Community Forums

Dunner · 03-06-2012, 09:05 PM

I've always been a DIYer. I turned my family room into a machine shop with three lathes, two milling machines, grinder, band saw, drill press, and all the tooling that goes with it. In my garage is my sand rail, 4 types of welders, tools and gauges. I love working on things and doing all sorts of repair work and fabrication. In my back yard is spare parts and metal stock. There is no way I could leave all that and FT.

One of my spare bedrooms has 5 sewing machines. The oldest one is a 1913 White rotary that sews through almost everything. The others have different colors and strengths of threads. The closet is full of camping gear. The other spare bedroom is half full of fishing gear, computers, bicycles and other extra parts.

My current GF moved out of town to be with her not so healthy mother. When she was here, she went with me to the dunes. I would love to take her on some long trips, but don't see that happening any time soon.

Does anybody else have hobbies that keep them from full timing?

Mochisme · 03-06-2012, 09:18 PM

OMG... With all that equipment I can see why your a "Dunner", you have too many hobbies and should count yourself lucky to do weekend camping trips...

Does sound like a nice set up, but I am sheading hobbies and "Things" so maybe not FT but close to it..

Dunner · 03-06-2012, 09:27 PM

Even with all that equipment, I still find myself with nothing to do at times. I've been known to break things just so I have something to do. I would rather make a tool than go out and buy one.

SarahW · 03-06-2012, 09:32 PM

We are not of the FT mindset; we are "vacation" RVers. Love to travel, love to see different parts of the USA, love the RVing life...but always LOVE to get HOME. So, I guess we have the best of both worlds.

Senior Chief · 03-06-2012, 09:33 PM

Wouldn't it be a boring old world if everybody liked the same things...

Wanabee FTer · 03-06-2012, 09:46 PM

If you had asked me if I would FT 5 years ago, I would have said "never" but things change.

I was a lot like you, a lot of toys, garage full of tools, always working on projects when I was not at work. Then things started to change as I got older, failing health helped me realize I might be missing something. After my stroke (age 52) I started selling all of my prized possessions. DW supported my decision to retire early.

We had talked all our lives about seeing the US so we sold everything and looked forward to a easier, more kicked back way of living. Our budget is very small compared to many people, but we are living life comfortably. So far we have been FT a little over a year and have had no regrets about our decision.

I understand that not wanting to RV full time is a decision only you, yourself can make. But don't discount it completely, you never know.

Dunner · 03-06-2012, 10:03 PM

I don't discount it at all. It's just that I like seeing the results and the satisfaction I get from many years of working on just about everything. Maybe some day I will change, but for now, I like working with my hands and seeing the fruits of my labor.

toadog · 03-06-2012, 10:33 PM

Like you I have a lot of projects going on all the time. I have a wood shop that keeps me busy and still have to work for three more months before I fully retire, DW says I have to redo a lot of the house before we can travel. Oh and there are some parents to take care of fore a while, so week ending it for a while yet.

Mr_D · 03-06-2012, 10:38 PM

Not hobbies but grandkids!! Step daughter dies and we "inherited" two grandkids, one will be 20 the end of the month and has moved out, the other is 12 so we have a few years to go!!

I'm 65 and the wife will be 65 in December. I actually retired once at 51 and started collecting my retirement, but kept working because my wife couldn't retire. Life was good for a while till the bottom fell out of IT contracting.

Right now the house is overflowing with my parents stuff (they died five years ago), my step daughters stuff, the grandkids stuff and inventory and fixtures from a business we closed up when the step daughter died. Need to get a trailer and make several trips to the dump and thrift stores adn get rid of a bunch. Almsot forgot, the front room is full of a refer, gas stove, dishwasher and microwave since we bought new ones and haven't sold the old but still very functional ones!

Dunner · 03-07-2012, 12:06 AM

Part of my problem is that I almost never throw anything away. When I do, I need it the next day.

Mr_D · 03-07-2012, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunner

Part of my problem is that I almost never throw anything away. When I do, I need it the next day.

Ever see the programs on hoarders on TV? That's the way I feel!!! I can't get my wife to throw/give anything away!! I think I'll just start hauling it away when she's at work and play dumb (not hard to do) when she asks where something went!

Mr_D · 03-07-2012, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toadog

Like you I have a lot of projects going on all the time. I have a wood shop that keeps me busy and still have to work for three more months before I fully retire, DW says I have to redo a lot of the house before we can travel. Oh and there are some parents to take care of fore a while, so week ending it for a while yet.

Just had a new roof put on last week, next is to finish siding the house. Had half done in 1999, now we find they can't match the old siding so we have to do it all over.
Then comes all new floors. Wife decided years ago to have white Berber rug in the basement, naturally with cats and dogs it's now a MESS and needs to be totally replaced. The rest of the carpets are original from the Parade of Homes when we bought it in 1986.

Arch Hoagland · 03-07-2012, 12:34 AM

They say he who dies with the most toys wins.

Keep it up and you will certainly place near, if not, on the top.

Dunner · 03-07-2012, 12:36 AM

I'm not a hoarder by any means. Don't hoarder usually keep one type of item? If I see value in an item that I may have to go out and buy someday, I keep it. I cleaned out my 8x10 backyard shed last week and now have twice the room. If I looked at something and figured I'd never use it, it went in the dumpster.