How do you keep yourself busy without screens post FIRE?

[Jesse112]

41 year old dad here from the UK.

I've recently started working only once a month so basically "retired" and now that I've been online working on my business for the last 15 years I've lost my ability to do things that are offline which leaves me with spending all day online if the kids are at school or busy with activities.

I do gardening, go for walks occasionally and recently went to a cafe on my own which felt surreal but was nice.

I know it's a habit of many years and I miss the days life was mainly offline and not online. I love the internet so wouldn't want to give it up completely but reduce by a lot is what I'm looking to do.

I'm finding it hard to get out and do stuff even though whenever I do go out I feel much better afterwards.

Any tips, ideas or suggestions from the retirees on the forum?

Thanks!
MW

[Moustachienne]

It's a classic problem and you're not alone. You might want to check out some of the ideas in this recent discussion.
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/post-fire/tired-of-screens/

[lhamo]

Not sure if this exists in the UK, but here in the US many local library systems have free passes to local museums, gardens, etc.  I try to use them mostly in the winter/on weekdays (when they also are easier to get) so that people with kids and less flexible schedules have easier access during peak demand times (weekends, school holiday periods).

Our libraries also have a host of other free activities -- book clubs/talks, craft classes, all kinds of things, really.  A few of the bigger branches have makerspaces with lots of cool gear.

Volunteering is one of my other main activities.  I have put in over 100 hours at my community garden this season.  I also volunteer with some other big gardening/environmental orgs on a more one-off basis.  One of them has regular work parties that are pretty easy to fit into a flexible schedule.

We also have pretty active biking and climbing focused orgs here in Seattle.  I haven't found the need to join those, but they are on my list of potential places to explore.

One other thing I have thought about doing is to explore different trails and parks in different parts of my city and focus on getting there by public transit.  Takes a bit longer to get to places compared to driving, but that helps kill time.

[ixtap]

Yoga.

Social dancing (contra, swing and blues, mostly, but I took a salsa class recently).

I use my bike to get groceries. This takes longer than driving and I have to go more often.

At one point I did a lot of volunteering, but now I travel more and can't make the same commitments.

Not sure if sailing counts, as we have a chartplotter at the helm. I often have my phone with me when paddle boarding, as I like to take pictures.

I will say, a big part of why I am on the forums as much as I am is waiting for other people. If I read a good book while waiting, I am more annoyed by putting it aside once the other person is ready. Forum posts tend to be short enough to finish off in a few seconds.

[BECABECA]

Somewhere on this forum over the years someone had mentioned building a Get A Life Tree. Here’s a link that explains it.
https://livingafi.com/2015/03/09/building-a-vision-of-life-without-work/

I found it quite helpful in cultivating more active things to do for fun and finding more local socialization and community.

[Morning Glory]

If you are more of an introvert you could look for analog versions of the things you do on screens, such as print versions of newspapers and periodicals. Silent book clubs seem to be pretty widespread too, where you meet up with other introverts and read quietly for an hour, then have optional discussion time at the end. If you enjoy company you could try some sort of fitness class or a board game cafe although the latter may not be open during school hours.

[Jesse112]

It's a classic problem and you're not alone. You might want to check out some of the ideas in this recent discussion.
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/post-fire/tired-of-screens/

Thanks for this @Moustachienne

[Jesse112]

Not sure if this exists in the UK, but here in the US many local library systems have free passes to local museums, gardens, etc.  I try to use them mostly in the winter/on weekdays (when they also are easier to get) so that people with kids and less flexible schedules have easier access during peak demand times (weekends, school holiday periods).

Our libraries also have a host of other free activities -- book clubs/talks, craft classes, all kinds of things, really.  A few of the bigger branches have makerspaces with lots of cool gear.

Volunteering is one of my other main activities.  I have put in over 100 hours at my community garden this season.  I also volunteer with some other big gardening/environmental orgs on a more one-off basis.  One of them has regular work parties that are pretty easy to fit into a flexible schedule.

We also have pretty active biking and climbing focused orgs here in Seattle.  I haven't found the need to join those, but they are on my list of potential places to explore.

One other thing I have thought about doing is to explore different trails and parks in different parts of my city and focus on getting there by public transit.  Takes a bit longer to get to places compared to driving, but that helps kill time.

Hey @lhamo all of these are really great suggestions. I'm going to try to get back into cycling. I have a bike that's been covered in my garden for over a year now unused and sad looking but it's a great bike.

It gave me an idea to try and get a spot in our local allotment. Not sure if it's a thing in the US but here people can get a small plot to plant whatever you want. It's usually limited and very popular but I think it can be a good way to get out of the house.

It's not easy for me to go volunteer and put myself out there, even though I love helping other people I feel like I'm still not ready.

[Jesse112]

Thanks @ixtap completely understand the idea of checking into the forum when waiting for people. I've noticed this forum isn't mobile friendly which looks funny on my phone. Have you found a way around this issue?

Thanks @BECABECA looking into your link now :)

@Morning Glory I will look into local book clubs.

All great suggestions. I liked the idea of taking a bus places and visiting some local places alone or with my wife when the kids are at school. My son is 3 years old and he goes once a week to preschool for 3 hours and has someone taking care of him Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 6 hours a day so we have some slots which are free to do stuff together.

[Moonwaves]

For me, reading would be the big thing to do. In fact, it is, and even though I'm not retired, it's something I'm trying really hard to do at the moment. I like reading. I love reading. And yet for several of the last few years have read only two or three books. I did figure out that part of the problem is that I just don't connect to books in the same way on the kindle and so I've gone back to paper and it's made such a difference.

Regular at least month-long breaks from various social media sites is also pretty necessary, I've found. I don't even use half of what many do but instagram was sucking way too much of my time. Funny how I've manged to read loads since I uninstalled it. Who would've thunk it?

You should also check out PhilB's journal for lots of ideas on things to do on a day/half-day out and about with your wife. You'll find your own things, obviously, but their days generally sound delightful. As do lots of other FIREd people's journals, come to think of it. There must be something to the whole idea of FIRE after all.

[ixtap]

Thanks @ixtap completely understand the idea of checking into the forum when waiting for people. I've noticed this forum isn't mobile friendly which looks funny on my phone. Have you found a way around this issue?

Thanks @BECABECA looking into your link now :)

@Morning Glory I will look into local book clubs.

All great suggestions. I liked the idea of taking a bus places and visiting some local places alone or with my wife when the kids are at school. My son is 3 years old and he goes once a week to preschool for 3 hours and has someone taking care of him Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 6 hours a day so we have some slots which are free to do stuff together.

I guess I am just used to mobile. Even at home I tend to use my phone, rather than my laptop for forum browsing.

[PhilB]

For me, reading would be the big thing to do. In fact, it is, and even though I'm not retired, it's something I'm trying really hard to do at the moment. I like reading. I love reading. And yet for several of the last few years have read only two or three books. I did figure out that part of the problem is that I just don't connect to books in the same way on the kindle and so I've gone back to paper and it's made such a difference.

Regular at least month-long breaks from various social media sites is also pretty necessary, I've found. I don't even use half of what many do but instagram was sucking way too much of my time. Funny how I've manged to read loads since I uninstalled it. Who would've thunk it?

You should also check out PhilB's journal for lots of ideas on things to do on a day/half-day out and about with your wife. You'll find your own things, obviously, but their days generally sound delightful. As do lots of other FIREd people's journals, come to think of it. There must be something to the whole idea of FIRE after all.

That's very kind of you to say so Moonwaves :)

There haven't been many outings to post about lately, with the kids being home and me getting hooked on climbing, but when they were in school MrsB and I tried to have at least one outing every week.  One thing I would really recommend is putting in a little bit of effort to learn things about your environment. That way you get so much more from an outing.  Going round a garden is much more fun once you know the names of a few plants.  Learning a bit about architecture suddenly makes wandering around a new town much more interesting.  Being able to identify a few birds and trees makes a walk in the country much more fun. 

[Loren Ver]

A lot of what I'd recommend depends on what you'd like, how much time and energy you want to invest, and what you find interesting.  Since you haven't given any guardrails here is a random smattering of what I or the people around me do/have done.  We are all kinda of people so maybe something will strike your fancy.

-  when DH retired DH taught himself to weld because he wanted our yard to have big metal dinosaurs in it.  He was a lab tech so this was very new.  Now, years later, our yard is full of all kinds of wonderful art and every year his skill improves.

- a friend gets together with his family to make port pillows for people with cancer so they can wear their seatbelts in comfort.  They are small, simple and easy to make.  It is a big social even (big family), an excuse to get together and do something good.

-a friend goes to visit a public art display in the city every week.  Big or small, find something new and go check it out.

-  DH and I do a version of visiting art, but we only visit silly things - upright cars , largest ball of paint, houses that look like castles etc. 

- DH and I like to visit little libraries.  We have one, but we are always on the lookout for unique designs or improvements.

-a friend of mine hosts crafting circles at her house.  Bring a project, work on project, get help and share.

-  I run a table top game and have for a long time, a fun way to spend time with old friends and make new ones.  Many gaming stores run games.

- I've built large costumes and sets out of cheap easy to find materials and even done conventions and competitioms.  I've also taught others how to do this.

-a lot of types of volunteering, it comes.itnso.mamy flavors,.it's amazing

- I've grown historical sourdough starters you can order from historical societies.

- one of our neighbors does blacksmithing - we live in the suburbs so that is really strange

- Mother in law has taken up bird watching, especially locally.  Her state parks have a lot of free programs about local.birds and will do bird walks.

- mother in law is rocking her local parks, they also had a snow shoeing class so she took that last year and at the age of 72 learned to snow shoe.

- I went through a phase where wanted to find new recipes that were good enough to add to the regular rotation.  It took some doing, but I got some good ones that now get made a lot. 

And on and on and on.  We have access to so many resources, it might be there are so many choices, picking one to go with is big.

Loren

[LightTripper]

I also found the idea of volunteering pretty scary, but the reality has been much less so.  I help out at the local church (even though I'm not at all religious) with their "warm Wednesdays" twice a month.  It's really flexible (I don't volunteer during school holidays, for example) and I feel like it's good for me to get out of the house and talk to people I wouldn't usually meet.  Everyone is nice and it helps me feel more connected in my local community.

Having said that, I was lucky I was just going part time when these things all started up, and it somehow felt easier to volunteer for a "new" thing than something well established where I would worry everyone would already know each other.  But there are lots of volunteering things you can do as "one-offs" that are less social.  E.g. I see occasional organised litter-picks in our local rivers and parks, or there is a small local group who take litter out of the canal and build plant-banks along the canal for birds/wildlife and I've always fancied giving them a hand (though not got around to actually making it happen yet - so I do sympathise with you feeling it's too much!)

None of these things require regular commitment - you just give what you can - and all of them you could just try once and if it's not for you that's fine.  Long term I've always liked the idea of doing something like Samaritans, but because of the training involved there it really does require a commitment, so I think I need to wait for the kids to be bigger and life to be a bit quieter and more predictable before I try that.

[2sk22]

By "screens" I think you mean the passive consumption of media. The problem is not with the screen as such but rather with passivity.

You can be active on screens - In my case I really enjoy programming and spend a few hours every day reading papers and writing code. Also, since I want to get a 3D printer, I recently started learning CAD - we were still using T-squares when I was in engineering school in the 1980s.

Regarding mingling with others, you don't necessarily have to go in for conventional "volunteering". There are are many other kinds of hobby and craft related groups you can join.  I joined a model train club a couple of years ago and it has been worth it, even though it can be aggravating at times. I enjoy teaching the other members about electronics and computers.

[Moonwaves]

Regarding mingling with others, you don't necessarily have to go in for conventional "volunteering". There are are many other kinds of hobby and craft related groups you can join.  I joined a model train club a couple of years ago and it has been worth it, even though it can be aggravating at times. I enjoy teaching the other members about electronics and computers.

To keep the bolded part within reasonable bounds, never, ever join the committee. :-)

[2sk22]

Regarding mingling with others, you don't necessarily have to go in for conventional "volunteering". There are are many other kinds of hobby and craft related groups you can join.  I joined a model train club a couple of years ago and it has been worth it, even though it can be aggravating at times. I enjoy teaching the other members about electronics and computers.

To keep the bolded part within reasonable bounds, never, ever join the committee. :-)

So true - working on club projects is fun and I am willing to take on even the hardest and dirtiest jobs but don't ever plan to be on any committee :-)

[Fru-Gal]

You can be active on screens

Amen! There’s a lot of gold in this thread!

The tools we have access to now are mind-blowingly powerful. But we also have access to ways to control/curate them that we never before had.

This too will only grow more powerful, so that you will be able to have an AI butler or coach (or babysitter) who knows what you want/like/need and motivates you/entertains you/tells you to stop watching and start doing.

Of course you can also program this kind of agent now.

[GuitarStv]

Learning to play an instrument can reliably take up a couple hours a day.  Being physically involved in sports can eat up a similar amount of time.  Longer distance cycling can easily eat up good chunks of a day too . . . it's not hard to work your way up to 12-14 hrs a week in the saddle.

[jrhampt]

Yes, sports and other physical activity can take up a huge amount of time, in a good way.  Between running, biking, hiking, kayaking, sailing, pickleball, yoga, group fitness classes at the Y (some are very social and some are solitary), checking out stuff at my library and reading on the porch, and meeting friends for trivia/hanging out at the beach, there is so much to do.  I like starting with a weekly schedule of fitness classes and/or rec center activities like pickleball because those are at set times and add structure and social activity to the day (although I am not yet retired).

[curious_george]

If you get really bored you can have four children then put them all in activities. That will keep you busy for a long time.

[Turtle]

Not sure if this exists in the UK, but here in the US many local library systems have free passes to local museums, gardens, etc.  I try to use them mostly in the winter/on weekdays (when they also are easier to get) so that people with kids and less flexible schedules have easier access during peak demand times (weekends, school holiday periods).

Our libraries also have a host of other free activities -- book clubs/talks, craft classes, all kinds of things, really.  A few of the bigger branches have makerspaces with lots of cool gear.

Volunteering is one of my other main activities.  I have put in over 100 hours at my community garden this season.  I also volunteer with some other big gardening/environmental orgs on a more one-off basis.  One of them has regular work parties that are pretty easy to fit into a flexible schedule.

We also have pretty active biking and climbing focused orgs here in Seattle.  I haven't found the need to join those, but they are on my list of potential places to explore.

One other thing I have thought about doing is to explore different trails and parks in different parts of my city and focus on getting there by public transit.  Takes a bit longer to get to places compared to driving, but that helps kill time.

Hey @lhamo all of these are really great suggestions. I'm going to try to get back into cycling. I have a bike that's been covered in my garden for over a year now unused and sad looking but it's a great bike.

It gave me an idea to try and get a spot in our local allotment. Not sure if it's a thing in the US but here people can get a small plot to plant whatever you want. It's usually limited and very popular but I think it can be a good way to get out of the house.

It's not easy for me to go volunteer and put myself out there, even though I love helping other people I feel like I'm still not ready.

My understanding of the allotment system is that it would be best to at least get yourself on the waiting list if your local one has such a thing.  I’ve seen a few similar schemes in the US, but not often.  My parents actually had an unofficial “share cropper” here at one point.  The house they lived in at the time had an extra half acre at the back of the lot which wasn’t functional for much else, and my mom had a coworker who lived in the city but wanted to grow food.  So whenever there was produce to be harvested, my parents would find some on their back porch and that was the “payment”

[beekayworld]

Yoga
Dance
Housework while listening to audiobooks
Meditation
Cooking while listening to podcasts
Playing with grandchildren
Lunch with friends
Book Club/Woman's Club/Social Club (has walks/movies/card games/dominos/excursions/potlucks)
Reading
Watching tv
Edit: I forgot sewing and thrift store visits. These are often paired as I buy things that I can modify.  Some people buy things at thrift stores and sell them. I see people in there scanning books to get values.

[spartana]

I'm been pretty much screenless since I FIREd years ago - and had an outdoor job so didn't use screens when working either except to write dreaded government reports. That includes no TV or computer, laptop, tablet or home internet. All I have is a phone and some data which I use fairly sparingly and often go on long internet and screen fasts. I really enjoy it compared to the times in my life I've had access to everything. It's very freeing to be unhooked a good part of the day(s) and the amount of free time I can devote to other more enjoyable things is huge.

As for what I do, well it doesn't really matter since they are specific to me (mostly athletic and outdoor recreation stuff) but I'm sure you can think if a million things you're interested in trying and this is a golden opportunity to try them all! IF you can unglue your eyes from a screen and your butt from a chair ;-). Hard to do but trying a total internet fast might get the ball rolling. I don't have kids so my time is pretty free anyways but in your case you'll have to structure your activities around them.

So ask yourself  what would you do if there were no screens? No computers, no internet, no TVs, no media beyond print? How would you spend your time? What excites you? There really is a whole world out there to become a part of and many things to do once you can unplug for a bit.

[Jesse112]

Thanks @beekayworld for the extensive list - there are some good ideas in there :)

@Turtle just checked and there's a 2-3 wait for our local allotment!! I think I'll sign up and in 2-3 years start growing stuff there haha

@TreeLeaf you are totally right. We have 2 and they are a handful when they're not at school! My son just started going to preschool once a week for only 3 hours so that keeps me super busy but I feel like I need more adult socializing.

@GuitarStv I just recently got a new electronic drumset - used and for a third of the price and have been playing an hour a day with some drumless tracks. Really fun and also gives me a great cardio workout at the same time!

@jrhampt Yes, am doing pilates once a week and want to increase to twice per week and also do lots of walks but I think it could be a good idea to get into a fitness class or group to meet more people.

@2sk22 I agree about the passivity. My problem is that I go into work mode once I'm on the computer so I try to get away as much as I can. Lately I've been on the forum and started a journal here as well so have been learning and connecting with people here which is nice. I also want to get back to creating music on my computer so I have more active things to do on it.

@Loren Ver I think you have mastered the art of living outside of tech which is inspiring. Thanks for all your ideas and comments!

@spartana I'm jealous!!! It would be great to connect via DM here if you're happy to (although I wouldn't want to waste your data!). I'm really fascinated of people that have no computer or laptop or home internet. I've grown up with internet being born in the 80's I still remember the immense excitement of going online in 1995 and have been online almost non stop since then. I had a few years where I was so busy and not working online that I hardly used a computer but since 2009 I've been working online so it feels like another part of my body. How do you feel being disconnected? Do you feel more alive and more connected without the steam of internet and media in your life?

Thanks everyone for your comments. If I have any updates I'll add them here and on my journal which I should add a link to somewhere so people can find it.

I want to get back to biking and start going for nature walks. I live in the cotswolds but have never went on a walk on my own in the many, many wooded areas and villages around. Maybe I'll go for a drive on my own or with my partner to some local villages and walks in the woods.

I've lived in cities my entire life so have a bit of a weird nature phobia when I'm alone but do love it.

[tj]

I'm been pretty much screenless since I FIREd years ago - and had an outdoor job so didn't use screens when working either except to write dreaded government reports. That includes no TV or computer, laptop, tablet or home internet. All I have is a phone and some data which I use fairly sparingly and often go on long internet and screen fasts. I really enjoy it compared to the times in my life I've had access to everything. It's very freeing to be unhooked a good part of the day(s) and the amount of free time I can devote to other more enjoyable things is huge.

As for what I do, well it doesn't really matter since they are specific to me (mostly athletic and outdoor recreation stuff) but I'm sure you can think if a million things you're interested in trying and this is a golden opportunity to try them all! IF you can unglue your eyes from a screen and your butt from a chair ;-). Hard to do but trying a total internet fast might get the ball rolling. I don't have kids so my time is pretty free anyways but in your case you'll have to structure your activities around them.

So ask yourself  what would you do if there were no screens? No computers, no internet, no TVs, no media beyond print? How would you spend your time? What excites you? There really is a whole world out there to become a part of and many things to do once you can unplug for a bit.

That's so impressive! Does that mean you write out all your posts here on a cell phone?!? I don't think my thumbs would enjoy that. :D

[FINate]

A few years ago I deleted all my social media accounts. Best thing I ever did, don't miss these one bit. And I no longer use YouTube and instead use the FreeTube open source client which keeps me from being sucked in to the algorithm.

What I fill my time with instead: family, being with friends, church, volunteering, gardening, mountain biking, fly fishing, backpacking, camping, whitewater rafting, skiing, snowshoeing, reading, podcasts.

I still spend a decent chuck of time online, but this feels more like it's on my terms. Things I want to do like researching new skis or learning a new skill, or wasting time on these forums.

[SYNACK]

I don't think of it as 'limiting' screen time. I'm an engineer. I think like one. And I love to code for fun. I'm also the family's tech support and like to play with tech. However it can consume a lot of my time. So instead of limiting it I like to add other things to do which naturally would reduce my screen time. There's only so much time in the day. For example, I just came back from a bike ride. It was nice and sunny outside and it was a glorious bike ride. Also I'm making dinner. And I'm about to go camping next week for few days then traveling overseas for the rest of the fall season. Not much time there for screens. I will use it once in a while but I got other stuff going on.

I approach other things in life in the same way. Like the conscious space in my head. If too much of it is idle it tends to fill up with thoughts I may not like... so I need to find a ways to occupy that space. Like coding. (slow traveling seems to have a great effect there too)

[spartana]

I'm been pretty much screenless since I FIREd years ago - and had an outdoor job so didn't use screens when working either except to write dreaded government reports. That includes no TV or computer, laptop, tablet or home internet. All I have is a phone and some data which I use fairly sparingly and often go on long internet and screen fasts. I really enjoy it compared to the times in my life I've had access to everything. It's very freeing to be unhooked a good part of the day(s) and the amount of free time I can devote to other more enjoyable things is huge.

As for what I do, well it doesn't really matter since they are specific to me (mostly athletic and outdoor recreation stuff) but I'm sure you can think if a million things you're interested in trying and this is a golden opportunity to try them all! IF you can unglue your eyes from a screen and your butt from a chair ;-). Hard to do but trying a total internet fast might get the ball rolling. I don't have kids so my time is pretty free anyways but in your case you'll have to structure your activities around them.

So ask yourself  what would you do if there were no screens? No computers, no internet, no TVs, no media beyond print? How would you spend your time? What excites you? There really is a whole world out there to become a part of and many things to do once you can unplug for a bit.

That's so impressive! Does that mean you write out all your posts here on a cell phone?!? I don't think my thumbs would enjoy that. :D

Yeah just my small phone. No thumbs (single index finger) but lots of typos! Thus my endless edits. I don't do social media anymore and just do a quickie on MMM these days otherwise I really like being off line and, for the most part, screenless. Most activities I take part in are via text so doesn't impact my social life much. SO isn't much for online activities either so he also just uses a phone.

ETA ( haha) We do have a TV but only antenna so not much to watch. Use it to watch network news or binge watch DVDs - free from local library. They also have computers that I've used in the past pre-covid but I have the awesome HB library then which was in a park so after my morning run or bike ride I'd stop in there. Or just sit in the park or the beach afterwards and use my phone.

[spartana]

@Mr.Worf I don't feel disconnected at all. Quite the opposite in that I feel much more engaged in life then I do if spending my time alone staring at a screen for long periods of time. I find most screen activities highly addictive so get sucked in easily. That's probably not the case for most people but I'm sure others have that problem. And to be honest most stuff I look at online just isn't as interesting as actually participating in things for me. I FIREd youngish to DO stuff and once the lure of the screens got me I knew I had to unplug or I'd look back on this "gift" of FIRE regret the wasted hours sitting passively and watching rather than doing.

[tj]

I'm been pretty much screenless since I FIREd years ago - and had an outdoor job so didn't use screens when working either except to write dreaded government reports. That includes no TV or computer, laptop, tablet or home internet. All I have is a phone and some data which I use fairly sparingly and often go on long internet and screen fasts. I really enjoy it compared to the times in my life I've had access to everything. It's very freeing to be unhooked a good part of the day(s) and the amount of free time I can devote to other more enjoyable things is huge.

As for what I do, well it doesn't really matter since they are specific to me (mostly athletic and outdoor recreation stuff) but I'm sure you can think if a million things you're interested in trying and this is a golden opportunity to try them all! IF you can unglue your eyes from a screen and your butt from a chair ;-). Hard to do but trying a total internet fast might get the ball rolling. I don't have kids so my time is pretty free anyways but in your case you'll have to structure your activities around them.

So ask yourself  what would you do if there were no screens? No computers, no internet, no TVs, no media beyond print? How would you spend your time? What excites you? There really is a whole world out there to become a part of and many things to do once you can unplug for a bit.

That's so impressive! Does that mean you write out all your posts here on a cell phone?!? I don't think my thumbs would enjoy that. :D

Yeah just my small phone. No thumbs (single index finger) but lots of typos! Thus my endless edits. I don't do social media anymore and just do a quickie on MMM these days otherwise I really like being off line and, for the most part, screenless. Most activities I take part in are via text so doesn't impact my social life much. SO isn't much for online activities either so he also just uses a phone.

ETA ( haha) We do have a TV but only antenna so not much to watch. Use it to watch network news or binge watch DVDs - free from local library. They also have computers that I've used in the past pre-covid but I have the awesome HB library then which was in a park so after my morning run or bike ride I'd stop in there. Or just sit in the park or the beach afterwards and use my phone.

There's actually a ton of stuff on antenna in large metro areas, but it would be just as much of a time suck (plus commercials) vs other screens.

Do you have like a flash drive or external hard drive to print stuff out the library? Going computer-less sounds intriguing, but I have over 20 years of data including a music collection. :D

[spartana]

I'm been pretty much screenless since I FIREd years ago - and had an outdoor job so didn't use screens when working either except to write dreaded government reports. That includes no TV or computer, laptop, tablet or home internet. All I have is a phone and some data which I use fairly sparingly and often go on long internet and screen fasts. I really enjoy it compared to the times in my life I've had access to everything. It's very freeing to be unhooked a good part of the day(s) and the amount of free time I can devote to other more enjoyable things is huge.

As for what I do, well it doesn't really matter since they are specific to me (mostly athletic and outdoor recreation stuff) but I'm sure you can think if a million things you're interested in trying and this is a golden opportunity to try them all! IF you can unglue your eyes from a screen and your butt from a chair ;-). Hard to do but trying a total internet fast might get the ball rolling. I don't have kids so my time is pretty free anyways but in your case you'll have to structure your activities around them.

So ask yourself  what would you do if there were no screens? No computers, no internet, no TVs, no media beyond print? How would you spend your time? What excites you? There really is a whole world out there to become a part of and many things to do once you can unplug for a bit.

That's so impressive! Does that mean you write out all your posts here on a cell phone?!? I don't think my thumbs would enjoy that. :D

Yeah just my small phone. No thumbs (single index finger) but lots of typos! Thus my endless edits. I don't do social media anymore and just do a quickie on MMM these days otherwise I really like being off line and, for the most part, screenless. Most activities I take part in are via text so doesn't impact my social life much. SO isn't much for online activities either so he also just uses a phone.

ETA ( haha) We do have a TV but only antenna so not much to watch. Use it to watch network news or binge watch DVDs - free from local library. They also have computers that I've used in the past pre-covid but I have the awesome HB library then which was in a park so after my morning run or bike ride I'd stop in there. Or just sit in the park or the beach afterwards and use my phone.

There's actually a ton of stuff on antenna in large metro areas, but it would be just as much of a time suck (plus commercials) vs other screens.

Do you have like a flash drive or external hard drive to print stuff out the library? Going computer-less sounds intriguing, but I have over 20 years of data including a music collection. :D

I don't like tv much so it's less of a pull for me. Can watch a small amount - maybe a half hour - then turn it off. I almost never print things and don't "collect" anything so maybe need to print something a couple of times a year if that. I Just down load stuff to my phone (like my taxes) and do anything off that. I don't listen to music because I'm mostly deaf since age 30 but crank it up if alone in a car. Not that I HAVE a car but you get the idea. 

ETA: Back when I did have a laptop (pre-smart phone days) and scanner (but no home internet) I scanned tons of old photos and some documents to save on flash drives (or whatever they are called now) so that was helpful. Now I just do most things via phone and if I need hard copies of something I just email it to myself and print it out at a friend's or the library. I think I've done that once in the last couple of years.

[Jesse112]

@Mr.Worf I don't feel disconnected at all. Quite the opposite in that I feel much more engaged in life then I do if spending my time alone staring at a screen for long periods of time. I find most screen activities highly addictive so get sucked in easily. That's probably not the case for most people but I'm sure others have that problem. And to be honest most stuff I look at online just isn't as interesting as actually participating in things for me. I FIREd youngish to DO stuff and once the lure of the screens got me I knew I had to unplug or I'd look back on this "gift" of FIRE regret the wasted hours sitting passively and watching rather than doing.

@spartana how long have you been retired? You said you were quite young which is interesting. Did you go for a sort of early retirement extreme style of retiring?

I'm feeling inspired after reading your posts. I think this is what I imagined when fantasizing about FIRE but now that I'm almost there (working 1-2 days a month) I do feel like I need to rebuild my life from scratch doing all the things I'd thought I'd do but actually never have done before I stopped working.

I think it's hard to start living your dream life while you're already working and then when you stop you need to stop creating that dream life brick by brick till there's a feeling of contentment.

Thanks for your input here :)

[spartana]

@Mr.Worf I don't feel disconnected at all. Quite the opposite in that I feel much more engaged in life then I do if spending my time alone staring at a screen for long periods of time. I find most screen activities highly addictive so get sucked in easily. That's probably not the case for most people but I'm sure others have that problem. And to be honest most stuff I look at online just isn't as interesting as actually participating in things for me. I FIREd youngish to DO stuff and once the lure of the screens got me I knew I had to unplug or I'd look back on this "gift" of FIRE regret the wasted hours sitting passively and watching rather than doing.

@spartana how long have you been retired? You said you were quite young which is interesting. Did you go for a sort of early retirement extreme style of retiring?

I'm feeling inspired after reading your posts. I think this is what I imagined when fantasizing about FIRE but now that I'm almost there (working 1-2 days a month) I do feel like I need to rebuild my life from scratch doing all the things I'd thought I'd do but actually never have done before I stopped working.

I think it's hard to start living your dream life while you're already working and then when you stop you need to stop creating that dream life brick by brick till there's a feeling of contentment.

Thanks for your input here :)

Not very young by MMM standards but fairly youngish. I've been retired for over 20 years now. I quit my job at 36, took a couple years off to do a bunch of (fun and interesting to me) stuff,  then worked a bit for couple years at my old job then quit forever! I wasn't ERE-style FIRE but I was somewhat lean FIRE when I first quit knowing that I'd eventually sell my paid off house in a HCOL area and downsize freeing up more money for the stash as well as get a small government penson from my job once I was 50.

 I'm not fat FIRE and I'm not a big spender but pretty comfortably chubby FIRE.   While I haven't been screenless all of that time I've been off and on thru out the years. I like the off best but of course it's pretty difficult to do now so a cheap smart phone generally works for me and doesn't tie me to my home or being indoors all the time.

[tj]

@Mr.Worf I don't feel disconnected at all. Quite the opposite in that I feel much more engaged in life then I do if spending my time alone staring at a screen for long periods of time. I find most screen activities highly addictive so get sucked in easily. That's probably not the case for most people but I'm sure others have that problem. And to be honest most stuff I look at online just isn't as interesting as actually participating in things for me. I FIREd youngish to DO stuff and once the lure of the screens got me I knew I had to unplug or I'd look back on this "gift" of FIRE regret the wasted hours sitting passively and watching rather than doing.

@spartana how long have you been retired? You said you were quite young which is interesting. Did you go for a sort of early retirement extreme style of retiring?

I'm feeling inspired after reading your posts. I think this is what I imagined when fantasizing about FIRE but now that I'm almost there (working 1-2 days a month) I do feel like I need to rebuild my life from scratch doing all the things I'd thought I'd do but actually never have done before I stopped working.

I think it's hard to start living your dream life while you're already working and then when you stop you need to stop creating that dream life brick by brick till there's a feeling of contentment.

Thanks for your input here :)

Not very young by MMM standards but fairly youngish. I've been retired for over 20 years now. I quit my job at 36, took a couple years off to do a bunch of (fun and interesting to me) stuff,  then worked a bit for couple years at my old job then quit forever! I wasn't ERE-style FIRE but I was somewhat lean FIRE when I first quit knowing that I'd eventually sell my paid off house in a HCOL area and downsize freeing up more money for the stash as well as get a small government penson from my job once I was 50.

 I'm not fat FIRE and I'm not a big spender but pretty comfortably chubby FIRE.   While I haven't been screenless all of that time I've been off and on thru out the years. I like the off best but of course it's pretty difficult to do now so a cheap smart phone generally works for me and doesn't tie me to my home or being indoors all the time.

I'm not even sure what lean, regular, chubby and fat even means anymore in the context of FIRE. :D

[spartana]

@Mr.Worf I don't feel disconnected at all. Quite the opposite in that I feel much more engaged in life then I do if spending my time alone staring at a screen for long periods of time. I find most screen activities highly addictive so get sucked in easily. That's probably not the case for most people but I'm sure others have that problem. And to be honest most stuff I look at online just isn't as interesting as actually participating in things for me. I FIREd youngish to DO stuff and once the lure of the screens got me I knew I had to unplug or I'd look back on this "gift" of FIRE regret the wasted hours sitting passively and watching rather than doing.

@spartana how long have you been retired? You said you were quite young which is interesting. Did you go for a sort of early retirement extreme style of retiring?

I'm feeling inspired after reading your posts. I think this is what I imagined when fantasizing about FIRE but now that I'm almost there (working 1-2 days a month) I do feel like I need to rebuild my life from scratch doing all the things I'd thought I'd do but actually never have done before I stopped working.

I think it's hard to start living your dream life while you're already working and then when you stop you need to stop creating that dream life brick by brick till there's a feeling of contentment.

Thanks for your input here :)

Not very young by MMM standards but fairly youngish. I've been retired for over 20 years now. I quit my job at 36, took a couple years off to do a bunch of (fun and interesting to me) stuff,  then worked a bit for couple years at my old job then quit forever! I wasn't ERE-style FIRE but I was somewhat lean FIRE when I first quit knowing that I'd eventually sell my paid off house in a HCOL area and downsize freeing up more money for the stash as well as get a small government penson from my job once I was 50.

 I'm not fat FIRE and I'm not a big spender but pretty comfortably chubby FIRE.   While I haven't been screenless all of that time I've been off and on thru out the years. I like the off best but of course it's pretty difficult to do now so a cheap smart phone generally works for me and doesn't tie me to my home or being indoors all the time.

I'm not even sure what lean, regular, chubby and fat even means anymore in the context of FIRE. :D

LOL true. There was a thread here about it and I was kind of shocked at some of the various descriptions of each. I have my own interpretation but I don't think others would agree.

Lean: You have enough to cover all your planned  basic expenses for your chosen lifestyle to cover food, housing, medical, taxes, etc without having to work but not much extra. If a big expense happens or a market down turn you may have to go back to work or start taking from your principal.

FIRE: You have enough to cover all your planned basic expenses for your chosen lifestyle AND all your reasonable "wants" with enough to ride out most big expenses or long market down turn by temporarily cutting some of those want out for a bit. Probably will never have to work again.

Fat: You can cover all your needs, wants and most reasonalble luxuries without any problems without having to really worry much about a big unexpected expense or a market down turn.

Chubby would probably be inbetween regular fire and fat FIRE. You watch your WR but can spend more if wanted without much issue.

[BlueHouse]

I need to do things with my hands.  Here are a few things I do often or just once in a while:

-Painting
-Sculpting
-Drawing
-Journaling
-Sewing  (Haven't learned to like this yet, but it does save some things from the trash heap)
-Baking Bread (I never thought I would like this, but I do)
-Learned Rubik's cube and many
-Bar puzzles (the big metal clunky ones)
-Tangrams
-Jigsaw puzzles - these are good when you want to listen to podcasts or audio books. 
-Learning how to make knots.  (this seems super weird for me, but it's surprisingly fun, especially because after I learn a knot, I paint it into a journal with the steps to make the knot.)
-Making candy (this is a good one for Halloween, and so easy...I just make pretzels covered in chocolate, sometimes in molds and sometimes freeform)

BTW, puzzles are great because then you can impress your kids when they get home from school and challenge them!  I held an Olympics Party and used Tangrams and Bar Puzzles as the main events (as well as hula hoop and balance games). 

[Loren Ver]

@BlueHouse I totally envy your ability to do jigsaw puzzles and listen to audiobooks.  If I work on a puzzle that is all I can do unless it is a mindless part like flipping over the pieces or putting all the blue sky pieces together.  That's why I only do one once every 10 years or so, too much concentration time and space.  If i am going to be concentrating that hard on something, it ends up framed like a cross stitch or worn like clothes. 

Loren - an older model with apparently less RAM

[BlueHouse]

@BlueHouse I totally envy your ability to do jigsaw puzzles and listen to audiobooks.  If I work on a puzzle that is all I can do unless it is a mindless part like flipping over the pieces or putting all the blue sky pieces together.  That's why I only do one once every 10 years or so, too much concentration time and space.  If i am going to be concentrating that hard on something, it ends up framed like a cross stitch or worn like clothes. 

Loren - an older model with apparently less RAM

oh, you're right, I don't know why I included audiobooks!  I cannot listen to audiobooks while doing anything with my hands if I want to absorb any content.  Some podcasts are good if I don't need to concentrate too much. 

[Rockies]

I'd recommend volunteering and making yourself useful (based on your particular skill set) to a local non-profit. It will take some time to find an organization that is the right fit, so be patient, but once you find that group you will stay quite busy as you will become a valuable asset in their volunteer pool.

I am not FIRE, but I felt bored and disconnected in my community, tried for a few years to volunteer. Nothing seemed right or the things that seemed right had too many volunteers. I eventually found two groups that work well for me that really needed me. Unfortunately because I now have a fully time job + a second job I am not able to volunteer as much as I'd like but I am looking forward to doing this more when I fire.

I also notice that these non profits need people to serve on their boards of directors and do the "boring" but important tasks of finances, administrative help, etc. That would absolutely mean screen time but its not aimless screen time and you are helping others.

[Reader]

A few years ago I deleted all my social media accounts. Best thing I ever did, don't miss these one bit. And I no longer use YouTube and instead use the FreeTube open source client which keeps me from being sucked in to the algorithm.

thanks for the recommendation @FINate !