Thought provoking question for you all. I'm stuck answering it

[WheelyCoteClaus]

So I'm looking at 'turning my life around' usual New Years stuff. I've read a book, that talks about goals.

One of the questions asks is..,

if you were financially set up for life...not rich but comfortable...your bills would be covered.....money for hobbies, adventures but as long as you stayed savvy. So money is no object.

What would you genuinely do with your time????

What would you do (I'm shamelessly trying to get ideas)

And yes. As a pp has said I actually think I would keep working. It would depend really

Write. Go back to playing music. Raise some babies.

I was thinking about this earlier today. I'd do a theology degree,and probably more degrees to follow that and go travelling with my family in the school holidays. Finish doing up the house and garden. Get a dog. visit my family more. Go to the theatre more often, and go to more art galleries. Learn to drive. Go to dance classes. Learn Spanish and Farsi. Maybe set up an organisation to help graduates back into work after taking time off for caring/family etc. Join a choir. Go to dance classes. Learn to roller skate. Hire a personal trainer. Read all the books. Write more. Learn to take better photos. Lots of things.

The notion of "financially set up for life" is limited to one generation. Generally (unless you're aristocracy or something) inheritance or other funds are completely used up in 1-2 generations.

Surely you'd want to provide for you children, so "what would you do with your time?" Leads to questions of ethics, eg would you just spend it all selfishly on travel, volunteering etc or would you save it and carry on as you were so that your children could benefit from investments or pension funds from your employment.

Buy a massive piece of unwanted land, clean it up and put rescue donkeys on it.

Then run free afternoons/holidays for SEN children, children with life-limiting illnesses and children who have a lot of fuck all, for or whatever reasons, to meet donkeys, groom donkeys, ride donkeys, feed donkeys carrots, stroke donkeys....

And then I'd go rescue some dogs

I'd study law, and then volunteer to help families of disabled children to access social care. There is tonnes of information about accessing appropriate education and various support groups (eg IPSEA) but there is no equivalent when it comes to fighting to access social care support.

Firstly I visit Tokyo then Australia. I would then volunteer in my community to give back.

Get my own swimming pool.

I have given this a lot of thought lately as I thought I was going to be out of work for a bit (luckily found a new job in the nick of time) - I would sort the house out (completely declutter), do some proper cooking and have a "get me and hubby fit" project and maybe train for a marathon.

Give it to my kids and poor people

Enjoy time and not rush against it.
Garden
Cook
Read
Bake
Craft

I would somehow use my current skills to either teach others or give services free. Ive loads of great ideas but just cant affird to do most of them (i do some small ones). I dont do the lottery though so its pretty unlikely to ever happen! Relying on my husband to win amd share... which Im sure he would, if he did!

I’d renovate my house (just a bog standard semi - but the to do list runs to 2 pages of A4) including re roofing the shed, summerhouse and garage. I may need some help with one or two jobs though.

Have fun! Go to exhibitions, theatre, opera, see bands, get fit, visit all the places I’ve wanted to go (but not been able to as while we’re not poor, we have to budget very carefully to enable us to save £200 a month). I’d love go to Croatia, Cape Verde, The Easter Islands, Nova Scotia, the Outer Hebrides..........

OP - what's the book called and would you recommend it?

I’d do something either work related (but not the job I have now) or volunteer 1-2 days per week. I’d travel, spend time with my family, exercise more, cook more. Potter about

I'm learning Spanish.

I would continue working but drop to 2 days per week. I would double the amount of time I spend on my hobby (a group activity linked to music), I would return to the voluntary work I used to do when I had more free time, I would go on three holidays per year. Minimum.

I'm sort of in this position at the moment. Fertility treatments coupled with health problems clashed too much with my job so I quit and DH gives me a nice allowance just for fun stuff. I sleep more thannI used too (less wrinkles), most days I try to go outside for a walk or a swim. I help and sometimes cook for my MIL. I do most of the shopping and housework of course. We'll move in the next few months so enough to do there. After the move I will need to garden a quite big garden. I would like to take up a volunteering job as well, looking into what is available around there. I also enjoy reading, crochet, sewing, painting and smithing. I never get bored.

I’d do a masters. I know exactly what I’d study as well (quite niche).

Plus I’d write a script.

Write.
Paint.
Campaign against climate change.
Watch movies and read books.
Eat chocolate.
Have a massive garden and fill it with acers and other plants but especially acers.

And in all probability piss about a lot on mumsnet.

I took early retirement last year and am lucky in that I am mortgage-free and my company pension is allowing me to keep a similar standard of living. I still have to budget though and not able to squander money away before you say anything. I realise I am lucky in this. I enjoy travelling where possible, UK for weekends away and holidays/short breaks abroad, invested in a "Two Together" railcard with my neighbour and we've gone to towns and cities in the UK we've not visited before. I am a keen gardener and have not only spent more time in my own garden but have used my interest in gardening to volunteer for a local charity. I also dog walk for an elderly person twice a week, again via a charity. I love eating out too.

Do a degree....I left school at 15 with no exams following being out of school for several
Months after being raped. I'm now 50 and would love to have a better education

Study art or embroidery

Take an art class and spend time painting
Travel
Volunteer work
Declutter the house - I continually do this but it in small chunks due to lack of time. If i had more free time i could really blitz it.
Cook for pleasure rather than just for necessity.

I’m in a similar position.

I co-own a bookshop and work there sometimes.
I work two days a week freelance teaching kids with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
I tutor.
I have an allotment.
I have four dogs so do a fair bit of walking.
I’m teaching myself to draw and paint, and play the guitar.
I help look after my elderly parents.