What would you do?

[j4yt33]

I hope this is the correct section for this question.

Let’s pretend you had a full time job earning a full time liveable wage (not just mortgage and bills but some play money as well).
Pretend this job had a shift pattern of 24 hours on, 72 hours off, thus giving you 3 out of 4 days to do anything you want.

How would YOU spend your days off?

Get a second job that allows a bit of flexibility? If so, what?
Work for yourself? If so, doing what?
Spend as much time with the kids?
Try and earn as much money as possible on days off?
Be happy with having lots of free time therefore removing the second job from the equation?

I'm just curious to see how priorities and outlook on life differ amongst you lovely people.

[Nickbrapp]

Life is not about working, working is there to afford a standard of lifestyle while saving to give up work forever.

So for me, work the one job and spend as much time as I can doing what I want with my free time.

[magpie215]

Money can't buy you time so I say if everything's covered financially spend time doing things you enjoy.

[WY86]

I would spend my free days looking for a job that was not on some sort of horrible shift pattern..

[Silvanus]

WY86 said:

I would spend my free days looking for a job that was not on some sort of horrible shift pattern..

Many moons ago I did 24 on 24 off for 2 weeks then had the weekend off

[brownspeed]

Did something very similar (2x 12hr days, 2x 12hr nights then 4 off ) used my days off to study for an engineering degree so I could get a better, more stimulating job.

[Nethybridge]

For those 3 days off I'd look for an over-paid , under worked
part-time position, like fireman, GP, teacher,
community police officer, social worker, that sort of thing.

[Wacky Racer]

There was a piece in my local paper recently about a 75 year old couple who ran their shop seven days a week and enjoyed it.

Fair enough, each to their own.


Personally, this had a huge impact on me when I first read it many years ago.

https://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexica...

[Monkeylegend]

j4yt33 said:

I hope this is the correct section for this question.

Let’s pretend you had a full time job earning a full time liveable wage (not just mortgage and bills but some play money as well).
Pretend this job had a shift pattern of 24 hours on, 72 hours off, thus giving you 3 out of 4 days to do anything you want.

How would YOU spend your days off?

Get a second job that allows a bit of flexibility? If so, what?
Work for yourself? If so, doing what?
Spend as much time with the kids?
Try and earn as much money as possible on days off?
Be happy with having lots of free time therefore removing the second job from the equation?

I'm just curious to see how priorities and outlook on life differ amongst you lovely people.

What would you do with your days off?

[James_33]

Slightly different, I'm a bus driver and up until late last year i was doing the best part of 50 hours a week full of different shifts/shift patterns that messed with your body clock and often working up to 10 days in a row, after a while it takes its toll on you where you may have that bit of extra money over a standard 39 hour week, but then the shifts made it that when you did get a day off, that i just wanted to do nothing but sleep half the time, since then i went part time for a few reasons but what with my Mrs income and mine put together we do ok, I get a week off every other week from work and the time i get now is spent on multiple things i never really had before, I spend more time with the kids, get to sit down at the table for proper meals with the family rather than convenience food that i was having with the shift patterns beforehand.

It has also done a massive amount for my mental health, I get time to myself when the Mrs is at work and kids at school to do my own thing, my only regret is i didn't do it sooner, admittedly we don't live any sort of lavish lifestyle, but then recent passings within my family made me realise that there is so much more to life than work and i now live for today rather than tomorrow which is never guaranteed.

[Sway]

I'd split the time into four.

Gym/working on my physical health - as it also provides mental balance and time to "switch off and think".

Hobby - for me, that'd be allotment/garden/marine aquarium.

Family - genuine quality time with no distractions.

Learning - either 'formal' or just interesting topics.

[j4yt33]

Really interesting (and refreshing) to see the majority would prioritise time over earning extra money, especially on a forum like PistonHeads.
The Fisherman story above is perfect. I often find myself spiralling down the "Things = Happiness" equation which is a game I feel you can't win. Rereading that story will definitely be a way to realign myself with what is really important to me.
I appreciate everyones thoughts.