Please Help!!

[gravy94]

Hi Everyone,

I am a new grad and work full time. Does anyone have any advice on what they do on their days off? I am single and don't have any obligations. Any advice would be appreciated?

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I agree with JKL33 learn about personal finance. Read some good books like Personal Finance for Dummies, Deal with Your Debt, Your Credit Score, Smart Women Finish Rich. I wish I had done that when I was young, maybe I'd be able to retire already and enjoy the rest of my life stress-free.

[TriciaJ, RN]

9 hours ago, brandy1017 said:

I agree with JKL33 learn about personal finance. Read some good books like Personal Finance for Dummies, Deal with Your Debt, Your Credit Score, Smart Women Finish Rich. I wish I had done that when I was young, maybe I'd be able to retire already and enjoy the rest of my life stress-free.

I agree with this a thousand times. Employer pension plans amount to little more than a one-way ticket to the glue factory. All hard-working young people owe it to themselves to become financially savvy and to start feathering their nests now.

OP, starting this process now, if you haven't already, would be one of the best uses of your spare time. You'll be ultimately better off financially than picking up extra shifts or taking a second job. The extra money you would make will just increase your tax burden and ultimately burn you out faster. If you're prone to spending whatever money you have available (not saying you are) then working extra shifts are really diminishing returns.

However, if you have a solid financial game plan and still want to pick up extra shifts, you will have sound strategies for getting the best use from the money.

None of us can predict the future. When misfortune strikes, it's so much easier to handle when we have choices.

[JKL33]

2 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

None of us can predict the future. When misfortune strikes, it's so much easier to handle when we have choices.

Yes - and not just the type of misfortune that we normally think of as devastating, but also just being able to put yourself into a position to make wise employment decisions that are in your best interest.

[Neo Soldier, BSN, RN]

Do you have an interest in teaching? Maybe you could be a CNA instructor. You could also be an RN clinical instructor as some colleges want at least a BSN to be an instructor.

[Ada Scoly]

Please I need help. Does northern Mariana islands board of nursing accepts western union money order?

[rn&run]

I love working out, reading at least a couple books a week, and doing art projects on my days off. I go to thrift stores looking for quirky retro sewing patterns that I can make out of discounted fabric remnants. I take a weekly oil painting class, and work on my paintings at home too. I've gotten certified as a personal trainer, and done a 200 hr yoga teacher training just for the hell of it.

I used to feel like I should be working as many hours as possible. But even when I maxed out my working hours I was still miserable. Now I work part time, and I really do spend most of my free time cultivating my hobbies and interests. I have to budget hard-core to make it work, but I'm happy where I used to be anxious and miserable and really hate nursing.

But that's me. What do you care about? Think about what parts of your identity you value most. If it's being a nurse, or making money, work more! Find a prn job you can flex to fit your free time until you're truly too exhausted to do anything more. You could consider a non-nursing side gig (bartending, retail, uber) to avoid burnout. But if there's anything else you ever wanted to learn and do for no other reason than because it's cool and important to you -- then give yourself permission to spend your free time on that.

[ShadowNurse]

I've just gotten started on a four-day stretch of time off. I normally work 40 hours as a home health nurse plus a part-time job as a community health nurse. I take the first weekend of the month off to maintain some balance.

My short answer for what I do on my day off: Sleep. Well, sleep without an alarm. I wake up only an hour after the usual time, but hey, it's something.

As for activities, so far I've gotten license plates for my new car, done laundry, cleaned out the fridge, gone to the doctor for a follow-up, picked up some medication refills, taken two walks and tonight I'm headed to a show being put on by a friend. Tomorrow it's church and lunch out followed by catching up on some work documentation and a haircut. Also plenty of Netflix/Hulu/gaming in between. Stay busy, but take care of yourself too.