If you didn't have to work, what would you do with your time?

mike23w

mike23w

Giggity
  • you have a budget of $30k/year or $2.5k/month after taxes are paid.
    about $50k/year pre-tax.
  • you're 30 to 60 years old and in good health
  • your house is paid off and you don't have any huge expenses.
    but living costs like food, clothes, car need to be paid with the $2.5k/month.
    in other words, you make $50k/year (without working) but need to watch your budget.
  • let's assume

what would you do with your time (besides hookers and blow)?

continue to work? volunteer? crafts or hobbies? try to lead a hedonistic lifestyle on a shoestring budget?

i think i'd try a ton of odd jobs. i'd probably also live in a lot of different places (start with north america and then branch out to different countries). basically turn into a nomad.
 
corndog67

corndog67

Pissant Squid
Touch myself.

Buy motorcycles with my excess monies.

Trip around the country with my bikes in the back of a truck or motorhome or toyhauler.

Have fun.

Get fat.
 
Reli

Reli

Well-known member
Sell my home and leave CA, buy a home for 1/3 the cost, invest the rest or use it to start a new career or business. Because $50K a year before taxes isn't going to satisfy most people forever.......especially if inflation kicks in the future. In 20-30 years you'll probably need $150K/yr to keep the same lifestyle.
 
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Shaggy

Shaggy

Zoinks!!!!
In that limited budget:
Race AFM
Attend all 162 Giants games in a season
Go to every ballpark in the MLB

With unlimited funds:
Sunken ship salvaging
 
Wormwood

Wormwood

Is right behind you
I think one could pull off some right fine minimalist adventures on that budget if otherwise unencumbered.
 
Abacinator

Abacinator

Unholy Blasphemies
Finish putting my motorcycle back together, ride it a bunch, go hiking/mountain biking, lounge around, play with my kid more, spend more time at the shooting range, read. Basically all the things I enjoy but don't have time to do because working all the time.
 
Stormdragon

Stormdragon

Still Good Lookin'
As strange as it seems, I think I'd continue to shoe a few horses. (They get to be an addiction.) I'd continue doing a little blacksmithing, because it's fun. And I'd set up all the darkroom equipment, and start photographing and printing again. Plus I'd set up a bike to be able to carry a nice batch of cameras, and go ride. For a long while.
 
mike23w

mike23w

Giggity
i'd probably start gardening to grow my own food, learn to cook said food and walk or bicycle everywhere because i'm not on a schedule anymore. get back to basics.
 
larry kahn

larry kahn

Well-known member
I'm in a situation more or less like you describe and I've spent about 5-6 hours / 4-6 days a week since 1993 at our local dog pound being a used dog salesman. Meaningful for me.
 
Alan_Hepburn

Alan_Hepburn

Well-known member
That pretty much describes our situation: we're retired, with income from Social Security, an IRA, a small pension, and some annuities. We have to keep our income under about $55K or so in order for me to qualify for healthcare through the VA so we base our IRA distribution on that.

Our house is paid off, but we have a mortgage on a second house - it belonged to my in-laws but we bought out my sister-in-law when the parents passed. We also have a loan for our RV. With that, we have enough disposable money to regularly travel in the motorhome, ride our bike a lot, and generally have fun. In fact, we're leaving in about a month for an RV trip to Virginia to visit our son and his family in Norfolk. We'll be gone about 2 months.

With careful budgeting it's not difficult to live on under $60K a year.
 
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