To ask how you would spend your time if you had enough money not to need to work

[PuzzledObserver]

Let’s imagine you came into some money (doesn’t matter how, but legally), which put you in a position to pay off any debts and mortgage, buy a house outright if you don’t already own one, and provide you with a household income similar to what you currently have. Or more if you’re skint.

Basically, you have enough income to live comfortably, for the rest of your life, without needing to work.

Let’s assume you are healthy.

What would you spend your time doing?

Hmmm. Probably would work, but only hours that suit me. I like the interaction.

But mainly I would paint and draw, read books, make my home just how I want it, see relatives and friends, travel, do fun things with the kids...

Funny really how many people just want simple things: time with family and friends, hobbies, time outside, pottering about. Sad how little time we get for those.

I wouldn't give up work; rather I'd go down to three days a week (T/W/Th). Rest of the time - travel, read, take care of myself i.e. working out, beauty treatments.

I get so much out of my work that I wouldn't give up.

Travel
Volunteering
Extreme yoga
Eco lobbying
My own vegan ethical yoga pant business with all of the proceeds going to some sort of morally inverted charitable cause

Ok now we've got that shit out of the way the real list:
Beach bum
Chocolate
A social life fuelled by borderline alcoholism
Meaning to write a novel but never quite getting around to it
Watching youtube videos of cats and cucumbers

Also I’d live by the sea, and I’d get a dog.

A couple of Masters.

Scuba diving.

Baking.

A year ago I would have said I’d stay at work anyway, but not anymore. Our dc are 7 and 10, which is restrictive around holidays etc. Within school hours though, I’d be s lot fitter, I’d shop more locally and cook more from scratch. My bike would be less dusty and my house cleaner and tidier. I’d be able to dedicate more time to my voluntary roles (scouting, sports coaching) and my dc extra curricular activities. I’d like to get back into photography with proper cameras and take GCSE, maybe A level, history.

@firesong

I was thinking exactly that as I read the thread! It’s made me quite sad to see how most of us actually have quite simple wants and needs that can’t be fulfilled because of our lifestyles.

Similar to PP, I’d:

Exercise - particularly long walks, yoga and swimming
Get house exactly how I’d like it and stay on top of household admin
Spend time with family and friends
Learn to cook well
Take a few holidays with family per year

Really fascinating how many times dogs (and big ones at that) feature — in the first two pages anyway.

I'd spend time doing a Master and phd and anything else I fancied studying.

Volunteer or open my own charity

Get my hair done every day cos I hate doing it and I'm crap at it

Travel a lot

Open some kind of cute coffee shop or bar

I find it utterly mad that some people would even consider still working if they were in that position.

Right now I'd just spend time with my children - whether that's do more with them to support their education, have fun, do the kind of stuff my cm does with them - like make spiders out of toilet rolls and musical instruments from bottles and rice.

If I were older I'd travel, maybe learn a language very proficiently, have more time to do something like yoga, and volunteer/ do charity work.

I'd get a motor home and moped and travel all over. Buy a nice house with it's own private land (old farm) and have a Mongolian Yurt as a hideaway.
The land would be a wildlife haven and I would grown fields of meadow flowers. My 'work' would be keeping on top of it all.

Right now I've only got £20 to my name and I was expecting £100 as some clients haven't paid me on time. I certainly won't go back to being a self employed cleaner!

I would split my time between:

Travel (off peak season)
Chilling out
Writing (purposefully, every day)
Crafting/cooking/generally creating as and when I felt like it.

My ideal job would be a writer, but you can do that whilst travelling, and I'd do it with a timeline.

I'm reasonably good at making beautiful things, restoring furniture, and I'm a nifty chocolatier and baker, so I'd just do those things as it suited me.

Earlier in my career: still work, fulfilling, enjoyed the challenge, part of my identity and friendship network.

Now:
Go to galleries
Take exercise every day
Visit parks
Read a lot more
Go to afternoon cinema, see more films
Go camping out if busy periods
Maybe improve my French
Cook interesting recipes / proper cooking
Grow things in the garden

I would use my skills to give back to non-profits and organizations I believe in. So basically work, but not getting paid. Preferably on a project basis so I could have long holidays and time to myself. I enjoy work, but wish I could succeed and progress on a more ad hoc timeframe.

I would carry on the volunteering I do now. But instead of working, I'd use that time to go and do a degree for me, that I was never able to do all those years ago.

Plus, there are things I want to do, like gigs and festivals and trips. I might consider fostering.

And if I had lots of money I’d offer way above market value to buy my grandmother’s lovely former flat back home in Denmark. I love that flat and the town, I’d love to be able to live there and be close to the memory of my grandmother.

Also:
Sort out my photos
EBay all my in needed stuff / take to charity shop etc
Travel to explore different cities, using my railcard
Out myself on Social Media as gender critical and join the debate in solidarity of sex based rights, whilst still opposing people who jeer at and mock Trans people.
Get involved in practical support for more locally based community projects.

I would be ever so busy, one way and another.

I'd get really fir so I could compete in traithlons all over the world.
I'd travel constantly.
I'd read and drink lots of good coffee in the day and good red wine at night.
I'd learn lots of new things like how to read music properly and take lots of cookery classes.
most importantly I'd spend more time with DD

I am impressed by all the worthy answers on this thread.

I am slightly embarrassed to say that I would LOVE watching TV, pottering, going shopping, seeing a personal trainer, riding my bike, having music lessons and generally not HAVING to do anything.

This is quite a recent development. I’m 48 and do a senior, brainy job. I used to love it, including the intellectual challenge, but now I just can’t be bothered. I feel like I never have time to do anything I like, and the list of jobs keeps growing such that I’m always going to bed later than I planned to but still thinking, where did today go?

I had three months off once, between jobs. I liked it a lot. Did a gym class every day and caught up with sleep, drank wine in the afternoon. It was great. If I hadn’t been stressed about getting another I’d have enjoyed it even more.

So I wouldn’t do loads of volunteering or get an allotment. I’d be like Margot sodding Leadbeter and I’d love it. Even falling out with Miss Mountshaft at the am dram club.

Some time volunteering.
The rest crafting, reading and swimming in the sea.

This is me now, I crochet for woolly hugs, and my own projects, I volunteer in animal rescue, bottle feeding abandoned pups and kittens, read, write, and swim (but in my own pool, not the sea)

Ride!

I'd get a second horse and have a proper bash at Eventing. My mare is semi retired and we no longer have the time, money or energy to compete. If I didn't work I'd fill the time with horses quite happily.

I'd also probably contemplate a second DC (first due in Sept but can only have 1 due to finances/age).

We don't have much spare cash and have a hefty mortgage but I'm at home permanently because I'm disabled. It's so fucking boring you wouldn't believe. So in this fabricated scenario, I'd use the money to get some surgery done which I can't get on the bus but which would significantly improve my life, then I'd find a job which worked round my needs, which would be easier because I'd be able to afford a childminder which would remove one of the several barriers I currently face with trying to find a job. Basically, I'd get myself healthier and more able to manage my conditions, get childcare, work. Repeatedly doing degrees at uni would be amazing but I want to feel rewarded for my time, financially, because I've been unable to work for so long.

This is me. I go to the cinema and theatre whenever I want, have meals out ,visit English Heritage sites, read, listen to music, go to gigs, meet friends, go on long walks, support my 17 year old with his studies, sing and perform with a choir on top of the normal 'house and garden' type jobs.

I’d drop my hours to three days per week at work and volunteer the other two days instead of my paid job.