Responses like this are ridiculous. Just because I spend a lot of time on a forum does not mean I don't have a life, it means that the forum is a part of my life. I make time for my online community and friends and am thankful to have it.
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How do you find the time to have a life?
- Thread starter Leareth
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Responses like this are ridiculous. Just because I spend a lot of time on a forum does not mean I don't have a life, it means that the forum is a part of my life. I make time for my online community and friends and am thankful to have it.
I stay well away from the PRSI unless dropping in to take bits of random posts and making a sarcastic joke that nobody notices. 
A few years back I found it easy to maintain a good social/private life outside of work. Id get into work around 830 or so, and leave around 330, and in between those times had plenty of down time to get caught up internet surfing, bill paying, etc.
Than about two years ago my dept. was merged with a much larger, much busier department and all that went out the window. Im still in work by 830, but I am lucky if I get to leave by 5:00 pm (most days its closer to 6/630 when I leave), and there is no such thing as down time...heck.. I am lucky to squeeze in a few extra minutes for lunch.
As a result when I come home I pretty much eat and go to bed as I am just too worn out to do anything after work on weeknight. Weekends usually consist getting caught up on housework, shopping, and resting.
It really sucks because before the merger I had tons of time to do things that I wanted to do, and had many cool interests I was able to devote time to, but anymore its pretty much impossible to do anything.
Than about two years ago my dept. was merged with a much larger, much busier department and all that went out the window. Im still in work by 830, but I am lucky if I get to leave by 5:00 pm (most days its closer to 6/630 when I leave), and there is no such thing as down time...heck.. I am lucky to squeeze in a few extra minutes for lunch.
As a result when I come home I pretty much eat and go to bed as I am just too worn out to do anything after work on weeknight. Weekends usually consist getting caught up on housework, shopping, and resting.
It really sucks because before the merger I had tons of time to do things that I wanted to do, and had many cool interests I was able to devote time to, but anymore its pretty much impossible to do anything.
I had very little time for anything until around 2007/2008 when I quit my job and started my own business with my partner. Now I can move stuff around in a way I couldn't have done before. I work more hours a week now than I ever have in a job previously, but I do have more free time. I can get up at 2 am and get work done now and free up some time the next day to hit the dry slope if I want.
Other thing that frees up time is the use of online services and technology. We use a lot of online processing services to get daily jobs done a lot faster than you could if someone was doing it manually, that must save us around 1 to 2 hours a day (banking, packaging, postage etc). Food shopping - we do that online now as well, we have it delivered to the door. Costs 3.50-5.00, but saves us time and petrol, so it's great. Although where we live now there are almost always a free DIY scanner to do your own checkout, which is better than queuing. I do a lot of clothes shopping online too now, she doesn't do as much, for her that's something she enjoys doing, so I guess for her that counts as free time, but for me, that's more of a task and with the greater choice, free delivery and free returns now on most sites, shopping for clothes online is something that can be done while eating lunch for example.
Sharing tasks is another way we free up time. If my partner wants to go away for a few days, that's perfectly fine, I can cover her duties, and likewise - she covered for me for 4 days a few weeks back because I wanted a short trip. If I feel run down, she does the petty tasks. If she's bogged down, like at the moment (she's studying her accounting qualification and has exams in 2 weeks) then I do virtually everything, even running out to buy 'feminine goods'.
We both love watching movies - so I download them in HD and watch the latest flicks while having dinner every evening, also saving time. If you want to go for drinks, that doesn't have to take all night, and you don't have to get drunk to enjoy yourself - you can pop out for a couple of drinks, catch up, and head back feeling refreshed and get still have a clear enough head to get some tasks done.
Location is another thing that saves us a ton of time. We literall have a Tesco, a petrol station, a post-office, bars etc right beside us. The benefit of being central.
If you really are prepared to make a big lifestyle change, you can have a ton of free time - this guy's book inspired a lot of people to go for it
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/
He likes to outsource stuff, we prefer to do the opposite, we learn new business skills (web design, accounting etc) that we need so we don't have to outsource and rely on other people which slows us down in the medium term, but that's also a cost-cutting exercise and will likely change in the long term to free up even more time.
As for kids? Nanny then boarding school. Some of the best brought up, successful and respectful friends I know had nannies and were shipped of to boarding school and have fantastic relationships with their parents. If that's too expensive then re-organise your affairs and make more money.
I'd be really interested in other ways people are saving time
Other thing that frees up time is the use of online services and technology. We use a lot of online processing services to get daily jobs done a lot faster than you could if someone was doing it manually, that must save us around 1 to 2 hours a day (banking, packaging, postage etc). Food shopping - we do that online now as well, we have it delivered to the door. Costs 3.50-5.00, but saves us time and petrol, so it's great. Although where we live now there are almost always a free DIY scanner to do your own checkout, which is better than queuing. I do a lot of clothes shopping online too now, she doesn't do as much, for her that's something she enjoys doing, so I guess for her that counts as free time, but for me, that's more of a task and with the greater choice, free delivery and free returns now on most sites, shopping for clothes online is something that can be done while eating lunch for example.
Sharing tasks is another way we free up time. If my partner wants to go away for a few days, that's perfectly fine, I can cover her duties, and likewise - she covered for me for 4 days a few weeks back because I wanted a short trip. If I feel run down, she does the petty tasks. If she's bogged down, like at the moment (she's studying her accounting qualification and has exams in 2 weeks) then I do virtually everything, even running out to buy 'feminine goods'.
We both love watching movies - so I download them in HD and watch the latest flicks while having dinner every evening, also saving time. If you want to go for drinks, that doesn't have to take all night, and you don't have to get drunk to enjoy yourself - you can pop out for a couple of drinks, catch up, and head back feeling refreshed and get still have a clear enough head to get some tasks done.
Location is another thing that saves us a ton of time. We literall have a Tesco, a petrol station, a post-office, bars etc right beside us. The benefit of being central.
If you really are prepared to make a big lifestyle change, you can have a ton of free time - this guy's book inspired a lot of people to go for it
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/
He likes to outsource stuff, we prefer to do the opposite, we learn new business skills (web design, accounting etc) that we need so we don't have to outsource and rely on other people which slows us down in the medium term, but that's also a cost-cutting exercise and will likely change in the long term to free up even more time.
As for kids? Nanny then boarding school. Some of the best brought up, successful and respectful friends I know had nannies and were shipped of to boarding school and have fantastic relationships with their parents. If that's too expensive then re-organise your affairs and make more money.
I'd be really interested in other ways people are saving time
I hardly see my friends anymore, if I'm lucky, once every 2 months.
My fiancee and I have a set schedule every week for our hobbies, it's paid for and it's pretty expensive if we miss it, so we make time to go. We both have 2 jobs, so it's not much time left for other stuff. We work hard now and try to save as much as possible so we can enjoy life after 50.
Four jobs, two people. No time for life. While your choice, that's not a life. Gosh, I was you 30 years ago. But now your 50 is my 60, and know what? I am not fooled any more.
Think that hard work maintaining a certain lifestyle is going away any time soon? By 50? Think you have it figured out? Think again.
Your choice.
The 50+ crowd can answer you. The kids don't know s**t.
Aaahhhhh.... The joys of not having (nor wanting) any kids.
I'd like to hear that when you are in your 60's and all alone.
I hardly see my friends anymore, if I'm lucky, once every 2 months.
My fiancee and I have a set schedule every week for our hobbies, it's paid for and it's pretty expensive if we miss it, so we make time to go. We both have 2 jobs, so it's not much time left for other stuff. We work hard now and try to save as much as possible so we can enjoy life after 50.
That kinda sounds depressing. Why put off enjoying life until some set date in the future that you may never see? What happens if something goes wrong with your plans?
I think hard work and saving are necessary for a happy future, but it sounds like you need more balance.
Having kids doesn't guarantee you won't be alone in old age. Is that the only reason you have them?
The only way I'm able to have "a life" is by working almost not at all. I put in one or two full days of actual work per week but seem to stay pretty busy with different not-work things almost all the time. I'm kayaking 30 miles today, that takes almost as much time as a day at work.
Exercise is a good hobby. Maybe you should look at different ways of exercising. Take some strenuous hikes, or take up trail running as a way of getting out into nature instead of the gym. Try kayaking or distance biking or rock climbing, for instance. At my college, they had a place that allowed students to rent gear for those (and many other) outdoor activities that otherwise can be expensive to get into. Participate in races or other group sporting events.I am a full time student as well as working full time, and doing my own research. Plus during the normal academic year I also TA and RA. not exactly a lot of free time in there.
as for my $ , I have enough to pay for needs to be paid, but I am carrying a $120K debt in student loans that needs paying off.
I do work out a lot just to keep healthy body, so i guess that counts as a hobby
As for trying new things I am always up for that. I used to be extremely outdoor sports from snow boarding to sea kayaking to rock climbing. now i just cant find the energy nor time.
Picking a hobby that dovetails with your lifestyle is a good way to make sure you have the time. For instance, one of my hobbies is cooking. It started when I went to college and realized I had nearly zero kitchen equipment. My previous roommates had always had some, so I'd never needed to acquire any myself. I bought a nice chef's knife, and very gradually built up a collection of cookware / appliances / utensils / recipes that allow me to entertain friends with restaurant-quality food on the cheap. I figured, I gotta cook everyday anyway, might as well enjoy it and get good at it.
