How hard are your hobbies on your wallet?

G

greenfreak

New Member
I'm curious what your hobbies are and how much money you've put in to them over the years. Pennies? Hundreds? Thousands?

Mine are photography and gardening, and I've put more money into them over the years than I care to mention. I just spent thousands of dollars on both in the last month, for major purchases that will enable me to save money in the long run, but which has people questioning my sanity right now.

However, the people who I've told that are photographers and orchid growers understand. Mostly, they're happy for me and consider them purchases that they would like to make (or have made) themselves.

The way I look at it is this: We paid off all our credit card debt this year, we have a nice nest egg in the savings account, nice amount in our 401k's, we are not taking a vacation this year or probably next year to make up for the money we spent, it's only the money from our tax returns, not dipping into our bank accounts and it's our business what we spend it on.

Anyway, I'd like to hear if any of you are passionate about your hobbies and what your limit is on the amount of money you have spent or would spend on it.
 
My hobbies are very expensive.... computers, Parrots (not sure if that qualifies as hobbie or not but very $$$).
usally anything electronic - audio, video etc:
but it keeps me sane. :D
 
i dont know if it qualifys as a hobby, but most of my spare cash tends to go to movies. we laid a lot of cash out early for the big screen tv, the surround sound and to convert our VHS collection to DVDs so now its just picking up new titles when they come out. i would like to upgrade the sound system and integrate a satalite radio reciever into it but that will probably wait for awhile. (we are contemplating a new house)
 
I go hiking quite alot. the initial outlay is pretty expensive. Brasher boots cost in excess of £100 but after you have everything, tent, clothing etc it costs very little.

So all in all probably about £1000 initially then very little until ive destroyed my equipment.
 
Computers and books. I've spent thousands, but I've made chunks of it back through computer work.
 
I do a lot of quilting and stuff and so far the exspenses aren't TOO bad. Less than a hundred since after Christmas, but I was given a very large stash of fabric from an estate. I am sure that the expenses will start goingup again soon as my stash is slowly diminshing. The time it takes to make one nice blanket is very time consuming though. Good thing I have no life. :)
 
Motorcycle racing was really hard on it. Anymore I support my computer habit by working on 'em and I just last month bought my first new guitar in 20+ years, so it's not too bad.
 
Used to be guitars, wimins & motorcycles (beer of course). That was cheaper.

Today it's computers. The wife is the photographer.
 
Gonz said:
Used to be guitars, wimins & motorcycles (beer of course). That was cheaper.

Today it's computers. The wife is the photographer.
Click to expand...

Beer is not a hobby. Beer is a necessity of life. :beerbang:
 
pretty hard. the books for my gaming usually goes for 20-40 dollars
video games and dvds and cds too.
 
Over the years, my main passion (LP and CD collecting) could have financed a small nation's economy. I don't even want to think how much I have spent on that, but the return has been untold thousands of hours of listening pleasure, and I do not regret penny one of it.

My KISS collection has also taken some duckies from me, and most of that stuff is now packed away. Might be ebay time.

My most active hobbies now are much cheaper. Hiking is all but free, and fishing ain't much more after you buy the license. I still buy CDs, but I buy them only with rolled change, birthday/Christmas gift cards, and maybe a few with the tax return. Annually, I might spend $250-350 on it now. There have been $200 days.

Paul Stanley owes me a car, between the collectibles, concert tickets, LPs, CDs, tour shirts, and God knows what else since 1974.
 
chcr said:
Beer is not a hobby. Beer is a necessity of life. :beerbang:
Click to expand...

true, true, and vodka. :D


biggest 'hobby' is diving...takes up ALL my money at the moment. spent thousands on courses and gear...will spent one or two more before half this year.

then the hobby will be work for a while, and i'll be able to earn something back. don't regret one penny of it though :D
 
My hobby right now is civil engineering :D...this year the cost was about...$6200 for tuition, $4000 for rent, $1200 for books...add in printer ink, paper, pens, binders, backpack, a couple trips for conferences and competitions and I'd say for 8 months of pleasure (with randoms periods of overwhelming pain due to so much work at once) I've shelled out about $12 000 but of course the return when I graduate in June 2006 will be worth every last penny over the four years.
 
Let's see...

$50 for the reel...$65 for the rod...about $30 for plastic worms and small spinner-baits...$10 for hooks...$5 for weights...and $25 for decent line. Fishing is not that expensive. The only real expense is getting caught without that $10 license. :D Too bad I'm legal. :p
 
I also have my MLP (My Little Pony) collection, but I have not bought one in a very long time. They can be rough on the pocketbook too.
 
I finally wised up and started heaving bushels of cash off the dock straight into the water.

Eliminating the need to own a sailboat for an excuse to do so made things much simpler.
 
found another hobby recently. aquariums.
already had to upgrade from a 10 gallon to a 29 gallon tank.
spent a good amount already just to set the 2 tanks up.
now to see if i can keep all the fish alive or go broke restocking the tank.
(no. i dont have any bettas.)
 
:D

I put a little more stress on my wallet today... I took the day off of work to go to the NY International Orchid Show at Rockefeller Center. I came home with five new orchids. :)
 
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