaction with your brain sharpening games, social networks are always happy to provide.

Tyler is a tech and social media writer for SatelliteInternet.com

Today we know him as “The Colonel,” but until he was 65, he was known by his birth name –

1.    Buried Treasure. Treasuries are the number one investment choice among baby boomers. Why? Because, like General Tso’s chicken, they’re always a safe bet. Treasuries are issued by the U.S. government, and while you might not be able to count on Uncle Sam for everything, he’s never once defaulted on a treasury bond or a treasury note or bill. The length of time a treasury takes to mature depends on which type you choose. Bills mature in a year or less, while notes mature within two to ten years. Bonds take over 10 years to reach maturity. One of the best things about treasuries? The interest payments you receive are exempt from state and federal taxes. It’s not exactly the most thrilling form of investment, but it’s definitely one of the safest.

2.    An Investment You’ll Flip For. You’ve been known to turn a snooze-worthy dinner into a rip-roaring party and a team of rag-tag little leaguers into sectional champs, so why not put your magic touch to work on a real estate property? Right now, markets all over the U.S. are full to the brim with valuable foreclosures. Snag one yourself, or enlist the help of a wholesale broker to get one. With some new siding and a little paint, these properties can be transformed into something quite attractive. House flipping is a great investment strategy for baby boomers because you won’t have to wait 30 years to see a return. Plus you’ll get to feel like you have an active hand in your investment, and that can be pretty exciting!

3.    A Home for Your Investments. House flipping is a great way to ensure a quick return, but if you want to make money month after month on your investment, consider a buy-and-hold strategy instead. The idea is similar to flipping – you buy a foreclosure for well below market value and use your magic to transform it. Then, instead of selling it off, you find some real estate renters to move in instead. When you do, you’ll create a steady stream of passive income. What will you do with your monthly paycheck? Pave your driveway? Buy a motorcycle? Travel the world? The choice is up to you!

Now that your kids are getting married and your best friends are retiring, it might feel like life’s most climactic chapters are coming to a close. Don’t let yourself believe it. Changes also bring new beginnings, a chance to strike out in a new direction. So don’t just settle for the investments you made in your 30s – make some new ones! When you choose one of these secure strategies, you’ll keep your savings safe and you’ll begin reaping the benefits of your investment right away. Who knows – you might even use all the money you earn to follow in the Colonel’s footsteps and become a mogul yourself.

Alicia Ranch-Traille wants to help people make smart and savvy financial choices. She believes people of all ages should be fiscally empowered. She’s been published at Business2Community and GalTime. Find Alicia over on Twitter and say hi!

How life was – my promotion to hell – 1978 > 1980

The paradox of my career promotion was that my life got progressively worse.  From 1976 to 1978, I commuted to the corporate offices via La Guardia Airport, where I rented a car for the drive into Ct. On a good day the round trip took about six hours.  It was expected I would join the gang when I arrived because I demonstrated I would do things I knew were wrong without worrying about the damage to my career or the perception of my character.

My promotion to project manager moved me up the company “high potential” list but within a couple years I felt life in the fast lane made me a liability. Before I knew how to play office politics, unexpected face-to-face conversations and ad hoc meetings showed me to be a technician without good people skills.  By now my addictions controlled me and my decisions were fear-based. My sense of right and wrong was not about the best business solutions but more about the consequences I wanted to avoid. I protected myself at the expense of the company.

I was at corporate to present my pilot project which was critical to the division plan to deploy this software to all our manufacturing sites.  My new best friend invited me to lunch which I declined based on our drugging history.  The next thing I recall was sitting in his car in back of a Marriott so we could smoke his killer hash. I told him I couldn’t get high because I had an important presentation that would get me recognized for my innovative problem solving.  He passed me the hash pipe and without thinking it seemed natural for me to smoke it. I couldn’t help myself so I smoked with him, blew off the meeting and caught an early flight home. My boss ordered me to do the presentation the next day. I hated my inability to control my behavior.

On one house hunting trip to Connecticut our flight was repeatedly rescheduled so my wife and I got drunk and started to quarrel.  We were welcomed home by a raging snowstorm so I volunteered to wait for the heavy baggage while she went to find the car.  She tried to leave without me but the car was skidding on ice and snow. I threw the luggage in the back seat and jumped in before she drove through the exit toll without paying.

Within seconds she lost control sending the car over the curb on the exit road into a snow field, causing a flat tire. She opened the driver door and walked away.  After I changed the tire I noticed my knuckles were cut from trying to turn the lug nuts but it was too cold for them to bleed likewise my sweater was loaded with tiny ice balls. I was shaking from the wind gusts that chilled me to the bone.

The fallout from the trip was a nightmare that landed us into marriage counseling. But that did nothing in terms of reconciliation because my wife’s narcissism made it impossible.  It was time to leave for Ct. so we called a truce.

My drinking allowed me to do all the things I shouldn’t and drugs sucked me into a toxic lifestyle. The free fall to the bottom of my life was swift and I took up residence to begin a four year lease in my part of hell.

Next:    Part 2 of my story: What Happened to Me………The façade of my secret life spilled open as my addictions seeped into my business life.