Author Topic: What will you do with all your time after FI?  (Read 10208 times)

nara

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What will you do with all your time after FI?
« on: June 03, 2017, 11:05:38 AM »
Maybe this has been asked before--but I am very interested in hearing everyone's plans for after FI. What are the strange hobbies or big plans you you fantasize about in your life after FI?

FIstateofmind

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2017, 11:34:49 AM »
I'm living semi fire(working part time by choice to enjoy life more). I'm a musician and general creative, and I have a million projects/ideas to keep me busy for life. I also quite enjoy spending time with friends and family and learning in other fields of interest (cooking, coding, languages)

wordnerd

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2017, 01:21:30 PM »
I used to wonder about this, but then I realized I would just more of the things that make me happy now. My list is probably boring, but it sounds awesome to me.

1) Spend more time with my kid (parks, little hikes, storytime at the library, etc.)
2) Do more yoga
3) Write more
4) Explore of more of the US, especially national parks
5) Spend a couple more weeks a year visiting my parents in CA

lemonde

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2017, 01:23:41 PM »
Continue working until the kids' college is paid off!

If I got too sick of work, though, I'd just spend all my time with my kids, spouse, and hobbies.

bb11

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2017, 02:49:52 PM »
Probably continue to work, just possibly prioritizing interest and passion in the work over any monetary reward. :)

TartanTallulah

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2017, 04:03:14 PM »
I suspect I won't quit my job completely and permanently until I start to lose my faculties. In terms of working conditions, status, remuneration, and, above all, worthwhileness, it ticks all the boxes and although there are lots of other jobs I would like to do in addition, if I had a dozen lives running in parallel, there aren't any other jobs I want to do instead. As soon as it's practical to do so (my work commitment at the moment is driven by the needs of my workplace and is about double what I'd like) I'll drop to three or four 6-hour days a week. I could probably sustain that until I find something I'd rather be doing with that time.

Mad dreams? Well, I plan to take a career break when I turn 55, and my aim, assuming I'm still physically fit enough by then, is to find out what I can achieve as an athlete at the younger end of my age group category if I can "live the life" without work getting in the way of training, eating and resting. The material rewards aren't significant, of course, even if I were to set new world records for my age group, which I won't because I'm mediocre on a good day. But I don't want to look back when I'm 90 and think, "If only I'd given it my best shot when I was 55."

And the rest is just totally sane stuff. Visiting my parents and my adult children more often, and being able to offer to look after grandchildren if they come along (which they may not; I'm cool with that too). Not being too tired to race or provide volunteer support at races at the weekends. Being able to keep my house and garden in better order. Becoming the village busybody. Bikepacking and multi-day hikes with my husband. Getting a cheap low-season hotel package and heading off to the Canary Islands for the whole of the month of January every year. Reading storybooks like I used to. Learning languages, crafts, and practical skills. Organising my time around my body clock.

On reflection, I may not have time to continue to work.

Lmoot

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2017, 04:47:19 AM »
1) Work seasonal jobs (I'm the sort that gets burned out by a consistent schedule, and gets energized by switching things up)
2) Be a support for family and friends (running errands, babysitting/entertaining (lots of nieces and nephews), cooking etc)
3) Live overseas for a bit where I have family, and set up a business for the family to run (lower economic opportunity where they live)
4) Hike, and hike some more; do all of the big thru-hikes
5) Take classes to acquire more skills, things that will help me in my personal life or that have always been of interest to me(farming/botany, carpentry, house-building/contractor, international studies)

asauer

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2017, 05:36:47 AM »
There is SO much!
1. Hike the NC Mountains to Sea Trail w/ my kids who (if all goes to plan) will be teens when I RE
2. Learn French, German and Chinese (already speak Spanish)
3. Live for a month in Merida Mexico where I lived as a student
4. Volunteer for a summer in La Paz working with Sea Turtles (actually, just volunteer travel in general)
5. Camp for a few weeks in St. John USVI
6. I love writing fiction and would want to do so more than I do now
7. Hang out with family and friends more- be able to do more for them

DeskJockey2028

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2017, 06:38:36 AM »
My FI number pretty much coincides with my RE number as I'm arriving to the game later than many here.  So the first thing I'd do is quit my darned job. After that:

1. Spend time with my family.
2. Continue on with my creative hobbies (which are sorta a third side-gig for me but not really producing much cash yet).
3. Take a massive, and I mean utterly massive road trip across the US. We're talking 70-75 days.
4. Not worry about finding time to mow the lawn, do the dishes, clean the floors and still read a few pages in my book.
5. At least once a week, pick a favorite album of mine and listen to it all the way through without interruption.
6. Play a hell of a lot of board games.
7. Walk, travel, drive, see, enjoy, experience - on my time, and my schedule.

Livingthedream55

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2017, 08:14:18 AM »
1. Spend more time with family. Be of help to friends/family (free babysitter, pick up sick kid at school, etc.), sit at their houses to wait for repair person, etc.
2. Decompress, sleep in, take walks around the neighborhood.
3. De-clutter the house room by room. Donate to my local community via our "Buy Nothing" group.
4. Take adult ed. classes at the local university.
5. Volunteer tax preparer for low income families February - April.
6. I am strongly considering being a foster parent.
7. I might take on seasonal (work from home) projects from former job or might take a fun job, even if it's minimum wage.
8. Travel within the U.S ( 3 -4 times a year) and internationally (1 time a year)
9. Volunteer at local community theater/movie house/community center.
10. Read, read, read. Local public library is a 10 minute walk from my house.
11. Write (toying with idea of historical fiction.)
12. Explore local historical houses, museums, cultural opportunities.
13. Cook great meals - have friends and family over!
14. Be the worlds best grandmother (when there are grandkids!)
« Last Edit: June 05, 2017, 08:16:44 AM by Livingthedream55 »

Greystache

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2017, 08:19:08 AM »
 Been retired for two years.  Mostly hobbies and travel.
Just got back from a 6-day road trip to Napa Valley.  Plan to travel to the midwest later this summer and NYC in the fall. Typically on the road 2 to 3 months out of the year.
I volunteer at a golf course 12 hrs a week in exchange for unlimited play and practice time. Usually play 3 times a week.
I design and build furniture for myself, friends and family.
Help my neighbors with their DIY projects.
Brew beer.
Read a lot.
Spend more time with friends and family

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2017, 08:38:17 AM »
My dream once I achieve FIRE is to finally live the lifestyle I have always wanted where I spend all day writing stories and creating music. I feel like I have these gifts and skills that I can't use to their full extent until I am safe from financial worry. I dream every day of being able to express myself openly without fear of financial repercussions.

letired

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2017, 08:49:55 AM »
This is just my starter list but I figure it should be good for the first decade-ish

1. knit several lace shawls and sweaters
2. sew most of my own wardrobe
3. have the most spectacular wildflower garden
4. get my veggie gardening On Point
5. travel and visit my friends a lot
6. spend hours and hours and hours in museums
7. physical fitness
8. cooking
9. volunteering: habitat for humanity, local homeless shelter, animal rescue, tutoring
10. learn to make shoes
11. probably lots of home improvement

ambimammular

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2017, 03:43:12 PM »
Not sure how well I'd handle RE. On my summers off I spend way to much time noodling on the computer and watching movies. My hobbies go in spurts, nothing very sustainable. If my DH were retired with me we'd hike and road trip, but he's not ready.

I'm very focused on the FI half of things, and concerned about a feeling of loss when that goal is accomplished. I'm trying to let writing or light exercise take up more of that free time. But I feel "meh" about anything that doesn't move me closer to my goal.

The good and bad thing is this won't really be a problem for 7 years or so.



Sarah Saverdink

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #14 on: June 06, 2017, 07:12:29 PM »
We want to buy an RV and travel the US and Canada with our kayaks and bikes in tow for a year or two and then travel the world intermittently while spend lots of time skiing, scuba diving, kayaking, biking in between.

BTDretire

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2017, 06:34:02 AM »
I would say 6 months in, I'm not doing well at retirement.
 I started out working harder than when I was working.
Doing lots of delayed maintenance on the house, business and autos.
Then I joined a gym and worked out at least four times a week.
I also spent much on my electronics hobby.
 Now summer is here, I haven't been to the gym for 6 weeks
and my electronics bench is a mess.
 Worst of all, it's summer and my wife seems to be needing
more and more help with the business. I have worked more than
20 hrs in the past week and I only see it getting worse.
Hiring one employee is a real pain with:

Hire Your First Employee
    Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) ...
    Set up Records for Withholding Taxes. ...
    Employee Eligibility Verification. ...
    Register with Your State's New Hire Reporting Program. ...
    Obtain Workers' Compensation Insurance. ...
    Post Required Notices. ...
    File Your Taxes. ...
    Get Organized and Keep Yourself Informed.
 
 Sheesh, that's more work that just working, and I get to keep the money.
 I think I need a vacation :-)

Caoineag

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2017, 07:04:50 AM »
1. Travel in our homemade RV (more of what we are doing now except full time).
2. Walk and hike (again more of what we do now).
3. Read books
4. Play video games
5. Probably start drawing again (haven't done this in decades).
6. Cook meals (every day instead of batch cooking on weekends).
7. Practice other languages
8. Read/study topics of interest
9. Try to figure out where we would like to buy our retirement property for when we don't want to travel full time.

That should get me out a couple of years and then I will probably have a new list. Unfortunately, I already suspect that giving up the job will not magically give me 48 hour days so suspect I will still struggle to have enough time. Everything I just listed takes hours of time so I will alternate as to which I feel most in the mood for. We are attempting to practice our preferred retirement every time we go on vacation and so far I can say, we always resent having to go back to work so I think we will be okay.

HipGnosis

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2017, 08:37:16 AM »
1) Work seasonal jobs (I'm the sort that gets burned out by a consistent schedule, and gets energized by switching things up)
Do you have any sources for finding seasonal jobs?  I'm also the sort that is energized by mixing things up.  And I'd luv to spend my summers motorcycling, kayaking and biking.  And I want to see the best fireworks in the country.

Cap_Scarlet

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2017, 03:34:46 PM »
1. ski

Lmoot

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #19 on: June 08, 2017, 07:05:43 AM »
1) Work seasonal jobs (I'm the sort that gets burned out by a consistent schedule, and gets energized by switching things up)
Do you have any sources for finding seasonal jobs?  I'm also the sort that is energized by mixing things up.  And I'd luv to spend my summers motorcycling, kayaking and biking.  And I want to see the best fireworks in the country.

I am not retired yet, so haven't done much investigating. I live in a touristy area and have done tour guide gigs when I took a 6 month break from full time work. I've worked PT at a zoo for 5 years now and they offer seasonal positions. I like the idea of having recurring jobs with the same organizations. Mixes it up but still provides some stability, and sense of "belonging". Which I have a feeling will be important to me when I no longer have a permanent employer and familiar coworkers. Gotta love institutionalism.

Jane

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #20 on: June 08, 2017, 08:01:15 AM »
I'm planning to give notice next week, so I've been thinking about this a lot. My retired life at the moment will look an awful lot like that of a stay-at-home-mom, since we have a 2.5 year old, but I don't plan to go back to this career, and possibly never work again.

Most of my time in the near-term will be spent doing lots of outdoor play with our son, cooking delicious homemade food, keeping the house in order, working out, reaching out more to friends and neighbors to get together, and if I feel so inclined on a particular day, resting or napping when he naps.

I suspect I won't be able to do as much of the rest of my list at first, but as our son gets a little older and goes off to school, I plan to:
Read and listen to audio books
Do more of the maintenance on our rental properties
DIY around our house
Yoga and meditation
Learn to draw and paint
Learn to sew
Build and plant a fruit and vegetable garden, with the help of our son
Volunteer


MVal

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #21 on: June 08, 2017, 08:45:56 AM »
My God, what will I NOT do??

Take ALL sorts of dance classes and learn to do aerial silks.
Take painting and other art classes.
Get back into improv and theater.
Travel everywhere I've been dying to see.
Volunteer with the wildlife animal hospital.
Finally get my voiceover career off the ground.
Read all the books and watch all the movies I've always meant to.
Spend a ton of time with my family and help them more.
Have a bad ass veggie and herb garden.
Cook bad ass food from afore mentioned gardens.
Sleeeeeep.

FIRE Artist

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #22 on: June 08, 2017, 09:00:43 AM »
Be kind to my whole self - mind, body and spirit

Mind and Spirit:  Make art, and actually put it out there by responding to calls for submissions.

Mind:  Read, read, and read some more.

Body:  Up my culinary skills to regularly fuel my body with nutritious food, and walk everywhere because I set my own schedule.

Spirit:  Transfer all my social energy away from the unimportant (work colleagues) to the important (friends and family).

Spirit and Mind:  Daily meditation


10dollarsatatime

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #23 on: June 08, 2017, 09:06:30 AM »
As I told my boss yesterday, I'm planning on quitting in 13 years (I'll be 46).  I'll be FI at that point, plus a pension later if the program doesn't go belly up.  However... I'll probably keep freelancing.  I love what I do, and having the freedom to do it whenever and wherever I choose sounds incredibly awesome.  I also fantasize about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.  And then... just more of the things I already enjoy... camping, gardening, fishing... all the good stuff.

VolcanicArts

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #24 on: June 08, 2017, 11:28:52 PM »
Here's a breakdown of how I will spend my time after FI:
1. Travel
2. Buy property in another country near the equator on the beach with LCOL and live there part of the year
3. Continue to study and perfect foreign language skills
4. Hopefully meet a nice girlfriend in the LCOL foreign country to spend time with
5. Go on random adventures I've never had time for
6. Play table games in Vegas frequently but conservatively every few months
7. Try to make a profitable business out of a hobby
8. Play a lot of board games with friends
9. Buy a nice sports car and use it as such
10. Read a lot on subjects that interest me to expand my knowledge base in particular work on trying out new investment ideas and routes such as commodities, forex, options, etc.
11. Enjoy life

Dicey

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #25 on: June 09, 2017, 12:29:37 PM »
I'm laying in bed, surfing the forum and it's 11:28 am on a Friday morning.

I know this is not a helpful answer, so consider this a placeholder for a better answer later, maybe.

Luckyvik

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #26 on: June 10, 2017, 06:24:18 PM »
- Exercise 4 times a week
- Take more dance classes, want to take Tango and West coast swing again
- Read more about physics
- Visit family overseas and interstate more often
- Cook more at home
- Take care of household chores such as grocery shopping during the week on the weekend hubby and I can spend time together- he'll probably work an extra couple of years.
- perhaps start a blog


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big_slacker

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #27 on: June 10, 2017, 06:39:26 PM »
Lots and lots of mountain biking. :D

itchyfeet

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #28 on: June 10, 2017, 09:27:35 PM »
I have no idea..... well not true, I have lots of vague ideas. The problem is that DW is not 100% committed to shaping our future. She is more of "live for the now" and then in 2 years time when we are ready to FIRE she will then tell me what she wants to do. She is not even sure she wants to stop
Working.

I am up for anything pretty much.

Whatever her passion, I will fit my life around it.

- Me: what country shall we live?
- DW: Australia... but maybe I'd like to live in Africa or Scandanavia for a bit
- Me: whereabouts would we live in Australia?
- DW: not fussed. What do you think? Maybe move back to sydney, or maybe Brisbane or Adelaide, or maybe Port Macquarie, or the Sunshine Coast.
- Me: do you want to live in an apartment, a house on a small block of land, or on a small acreage?
- DW: they all have pros and cons. I don't know. Can we stop discussing this. It's annoying.
- Me: OK 😕

VolcanicArts

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #29 on: June 10, 2017, 10:40:41 PM »
I forgot to add in that I will be exercising a lot more and also eating better. Right now I've already started working on turning a woodworking hobby into a side gig and using 100% of the money to reach FI faster. I'm actually not as far off as I thought I was and I was bored and running numbers and going through old records and graphs the other day and I found I would need 629k to hit FI with a high certainty of success. This number would allow me freedom from worry if I were to suddenly lose my job or something, but my FIRE number is much higher as I plan to be able to have the funds to live lavishly if I chose to do so in retirement and not have to cannabilize my funds. Sorry a little off topic for this thread, I'm going to give some more thought in the next week about how to best spend time when work is not a necessity. I'm really liking the whole foreign language thing, right now I'm spending close to 50 hrs a month studying Spanish and although I'm not fluent I'm starting to be able to speak and understand much better. It would be fun to move on to another language after that with high marginal utility, but I'll have to give it some thought.

big_slacker

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #30 on: June 11, 2017, 07:15:40 AM »
I forgot to add in that I will be exercising a lot more and also eating better.

Not trying to be a dick, but what's stopping you from doing that now? Eating better isn't a time based thing and even though exercise is even someone with two jobs and a family can get in 5-10 hours a week of activity. If you don't have your health, what do you have?

Linea_Norway

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #31 on: June 11, 2017, 01:43:20 PM »
I would:
- spend a lot more time hiking in the forest for mushrooms
- spend a lot more clear nights outside behind my telescope for a much longer time than today
- spend more time on making interesting dishes and baking bread
- spend more time cross country skiing on days that not everybody else in out there
- go on longer vacations, maybe hiking Noyway in the length, 2500kms
- live in our cabin for weeks at the time, if we can afford to keep it after FIRE
- grow and catch more food
- Maybe: sit in the board of more local committies (non paid kind)

EnjoyIt

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #32 on: June 11, 2017, 01:56:06 PM »
I forgot to add in that I will be exercising a lot more and also eating better.

Not trying to be a dick, but what's stopping you from doing that now? Eating better isn't a time based thing and even though exercise is even someone with two jobs and a family can get in 5-10 hours a week of activity. If you don't have your health, what do you have?

I agree and disagree.  I exercise regularly and eat pretty well.  But without work in the way, I can find the time to do  Yoga on top of weight lifting, biking, and swimming.  Also, with more free time we can be more creative with our meals allowing for variety and planning.  Plus, work often provides some very unhealthy snack options which I do not always have the will power to refuse.

big_slacker

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #33 on: June 11, 2017, 08:57:57 PM »
I forgot to add in that I will be exercising a lot more and also eating better.

Not trying to be a dick, but what's stopping you from doing that now? Eating better isn't a time based thing and even though exercise is even someone with two jobs and a family can get in 5-10 hours a week of activity. If you don't have your health, what do you have?

I agree and disagree.  I exercise regularly and eat pretty well.  But without work in the way, I can find the time to do  Yoga on top of weight lifting, biking, and swimming.  Also, with more free time we can be more creative with our meals allowing for variety and planning.  Plus, work often provides some very unhealthy snack options which I do not always have the will power to refuse.

Easier to do it when you want instead of when you have to fo sho.

On the eating thing, I'd argue optimal healthy eating is about less variety, not more. When I've been in my best shape diet has always been planned and meal prepped. But maybe our definitions are different and I understand that.

Travis

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #34 on: June 11, 2017, 09:18:50 PM »
1. Be a SAHD to include learning to cook more family meals.
2. Build a vegetable garden.
3. Exercise at my own pace and hours.
4. Find something where I'm working a few odd hours here and there generating even a little income.

Beyond that, I have no idea.

Goldielocks

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #35 on: June 12, 2017, 06:56:11 AM »
I forgot to add in that I will be exercising a lot more and also eating better.

Not trying to be a dick, but what's stopping you from doing that now? Eating better isn't a time based thing and even though exercise is even someone with two jobs and a family can get in 5-10 hours a week of activity. If you don't have your health, what do you have?

I agree and disagree.  I exercise regularly and eat pretty well.  But without work in the way, I can find the time to do  Yoga on top of weight lifting, biking, and swimming.  Also, with more free time we can be more creative with our meals allowing for variety and planning.  Plus, work often provides some very unhealthy snack options which I do not always have the will power to refuse.

Easier to do it when you want instead of when you have to fo sho.

On the eating thing, I'd argue optimal healthy eating is about less variety, not more. When I've been in my best shape diet has always been planned and meal prepped. But maybe our definitions are different and I understand that.

Big slacker -- to quote you, that is indeed being a dick.  When I compare pre and post fire, for me, it is like night and day.
Work stress.   12 hour days  (6:30-6:30 out of the house) plus coming home to do all the cleaning, cooking, yard work, etc. for a family of 4.  This meant no willpower is left for eating healthy by about 4pm ( I would often do great until then, and usually make healthy dinner, then eat junk all night).

Now that I am Fire'd -- it is so much easier to naturally include eating great, reducing grocery costs, keeping home clean, and exercise. (So much more exercise!) I do each of these 3x better without even thinking about it much.  It is clear now that it was the work stress moreso than a lack of time, although time was always my excuse back then.

boarder42

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #36 on: June 12, 2017, 07:02:47 AM »
well it was windy all weekend so the lake wasnt good for wakeboarding now its calm today and i'm sitting in a cubicle.  so right now i'd be out on the lake learning some new tricks on the board. 

then we'd travel more

i'd probably be looking for money making ventures b/c its something i enjoy doing.  either scouring craigslist and reselling or finding bargains online and reselling.

dont have kids yet but some time would be spent with them as well, i'm sure.

big_slacker

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #37 on: June 12, 2017, 07:36:07 AM »
Big slacker -- to quote you, that is indeed being a dick.  When I compare pre and post fire, for me, it is like night and day.

It is clear now that it was the work stress moreso than a lack of time, although time was always my excuse back then.

I put in that statement specifically to set the tone as a legitimate question instead of a judgement. I bolded your statement here because you've seen now what I see all around me in my industry and it pains me greatly to see people suffering the way they do. It's almost always NOT TIME but instead coping methods for work and family stress like finding comfort in bad foods and attempting to de-stress by vegging out on your media of choice. The sad thing is, once over the initial habit building hump, healthy eating and exercise are greatly effective in stress reduction. Granted retiring early and getting back to a more sane existence is a solution, but one that takes a lot longer than eating well and hitting the trails, or gym, or pool, etc. even if you're sometimes dragging ass to lace 'em up.

Hope that clarifies, if I'm still coming off as a dick I can live with that. :D

sun and sand

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #38 on: June 12, 2017, 06:38:42 PM »
I am retiring in two weeks. Just so excited.  What is my plan?
-have breakfast with my son before he goes to school (high school)
-spend more time with my son
-see my friends more
-go back to piano lessons
-sew clothes
-go for walks in the city and shop in stores that I have not had time to visit
-make my own salad dressing instead of store bought
-spend more time at the beach house
-maybe Mystery Shop
-perhaps try online dating
-spend more time cleaning at the duplex
-read more
-cycle more
-lift light weights
-paint furniture
-go to the theatre at noon
-go to free days at the museum
-tutor adults ESL

That is all I could think of off the top of my head.


Khan

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #39 on: June 13, 2017, 12:07:18 AM »
I'll take my time, that's what I'll do. There's a difference between vacationing to something, and living it. Vacationing to something has a time limit to it, and it hits you in the face every second of the vacation. "Well, I've only got 24 hours left in this paradise, then I have to get back to adulting, packing, getting back to wherever I live to pay the bills for this, and back to my regular forced schedule." Having money, whether full FI, or 1/2 FI and above(see gap year at bottom), allows one to experience so much more of it. Not only that, but having only around 3-4 weeks to work with a year for that purpose, the time costs and monetary costs in transportation, temporary lodging, etc. are just something I'd much rather have minimized.

On top of that, currently I'm a 12 hour shift worker on nights. Having only 12 hours to work with between shifts, and the issues caused moving to and from my sleep schedule just robs me of energy. Having firmly planted myself on stable financial footing(moving from 1/3 FI to 1/2 FI), I feel I can then at that point(whether halfway to FI and downshifting my work/pain/income or being all the way to FI) accept the reduced pay/responsibilities/hours/fuck it no job because I've already done the time, ran the numbers, and can consider myself partially employed by my own past efforts. If you have 100k saved, taking a year and spending 40k on living expenses is far more impactful than if you have 500k saved, and can account for 20k/year off just the 4% of it. Add onto that due to not being tied to a job, you can cut the cost of housing by going from a home base/home that you operate out of, to the barest bones of "shelter/storage" if you're travelling. You can actually afford to be much riskier than 4%, if you're not afraid of working(or plan to anyways), and the time horizon is short anyways.

https://livingafi.com/2015/08/04/taking-a-gap-year/

TaraB

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #40 on: June 13, 2017, 06:12:28 AM »
I'm going to be unemployed soon (July or August). I plan to sleep A LOT in the first month.

Other plans for the short term:
more yoga
gardening
fixing up my house (and learning DIY skills)
learning Spanish
getting rid of all the unused crap I have
working on my cooking skillz
I'll probably spend a lot of time watching TV and coloring in coloring books and I'm ok with that.

Longer term, I want to start my own company, so I'll need to start networking.

LANCELOTNYC

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #41 on: June 13, 2017, 06:44:26 AM »
What I look forward to:
1. Have the freedom to not be controlled by cell phone and constant barrage of work emails at all hours
2. Take real vacations, where I can literally 'turn off' all digital devices
3. Take more spontaneous vacations which aren't oriented around optimizing for staying in touch with the office
4. Cook

Lmoot

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #42 on: June 13, 2017, 06:51:21 AM »
 Not to knock anyone's goals but I'm seeing alot of things that don't need to wait for retirement....and it makes me a little sad at the idea that there might be folks out there that don't think they can enjoy these little things in life while they are working. This black and white/ before and after extremes seem to be prevalent in the FIRE circles. It just makes me want to incorporate as much of my post retirement visions now.

If it's not important enough to make a little space for now, I question if it will be important enough later. It just leaves me with the impression that some people imagine themselves going through some metamorphosis in which they will become this whole other person, and not just doesn't seem realistic or authentic. I would challenge those to do as much now, as you can, and raise your post retirement  expectations to things that truly can only be done without the time constraint of working full time.

boarder42

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #43 on: June 13, 2017, 07:01:17 AM »
Not to knock anyone's goals but I'm seeing alot of things that don't need to wait for retirement....and it makes me a little sad at the idea that there might be folks out there that don't think they can enjoy these little things in life while they are working. This black and white/ before and after extremes seem to be prevalent in the FIRE circles. It just makes me want to incorporate as much of my post retirement visions now.

If it's not important enough to make a little space for now, I question if it will be important enough later. It just leaves me with the impression that some people imagine themselves going through some metamorphosis in which they will become this whole other person, and not just doesn't seem realistic or authentic. I would challenge those to do as much now, as you can, and raise your post retirement  expectations to things that truly can only be done without the time constraint of working full time.

just because its what we say we'll do in FIRE doesnt mean its not what we're already doing now.  i already do most everything i will do in FIRE.  i'll just do more of it more often .

Lmoot

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Re: What will you do with all your time after FI?
« Reply #44 on: June 13, 2017, 09:17:30 AM »
Fair enough and I am not speaking to you and the like (I myself try to live my ideal life, now, as much as possible), but what  set me to write what I did were sever replies in which it was specifically stated they would start doing "x" item. And the items in question didn't seem like it needed waiting on. It could just be like what was discussed above about the stresses of life sucking other desires. I am just wanting us to review our own lists, and question why we can't do those things now, if we aren't already. I remind myself to do that as often as I can.

Another thing that prompted me to reply is that I question how much the lack of accomplishing things, is a sense of complacency. We all have an image of our ideal selves. I liken it to those times where I say if only I didn't have this or that blocking me, I would xyz....but when those obstacles are removed and I still haven't accomplished what I intended, I have to ask if the obstacles were really as external as they seemed. I do it all the time as someone who works 7 days per week, dreaming of all the things I would if I had a day off....only to sit and do nothing when that day comes.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2017, 09:22:08 AM by Lmoot »

 

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