Author Topic: How do you occupy your free time?  (Read 4315 times)

BmanG7

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How do you occupy your free time?
« on: April 30, 2018, 04:47:01 PM »
Hi, new user here. I'm curious how you all occupy your free time? Very open ended question. I work odd hours that frequently change so I never have a set amount of free time but am looking for how to fill those days where I have more than I know what to do with.

Cranky

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2018, 05:03:15 PM »
Read, garden, take walks, knit, sew, cook, volunteer work, political stuff, watch birds, play with cats, ditz around online...

Travis

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2018, 05:04:45 PM »
I play video games by myself or with my son, read a few pages from a book, or languish on discussion forums or YouTube.  When I'm finally dead tired and really bored  I'll find something useful to do like cleaning something when there's only five minutes left in the day.  I exercise, but since staying in shape is a job requirement I don't really call that a "free time" activity.

Get outside and do stuff. Don't be me.

DreamFIRE

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2018, 05:15:40 PM »
Somewhat related, here's a recent thread of what people plan to do when they FIRE:

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/what-do-you-plan-to-do-in-fire

sui generis

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2018, 09:50:29 PM »
I text bank for political causes and candidates.  There are literally a half dozen text banking opportunities on at any time (and will grow as the mid terms approach), and you can squeeze it in in as little as 15 minute increments basically any time except late at night.  Whether it makes a difference or not is yet to be studied (I like helping to create the data, though!) but you also get into some really interesting convos sometimes. There's nothing quite like it!

BookLoverL

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2018, 04:13:18 AM »
I'm self employed and effectively working part time right now, and here's what I generally do:

- read books, fiction and non-fiction
- go for walks in my local area
- garden
- go to some local groups such as a community choir and a pop-up cafe
- volunteer for a local charity
- try to teach myself new things, such as languages, gardening skills, random facts, whatever topic crosses my mind...
- read fanfiction
- watch superhero shows on my friend's Netflix
- do chores I didn't get time to do when I was busier
- write
- play piano or guitar
- philosophise
- basically everything

In fact, I have far too many things I want to do in my free time, and not enough time to do them at the relaxed pace I'd prefer - hence why I jumped on the concept of FIRE when I first heard about it.

OtherJen

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2018, 06:51:49 AM »
I’m also self-employed and work about 30 hours per week. I spend some of my free time on the following (in addition to a Netflix or Hulu show or two here and there):

Singing in a local choir
Volunteering with a hospice-related organization and local chapter of a nonpartisan political organization
Cooking and baking
Knitting (I’ve started making my own clothes)
Pet care
Reading (although not as much as I’d like because my paid work involves so much reading)
Helping husband with winemaking and food preservation (e.g., canning)

When I struck out on my own, I left a field in which regularly working 60+ hours per week for peanuts was considered a badge of honor; then I was lucky to make it to choir rehearsal once a week. So when deciding what to do with my new free time, I thought about the things I had enjoyed doing as a child; in other words, all the things I was told or expected to ditch once I left high school. It’s worked out very well so far.

deek

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2018, 08:28:59 AM »
Right now my free time is consumed by working out, fishing, golfing (soon), watching TV (currently focused on shows The Last OG with Tracy Morgan and Atlanta with Donald Glover. $5 movies at the theater on Tuesday nights (TODAYS THE DAY!) and using Instagram to grow my fishing accounts and making connections with people who love fishing. Also watching the NBA playoffs. This doesn't leave much time for a whole lot else, it's crazy just how little time we have in the grand scheme of things (if we aren't lucky enough to be really well off financially).

sol

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2018, 08:31:18 AM »
I need a little help here.  What exactly is "free" time?

BTDretire

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2018, 09:43:36 AM »
Spend too much time reading MMM, checking the stock market, reading emails and usenet posts.
Walk, take bike rides, listen to old time radio programs,, Have breakfast twice a week with a group of freinds.
Do electronic repairs and builds on my electronics bench.
Lately, I laid out out a pcb, etched the copper and soldered surface mount devices on the pcb. The smallest
part was 0.080" x 0.050"  It's an amp for my next antenna. Yep, I wore glasses plus an optivisor.

JLee

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2018, 09:46:02 AM »
Repairing/updating my apartment, working on cars, Netflix/etc, dance.

Travis

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2018, 10:11:17 AM »
I need a little help here.  What exactly is "free" time?

It's that freakish moment of uncertainty you have when not at your job, meals, sleep, or home maintenance. If your mind drifts while sitting on the toilet, that counts as free time too.

mm1970

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2018, 10:39:23 AM »
I need a little help here.  What exactly is "free" time?

ha ha ha, right?  My eldest is 12...I probably last had free time...12 years and 2 months ago.

Schaefer Light

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2018, 12:07:59 PM »
I'm trying to learn to be okay with doing absolutely nothing (for at least a little while).

Philociraptor

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2018, 12:42:29 PM »
Hmm. If free time is defined as time not sleeping, working, or eating, then food prep, lifting, reading, watching tv, drinking, sex... whatever I want to do.

GilbertB

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2018, 01:22:46 PM »
Building a house.

Ie, i wont be having "free time" for longer than some people get for murder.

EmFrugal

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2018, 01:39:46 PM »
Daily Exercise
Listen to FI podcasts while I exercise
Read books that will enhance my learning/quality of life (currently reading "A Guide to the Good Life" by William Irvine on Stoicism)
Read FI blogs
Study fitness and nutrition
Build my fitness business
Track our expenses/savings because I think it's fun

mak1277

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2018, 01:50:01 PM »
Hike
Fish
Read
Cook
trying to get my 3 month old to smile as many times a day as possible
watch baseball


skekses

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2018, 04:01:26 PM »
Exercise
Spend time with friends/family/dogs
Learn something (big fan of MOOCs)
Read
Do something in nature - gardenkill plants, hike, climb, etc.
Go downtown for an event, restaurant, listen to a lecture, etc.
Listen to a podcast (love Hidden Brain lately)
And for those times when the brain refuses to function any more, I might find a show or a movie to watch

Raenia

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Re: How do you occupy your free time?
« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2018, 06:12:43 PM »
Read
Cook
Take walks outside
Housework
Sewing
Hanging out/playing games with friends
Read more