How much does your hobby cost you?

[DALederle]

The thought came to me while I was checking out a few of the CD/TV sites. I still have an interest in those subjects, though I don't think about it any longer for something I would do anymore. And I began to noticed just how lavish some men's alternate wardrobes were. All the extra clothes they have plus their own normal male wardrobes. That seems to me to be a lot of money to spend just to play dress-up (which is really all they are doing) once or twice a month or so.
But then I began to think of myself. Like most TV/CDs when I was going through that stage of my life, I frequently "purged" and threw away all the clothes I had bought. For me that was never that much. But still, I could have quite a nice collection of skirts right now if I had kept things.
I've also dabled in photography when I was a reporter (as a sort of photo-journalist). I spent a lot of money on cameras that are now obesolete. Hundred's of dollars not to mention the cost of film developing. A blessing as a reporter was that I could go into work and use their darkrooms. Made things easier and often cheaper.
But I've also been into archery and hunting and competition shooting.
The archery wasn't too expensive. My compound bow and I made my own arrows. But then there's the range fees for practice, because if you don't keep up your practice it's not worth the effort to come out for any contests.
Shooting and hunting! Oh my. The money I spent there...wow! Not just the cost of the various rifles, shotguns and pistols I still own. But the amunition. Fortunatly my friends and I formed our own club and re-loaded our own ammo. But that still cost!
My cheapest hobby was bowling! I was a lifetime 185 average bowler and usually made money for the year. In end of the year prizes and weekly "pots" that everyone played. It was seldom that I didn't win enough each week to pay for my bowling fees that week and maybe the next. Shoes and balls were the big expense I laid out and practice games every week.
All these hobbies not only cost money, while I was healthy eneough to do them, but also took a devotion of time, that almost becomes an expense in itself.
I can't get a really good estimate of what it all cost over my life time. But thousands of dollars I'd like to have back, no in my old age. Of course I enjoyed my moments during the time I was doing all that. I would bowl during the week, hunt or shoot on the weekends. Go to the archery range one or two nights a week, etc. etc.
So how about others here? Have your hobbies cost you much?
Did you enjoy it enough to fee lit is or was worth it?

Dennis A. Lederle

Grok?

[Kirbstone]

Great thread, Dennis, but if we all did careful sums we probably would all stay at home just counting the money we didn't spend.!!

When you have a long-term spouse you each get used to passing any freetime expenditure past the other, expecially when that activity isn't shared with said spouse. The funds have to leave the coffers to support leisure activities and one must act within some form of constraint, usually with agreement on both sides.

Travel and holidays are the big ones, of course. Perhaps I should include offshore sailing here, as that is a form of holiday. Rowing trips to regattas in exotic locations is another big cash burner. Domestic hobbies like model making, gardening, tennis and normal rowing outings aren't reckoned to be an expense' as such.
Cheapest hobby by far which we do individually and also share is contract bridge playing, where no money changes hands and one drinks mostly plain tap water to keep the head clear. The equipment is cheap.
Expensive equipment like astronomical telescopes, boats and cars, musical instruments, certain fishing rods &c are another thing altogether.

I'm sure firearms come into that latter category, too, but I don't indulge.

Tom K.

[crfriend]

Great thread, Dennis, but if we all did careful sums we probably would all stay at home just counting the money we didn't spend.!!

Tell me about it!

Over the years, I've managed to accumulate some very expensive hobbies, primarily photography and computers. I've got a very nice chemical-camera setup that I paid a small ransom for back in the 1980s (I refuse to call it "obsolete" because it still works and 35mm film is still available, unfortunately minus Kodachrome), and a decent video-recording setup. The current sink is my computers, for which I have to rent space for the largest of, and that comes to better than seven hundred bucks a month. Every month.

My good friend who I go sailing with in the summer months, however, has it slightly worse: he pays almost five figures for his membership in the Sailing Center in Boston which gives him access rights to 35-foot sailboats which otherwise he'd never be able to afford to get close to.

Too, any hobby that requires one to maintain proficiency is going to cost one more than something that doesn't (e.g. philately), especially if requires regular outlays of cash. Archery. bowling, computing, marksmanship, and rowing all fall into the former category.

Expensive equipment like astronomical telescopes, boats and cars, musical instruments, certain fishing rods &c are another thing altogether.

Capital outlay is OK, so long as one gets good value for it over a decent span of years. I do not regret for an instant my outlay to get a good camera setup; I enjoyed it for many a year, took some splendid shots, got one published, and have some nice framed pieces. It's the recurring expense that hurts.

[straightfairy]

Given that my finance over the last few yeas have been fairly dire, I have spent too much.
Way too much on clothes, including skirts.
Most expensive hobby before then was my TVR Chimaera while i had it, but was worth every penny.

(for those from the US who may not know, it's a small-ish, light, but very powerful soft top sports car. Mine had a Power/weight of 307bhp/metric tonne.)

[Milfmog]

Many years ago I decided to track what a season's diving cost me, pool fees for training session, travel costs to dive sites, boat fees, gas, equipment maintenance...

At the end of the year I divided the cost into the amount of time I'd spent on the bottom. I've never repeated the exercise as the answer implied it might be cheaper to learn to fly a helicopter...

Some questions are just better not answered

Have fun,


Ian.

Edited to remove typo - Ian

[crfriend]

I've never repeated the exercise as the answer implied it might be cheaper to learn to fly a helicopter...

Ouch! That's one of the things I actually regret never having done. However, the cost thereof is why it's relegated to Royals and the military.

Some questions are just better not answered

Or even asked.

[JohnA]

My hobby is selffunded. I recycle old computers from private and stores. That is how I build my computers (3) I now am running duelcores / 4 GB ram. !5 years ago snowmobiles and boats were the thing, but got to costing to much.

[cessna152towser]

I'd never thought about it until recently. Over the years I have amassed a huge collection of model trains and diecast model vehciles, several cameras, and a collection of fifty kilts and skirts, also spent a lot of money on flying, as a private pilot and on airline travel as a passenger, and as a contributor to various aviation museums. I'd never thought of myself as a big spender on hobbies. It was only when my wife died and I began courting a new woman who expressed her amazement at my collection of models and of skirts/kilts.
Ah well, far better than spending the money on cigarettes or booze.

[Kirbstone]

Well said, Cessna. We're only here once, and enjoyment of our stay here is the watchword, so Enjoy your collection of lovely things that give you pleasure, & keep on the look out for more!

[Since1982]

My only pursuits I might call a hobby now would have to be online poker and pocket billiards. I play 8 ball pool at www.poolsharks.com for free and don't gamble for $$ there under the screen names FupDuck and OldScratch and am not good enough to play against their $$ players, but enjoy playing their players for points that don't mean anything or gain anyone anything.

My Online Poker is at 3 sites, www.Pokerstars.com as BCudaQ, www.ultimatebet.com as LeatherRass and www.fulltiltpoker.com as LeatheryAss I gamble for real money at all 3 of these sites, but only very low stakes of up to $1.00 per tournament or ongoing ring games starting as low as $.02 / $.04 cents of Texas Holdem, Omaha Holdem, Razz, Seven card stud, and 5 card Draw up to $.25 / $.50. My original investments at all 3 sites was $50.00 ea. and Pokerstars is now at $208.05, UB is at $63.22 and FT is in the loss line at $46.93 with a loss of $3.07. I'm up $158.05 at Pokerstars, and up $13.22 at Ultimate Bet. The reason for the 3 sites is when I'm losing at one site, I try a different one, thinking maybe my luck is better there.

[ziggie]

Over the years I have indulged in most every hobby that involves an internal combustion engine. Aviation, boating (power and sail), motorcycling, and even rebuilding antique tractors. I don't even want to think about the cost.

Currently I own a sailboat, not cheap but split with a partner, and spend most of my efforts on bicycling, again, not cheap but eco friendly and no where near as costly, so far, as some of the other things. Those carbon frame go fast bikes sure are nice, though.

[jimskirts]

Nothing too spendy i've been in and out of glass as a hobby stained glass
Leaded and tiffeny style a little lampwork with beads but not major investments
But fun. I have a motorcycle but don't consider that a hobby and real fun
as well

[Kilted Musician]

Well... my hobbies are performing music, photography, biking, riding my motorcycle, and hiking. As far as the operating costs, just gas for the motorcycle. At approximately 50 mpg, I don't worry about the cost... so far! All the other hobbies don't require much... as long as nothing breaks!

--Rick