How much free time do you have? • Hacker News Board

Re: How much free time do you have?

#21

Post by jason_slack » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:29 AM UTC

scotch_drinker wrote: post #2

I'm 46 with a 3 year old I spend a lot of time with (21-24 hours a week). I love that time but it's a little depressing to only have 5 years of free time left. Pretty eye opening to see it as a total number.

I’m 42 with 2 babies under 2. It seems I have 3 years free time left.

Hmm too bad I can’t get the 3 years in a single stretch. :-).

Re: How much free time do you have?

#22

Post by hn_throwaway_99 » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:32 AM UTC

While I think it's good to take stock of "where does my time go??", the calculations here are pretty misleading IMO. For example, I think, for most people, if you had absolutely no other external obligations (e.g. you are independently wealthy, no kids, etc.) and you had exactly 5 years left to live, I think most people would consider that you have "5 years of free time left". By taking out things like sleep, eating, grooming, chores, and even discretionary things like "going to the gym", and then converting the remaining hours back to years by dividing by 24/7/365, you're left with some really misleading numbers.

Re: How much free time do you have?

#23

Post by unnouinceput » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:33 AM UTC

frequentnapper wrote: post #9

unnouinceput wrote: post #6

~70 hours free time/week or 10 per day, wohooo...freelancing all the way baby!

what do you do with your free time?

Enjoying life my friend. Wife and kids, they are there to make your life fulfilled, not to be a nuisance or chores, as the tool had one of the fields - I put there 0, I don't have any chores to do in my life.

Re: How much free time do you have?

#24

Post by closeparen » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:34 AM UTC

tristanstcyr wrote: post #11

I don't know if that's how free time works once you have kids. "Parental duties" takes the free time. You get some time when the kids sleep.

Kids from elementary school onward have homework, friends, books, games, TV, etc occupying several hours of most nights. It’s not like they’re interacting with both parents continuously for every moment between work/school and sleep.

Re: How much free time do you have?

#25

Post by moneywoes » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:34 AM UTC

Sigh, quantifying this is depressing

Re: How much free time do you have?

#26

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:42 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #24

tristanstcyr wrote: post #11

I don't know if that's how free time works once you have kids. "Parental duties" takes the free time. You get some time when the kids sleep.

Kids from elementary school onward have homework, friends, books, games, TV, etc occupying several hours of most nights. It’s not like they’re interacting with both parents continuously for every moment between work/school and sleep.

[deleted]

Re: How much free time do you have?

#27

Post by Waterluvian » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:44 AM UTC

Some feedback about the formula from a parent:

The formula needs to account for the reality that with young children your "parental duties" expands to occupy all free time when kids are awake. And also shifts other chores into any free time slots when kids are asleep.

Kids are asleep. Time to clean the kitchen, do the dishes, switch the laundry, cut some veggies for tomorrow's dinner, and then find somewhere softer than last night to pass out.

Re: How much free time do you have?

#28

Post by friedman23 » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:45 AM UTC

KirinDave wrote: post #8

Well I know the author of this certainly has more free time than me. 7 hours a week at the gym? What and incredibly laid back lifestyle.

If walking quickly every day for an hour increases my life expectancy by 6 or so years it would have been worth it.

Re: How much free time do you have?

#29

Post by bitwize » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:45 AM UTC

souprock wrote: post #18

twodave wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In addition your own sleep tend to decrease as you "reclaim" some of that play time you're missing for yourself.

Yep. It's hard to resist. I have 12 kids. I sure want time for random stuff... and then I realize the Sun is rising and I haven't slept. That's with a 40-hour work week, a 3-minute commute, and none of that gym/fitness time.

Did you make all 12 with your S.O. or are you like those guardian-angel foster parents from _Shazam!_?

Re: How much free time do you have?

#30

Post by dsfyu404ed » Sat, Jul 06, 2019, 2:55 AM UTC

Ididntdothis wrote: post #7

I think commute time should count two or three times. I sit in the car for 80 minutes a day and I am totally shot in the evening so I get nothing done even if I have time. . On the days I work from home I work the same amount. After work I relax for half an hour and can do things after. Commuting is a real soul killer in my view.

Eh, I do ~70min each way (in a shitbox with no A/C no less) and I still manage to do stuff in the evening.

I think counting it once makes sense.