I’m retired so I fill my days doing whatever I want. But I’m always interested in what other people would do if they had more free time.
I’d work more, since I have so little money that free time without additional income would dry up my money fast.
Work on a fedi project. Write more music. Travel a bit. Learn more languages.
Hell, I’d settle with just drinking coffee and watching my dog run around in the backyard.
Drink bourbon in a nice garden and listen to the radio. I’d probably write a lot more also
I’d travel more. I could never afford to leave the country of course but I’d like to see neighboring states or even just see more places in my own state. I want to know what it’s like to exist in the world before it’s gone.
I have done more traveling, but not out of the country. I have no desire to leave the country. We have plenty of beautiful things here in the US. But I live in such a beautiful state, I have the best views just outside my windows.
Sleep, exercise, catch up on chores (cleaning, organizing). I’m tired of being tired, achy, and messy.
This is honestly a scary question. My work and hobbies blend together. Outside of them I have zero idea what I would want to do. Sometimes that makes me feel really empty.
Actually that doesn’t seem empty to me at all. That’s great that you were able to blend the two! And it’s always easy to pick up another hobby.
That’s true :) Sometimes I just feel outside of my few hobbies, work, and family there is nothing else meaningful to do. Your question influenced me to think further! I don’t mean this in a depressed sense, just nothingness.
This hit a little too close for me. I felt this way when I was in the military. It’s important to remember to slow down for your own sake. Civilization is getting faster but I think the individuals need to take pauses to regroup and gather their thoughts.
I tend to go on walks in the woods or beach or some other nature backdrop. Find out what works for you, but sometimes just taking time to pause and look around is enough for your brain to workout problems behind the scenes.
Sorry you feel empty sometimes. I do too. I think that feeling is a natural response to the world we are living in. That’s why I need time to slow down.
Thanks for sharing your similar feelings and what you do. Walking in nature doesn’t make me feel not empty but it certainly is a more enjoyable way to feel that way! I agree with slowing down. I use too much tech
Spend lots of time gardening, reading, writing, and painting. Unfortunately, it seems like I’m going to have to spend the next forty years as a wage slave before I can enjoy that life
I have a fulltime job and still get to do my gardening, reading, writing and tinkering with machines like cars and computers, this last year 2024 I planted a pepper patch and now I got unlimited Thai, Habaneros and Chiltepin peppers…
Yeah, I was in a mood this morning. Seasonal depression is a doozy this time of year.
I’m actually planning to do some containers on my balcony this year. I do miss having an outdoor garden, though
so, what? half the work hours but at double the rate of pay so it comes out the same?
probably read more. cuz that’s free. i can’t afford to do much else.
I considered it more as you’re not working, you have a fixed income in this situation. Like a retired person.
Exactly.
Not quite what I meant. I just mean what if you had more free time, but not more cash. Sort of what you wanna do for free that you can’t do now because of time restraints.
I’ll edit to rephrase the question.
More photography
Sounds amazing. I work from home and manage my time as I see fit, working hours range from 2-12 depending on current load, so I’m totally on board with maximizing free time if I get my stuff sorted efficiently.
Guess if I cut it further, I would try to get more into gardening.
I tried gardening before, but I’m pretty terrible at it. But I only retired recently, so this spring, maybe I will give it another go.
I can tell you exactly what I do, because 25 years ago, I chose to forgo promotions at work and prioritize free time and quality of life over money:
I spend time with my family.
I do the things I want while I’m still young (or rather, while I was still young 🙂).
Generally leading a good life free of stress and drama.You were given only one life. You have a finite set of hours on this dirtball, and the countdown is running. Every extra hour you give to your employer in exchange for money is an hour you don’t spend with your loved ones, and you can’t buy it back. Retirement age is too late to enjoy your life.
Nobody goes to their graves thinking they should have worked more.
I can tell you exactly what I do, because 25 years ago, I chose to forgo promotions at work and prioritize free time and quality of life over money:
My hero! I just recently retired at 55 for same reason.
I’m the same age and I’ve been retired for 25 years 🙂
I have a job I really enjoy that I do a few hours a day, for the money sure, but also for fun. And then I enjoy a lot of extra hours doing the things I want.
It’s like retirement but with a few hours of fun stuff I gotta do every day, sure, but it’s still fun. When I retire for real, I just won’t do the few hours of fun no more.
I’m the same age and I’ve been retired for 25 years
I would have if I could have. But I had to wait until I hit the “20-years in” mark to be able to get my pension. It’s the lowest pension because I’m out early, but like you, I wanna enjoy stuff while I’m still fit and healthy.
My gf is 35, so she kinda sorta tried to talk me out of it. She’s fine with our age difference, but I think she got caught up in “OMG you’re getting a pension!” haha
After she noticed how much I mess around and do whatever I want now, she sorta changed her attitude. But I’ll be honest, she seems to be a little passive-aggressive. Maybe jealous of it?
Even tho she makes more money than I do, she seems a little bit resentful, so I dialed back the “Oh I just read this really good book all day” comments.
Not sure if our relationship will make it. But I don’t care. I have no regrets about retiring early. And now I get to fuck around on Lemmy all day too! haha
Contribute more to FOSS. Maybe start my own open source project.
Definitely more 3d model design.
I think about this a lot, I have no actual clue what I would do. I wish I had a proper hobby to put my time in. Right this moment I could take some form of second job, I’m hungry for moneyyy (to pay off mortgage)
Yes, pay off that mortgage. To be honest, the only reason I’m able to be retired at 55 is because I paid off my mortgage. If I hadn’t done that, then my pension wouldn’t really be enough to pay bills. But since now I have no bills, it works out.
Debt-free is the only way to be truly free in my opinion. Good on ya, mate!
nothing,
glorious nothing
Nothing, can be very glorious! I make sure to load that into my day every day.
Create a game. I’m already over the first obstacle which is knowing how to program. Being the only girl in my IT class, I’d create these little unfinished games as a hobby, save them to a flash drive and show them off to my IT teacher, who was very impressed and encouraged me to go into the game development industry. I’ve been wanting to create a full fledged game ever since! 😃
That’s awesome!
