Dropping a day a week, is it a waste in the winter? What do you do?

[BarrelOfOtters]

I'm coming up to retirement and thinking of a 4 day week and not working Fridays. In good weather I'd happily occupy myself. But I'm in the North West, it seems not to have stopped raining since October...would I be wasting a day off in the winter.

I don't work Mondays. I visit my mum to help her with a number of things, and on a weekday places to visit are available and quieter.

I have holidays in winter for cultural events and being a day longer makes travelling easier and a weekend completely at wherever I am going.

Why would it be a waste? I go swimming, read a bit, practice some Duolingo, do a bit of housework so the evening is freer, have coffee out, generally relax.

DH works a four day week too and really enjoys it.

That’s the day to do all chores and also watch films if the weather is bad. Or take up an indoor hobby in the house or out of the house.

It's not raining today. You could always put a coat on and go out anyway. It's not bad weather, just the wrong clothing as they say.

Or you could do things indoors, catch up on chores, batch cook, get the shopping done, take advantage of weekday offers for lunch out, do leisure activities when it's quieter or cheaper or all manner of other things that are more useful or enjoyable than working if you don't have to.

I really value my day off in the week.

When the weather is good as you say, it's easy as I'm happy sat out in the garden for hours.

But in general what I do on my day off during the week isn't weather dependent. I get the food shop done when it's quieter, I catch up with laundry. Read my book, watch films, go to the gym, visit the library etc. I'm currently sat in a café with a coffee.

I find lots to occupy my time and I definitely don't feel like it is s waste.

I was vaguely wondering about working 5 days in the winter and 3 days in the summer. But I think it would get complicated and also I'd resent 5 days in the winter as I'd be used to it by then.

Or compressed hours so I could basically have a long holiday when the weather is nice.

But I suppose if it's getting ready for retirement there's be dreich days then too!

I suppose it depends on how flexible your job/employer is.

If you had an annualised hours contract you could do that, but obviously needs to be in line with business needs.

Or depending on how much annual leave you get, or able to work flexi time and carry a balance from winter to use in summer, you could use the bulk of your annual/flexi leave to work shorter hours in the summer.

I work compressed hours over four days. Love my Wednesdays off. Catch up with people, potter around the house or just do nothing. Much better than a daily commute.

I’m finding it very hard to believe that you have to ask how you’d fill a day!

I’ve had periods where I worked 4 days.
On my day off, I would go for a walk, drink a lot of coffee, spend hours catching up on housework, take the car to the car wash or for new tyres, do life admin (pay bills, transfer money etc), meet a friend, bake and batch cook, visit elderly parents, do the grocery shopping.

In fact when I worked 3 days, I could easily fill the other 2 days. The weather really didn’t matter.

@BarrelOfOtters I did exactly what you are thinking of a couple of years ago, and it's great! I used my Friday for appointments and any other 'jobs' I had to do in person, plus laundry etc. Then I had two days of weekend to do whatever I wanted. I have just gone down to three days (ill-health) and that's even better!

I'd have the same worry as you OP if I was retiring so no more working , fantastic in the summer but what on earth to do in the winter .
If I had one day off a week though I'd never be bored , as others have said you could do any chores but for me I'd build my Lego , do my puzzles , walk my dogs , binge Netflix and generally relax . Hmm sounds very tempting .

You could go swimming, yoga class, shopping, baking, or just put your feet up and read