Ask the Readers: How Much Do You Spend on Self Improvement?
Published on - July 12th, 2012 (by J.D. Roth) I’m a firm believer in personal development. Self-improvement is part of living a rich life. In fact, when I started this blog six years ago, the self-improvement category was one of the first I implemented. Over the years, I’ve published dozens of articles on the subject, including:
- Getting to now: How to beat the procrastination habit
- The power of yes: A simple way to get more out of life
- Luck is no accident: 10 ways to get more out of work and life
- How to build confidence and destroy fear
- Great lessons from great men
Now that I have solid control of my finances, my personal budget contains a lot of room for self-improvement spending. That includes paying for my monthly gym membership, taking Spanish classes, and more. There are always things I want to spend on to improve my life. (I’d love to be able to sing, for instance. Recently, a friend suggested that I might enjoy voice lessons. Maybe I would. Maybe I would.)
Plus, from time to time, I like to attend lectures and conferences. I like to read self-help books. I often take classes at the community college. I recently bought a set of CDs about improving memory. (And, in a move I find hilarious, I also bought the audio version of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People — in Spanish! Two types of self improvement in one!)
I guess I’m trying to say two things:
- I believe personal development is important. For me, it’s a part of true wealth.
- Because of this, I’m willing to spend a lot of money to be a better me. Right now, in fact, self improvement is my largest non-housing expense. And it’s working. I have an awesome life, and I like who I am (and who I’m becoming).
I suspect there are a lot of others in the Get Rich Slowly community who spend money on personal development. There are probably a few of you who think such expenses are silly, but I’d wager most of us find these goals worthwhile.
So today, as part of the ongoing “how much do you spend on?” series, I’d like to know: How much do you spend on self improvement? How much do you spend on classes, lectures, books? How much do you spend on the gym, on language lessons, on learning music? Basically, how much do you spend on becoming a better person? What sorts of things do you use the money for? How do you feel about this spending? Do you regret it? Or, like me, do you think it’s some of the best money you spend?
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Going to the gym may improve your health and Spanish and voice lessons may be fun leisure pursuits, but I wouldn’t say they make someone a better person. Compassion and generosity would be more likely to make one a better person.
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Game, set and match Maureen. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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So is being respectful and non-judgmental. Something the two of you seem to lack. Keep working on the self-improvement, Ladies.
Man, the comments around here these days have become quite snarky.
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Actually, Tyler, I find your comment to be more judgmental and jerky than Maureen’s.
I imagine some of the difference is cultural. Where I come from, being a “better person” means doing things for other people. Volunteer work makes a person a better person (and hey, that’s free!). Taking care of oneself is a good thing to do, but it is a first-world leisure activity.
http://youtu.be/D2p5svFJ9cQ
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Actually, Nicole, I disagree. JD didn’t mention anything about specific activities making someone a better person. The activities have made HIM a better person. And if you follow the blog, which I know you do, he does use Spanish to volunteer at a local school. To have a difference in beliefs is fine, but to expect others to have the same and to be critical cause they are not is the definition of judgmental.
Furthermore, to expect JD or anyone for that matter, to volunteer because that’s what people do in less fortunate cultures is ludicrous.
Also, I don’t mind being jerky. It was the point of my comment. These two ladies were being obnoxious.
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I have to say, Tyler, that even though I do not always agree with your comments, I really do appreciate your ability to say what you think and not let the responses bug you.
“Also, I don’t mind being jerky.”
Gotta respect that
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It’s not always bad to be judge-mental. I happen to think Stalin was a bad person. That’s a judgement.
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You know, I am constantly baffled by the small subset of commenters around here who are so opposed to personal development, who always chime in to say that real self-improvement means helping others. Where does this come from?
Now, I’m not arguing that it’s bad to help others. In fact, I think it’s a good thing. I admire those that spend their time, money, and energy doing things for other people. But why the obsession about telling others that they should do the same thing? Do you also tell others what they should wear? What they should eat? How they should spend their time?
I’m especially confused why you folks conflate self-improvement and personal development and becoming a better person with helping others become better. To me, these two things are clearly different. They’re not the same at all. I can work at the food bank for years and never become a better person or improve myself. Sure, I’ve made the world a better place, but I haven’t necessarily made myself better.
This question isn’t about changing the world. It’s about changing yourself. They’re different beasts. Maybe for you they’re the same thing, but they’re not for me. I believe strongly that you need to change yourself, to improve yourself, before you can perform meaningful change for others.
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Well put, JD. Moreover, what qualifies as “self-improvement” is clearly subjective. I think the point of this post was to reflect on what each reader considers for him/herself to be self-improvement and to share how much or what portion of their income they spend on such pursuits. We don’t have to be comparing apples to apples per se, instead letting us see the differences among definitions of the category, as well as the value folks place on it.
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I don’t mean to oversimplify the conflict, but “improvement” means “make more gooder” (ha!) and what is “good” is a question of which are the highest values, which are not a universal absolute.
Since we don’t live in a monolithic world, values will vary from group to group and from person to person.
For some, the path to excellence is that of Aristotelian eudaimonia. For others, the good is giving up your life for your friends. For others yet, what’s most valued is the liberation of all sentient beings from the wheel of reincarnation. And still for others, the good is the ability to bring others into their own system of beliefs. There are too many value systems to list here, so this is just a random sample.
To quote Cervantes (in translation): it takes all kinds to make a world. And so our values diverge. But the intercultural exchange that is the internet should be a fun and engaging one, lest we are all forced to bunker down into our echo chambers and stop talking to each other.
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Agree and disagree. Being better is a perception. If running foodstamps for years makes you feel better then you are better person to yourself. For others, you did nothing, no meaningful work other than monotonously distributing foodstamps to needy. May be for some, but not for most.
On the other hand, if you improve yourself, start a business in a Spanish speaking country, conversing in Spanish to get more business, maintain your health to continue to work more hours and build enough wealth to start a NGO. Then if influence others effectively with the lessons learned from the book you are reading.
You’ll be perceived as a better person by many. Even you’ll feel better than giving away foodstamps.
You can be a better person with controlling your own feeling. I know saints who are perceived as better person meditation and yoga. Then they become better for others with their self realized wisdom.
As a summary they are not different, to me. And it doesn’t necessarily require money to be spent. Yes, for people spending money raises self betterment awareness. And, hey, that’s why economies have grown.
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You invited this conversation when you asked what your readers did to make themselves a ‘better person’. While I think that exercise and learning to sing may be worthwhile activities for your ‘personal development’ (I also go to a gym and I sing with a 50 voice choir) I do not think that they make one a better person. Likewise I do not think that the inablility to do these things makes one less of a person. For example, my mother was a competitive dancer and had a beautiful soprano voice. When she suffered a stroke she could neither swallow nor speak, let alone sing. In an instant she was robbed of all her ‘personal development’. Was she suddenly less of a person, too?
So I feel that learning a language, taking up singing or strengthening your body are worthwhile pusuits, but do not make you a ‘better person’. If through the striving you become more patient, disciplined, generous, kind, tolerant, compassionate, loving and even fun-loving, then you will be a ‘better person’.
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Dear Maureen,
I wholeheartedly agree with your view that it’s a better character that makes a better person, not greater abilities or talents (I’ve known many skillful scumbags in my life, so this isn’t a theoretical question for me).
Moreover, I even agree with your Blakean “mental fight” against misleading notions.
However, I have to disagree with your methods here. If not because of my own values, for the sake of the very virtues you extoll in your own comment:
patient: to know that you can’t change a popular ideology with one comment
disciplined: to direct your efforts to fighting ideas, not people
generous: to share your knowledge, not spank someone with it
kind: in your manner of expression
tolerant: of other people’s values, perspectives and ideas
compassionate: to identify with those who are misunderstood
loving: even towards those who, in your view, err
and even fun-loving: because an argument is tastier with humor than a frown.
okay! i hope that speaks to you!
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El Nerdo, it seems equally patient (or more so) to be willing to state views you think are important even though you know the effect will be slow and incremental. That also seems like a component of discipline.
And I’m not sure why Maureen’s comment struck you as unkind (or undisciplined in that sense either).
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@ Katie
I’m all for people having the courage of their convictions, I am; and I’m all for the exchange of ideas, which is why I post here daily; and I support the rights of minority opinions not to be trampled by the majority; but it’s just a matter of honey vs. vinegar is what I’m trying to say.
Unkind in what sense, you ask? In that when a lot of people react with emotional discomfort to one’s statements (even if one meant no harm,) it’s not kind to ignore those reactions and respond “you asked for it, and I’m right for X, Y and Z reasons.”
And how am I versed in this subject, you ask? Because sometimes I do that too. Yes, I have a bellicose streak, and I can’t always keep it in check the way I’d like. (Bah! Huuuuuumans!!)
By the way, it’s not a crime, this style of discourse, but it’s not a good way to advance one’s ideas with the public either– alienating the audience nullifies any rational merit the argument might have had– and that’s where the discipline of good rhetoric comes into play.
Not sure if this makes sense or if I’m rambling meaninglessly, but thanks for reading anyway!
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Perhaps everyone is arguing over semantics? Maybe ‘Self development’ would have been a better description?
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Could church be considered self improvement? If there is any organization set on teaching you morals, it would be church.
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Yes, rather than teach you to think for yourself and have critical thinking skills about individualized situations, go get lessons on morals from old men’s interpretations of a 2,000 year old book.
Churches aren’t required to be moral people. Frankly, one of the most religious people in my life growing up caused me to do so much reading and research on religion – I became educated about it and became an atheist.
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Before I get off topic…. I spend about $1150 yearly on self improvement between the YMCA and various media publications.
@Kristen,
You may want to reeducate yourself. The book you speak of is a collection of books. Some of them date back 3500-3600 years. They were cobbled together into the “book” we know now less than 500 years ago.
And who’s to say she is a Christian? There are other religions.
Personally I’m not much for organized religion. I think people tend to screw everything up. I can say that I haven’t read anything out of the book that would turn me into some mindless drone unable to make decisions for myself.
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I agree 100% JD. I think that’s one area where thrifty folks fall short – usually it takes the form of always sacrificing present self for future self in a never ending cycle. But other times it takes the form of sacrifice of self for others to the point of martyrdom.
It’s good to do good for others, but it’s also good to do good for ourselves.
This should be a no-brainer. Spending our money and energy on things that are important for our well-being – is exactly the sort of stuff we should be spending money on.
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I’m going to argue it’s a cultural difference between being a Midwesterner (with that strong Protestant Work Ethic) and being from the West coast. (Heck, in LA, botox is classified self-improvement for many people.) And semantics. “Better person” is something different than “self development” as AMW says. Self-improvement lies somewhere in between and is subject to interpretation based on our cultural backgrounds.
And I really don’t think Maureen’s comment was judgmental and I do think Tyler’s was. http://nicoleandmaggie.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/when-will-it-end/
But I acknowledge that’s my cultural upbringing. Idle hands make the devil’s playground and all that. Our purpose in life is to make the world a better place. (Though my training argues for rational self-interest, so I see that perspective as well, if people choose to have it.)
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Can we not start name-calling? That LA comment was uncalled for. I’ve lived in both places, and stereotypes aside, there are hard-working, hard-playing people in both areas.
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Great question! My self-improvement needs to be FREE at the moment, and includes reading “Get Rich Slowly”, riding my bike to work for fitness/frugalness, reading library books to become a better parent… And, yes,I do volunteer, but since the benefit is for others, I don’t think of that as self-improvement. Sure, I feel good about myself and perhaps it gives a boost to my sense of self worth, but I personally don’t think of volunteering as self-improvement and can’t wrap my head around call it self-improvement, even after reading other’s posts.
Related to an earlier discussion, I like the usual tone of GRS, where readers might say, “I define self-worth differently…” instead of getting into arguments about semantics and who’s right/wrong.
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It’s tough to quantify compassion and generosity in my monthly budget, but hobbies and interests are easier to define. I give myself about $50-$100 per month to spend on hobbies and interests, which includes charitable interests.
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You know, it just occurred to me that volunteering and serving others is supposed to be self-less. If people are doing this as a means to self-improvement, that defeats the purpose right there.
As I understand it (and have experienced it), volunteering helps others because the people you will be serving need a warm body to help out with something that cannot be automated and/or gotten for free. As such, you should be doing that work only because you have the time and someone else needs you. Not because it’ll improve you as a person. That is a side-effect that should have no part in making the decision to volunteer, if that makes any sense.
My definition of self-improvement is to make myself a smarter, more knowledgeable person, to keep my brain cells exercised and in learning mode. I don’t necessarily think that money has to be spent on this endeavor – more power to those who are able to do it for free.
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Oh for crying out loud. To ‘better’ yourself isn’t the same thing as being ‘better than’ someone. One is to actively improve yourself however you see fit, while the other is to believe you superior to someone. Geez, people, stop acting like third graders on the monkey bars.
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I’m not sure you have a subset of commenters who oppose “personal development.” I think the problem lies here: “Basically, how much do you spend on becoming a better person?” I really think you derailed the comments yourself when you equated “self-improvement” with becoming a “better person.”
The things you described in your post are “hobbies” and “interests.” They are personal accomplishments. When you equate doing any of these things in themselves with becoming a better human being, you’ve lost a lot of people. Is a person who can speak a second language a better person than they were before? No, they’re a more accomplished person. I think most people would say becoming a “better person” involves developing qualities that improve how you treat everyone around you, qualities like loyalty, kindness, generosity, honesty, integrity, and compassion.
I personally spend a fair amount of money on activities that help me develop my abilities. I belong to a gym, take classes in my field and for personal interest, and read lots of books. I love to learn so I’m always trying out something new.
I work on becoming a better person by studying the Bible and really working to apply its timeless counsel on how to act and how to treat others. That’s a different thing entirely.
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You’ve made the important distinction, though:
“personal development” vs. “self improvement”.
Semantics-schemantics? As a side effect of my career I am basically required to be continually learning new technical skills and following trends, especially since I deal with a lot of post-production software which is ALWAYS developing further and further. So look at it from a software perspective: it’s always developing, but is it always ‘improving’? No. One is a process and the other is a quality.
You do not need to spend a shiny penny on self-improvement. Monetizing personal development is one method of attaining access to resources or even self-motivating the development –> one can borrow Spanish books from the library or just exercise on their own floor, but a Spanish course and a gym provide monetary incentive, guidance, community, and tools you otherwise don’t have immediately available.
So in answer to your question I spend from $15 to $150 per month on personal development, depending on what I need to develop. The $15 is a monthly subscription to lynda.com and the rest is if I need to buy more specialized tutorials from other people for specific projects I’m working on.
For self-improvement, I just try to be active and involved with as many communities of people possible, so that I can understand the world better. And it’s worked, as it’s gotten me to far corners of the globe and rad experiences at home and anywhere I’ve gone.
–DiB
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Disagree. Learning a new language is mentally challenging and a useful societal skill. Voice lessons increase lung function and can promote community engagement by giving someone a skill to engage in public speaking and/or performance. Improving one’s physical health – whether by gym membership or not – helps people stay engaged in the world and keep health care costs down. Self-development actions benefit the individual and also provide value to their families, friends, and community. And it is the healthy, skilled, and engaged people that have the energy and ability to be empathetic, compassionate citizens.
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+1.. activities and self development can LEAD to being a better person ie compassionate and ready and willing to help others. plus you’re connecting with people and most self development programs and activities are done in groups or you consult other people who are doing the same. Sharing experience IS still sharing.
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I think it’s all a matter of semantics. J.D. was looking to start a conversation about what areas of self-improvement we focus on, how much we spend and how we do it frugally.
There can be many views about what “self improvement” and “being a better person” means. I try to set goals based on what aspects of myself I want to improve. Do I want to work on my spirituality? Learn new skills to develop my career? Improve my body through exercise and diet? These are goals I can address — telling myself I need to be “a better person” just makes me feel guilty
It’s a shame this discussion started off on such a judgmental note.
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This is just one post in a series, I guess there may (?) be a similar post coming on “how much do you spend on charity/volunteering/giving” or whatever, lord knows people like to brag about that one!
I agree that self improvement is a goal in itself. It tipping into delusional self indulgence or leading to burned bridges isn’t good, neither are those martyrs who never take a moment for themselves and tell you about it endlessly. But both of those are extremes. It’s not relevant to the post, but I do think “self improvement” whether you define that as spanish lessons or therapy, with the confidence and contentness it brings, can help you become more of a support for others in your immediate circle and contribute to your community. Especially for people who are predisposed to be slightly down/depressed or very introverted or are real worriers. I speak from some experience, although I know people who have always had well balanced lives would think that’s crazy talk. We’re all starting our “improvement” from different points, be compassionate
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The way I define self improvement means it costs nothing.
If I already work out consistently, then the heavy mental lifting has already been done, my improvement as a person has already happened and it is not dependent on the raw value of my deadlift/mile run/jump height/etc. Someday, age and disease is going to erase all that gain, but given that the exact deadlift value never actually mattered to the worth of my person, I won’t have become any less of a person.
If I already volunteer in soup kitchens, then to continue volunteering means no change in me as a person. If I don’t and I do start volunteering because of a fundamental shift of my own values rather than a sudden increase in time or income, then I have changed (and by some people’s definitions) improved my person.
If I easily lose my temper and go to therapy and figure out ways to stay calm, then that is self improvement that cost money. The act of deciding to go to therapy was not the moment of self-improvement, but the work in sessions that resulted in success were.
So much of what we do is not self improvement. It is just us being who we are. And I think that is the most valuable thing we can have. Knowing who we are, accepting ourselves, and getting off the self-improvement treadmill unless there are actual flaws that make others and ourselves unhappy, so that we can be happy.
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…did not mean that as a reply. Oops.
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We spend $68 per month on a gym membership which is well worth it when we go.
Other than that, having 2 small kids takes up most of our time. We will probably have more time for self-improvement when they grow up. In the meantime, we do buy and read personal finance books as well personal development books. I believe it’s money well spent.
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Thank you for getting everything back on target re: how much do people spend on self-improvement etc. I have been contemplating taking a voice workshop ( I already belong in a choir) to try and improve my voice a little, and found the article to be really timely. I was hoping to find some advice and helpful comments to guide me in making my decision because the workshop seems to be so expensive (175.00 for 5 evenings) but I’d really like to do it. I was dismayed with the first thread of comments as they were dwelling on semantics and the moral side of what is self-improvement.
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I’m 28, married with no kids, and having my own interests and hobbies has become more and more important to me as I get older.
My current self-improvement monthly expenses include:
Gym $140: CrossFit is expensive, but I get more value out of it than the gym where I paid $30/month.
Guitar lessons $60: $15/30 min session is a pretty great deal. I’ve had my guitar since my 16th birthday, but didn’t start using it until a year and a half ago.
Books $3-$12: I started a book club about 4 years ago to have some accountability for reading. Reading is important to me, but it’s also something I have to make myself do. I purchase mostly used books on Amazon (Prime gets me free shipping). One day I’ll get a library card, but most of the books I’m buying are classics and nice to keep.
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I get paid to improve myself, not the other way around.
I would be interested in hearing about frugal self-improvement options. I tend to get a bit skeeved out by the self-help industry given how scammy a lot of it is (and how much of it plays on guilt and has zero research base). However, there’s a lot of stuff you can do for free (or even get paid to do).
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You get paid for self-improvement? Now I’m curious… what exactly do you get paid for (if you don’t mind sharing)?
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Easy, blog about it or put up youtube videos, and collect profit!
Non snark:
Probably the most common idea is turning a hobby into a bit of a business. E.g. if you create something you can sell it (gardening, cooking, woodworking, etc). Of course you’ll really be only able to do this once you’ve gotten the basics but this can finance your improvement beyond though.
For things that don’t produce tangible goods, it’s a bit harder. If you want to be exercise more, take up a side job that requires manual labor, lawncare, dog walking, etc. Other goals like seeing the world, or learning a new language will likely require a big upheaval in your life if you want to be paid to do that. The basic example is go out and work in a foreign country, see the place and pick up the language.
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Don’t forget therapy! My life has been greatly Improved thanks to this “investment”. I start classes in urban photography and conversational French next week. While these classes may improve me — there is much room for improvement — I am excited because they are going to teach me something and get me out of my comfort zone. Overall I spend about $200 to $400 per month on self-improvement if you don’t include my bi-monthly hair cut and color. Self-improvement of another sort!
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I am a lifelong learner! You do not have to spend money on self improvement. I am constantly reading magazines, articles on the internet, books and other material. I probably read more now than ever.
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I probably don’t spend much at all, unless you count Netflix documentaries and the occasional overdue library book fee. My brand of self-improvement is continual learning. That being said, I look forward to the day when I can open up my budget for more of this type of thing. For example, I’d love to take some extended education classes at the local community college. Until then, cheap or free is the way to go for me.
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forget voice lessons – Karaoke is good for the soul!
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Every now and then I get in the “I’m going back to school for X” mindset and I will spend a bunch of money on test prep and sometimes application fees. I have done this a few times. I wouldn’t say it is improving me but maybe I have learned I don’t really need to go back to school officially or maybe it is helping get me to the right path. the worst was over $1,000 for a LSAT prep class that did not improve my score more than a few points.
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Like a lot of people I have gym membership and travel a fair bit. I am taking a 6 month sabbatical from work this year – that is VERY expensive! And of course I was at your conference last week, and do other things like that.
You could define this pretty widely I guess. Probably the thing that has “improved me” most this last few years is my dogs – the first pets I’ve had since I was a kid. They don’t cost me so much on a monthly basis (though they are spoiled) but have made me more outgoing, de-stress me in what has been some challenging times, gain me more exercise, make me laugh, helped me get to know more people in my neighbourhood, etc etc. I am very happy to have my furry friends.
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I just did the sums and between education (evening classes), structured exercise classes (I hate exercise so this is the only thing that works for me, apart from walking) and other personal development I spend about 10% of my after-tax income.
I could put the exercise in as a health expense, but since I could in fact exercise for free and choose not to, I’d classify it as a luxury
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I’ve always felt that spending money on self improvement was self indulgement and fell more under the budget category of luxuries. We do have a joint gym membership which is $50 per month. Quite a bargain for the price since my husband uses it 5-6 times a week and I use it 3-4 times a week. Books I get for free at the library. We occasionally go to a lecture or how-to demonstration at the library, again free.
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I spend about $100-2,000/year on self-improvement. I normally try to do a week long yoga Continuind Education class which is closer to the $2k due to travel expenses, lodging, food and also paying for the class. However I am not able to afford something like this in a given year, I spend the money on buying even book that is about something I want to work on or learn and free up some TIME to dedicate to myself and being alone in a calm environment. Even a day trip to another location and clear my head.
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I have been taking German lessons since I am new in a German speaking country. I can survive without the German though and only use English, but I thought that it was a good idea to be able to communicate in the ‘local’ language. It gives me a lot of pleasure being able to make small talk in German, even though it is broken.
I have never been very good at making friends and so decided to join a club where I will meet other people and hopefully make friends. The price for the equipment was €45 and club membership was €10. It is interesting to see how many people I am getting to know already.
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While the first poster may have put it snarkily, I tend to agree that I would probably consider none of these things “self improvement”, nor will they make you a better person”. that doesnt mean that they have no value, just that I would view them as recreational and fun. There are lots of really good people out there who never learn to sing or have another leanguage. Being a better person has to do with relations and the world at general-in my view. They may make you more rounded in some way, I suppose in theory. But if they are all things that you do FOR you, then they dont in and of themself make you a better human being.
That said, there are recreational things that I do. Many if not most do not require money, or not much anyway. And Ive done them all my life. As a semi retiree, I take at least one if not two college courses a semester. I exercise for free during the summer and with the county facility in the winter. I read voraciously. I try to learn one new thing a day and one new skill a month and put it to use. My recreation/entertainment expenses are abut 100 per month (and do not include dining out or travel.
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Ah. You’ve clarified why this topic generates controversy : some people are uncomfortable with the idea of spending money on one’s self.
I think those people – like you – don’t accept that improving yourself through art, creativity, or learning can be inherently good, because they think it’s inherently selfish.
But I would argue that making people more “well-rounded” contributes to a more thoughtful, educated, and even open-minded populace, which in turn should contribute to your goal of better “human relations.”
This is connected to the point that other commenters made above: how we define a “good person” is highly cultural. In many places and times, the best people were those with educations and accomplishments.
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PS: This is not to say that these things are not a privilege of the rich, or not often a sign of ennui – because I think they are. Or can be. And I understand that some would prefer that people channel their ennui into volunteerism or something similar.
I just wanted to explain why I don’t think self-improvement is totally without value!
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I dont object to the idea that it may create a well rounded populace. I object to the idea that spending money is even desired or required. If that were true, only folks with money could become better people or more rounded people. I dont buy it.
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Of course spending money is not required. You can improve yourself for free, if you wish. But why shouldn’t you spend money on self-improvement if you’ve got it? Provided you already got out of debt, save and make contributions to charity, the rest of your money can be spent as you wish – why not on self-improvement?
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I find that this idea that character can only be built from some sort of charitable sacrifice is wrong. You learn, grow best, and improve by doing and taking risk often in areas unrelated to where you can apply the lessons.
If I learn to rock climb and find myself pushing beyond limits I knew I had while trying to scale a cliff, that can build confidence when faced with adversity. It may allow me to become willing to push in other, less concrete areas of my life and take on risks or face issues I would have previously avoided.
If I take up a martial art, archery, shooting, pool, poker, etc. where there is a need for concentration and focus, I can provide that concentration, focus, and discipline to other areas of my life and improve those.
If I really learn a foreign language, engage in it and pay attention to it, then I typically learn something about the culture and more importantly another world view. This can help me in creative problem solving issues I may be faced with.
If I participate in community theater or toastmasters, I may ease my fear of being in front of people and be able to take a bigger role in something I’d been avoiding.
So this idea of you can only become a better person by sacrifice is bunk IMHO. You become a better person through your experiences and reactions to those experiences. While none of the above guarantees you’ll become a better person, neither does working in food line, caring for a sick relative, or working at an animal shelter. It’s how and what you take away from the experience and use it in other areas in your life that determines that.
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My self improvement expenses have been relatively low ever since I graduated from college (the first time).
I’ve never had a gym membership and my book purchases have been sporadic (usually <$100 per year) and many are more for entertainment than improvement (as are my home & garden and cooking magazine subscriptions).
Now that I'm back in school part-time for my second bachelors, school expenses including books and fees run about $2000 a semester/$500 a month/$6000 a year. Quite a change from next-to-nothing! It does eat up a large chunk of our disposable income, but I'm hoping it'll be worth it. I'm not sure that another degree qualifies as "making me a better person," but I do see it increasing our happiness and financially stability significantly.
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*financial. Drat.
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I also agree with Maureen. You’re spending time & money on hobbies. But I guess you like to call it self improvement. Seems a bit ‘holier than thou’, or perhaps a way to make you feel good about the spending.
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Finishing college at age 49 through an employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement program was a big self-improvement accomplishment for me and it cost me $0. I have a new treadmill ($600) I bought in 2009 to replace the used one I bought 13 years ago for $150. I use it religiously. I read books, Internet sites or watch interesting programs on mostly PBS to get a lot of ideas for improving myself all of the time. From what I’ve gleaned from those sources has been inspirational and really useful in hopefully, making me a nicer person. I can’t afford to be a Super Woman, so I’m satisfied with being pretty good.
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I consider these kinds of things “fun,” not “self-improvement,” as well.
But in the spirit of the question, I would say I buy a couple cookbooks a year and devote part of my grocery budget to learning to cook new things, and my husband and I spend a few hundred a year each on a rock gym membership and any equipment we need to update. (Other than that we run outdoors and use the library, trying to keep things cheap.)
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$60 swim lessons. At age 40 (ack), I’m learning to swim. A good investment for sure, but nothing I do will ever beat the best investment I ever made: $88/visit to an acupuncturist. In 14 sessions, I’ve greatly improved my outlook on life, nearly defeated my depression, social anxiety and generalized anxiety, which led to me taking swim lessons.
Acupuncture may be out of my health care plan, but after 9 years of psychiatrists, psychologists, Behavioral Therapists, Clinical Therapists and over 18 different drugs, this doctor is the one who made a difference in my life. Worth every single penny.
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I listed acupuncture as well, worth every penny.
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Well I did just get my Master’s degree – but that was for career improvement not self. I spend about $160/month for a coach to help me train for my first Marathon (in Nov) and then $80 on a gym membership for me and my husband.
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I think any form of education qualifies as self-improvement, so I agree with J.D. that taking Spanish lessons counts.
Some of the examples given, like a gym membership, I (personally) would count in other ways. That just speaks to the point that different people see things differently, *as we should.*
Our expenses for ballroom competition fall, to us, under both sport and entertainment; we don’t think of this training as self-improvement.
Neither of us spends any money on exercise, though that is clearly within the realm of self-improvement IMO. We both exercise for free with equipment we’ve had for years, a long-sunk cost.
We are not learning any languages right now because a trip to any non-English-speaking country is too far in the future to make it a worthwhile investment. When we do take such classes, though, while in one sense it is part of the travel budget it is also (IMO) clearly self-improvement since we will be rendering ourselves better-educated travelers who will very likely have a richer experience overseas.
When I went through certification training for fitness and dance a few years back, that was self-improvement. It was also an investment in a career change.
I think the view of “self-improvement” as meaning some kind of spiritual advancement, or ringing up credits in the spiritual bank through good works, is valid; but (again IMO) I think this type of work is best done in the ways that cost nothing, e.g. meditation or volunteering, rather than by going to hear speakers or reading books by people who are generally profiting thereby. The self-improvement industry, in other words, is something I don’t place much value in.
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The BBC website has good FREE foreign language courses. I doubt they are going to make anyone completely fluent or that you’d soley rely on them , but they’re a pretty good refresher, if you’ve forgotten all the high school French you’ve ever learned. The selection of languages was pretty good, as I recall.
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The best thing I ever did to become a better “person” was to undergo therapy, which was amazing. Took me about seven years once I found the right shrink (it’s like shopping for shoes, you need the right fit or they’ll chafe).
Therapy took me from a life of being at war with myself and others to a place of acceptance and… what shall I call this… “peace,” if you will. Not the peace of the heavily medicated, but the peace of… friendship, I suppose is the word. It gave me a huge understanding of myself and others, it gave me the tools to build a good life, and it’s by far the best education I ever got.
Costs: at first the health insurance paid for the treatment, and I had some copays I can’t recall. There was an initial testing that was like $300, done by computer. A couple of years later the guy broke ties with the insurance racket and cut me a sliding scale deal, about $25 per session, once a week.
As per more superficial “improvements,” which I agree with some readers won’t make me a better “person,” (though they help me live better, work more productively, and have more fun,) here’s the current breakdown:
I pay $120 a year to get access to the cardio and weight rooms in a University gym. Not my favorite setting, but it’s close to home and the price is right.
Other exercise (yoga, etc) is done at home with the help of DVDs which sell for about $10 in Amazon. I have 4 or 5 and need no more at the moment.
As an introvert, I’d love to have my own exercise room at home, but for now that belongs to the realm of dreams.
My perpetual education costs (books, audiobooks, subscriptions, training, etc.) are part of my business expenses, so they don’t figure into the personal side of my finances. Regardless, I try to get the most I can from the library and the internet before I spend a dime on any educational materials.
Writing this just made me realize: isn’t every money we don’t spend in destructive activities really an investment in “self-improvement”? Where do we draw the line? Food? Vitamins? Hiking shoes? Home? The environment? I mean: if we really embrace conscious spending, isn’t it all for the betterment of ourselves and others? (The question really is where does the self end and the outside world begins.)
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I ran into the same dilemma and cut my comment much shorter than it started out as, since I was listing basically everything where I am learning something new, including learning new patterns of behavior. Some might see these just as “hobbies” but you didn’t always know how to do it. Even running I am learning new things about how to run, it is not just a physical act but learning about the interaction between your mind and body, and learning the limits.
To me self-improvement really comes down to learning something new. As long as we all keep doing it, our world may not be completely doomed.
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I agree. What about living up to your potential? using, building on, and exercising the talents you were given? Expanding your mind and experience, which provides a richer engagement with the world? Caring for the body and mind you were given? I can’t get my head around the notions of equating self-improvement with self-indulgence at all. I do think self-improvement leads to becoming a better person…a happier, calmer, more learned, more engaged participant in society.
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Current and recent self-improvement expenses:
Gym membership for my husband and me: $50/month.
French language classes for me this year: about $300 per course x 2 semesters, but my company reimburses me.
In previous years: $900/semester for translation classes (reimbursed by my company). $120/month for voice lessons. $100/series for modern dance classes. $400 for co-counseling fundamentals course, which is by far my best investment in self-improvement.
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I am currently paying $37/mo for a gym membersh
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I spend $65/month for the gym but I hope all my expenditures lead to self-improvement. Whether that is eating better food, picking up a novel that transports me to another world or time, travelling, being conscious of where and how the things I buy are produced, donating money and time, or spending quality time with my friends and family. My goal in life is to keep learning and to be a better person today than I was yesterday.
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I spend quite a lot on self improvement. I consider travel, especially international travel to be great source of self improvement. I try to take one international trip a year (~$2500). I also belong to a gym ($40/month), a pool ($19/month) and a Bikram Yoga Studio ($100/month). I’m not sure I would consider these purchases truly self improvement, but more as vital for my sanity. Also, my company doesn’t offer health insurance so I’m bordering on calling these my personal health insurance policy. I read quite a bit. Books I suspect I would read again or want as a reference I purchase on Amazon. All other books I borrow if possible ($60/month). The weather is just too nice right now, but once fall hits I plan to enroll in a class at one of the local community colleges. This will be the first time I’ve done such a thing since graduating college four years ago, and I’ve frankly not done much research regarding the costs involved. But my plan is to take a class at night each term (except summer). I’ll estimate the per month cost as $100? There’s a documentary group in my neighborhood (called Friday Night at the Meaningful Movies) which shows documentaries on varying topics and then hosts a discussion afterward. Not all the movies are worth watching so I average two viewings a month. Its technically free but they ask for donations ($10/month). I have a group of thinking oriented friends. I would consider meal purchases with these people to be a self improvement cost because it provides the setting for amazing conversations. I always walk away from these with a new perspective on an old topic, or having learned about something I’ve never heard of previously.
I’ve read over the other comments posted. And, I’m rather surprised by how many of you claim that all or most of your self improvement is free. Yes, yes, we all know that you can exercise outside for free, and that libraries exist for practically free reading. But I suspect that even people in dire financial situations spend something at least on self improvement. I consider myself to be frugal, but I won’t hesitate to spend money on an experience or utility (gym, school, etc.) that will expand my intellectual horizons. I suspect people are spending more in this category than they are claiming.
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Obviosuly this will depend on your acces to certain things, and your perspective. I could pay more if I wanted to but I see no reason. I exercise for free (in theory, I dance to a forty minute utube aerobics routine). I read. Most of the new skills I learned I learned through books or the internet (a language, cooking, canning). I have access to free museum days.the list goes on.
I am on a fixed income and other than travel I have no money for self improvement, but I still am learning and doing constantly.
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I love this response. Books, movies, travel, fitness, intellectual discussions with friends – all my favorite things. And so awesome for enriching the soul!
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I spend a $100 a month on Pilates classes and maybe $10 on a book or two. I have two small kids so my time is limited. We also pay for memberships to a local garden and the zoo. I also spend money for my childrens self improvement. It’s $60 for 5 weeks of swim lessons, she has done dance and gym in the past for about the same amount. And I guess you could count the $450 we spent on a double running stroller too.
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I think the question that has been begged repeatedly here is what do you want to improve? I want to improve my health, so I go for walks (no cost in dollars, just time). I want to improve my mind, so I am always learning something new (which can be reading a library book, studying a language, or learning more math–a few years back I took calculus just for fun)(cost varies from nothing to $300 tuition for the calculus class plus whatever time I spend). I want to improve my skills, e.g., last night I learned how to fit pants, now I can sew myself well-fitting pants (class cost $30, time cost 90 minutes).
I also want to improve my character, but there’s no class for that. I practice kindness and generosity (and I mean practice the way you’d practice golf–it doesn’t come naturally to me), and try to avoid gossip and negativity in my speech and actions. I look for the bright side when I have problems or challenges. I face my fears and practice bravery.
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Kai, I agree and do the same, I have to practice kindness as well.
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I don’t know how to define self improvement, because I have a really broad view of it. Like, having dinner with my friends improves my life at least as much as my gym membership! So, with that definition, all my leisure time/disposable income/spending money goes toward self improvement.
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I feel that I highly value self improvement. However, if I was to put a monetary value on it I guess maybe I don’t value it. Does it show you value something if you work on it but aren’t willing to spend money on it? We spend money on the things we value most, right? Maybe if I explain the two ways I am trying to improve myself the most people can respond if I really value it or not!
A.) Health:
1. I go to a class at a gym 2x a week.
2. I attend a “nutrition” class, although many aspects of health are discussed. In addition, the class has a weight watchers type aspect where they weigh you each week.
–both of those things are free though. I am able to attend through Indian Health Service benefits. We were even told at the nutrition class last week that a similar program is offered in our town that costs $1000 at a paying hospital!!!
3. I purchased the book “The Love Powered Diet” on amazon for $6.
B.) Personal relationships–getting along with others.
1. I’ve been researching Bible principles that apply to my inability to get along well with others and show love and forgiveness.
2. Reading the above mentioned book “The Love Powered Diet” is also helping with my relationships because it focuses on loving ourselves & giving our imperfections to God, in my case.
So, I feel I’m realling trying to be a better person but I’ve only spent $6 and gas! What do you all think?!
Also, after having read through the comments my therapy did benefit me but it was also free through my IHS benefits…
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Since I work in the IT field, I read a *lot* of IT-related blogs. Mainly ones through Microsoft Tech Net.
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Self Improvement is defined as improvement of one’s status, mind, abilities, etc. by one’s own efforts.
If I’m paying someone to aid, facilitate, or instruct me through a particular improvement; is it truly self improvement? In my opinion, I’m no longer making the improvements solely by my own efforts and therefore it is not self improvement. Any thoughts?
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Justin:
“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
-Sir Issac Newton (in modern English)
Just because you ask someone (or pay someone) to show you the path, do you honestly believe it is not your own two feet taking you there?
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I would love to learn spanish, hey I live in So. Fla. its going to be a requirement soon. Right now I’m using a free app on my iPad and if I find myself sticking with the app I am considering spending money on learning spanish. I consider learning spanish to be self improvement for sure.
We’ve spent $15,000+ on Mr. Sam’s self improvement this year, three career related
certification classes. Is that self improvement or career improvement? Mr. Sam has also spent money on personal fitness including equipment and Cross-Fit classes.
I’ve bought new running shoes this year and I’ve flirted with the idea of taking a fitness class but I haven’t so far.
We spend $35 for a share in our local community farm share, yummy fresh produce.
Acupuncture is $65 session which I do on and off, consider that self improvement as it helps me to be a calmer, happier person.
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And if books count as self improvement, I probably spend $30 a month on Kindle purchases.
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I always considered my gym membership and other athletic expenses as “health” and not necessarily self-improvement, but I can see how they could be in the same category. Regardless, that’s one of the few places I allow myself to spend money and not feel guilty about it. My gym membership is $55/month, and I go 4-6 times a week which makes me feel like I’m fully using it (I don’t have kids, and I do have a lot of free time, heh). Running shoes are around $100 twice a year, and I usually register for 2-3 races a year. This comes out to another $150 or so (half marathons are expensive, yo).
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Am I the only one who thought the writer made his definition of self improvement clear when he asked how much was spent on it? To me, his definition of self-improvement meant things that cost money, classes and gyms, etc. I am having a hard time thinking of character development activities that cost money, because I specifically would leave out charitable contributions as a stand alone category. If you improve your character, and become more generous, that to me if NOT spending money on self improvement, that is the fruit of a changed spirit. Oh well, maybe I’m splitting hairs here.
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I think this is a great article! I think any form of self-improvement is valuable, whether it be altruistic or educational. Moreover, things like going to the gym, eating better food, opens up new networks, gives you more energy to be more productive and pays for itself!
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It’s hard to decide what should be considered self-improvement vs. other labels, but here are things that might make the list:
- gym ($15/month for a university gym & locker)
- ultimate frisbee ($80/year for multiple leagues)
- trail running ($25-$50 a year for races)
- travel (~$1000/year for plane tickets back home to visit family)
- library fines ($20/year)
- music shows ($50/year)
- state park/trail fees ($40/year)
- bicycle maintenance & accessories ($100/year)
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One more big one I forgot:
- internet at home ($65/month….I wish this was cheaper!)
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I got a boob job to make myself better and a new tattoo, is that self-improvement?
I’m just kidding, really.
This question is almost the same as the one JD asked a few weeks back about how much we spend on fun, which I already answered.
I can’t separate my fun from self improvement. I learn when I am enjoying the process.
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I spend $65/month on massage (which, based on observations from before and after I started doing it, saves me from at least two doctor’s visits per year as I used to throw my back out regularly).
I have had a gym membership and a weight watcher’s membership in the past, but I don’t right now. I’d like to do either cross-fit or bikram, but those are really expensive and I’m not in a place right now.
Most of my reading is not literary or self-improvement based enough for me to really consider it self-improvement, though I do consider most of the blogs I read to be self-improvement. They are free.
Probably my biggest categories are food and pets. I am a hobby chef and a vegetarian, so I have a lot of cooking implements and cookbooks (now that I am married, enough of both to keep me for awhile on that front). I try to cook at least one new-to-me recipe a week. So, the cost of food (which, since I’m veggie, is rarely much if I’m cooking from scratch). I try to keep us at $600/month for the two of us although that is our “grocery store budget” which includes household items – it’s not just food.
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$72 CAD on gym membership monthly.
My work pays for my night school courses so that is free.
If we take self improvement to include helping others (I lump this in with charity and gifts), I make $20 monthly contributions to 5 different charities I believe in, so another $100/month.
I volunteer one day a year doing tax returns for low income individuals.
I can’t in good conscience label all the books I buy as self improvement, even though many of them are books that help my career and life in general. I get too much enjoyment out of them and some are pure trashy fantasy novels.
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I could certainly be doing more to improve myself.
I spend a lot on gym memberships — about $240/month. I do hot yoga, which improves me physically as well as mentally, and also go to a boxing gym and occasionally Crossfit.
One of the best things I did in recent years was take a writing course, and I was able to get my employer to pay for that (about $2000, a 9-month university course).
I am not in therapy now, but have been, and think it’s highly valuable. I spent about $225 for hypnosis to stop smoking, and went back a few more times for relaxation/meditation tapes, totally worth it. Just writing this makes me want to return, actually.
I have a great manager at my current job, and I think that has helped on the self-improvement front. We talk a lot about career and life goals, and I’m definitely becoming better at work and at home as a result of those conversations.
On the volunteer front, for about a year I spent Saturdays volunteering at a food bank, which stopped when I had to start traveling so much for work. Personally I don’t view volunteering as self-improvement, it’s just giving back. I’ve met some pretty smug volunteers in my time and it isn’t pretty.
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My budget is quite tight, and so the amount I have to spend on self-improvement is low. In order to improve my health, I spend about $20 a month for aquafit classes and maybe $10 or $15 a month in gas now that it’s nice out to get to hiking trails or nearby lakes.
I’m able to actually get paid to do a fair amount of self-improvement related to my career. I was just at a 2 hour workshop today on changes that were made to the Income Assistance act where I live, and last week I went to three workshops by experts from around the world which were part of a larger international conference related to the population I work with.
In terms of self-improvement related to learning and education, because I really don’t have any extra money, I try to find as many free resources as I can. I go to my library 2 or 3 times a month, and my partner and I watch TED talks a few times a month as well. There are also a few well-written blogs (including GRS!) that I read every day in order to expose myself to new ideas. I also check out free recipe sites for new cooking ideas, and try to make something new a few times a month.
It’ll be nice when we have a bit more money, as this is one area I’d really love to be able to splurge on. But it has been good practice to be able to notice all of the self-improvement opportunities there are that interest me that are low cost or free.
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That’s a great point — reading GRS has done amazing things for me over the years. SIn the four years I’ve been reading here I’ve fully funded an emergency fund, paid off all non-mortgage debt, paid off a second mortgage, started targeted savings accounts, and more.
I also read a few other blogs that help me improve my skills, quality of life, or just general outlook. If blogs are a daily habit, they really start to shape how you think and act.
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*In not Sin — can’t edit my comment.
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With two kids (8 and 10), we spend more money on their self-improvement rather than our own – music lessons ($1250/year per kid) and sports teams (swimming – $150/summer; baseball – $150/season). And it requires an immense amount of self-improvement work on my part in many areas: patience(!), supervising, teaching, encouraging, coaching, learning more myself about the various activities so that we can pass on info/knowledge.
Myself – yoga ($200/yr); running ($200/yr for races to help keep me moving forward).
I think any activities that you do voluntarily and are also personally challenging in some way tend to result in self-improvement of some kind – whether it is self-discipline or better health or generosity of spirit.
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I spend FAR too little on self improvement. I purchase about 20 books per year and read about 10-15 of them. I spend a lot of time listening to podcasts when on the train.
But as far as seminars… well one every second year. I know… I need to make it a priority going forward. When I do attend them, they are some of the most rewarding things I’ve ever attended.
Thanks for bringing it up.
/Mikael
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I always thought self improvement is whatever it is that you do that truly enriches your life, not so much make you a better person to others but a better person to you.
with that said, what i financially spend varies – a lot. I have been under a great deal of stress at work and during the big power failure last week, I created my first tile mosaic for my living room window. cost was about 100 bucks. I knew bumpkus about it going in but I am quite proud of the end result all the way around. Some may say -tiling isnt self improvement but I say, I expanded my skillset and went outside my comfort zone, reduced a massive amount of stress and have something great to show for it. I say it enriched my life. I am quite proud of it and i feel that i am a better person to me for the experience.
I think everyones definition of everything is going to be different. I want to learn spanish too however it wouldnt enrich my life. I just want to learn it for my resume whereas for JD it is something that brings him great joy so for him i’d call it self improvement
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Though I am still in the process of building wealth, I do spend some money on self-improvement. It mainly comes in the form of what I call, “extended health care”.
Gym (24 Hour Fitness Super Sport)- $35/mo
I use the gym most days of the week so its money well spent. Power lifting has done more for my balance and strength (which is one of the first things to go with MS) than any other activity I could think of. I do this so that I can go hiking outside, walk without a cane, etc.
I would like to get back into music and art now that I’m working again. My next “self improvement” purchase will be a (very) used Korg Keyboard.
In case these are too selfish form some of the readers here, I am a CASA volunteer which is frankly, one of the hardest things I ever had to do outside of myself.
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I forgot to mention therapy at $25/week (sliding scale) and an A.C.T workshop I took this past spring.
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One of my goals this year was to lose weight as self improvement goal. Again. And make the new habits stick this time.
I joined Weight Watchers, hired a weekly trainer and took a healthy cooking class this spring. I’m looking around for some type of activity or classes to commit to keep it interesting— maybe skating lessons in the fall or spin classes or Zumba. Averaging about $200 +/-monthly.
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Good for you! I lost 100 lbs. six years ago with WW, and have kept it off plus a bit more. Finding activities you enjoy doing really helps. It took me many years of stopping and starting until it finally “took,” so don’t get discouraged or beat yourself up because you’re doing it “again.”
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I don’t spend a lot of money on self improvement but I do spend a lot of time on it – which in my mind is more valuable than money (especially at my age lol).
I read somewhere (Think it was Middleclass millionaires), that folks who make it economically have a history of spending money on self improvement, including things such as life coaches to help them with new things they are tackling.
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