What would you do with your time if you earned your current salary, but didn't have to work for it?

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Ok-Answer-7138@reddit

Education and exercise!

Lol jk porn and video games

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oneyeetyguy@reddit

I'd do more at my garden & allotment, walk the dogs more, volunteer for a day per week to help maintain a local nature reserve.

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Any-Seaworthiness531@reddit

Be broke as fk, days off are expensive 🤣

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Jimathay@reddit

My wife is a teacher, and our spend rate during the school holidays when she's at home is astronomical.

It's not that she overspends or unnecessarily spends (although she does but that's a different issue), it's more that you can't expect someone to sit around all day doing nothing. All it takes is a lunch out here and there, trip to visit a friend, bit of DIY that we've been meaning to tick off for a while etc, and that's a couple of hundred quid spent easily.

I look forward to when she goes back to work and we can save some money.

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Any-Seaworthiness531@reddit

I always joke that on the weekends, £50 is gone before we’ve walked out the door…

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TheMysticalDadasoar@reddit

🍆💦

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MrPogoUK@reddit

My intention would be to train like a professional runner and get my times down as low as I can, but it probably would devolve into mainly this and video games.

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TheMysticalDadasoar@reddit

Everyone's going, ohhh lovely walks. Learning the guitar

Nahhh, give it a week you'll all be going at it so much it'll look like a peperami

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SeoulGalmegi@reddit

Everyone's going, ohhh lovely walks

I assume that's just autocorrect on their part.

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Ok-Answer-7138@reddit

Bazinga

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SnooCakes1636@reddit

Train for the fastest running time, or wanking time?

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theartofnocode@reddit

This is the thing, isn't it. People seem to think we'd all become artists and creators, but if you look at people who have a lot of free time and cash, the answers seems to be auto erotic strangulation.

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JustAnotherFEDev@reddit

Otherwise known as hanging around, wanking...

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FoodByCourts@reddit

Focus on Judo and BJJ full time. Cook more.

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cdh79@reddit

Starve. Overtime is life.

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Frosty_Customer_9243@reddit

Volunteer work in my area.

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UnrivalledPG@reddit

Leave the UK . On track to do it in 5.5 years without working .

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Smidday90@reddit

Probably go to the gym during the day, washings, clean the house, see family, make dinner, pick up my partner from work, Fix things that need fixing round the house and degenerate into a gambling addiction.

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RepublicOfLucas@reddit

Way more hiking/surfing/video games.

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wildflower12345678@reddit

Grow my own fruit and vegetables, walk with my dog all over the county I live in, make improvements in my local area.

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moneydazza@reddit

Such a tricky question. A lot of people would suggest doing things that cost money, and that money would not be spent if you were doing your job.

So I like to think I’d exercise more, read more, start drawing and painting again and maybe try to learn an instrument.

Realistically though I’d be wanking my pan in and then maybe get on the beers by 3-4 ish.

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ToastedCrumpet@reddit

You are all of us

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moneydazza@reddit

We are all of you

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flipflopcuntflaps@reddit

Both of us, together

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Hitching-galaxy@reddit

I’m on gardening leave at the moment.

So that’s - play a bit of droid trader on Fortnite, update LinkedIn, send a couple of cvs out, get depressed, take dog out and eat shit food.

And get up at 6:15am and go to the gym

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NoodleCheeseThief@reddit

I would do voluntary work. I have always wanted to do that but didn't have the time.

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vientianna@reddit

Campervan and travel the west coast and islands of Scotland from April to October. October to April live in the gym and the cinema

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originalwombat@reddit

Have more children

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um-nome-@reddit

I currently live in London for career opportunities but I absolutely despise this city so my priority would be to get out ASAP. I would move to a much cheaper location, preferably somewhere with close access to nature.

Then I'd spend all my free time on my hobbies. Learn languages, play guitar, gym 6 days a week, cook good food. Life would be great.

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jkt2ldn@reddit

Have you tried living in different area/borough? Some area can be very different and pleasant to live. If you like outdoor, being away from high street and living near the park can make it more enjoyable. Or if you’re young and enjoy going out, you might prefer to live in more trendy areas. Obviously, there is a price for that, but worth expanding to zone 3-4.

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um-nome-@reddit

Yea, I agree there are nice areas of London! And it has a lot of good things to offer (tonnes of good food, activities and events etc).

But, for some reason, I have just never gelled with the city since moving here after Uni 5 years ago. Sitting on the tube for 1+ hours per day, squished between a bunch of sweaty people people - or walking down busy, litter filled streets passing by countless homless/junkies/roadmen. I've just never felt 'at home' there, which is weird because I do love other busy cities around the world.

Actually, I recently called it quits and moved out to Cambridge which I much prefer (aside from the £30-£40 train ticket to get to my office in London lol). But I think the commute is gonna kill me soon (although 1.5h on an air conditioned train is infinitely better than the 45m tube journey I previously had imo).

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jkt2ldn@reddit

Good luck with the move.

If you ever get bored with 1.5hr commute and aircon, you could always move back to London. Just saying. 😏

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auntie_eggma@reddit

*and get a flat closer to your work this time.

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jon080984@reddit

Way more sports / gym

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LentilRice@reddit

Mornings:
School drop off.
Workout.
Spend time and make a healthy breakfast.
A short nap or relax in the garden.

Afternoon:
Stroll to the high street near me.
Lunch some place I can find a relatively healthy meal, preferably the same place often enough to bond with the community.
Shopping top-up on my way back if needed.
Pick up school.

Evening:
Music and cooking dinner for the family.
Play with kids.
Read a book together.

Night:
Some gaming once the kids are asleep.
Sleep before 10PM.

Weekends:
Uninterrupted hobby and/or play time with kids.

That’s it really.

Or

Just a workout and wank on some days.

PS. Even in this fantasy scenario I’m not optimistic enough to include sex. r/deadbedrooms

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Emotional-Start7994@reddit

Have a shite in the morning without fear of someone cold calling me on Teams.

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Willing_Coconut4364@reddit

go sailing

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Competitive_Pen7192@reddit

Spend more time with the children and get my house perfect. Also more time to go to the gym, explore new things to cook, there's always something to do. Bordem is lack of enthusiasm and imagination rather than having nothing to do.

I've been off work on full pay after breaking a bone plus the surgery after it. The break has been healed more or less for about a month so I'm experiencing what OP is describing first hand. Have to go back next week however...

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auntie_eggma@reddit

Make more art. Go more places See more things. Learn more skills.

1

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Decard_Pain@reddit

I would likely end up doing a lot more woodworking and climbing.

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insertitherenow@reddit

Gardening.

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Kubrick_Fan@reddit

I would do what I already do, fashion photography, film set work and collecting minerals, crystals and fossils

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CreepingOnTheHorizon@reddit

Be much fitter and calmer

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fotfddtodairsizr@reddit

I’d travel the world and return to the uk each summer to enjoy events and hang out with friends.

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PM_ME_VEG_PICS@reddit

I would finally get some of my craft projects finished and also finish decorating my house.

I have a whole load of hobbies so could easily fill my days. I would also volunteer somewhere to get a bit more interaction with other people.

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Mrgonzouk@reddit

I've really enjoyed my evening classes in electrical installation and would love to have the time to do other trades, brick laying, joinery, plumbing etc... and just start knocking up little projects.

During lock down I got really in to wood working and if I didn't have to work I'd be making bits and bobs to give to friends and family.

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Necessary_Collar_490@reddit

Be awake in the daytime

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govnyuuk@reddit

Pub?

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death-in-tipton@reddit

Lots of reading and metal detecting

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Olyve_Oil@reddit

That is pretty much me right now!

I was made redundant back in March with very sweet redundancy pay; at the same time, I already had a new job lined up where I’m starting mid-June, so fuck-all to do for 3 months and “getting paid” as usual every month (from the bit of the redundancy pay that is sitting on my savings account)

I went on a week-long holiday early April (that was already planned), I’m going to the gym/swimming every day, I’m sure by now my dog hates me because she’s never walked so much, I’m catching up on cooking, reading and life admin and I’m doing a couple of work-related certifications. I’ve also been able to book appointments with tradespeople for home improvements/redecorating that I simply didn’t have the time to properly look into.

All that, though, still leaves a whole lot of hours a day with nothing much to do and I’m bored beyond what’s possible to explain!

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pokey_bum@reddit

This is me for a short time now. I’m on a two month garden leave. I’m spending my time at the gym, hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, running, paddle boarding, and kayaking. I’m baking and cooking as much as I can. Plus I’m spending loads of time with my kids. I also coach the kids at rugby league and just finished off the same at rugby union. It’s honestly epic! The chores are all done. It hard not to just veg out and stream every day, but it’s good keeping hobbies going. I’ve got a little decorating left to do. Lastly I’ve incorporated an afternoon nap into most days. I’ve genuinely never felt better. I’m back working at the very end of June.

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stevecrox0914@reddit

I am a software engineer who specialises in Data Engineering and DevSecOps.

For 15 years I have watched people entirely new recreate the same basic solutions, those people recreate the same basic mistakes and usually burn out. If people get past that stage they typically start building a high specific and non reusable solution to every problem, eventually they realise their solution is not portable and loose interest.

My job for 10 years has felt like joining a company and inheriting a soluting which is either half implemented or contains masses of bespoke nonsense. I cut most of it back, ensure standardised workflows and patterns, hook it into the appropriate endpoints and then refactor into a generic solution through testing.

Then other teams ask for consultancy where I explain how framework/tool is designed to work, what they have done and how we refactor it. Then the generic solution is dropped in.

It just feels stuck solving the same thing, when there are far more interesting problems. I have reached the point where I work in my own time creating true generic solutions, its slow going as I need to do it sustainably.

My big plan is to upstream the generic solutions into open source projects. If you gave me more time, I would just work 10-3pm doing that, so I can drop my kid off to school each day.

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Psycho_Splodge@reddit

Sadly sleep

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Kapika96@reddit

Try to meet somebody to start a family with.

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Omg_stop@reddit

Finish my research and write a book.

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Akash_nu@reddit

Travel more and stay in long term rentals to experience different lifestyles. That won’t cost a lot but will provide such a huge variety and experience.

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Sapiopath@reddit

Food, Art, Sex.

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meadowender@reddit

My dream life, stay at home, keep myself to myself, order food etc online. The problem would come in a few years when current salary is worth less and less. I can and do quite happily live on current minimum wage but 5 years time, 10.

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Formal-Apartment7715@reddit

Travel around the world and stay in place for at least a month or 3. Learn new things like DIY skills Arrange social events that lonely working people attend - Sip and Paint anyone? Might also do a bit of charity work... Doomscrolling will still feature heavily amongst all that...

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Head_Priority5152@reddit

I'd be pretty ruined as someone who barely makes end meet. So I guess free things like walks or tv. Wouldn't be able to afford anything fun.

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uniquenewyork_@reddit

Probably use the time and money to finally be able to fund my hobbies.

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TheLoneSculler@reddit

Train as a full time rower, transition into ultra endurance cycling and tick off as many bucket list events as possible. Maybe start an F1 podcast on the side

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Screaming_lambs@reddit

I used to be able to work, now I am unable to. I spend a lot of time wishing I was able to work and some times days can be quite boring! I do try to get out of the house as much as I'm able to. And sing to my cats.

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Previous-Ad7618@reddit

As a WFH software engineer, this is already the case.

Drop the kids at school.

Workout. Clean the house. Play some Nintendo.

Do a quick bug or two. Thumbs up a few teams messages.

Lunch.

Pick up kids

Beer

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SecretSquirrelSpot@reddit

Painting, sewing, occasional walks, bit of spa time. Cook from scratch and really try to look after myself, my family and my house.

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FigTreeRest@reddit

I would volunteer. I’ve been thinking about volunteering a lot for several years now: homelessness, blind people, care homes, prison work.

I would also read and travel more across England (and UK, if that counts, as per OP’s post). I would sleep more, eat better, and exercise (especially walk a lot) more; I’d visit gardens, forests, and parks (especially national parks).

I would spend more time with friends and family. I would watch the sun rise and set more frequent. I would call people more often and be in a better mood I think (less tired and that feeling of always rushing or on the run).

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Smeeble09@reddit

Finish the house jobs, game, watch films, sleep.

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MahatmaAndhi@reddit

Bikepacking. Pick a location and ride there, pitching a tent for the night(s). Around 50 miles a day.

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MountainMuffin1980@reddit

Indulge in my current hobbies (videogames and Warhammer). Take up new ones like pottery, stained glass making and kayaking. And get really really fit and healthy.

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EatingCoooolo@reddit

Just wait to die?

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MonkeyBoy697@reddit

Exercise, rest and recover

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autofill-name@reddit

Make twice my salary.

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PaddedValls@reddit (OP)

Downvotes because you can't read the post I think, friend

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Laescha@reddit

I'd volunteer a lot, doing the kinds of roles that could really benefit from my skill set but there's no money for the charities running them to pay someone.

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PsychoticDust@reddit

Gaming, reading, listening to music, spend time with family and friends, learn a few new skills. A bit of travelling.

Ive been working full time for about 20 years. I didn't want to do it then, and I still don't went to do it now. I've lost so much time to work, and I really regret being born into a society where full time work means spending our lives working more than we will ever spend with our friends and family, and on hobbies.

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Thorpedo870@reddit

Double my current trainig volume

Do the pick ups and drop offs for my kid from school so I spend more time with him

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CryptographerMore944@reddit

Work on my book, make all my meals from scratch, never miss a gym day, relax.

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SpunkSacks@reddit

I retired last year. I play computer games and go to the gym in the afternoon. And I read a lot.

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berkleysquare@reddit

Visit nice country pubs all over UK.

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OllyDee@reddit

I would split my time between looking at the natural beauty and historical sites of England, and making absolutely banging Happy Hardcore full-time. The perfect combination.

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ToastedCrumpet@reddit

Had this briefly during the start of Covid actually lol. I started smoking weed again, going for long walks in the woods, reading. Got a cheap PS4 and got into gaming again, did a little baking, got into plants, beat my meat like it owed me money etc.

Basically did a lot of the things I’ll say I’m gonna do on my days off but are then too tired to do or something comes up

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Kpowell911@reddit

Spend all 9.5 hours plus travel time with my Girlfriend and daughter ❤️

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Still-Process-2527@reddit

[ Removed by Reddit ]

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ELiTERENNO@reddit

Seeing as I can't leave the country, I'd just visit nice places around the country I reside in instead and enjoy doing stuff I'm into.

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Ok-Middle8656@reddit

Lots of day trips. Long distance hiking and biking.

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jkt2ldn@reddit

Doing more fun stuff? Go back to uni and study part time, a bit of gardening, going to galleries on weekdays, gyms in the morning, bit of DIY, and take classes on drawing. I am a bit ambitious as I always think I don’t have enough time to do everything. 😅

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YBZ@reddit

Just going to leave this poem here:

"If had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies."

Nadine Stair, 85 years old

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stowgood@reddit

Disc Golf. Walks. Gardening. I'd also have time to edit all my YouTube videos I've got over 20TB of unedited adventures I reckon I've only had time to edit 10% of what I film.

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Steppy20@reddit

Honestly? Go nuts.

I was made redundant and put on gardening leave for a couple of months at full salary. Other than job applications I didn't really have much to do.

I wasn't earning enough to be able to do whatever I wanted so there were quite a few days of just staying at home and reading or playing video games.

It's likely I'd just make more time to work on my current hobby programming project. I find motivation quite difficult after doing something very similar at work all day.

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gander8622@reddit

I feel that last paragraph. I have something I want to play around with and learn about. But the second VSCode loads my brain walks out lol.

Never make your hobby your job 😂

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NoCold3997@reddit

Getting sick of these repeatable questions but hey i retired when I was 29 im now 56 and yes I get far more money than when I was working ..life is like water it will follow it's own path..

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Due-Presentation4344@reddit

Probably make a routine to replace working hours. I’d probably end up riding my bike 5 times a week, making fancy meals, then it leaves me time for plenty of entertainment, cinema, coffee shops, pubs, eating out.

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hughesyg@reddit

Sounds a bit like my life….

Just potter around really. Laze in bed in the morning. Go the the shop. Go to the gym. Tidy up at home. Watch some tv. Time goes quite quickly to be honest!

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greenpowerman99@reddit

Start a business selling solar panels.

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Dualyeti@reddit

I like my job - but only because I’ve automated it with AI and my boss is a genuine person.

I’d probably build an app and try and market it - but then I realise that everyone is doing what I’m doing and finding a niche in a sea of people finding niche SaaS is very saturated. However, right now is the best time to do it because while a lot of people are utilising AI, a lot more have figured out its power, everyday feels like a race before the mainstream catch up completely.

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SelfSufficientHub@reddit

Build lots of different passive income streams for my retirement

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ExultentPisces@reddit

I’d get another job. Not because I want to work, but because if I didn’t, I know my depression would get worse and worse.

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kernowgringo@reddit

That's me at the moment. I'm on paternity with 90% pay but becuase I got a pay rise just before leaving for paternity I'm kind of on the same money. I spend a lot of time with all my kids and I've got a big list of stuff to get repaired or decorated around the house and garden.

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KitFan2020@reddit

My current salary? Not a lot tbh. I’d save spending money on work clothes and petrol but wouldn’t be able to afford to travel the world or anything like that.

I’d see more of family and friends, have people over to stay, go on lots of day trips, probably eat a lot more food, make stuff, keep garden looking good, grow stuff…

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Shnicketyshnick@reddit

Sleep more. See more of friends and family. Game more. Read more.

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sf-keto@reddit

Work at a charity

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Illustrious_Bus8440@reddit

For the first two weeks go to bed. Third week sort out the house and diet. Fourth week probably learn something new (and useful)

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watchingonsidelines@reddit

Have a stint of time off between jobs so I can say - spend more money than I should! Aside from travel, see exhibitions, go to museums, parks and National Trust areas, hike, go to libraries and book stores, garden, read in nice places, eat in nice restaurants when they’re quiet and it’s a better experience has been a big one.

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Wiltix@reddit

Finish decorating the house

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TheEnglishNorwegian@reddit

I'm on paternity leave so this describes me anyway. Basically spend time with the baby and play some video games when she's sleeping or get housework done.

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Zubi_Q@reddit

Play video games all day

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Strong-Librarian-OOK@reddit

I had a year off on full pay a couple of years ago. Honestly I was climbing the walls wanting to get back to work by the end, because money was tight to treat every day like a weekend where we go out and do fun stuff, and that was despite having to go to hospital 3x a week so I was occupied with that a lot of the time.

On a higher salary it would be great, but on my current salary it got quite boring.

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smokeyjoe105@reddit

Spend more time with my wife and daughter. I’d want to give my little girl as many new experiences as possible, see the world and watch her grow up together as a family.

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P_T_W@reddit

volunteer for the NHS

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HauntingCicada2630@reddit

👏👍💚

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HauntingCicada2630@reddit

Voluntary work (I do it anyway, but I'd happily do more as it's so good for your soul.)

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St2Crank@reddit

Take my kid out of nursery and be financially better off.

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triptip05@reddit

Volunteer for things.

Tried to do nothing before got bored after 6 months.

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Striking_Caramel_357@reddit

Travel and gardening. I want to revisit Asia as their food is amazing plus I can relax on the beaches there. Back at home I find gardening really relaxing. And go to every Prodigy gig.

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maersyl@reddit

I’d write all the stories I keep having ideas for and completing in my head.

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-adult-swim-@reddit

Learn a language, lots of walking, lots of walking, take some courses...

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SkipperTheEyeChild1@reddit

A lot more gaming.

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boolee2112@reddit

Stay at home with my cats.

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Shoddy_Pilot_2737@reddit

I'd exercise, learn, read, do some charity work, donate plasma more often and visit family and friends more.

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lazysundaybeans@reddit

Crafts, all the crafts.

And maybe go to the gym, sort my house out and enjoy cooking more as I'd have the time ❤️

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Time-Mode-9@reddit

If sleep a lot.

My wife would make me do her share of the domestic chores - aiming she still has to work.

I'd go out for a lot more runsv and cycle rides, and probably take up climbing again.

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seriousrikk@reddit

When you say not allowed to leave the country are you talking leave at all.. or move abroad?

Anyway. I would travel the UK to ride various different mountain bike locations. I would take trips with my wife and dog and I would volunteer at my chosen charity more often. Probably get some more DIY done too.

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mdmdmdmdmdmdmdmdmdm@reddit

Why cant I leave the country? I understand avoiding people just saying travelling but sometimes you just have to travel to another country to do something.

I'd paint, learn how to use a sowing machine and probably try to be an actor

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Bose82@reddit

I'd take the gym more serious. I'd probably take up golf too.

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Heck_@reddit

Play and make more music, read, watch films, paint and play Warhammer, spend more time with my partner and cats, and mainly just chill the fuck out and get my head together.

THEN probably find more different things to do that I don’t already do, but don’t have enough time for, because of work.

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BertieR-Drizzleflap@reddit

Get a pt job and learn 🎸

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Affectionate-Owl9594@reddit

Get qualifications in everything I currently pay other people to do - electricians, bricklayers, plumbing, plastering, hairdressers, etc. I’d also go back to uni and do a Master’s in English Literature for fun. That would probably take almost all of it.

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WealthMain2987@reddit

I would travel all over the UK with my gf.

Do a course at the local college to do DIY

Play ps5

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