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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I am not sure what ‘self-improvement’ means to me. I am taking accounting classes, but that is for work and paid for by work. I am on a Dragonboat team that helps me stay fit, but really it is pure fun. I should probably get therapy or something, because some very old ‘stuff’ is coming back to haunt me, but I don’t see that happening in the near future.
The closest thing for me is writing. It’s just fun, not quite a hobby, something I’m working on and trying to get better at, and maybe create something that makes a difference for someone else. I’ve spent maybe a couple hundred dollars in the last year or so, taking classes and getting some of my stuff printed so my non-computer-using relatives can read it (and it looks pretty). I will probably take classes in the future. I also do free stuff, like a local monthly writing contest – I’ve won it a couple of times too, which actually gets me money in the form of free books I would have bought anyway.
And I’ve sold a couple of copies which brings my net cost down a bit – if I could sell my remaining ‘extras’ I’d probably even come out ahead. 
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I don’t know if it was because of my mother (who is addicted to reading self-improvement books, but the very phrase “self-improvement” grates on me as particularly American, self-indulgent and narcissistic.
It seems a self-congratulatory way to phrase something, to give it better justification, particularly in terms of time and money investment. I’ve gone through college, graduate school and post-doc, to give myself an education where I can get a job. I walk daily, both for the exercise and also to get to and/or from work. I eat healthy foods, because I can afford to. I read, yes even literature, because I enjoy it, not necessarily because I think it makes me a better person. But self-improvement is such an arbitrary term. There are a number of people who would put facial treatments, hair replacement, plastic surgery, and nice vacations in that category. Where do you draw the line?
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Not sure I spend any routine money on what I would call “self-improvement”. I have some dance classes, but count those as fun/recreation.
I use the library heavily for books, particularly “self-help” books, so very rarely spend money on them. I’ve bought one or two for the Kindle when they were on special.
This year, I could perhaps say I spent more as I spent on a diabetic nutrition class and a breastfeeding class.
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This is a great post! So many times people miss what true wealth is and its an accomplishment to have realized that and worked at improving yourself as a person.
I don’t know a monetary value for it but for me personally I put a lot of effort into what kind of a person I am. Reading a book right now called Stepping Up by Dennis Rainey, its about what it really means to be a man..Awesome book so far!
I also put a lot of time and effort into working out and hitting the gym. This not only helps for me to physically feel better about myself and how I look but it also helps to relieve stress and just put me in a better mood.
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We spend $95 a month on our family gym membership which includes child care which is much needed. Other than that I might buy a book here or there (realistically turns out to be 6 a year) mostly about nutrition or parenting. The kids enjoy swim lessons which works out to $10 per 45 min lesson with four kids to two teachers. I don’t budget much more than that. My alone time outside doing yardwork is a very inexpensive therapy session for me that I cherish.
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I spend $50 per month on a trainer (twice a month) and have purchased or been gifted some home gym equipment over the years (resistance bands, stability ball, some weights, used elliptical). I read financial magazines at the library, and if I want to read a “self-improvement” book, I get it from the library. I’m teaching myself how to play the recorder (it’s going slowly, very slowly), which was a gift. I pay $70 a year to belong to the Osher Learning Center (university sponsored adult learning) and try to take mostly free classes. I attend free lectures, particularly those put on by the Historical Preservation group in my city. I also belong to a women’s group at my church where we talk about all sorts of interesting things once a month, choosing a different topic each month along with some social gatherings. I read Get Rich Slowly every day.
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As a young man I was selfish, inconsiderate of others, and ignorant of many things. At 51 I have become a better person mainly by acquiring Bible-based principles. I have become a better father, husband, son, and friend.
I have also become a better person by reading many Internet articles, library books, and observing how people I admire live their lives. Then I have exercised that knowledge in my own life and, within reason, find the positive in everything.
I watch documentaries that teach me things and show me different perspectives.
I eat right to maintain good health. I physically work hard in my yard, on my house, my parents’ house, and my rental properties which saves me gym fees and time.
I spend money on tools that help me save on repair bills.
I donate to some causes and participate in online micro-lending to help the 3rd-world poor whom I once was.
All this has made me a better person. It has also made me a richer person figuratively and literally. My money and my acquired wisdom enables me to help others in ways I never imagined.
So how much do I spend on self-improvement? I don’t really know. I would say zero on books, classes, or coaching. I invest my time & knowledge in teaching/helping friends who in turn teach/help me. I find joy and confidence in helping others which in turn adds to my self-improvement.
In my opinion, hobbies, work, researching, giving, and even receiving… all can contribute to self-improvement.
Be the change you want to see. Surround yourself by the people and circumstances that you want to find yourself.
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I guess everybody had their priorities but I would rather spend money on travel than “self-improvement”. That being said I do spend $15 a year for my college alumni card so that I can use the college pool for a swim once a week.
Although retired from the green industry six years now, I do pay to go to a local annual horticulture conference because I loved going so much when work paid for me to go to it. It still brings pleasure and new info at around $100 a day.
I could happily be a college student for life but I am too cheap to pay for it. However, some universities allow retirees to sit in on classes free. The local college does not do that but there is often public lectures that are open to anybody which I make the most of.
Between the library and the internet, self education can be free. I like Barb’s idea of learning new usable skills as self development.
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As with most things, I try to find frugal ways to accomplish my self-improvement. My community college classes come with free use of the college fitness center. Yoga class at church is also free of charge. As is the aerobics class at work. The library is a great source for self-help and DIY books. Photography workshops and equipment are probably where I spend the most, and still there are deals to be had. All that said, I’ve probably spent less than $1000 over the last two years between education and photography. Somewhere near $40 a month on average.
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We have spent about $5000 on gym equipment over the last 3 years. Our two priciest purchases were an elliptical and a home gym/weight machine. We also spent another $300 on a decent TV for our home gym. It’s been worth every penny to have it all in our basement. If it all fell apart tomorrow (which I don’t expect at all), I’d still say we’d gotten our money’s worth.
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I am a constant and compulsive learner. Whatever I do, I will always try to learn something new while doing it. For instance by trying a new way of doing something. Or by trying something new. ANother example: If I have a chance of driving in a strange city, I will. If I drive in a familiar city thanI will try out a new route.
For me, this is personal development by learning. It doesn’t cost any money, but it will take some extra time now and than. But I believe that I will get the time back later.
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This! 3-4 years back, I decided I was going to learn a whole bunch of programming languages with the ultimate goal of heading towards a new career. I always kept that at the back of my mind every time I got distracted with wanting to learn French or spending money on … During those years, I’d ride the wave of enthusiasm in learning one of those programming languages, then put it on hold if the enthusiasm waned. Today, I’m pleasantly surprised to realize that all those bits and pieces of knowledge have come together to form a solid base, and I’m much farther than I thought I was.
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In the first half of this year I spent $1458.18 on self-improvement. This goes to voice lessons, guitar lessons, related guitar equipment, art classes and art supplies. (I suppose you would code some of this as recreation.)
And by the way, I was amazed at how different a voice lesson was from what I had imagined, and how helpful it was. My voice teacher said, “The voice is an instrument; if you have never been taught how to play it then you don’t yet know what it can do.” I only took a few lessons, but I learned a TON about how to breathe differently and reposition my body (and a microphone) to get better vocal quality. It was totally worth it.
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I learn lots of new things, but don’t explicitly pay money for very many of them. I bought sailing lessons a couple of years back, not because I wanted to be a better person, but because sailboats seemed like fun.
I ride a bike, but I never thought about counting the purchase price of the bike towards a “self-improvement” category, even if it helps keep me in shape.
For me self-improvement is a side-effect of the other things I do, not an end in itself. I’ve gotten a lot better at a lot of things over time, but never with the goal of presenting myself as a “renaissance man” or generally more worldly.
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I spend about $400/month on tennis, mostly clinics with the occasional private lesson. I play a lot for free too, but I need professional help to improve.
For the people debating whether this is a hobby, it’s not, it’s obviously not a career either, but it’s something in-between. It’s something I’m actively trying to get better at; that distinction, I think, is missing in a lot the comments where people claim they do all their self-improvement for free.
To me, self-improvement isn’t just mindlessly exercising or flipping through a self-help book you checked out from the library. You’re right, those things can be done for free, both money-wise and effort-wise. Taking lessons and trying to improve is entirely different; it does make you a better version of yourself. Competence and confidence go hand in hand.
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I’ve just re-started taking ballet classes after a very long time out. I did this for a few reasons – partly to see if I still “had it”, partly to get in shape for my wedding this fall, partly to get out of the house for not-work purposes, and partly to get my mind off things at work (let’s just say they’re in a state of flux!). It’s $140 for ten classes – which is expensive – but it’s the Boston Ballet School, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else in the area. The teacher even knows me now! I realized that my posture has gone to crap over the past few months (see work above), but also that I still love it, even though I have the same struggles as I did when I was dancing 4-5 days a week (certain exercises, positions, etc.).
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I just spent $500 on a very cool conference last weekend in Portland, and it was the best money I ever spent on “self improvement”, no matter the definition. Community, Service, and Adventure is where it’s at, however YOU get there.
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I would love to take music lessons or art lessons, hire a personal trainer and a life coach, got back to school for a graduate degree, travel extensively and take cooking lessons . . . BUT I am saving for a house so right now my self-improvement (or “personal development”) expenses consist of a $10 a month gym membership and a $45 a year museum membership. I count the museum membership as personal development as opposed to entertainment because I learn and grow so much by attending lectures, tours, etc.
I read a lot (some of which is self-improvement but mostly entertainment) but I borrow those books from the library or pick things up at book sales for $1 or less. I have spent maybe $20 on books in the past year.
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Ok, here we go with the discussion about learning for learning’s sake. I look at learning as self improvement and also as important for health.
Self improvement is for several reasons:
Earn more money
Work at a more enjoyable job
Improve quality of life
Enable volunteerism
Prevent dementia
Improve health
Save money
So when I look at what I do for self improvement, I don’t judge by why I am doing it, but the results. I study Taekwondo. I started it to improve my balance and strength. I have gained the benefits of doing better at knowing right from left, I am able to teach self defense classes and I have more confidence. So is it self improvement or fun?
I enjoy reading and have joined book clubs as a way to discuss the books. Through this I have read books I would have never considered, learned how thoughtful reasoned people from different backgrounds see a book and developed several friends. So is my reading self improvement or fun?
I am at an age where I am working on preparing for retirement, so a lot of my ‘self improvement’ funding goes to finding what I want to do, when I graduate from the full time workforce.
So why I tried to answer this question, I found that I don’t really have a self improvement category.
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At first I thought I didn’t spend a ton of money on self-improvement, even though I feel like I constantly look for ways to improve, but then I started to think it through a little more. I probably spend close to 100 dollars a month just on gas to go to waterskiing at the lake to be a better wakeboarder, and slalom skier.
Another category for me and my wife is going out and enjoying small things to develop our relationship. Just yesterday we went to Winco and each of use went to town buying treats we like from their bins, just for fun.
So I’m not sure the exact number, but I realized how much I’m actually spending on self-improvement, even when I don’t label it “self-improvement” in my mind per say.
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At first I thought I didn’t spend a ton of money on self-improvement, even though I feel like I constantly look for ways to improve, but then I started to think it through a little more. I probably spend close to 100 dollars a month just on gas to go to waterskiing at the lake to be a better wakeboarder and slalom skier.
Another category for me and my wife is going out and enjoying small things to develop our relationship. Just yesterday we went to Winco and each of use went to town buying treats we like from their bins, just for fun.
So I’m not sure the exact number, but I realized how much I’m actually spending on self-improvement, even when I don’t label it “self-improvement” in my mind per say.
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$125/month to Brazilian Jiujitsu membership.
$0 goes to my gym membership (i’ve invested years into collecting bodyweight exercises) check out you are your own gym, book and mobile app.
$x goes to education depending on what the ROI is, nutrition, music, professional development, i try to get other to pay for this.
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So far for 2012, I’ve spent $197. This is for Ramit’s (IWT) Productivity Pack, and for the results I got, it’s definitely worth it!
The Productivity Pack is also my first venture into paying for self improvement courses. I definitely see the value and will be investing in myself again in the future.
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As far as things my budget and philosophy count as self-improvement, I’ve spent $5,600 in the past two years (basically nothing before that) on education just for the fun of it (two semesters of general chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry, two trimesters of Italian classes, and a one-month German course).
It seems (I’ve just discovered) I’m quite the dualist and only consider the mind relevant when talking of self-improvement. I do of course also exercise, but I think of that entirely differently, as general maintenance. (And it’s only $10 a month for the gym plus some incidental amounts for attire and 5K registration fees.) And books, while edifying, fall into necessary recreation for me instead. Not that I spend much there either; I have quite the backlog of unread books and have been using the library more lately as well.
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I love listening to http://www.hayhouseradio.com which is a live streaming online radio station with radio shows on all kinds of personal development and spiritual topics. I also usually go to one of the Australian Hay House conferences every year which costs me about $500 when you factor in hotel rooms and food. I won’t be going this year, though, because this year I am doing a personal development program held on a cruise. OH YEAH! I also attend Toastmasters once or twice a month although that costs almost nothing to do. Personal development is so important and so often overlooked!
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In answer to the actual question asked, on a monthly basis, I think I spend $0 on this.
There may be the rarest of expenses (purchasing Scrivener software to help me in my novel writing comes to mind), but I’d say they are less than $100 annually. And I’d put those in the “hobby” budget line.
I have a free gym membership. I use a lot of free software online.
I don’t consider my philanthropic donations (of time, money, or resources) to be self-improvement. And things like buying myself a bike or spending money on books are hobbies, not self-improvement, in my mind.
Software to learn a language is a hobby expense to me. Actually, when I purchases language software, I considered it a necessity since I was moving to a foreign county, but if I was just doing it for enrichment, then it would be a hobby. Likewise with music lessons or sports equipment.
Really, the only thing I’d actually consider self-improvement would be something like a life coach or self-help books and seminars, I think. I suppose I could justify putting a gym membership or personal trainer in that category as well.
I guess if I categorized things differently, maybe my answer would change, but based on my personal definition of “self-improvement”, which is admittedly a narrow one, my expenses for that are almost nil.
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Jumping in here to say, “Yay!! Scrivener!!” I know it’s made a huge difference in how I organize my writing. I make a better use of time and as a result am more productive.
Carry on…
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Gym membership is a must. Blog improvements are definitely a future expense. Many of the items you mention are on my wish list.
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I do a lot of things for self-improvement. Some of them are free: gym membership, grad school http://oceanseminarycollege.org/ (except for books and internet access), reading this blog, using internet resources, etc. I buy a lot of books from Amazon.com, art and craft supplies, paper, ink and toner for printers (I’m a writer). Going for walks is free, helping others (usually) doesn’t cost much either. I’m enjoying the discussion. Self-improvement is what you think it is, I guess.
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“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”. I consider this statement to be at the heart of selfishness or self-centredness – and the meaning you attach to it is unique to each individual.
Improving yourself is a by-product of what you do. You cannot work at the food bank with the idea of improving yourself as that wouldn’t be true charity and compassion. My view is that working at the food bank for years will make you a better person – eventually – some of us will absorb the lesson alot quicker than others. Selflessness which incorporates humility and gratitude is the best way of losing your ego and finding your true self – the self that doesn’t care about Spanish lessons, going to the gym and having a nice, fat nest egg.
I don’t spend alot on self-improvement but I spend alot on improving opportunities for my children who will be influential for upcoming generations. People who are not actively caring for children, elders etc. have a narrow view of self-improvement….in my humble opinion.
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Sorry, but I think you missed the point. Charity is NOT the point here, because that would be a different category. Spending time and money to help others CAN help to make you a better person, but that’s not the point – the point of helping others is to make the world a better place. The point of self-improvement is to be healthier, to expand your skills, to be able to get more/different opportunities and the like. Why would helping others and making the world a better place be mutually exclusive with getting out of your comfort zone, learning new things, getting healthier and things like that? It’s like saying “But eating out doesn’t make me healthier!” Yeah, that’s why we don’t include it in the “Health” budget, but no reason to stop it altogether.
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Very good question! And by the way, I encourage you to learn to sing, J.D. I just started six weeks ago with a wonderful teacher, and it’s the best thing I ever did!
Anyway, my expenses (and I should say I am privileged to make a good salary, about 100k in USD, and have no dependents):
Gym – 295 Euro per annum
Driving to gym – 504 Euro p/a
Psychotherapy – 2488 Euro p/a net of tax refund
Singing lessons – 2250 Euro p/a estimate (I am not quite sure how many lessons will be in a full year depending on my teacher’s performance schedule, touring, and her taking holidays etc.)
Music incidentals – 100 Euro estimate
Studying Irish – 0 Euro (employer sponsored)
In US Dollars, my self-development spend comes to over 7000 Dollars annually. But I am with JD – I have no regrets.
On an additional note, regarding helping people: What if your day job is already about helping people, and, while satisfying, is also very draining emotionally, as is the case with me? Should I then be obliged to do more altruism in my time off, on the basis that only unpaid support of the needy really counts for being a good person? Or should I not rather replenish my intellectual and emotional resources for better balance?
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I agree with a number of others that the question should be time rather than money. And it should probably look at opportunity cost. I’m giving up income to study, but I’m lucky enough to get tuition for free. The lack of cost doesn’t make it any less desirable or have less of an impact.
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We put a high value on self improvement in my family, but time is the more critical element than money. It isn’t a set amount. The family budget varies. It has been thousands dollars in tuition & lost income the last few years while my partner goes back to school. Now that he’s done, I anticipate we’ll spend a few hundred dollars on my improv classes and skating lessons.
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Wow, I’m almost afraid to comment on this thread. I’m going to take your question as, “What have you done lately to improve your quality of life?” I’m kind of in the “self-improvement is dependent on what you give rather than what you take” camp. So, with that said, I’ve also been on a exercise tear, specifically weight lifting. I purchased “New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women” for about $14, which was my fourth book purchase of the year. The gyms are free at my work place. I’ve also spent quite a bit of money on chickens and guinneas and their chicken coop as well as six 4′x4′ square foot garden beds. I just bought about 30 birds for $120 online, and about 10 of them didn’t make it. I have them for natual insect control and egg production. We’ve spent a few hundred dollars on their 12′x12′ coop. We’ve been diligent in recycling old materials we have laying around. The square foot gardens cost a few hundred dollars as well for the boxes, “dirt” mix, and a recently installed PVC automatic watering system and shade cloth. Luckily, the garden materials are a one time sunk cost, and I shouldn’t have to replace anything for several years. BTW, the tomatoes are delicious! The chickens and garden, along with exercise are part of my focus on living a healthier lifestyle. The only thing I’d like to add to that is more international travel. With two kids (and 20 birds), I don’t have much time for hobbies. I took 4 years of Spanish in high school, and I sing in the church choir, so I’m good there. A long term goal is to join a local rowing club and row competitively again like I did in college. That would probably be a few thousands dollars a year committment. I’ve also got my eye on a new Nikon D800 and lens, but I’m having trouble justifying the $4000 expense.
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New Rules of Lifting for Women is an amazing program! It really changed my beliefs about how women can use weight lifting to improve physical fitness. I just did the program at home with a good set of dumbbells. I hope you stick with it and enjoy being strong and fit!
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I am enrolled in graduate school online, with one class/semester at about $2,200. That being said, I have applied for two professional development grants and received both (each for about $ 1,600) from various organizations I belong to, and have used 3 $ 500 professional development stipends from my employers, so some semesters I have only paid out of pocket around $ 200. I have not applied for any scholarships where I would be competing with my far younger colleagues because I feel that they need the money more than I do, but in my professional organizations very often no one asks for any funds, so I am glad to do so.
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I think everyone is given a set of skills in this life. And it is up to each of us to develop these skills to the best of our ability. Being the best person that you can be with these skills, I feel, can only help humanity in general. How will you know your special talents unless you explore a lot of different things?
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I find the disagreement over what constitutes self improvement more interesting the question. Personally, I’ve never found that sacrifice or giving of myself has made me a better person, when done just for its own sake. Many times, in fact, it has left me feeling angry/resentful/depressed/bitter, negative about the state of the world, or too exhausted to pursue things that make me happy. It makes me resentful and negative about people and the state world. I’ve seen this happen to other people I know, as well (particularly my own mother, who spent 4-5 years as a caregiver to her mother, and was left at the end a complete basket case…worn down, psychologically broken, and angry at the world. No surprise, their relationship became absolutely toxic by the end of that stint.) How is that “self improvement”? How could it possibly improve the world?
In my own experience, the more happy and fulfilled I and other people are, which generally occurs when we do what we love and gain experiences, skills, knowledge, etc., then THAT’s when we’re happiest, most expansive, most generous, most positive about the world and its possibilities, and definitely the most motivated to “do good”.
This might just be a personality thing, or partly related to inherently optimistic versus pessimistic view of humans and their role in the world. I need positive experiences first, to set off the positive cycle.
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i don’t think i spend anything on self improvement at all every month. simply because i don’t feel the need for self improvement. not because i think i’m perfect…in fact i’m sure that i am quite far from it. but because i really am happy with the person i am.
now i selfishly spend about 200 a month to keep myself at that level (book and wine club, gym, iced coffee, etc)
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I spend about $45/month on a gym membership. For those that think regular exercise and the commitment to physical health doesn’t make one a “better person,” let me say that before I was spending a mere $45/month on a gym membership, I was spending $125/week on a pshycaitrist and $85/month on prescriptions. I also changed what I eat and now focus on whole, real foods with minimal processing. My grocery bill went up- but it’s nowhere near what I was spending on therapy/meds management and prescriptions.
Once I made these changes, I discovered I was more patient and had the energy to be compassionate. I was able to apply the changes I wanted to make in my life, as discussed in therapy. Oh, I’m also off the medication. (I am NOT advising people start taking a spin class five days a week and stop taking psychaitric medication. I weaned off the meds over a period of 18 months, under the guidance of my psychaitrist. I am lucky that the changes I made in my life allowed me to go off the meds but you can be sure that if I still needed them, I would still be taking them.)
This new energy [and extra couple of hours a week from no longer seeing the psychaitrist] allows me to volunteer in the community. I read to kids at the summer lunch program and I volunteer at a food bank. So yes, improving one’s physical health may have a domino affect on other areas of self-improvement or self-development.
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Hmm… $800/month for therapy, some of which I get back from insurance. My annual yoga retreats are on the border between improvement and indulgence. They cost about $1,000. $100/year for good sneakers.
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I see a therapist to improve my self confidence and my family relationships. This isn’t cheap, but it’s worth every penny! I also pay for a Crossfit gym membership (also not cheap, but worth it). Those are the two biggies. Add in some trade publication purchases to keep me on my game & improving at work, and the monthly total comes to about $180. I feel I get my money’s worth and then some.
It’s possible to get in shape without a gym, and to improve your self-esteem without a professional, but my success in those areas isn’t as good without the pros, so that’s why it’s worth it to me. I still supplement with free/cheap stuff: trail running, free classes at the community center, checking out items from the library, etc. But in areas that are really important to me, I don’t mind shelling out the cash to get the return I value.
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I totally agree with you that spending on self-improvement is part of true wealth. It’s a good investment on yourself and it propels growth.
However, it is sometimes difficult to gauge if something is worth the cost because it’s intangible for the most part.
Although I’m at the debt-free stage, I am not at the point yet where I have a lot of room for disposable income. There is so much I would like to explore and do, yet there’s so little in my piggy bank.
I do the 2-day rule for anything above $100. If after 48 hours, I would still like to do the course, then I just go for it. For this year, I spent $150 on a “fake” piano and a “voice-over” workshop, both of which I enjoyed immensely and would like to look into further.
If it’s a self-help book that I want, I borrow it first from the library. Once I get my hands on it and it merits highlighting passages and taking notes, then I buy a used book on Amazon or Half-Price Bookstore.
I would like to get voice lessons but since my budget can’t accommodate it, I volunteer at my church’s praise and worship team on a weekly basis. I may not get in American Idol but I know that the constant singing has improved my range and my ability to listen to subtle changes in notes.
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I actually probably don’t spend enough. But, I guess there are different ways of defining “self-improvement”. I regard living each day the best you can, helping others and growing to be more Christ-like to be “self-improvement”. So that stuff is free
In my line of work however, self-improvement is essential. And, so I do spend money for online courses and tutorials to learn software and other skills I need.
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Obviously, it depends on how broad one defines the category. I exclude travel, professional/job development stuff, and leisure activities. I don’t know – for me, I lump it as more of personal satisfaction rather than pure fun or professional/expection of financial gain, if that makes any sense. This category of the budget is pretty stable year over year, but the individual expenses change quite a bit. Right now, we’ve got Ironman in a few months, so most is related to tri stuff.
Tri Coach: $450/mo.
Swim Coach: $150/mo.
Personal Trainer: $200/mo.
Gear: $250/mo.
I also have a line item for tuition because at least one of us is always taking classes at the local universities. $250/mo.
I also include publications like The Economist, WSJ, etc, which aren’t really related to my job, but aren’t quite leisure activities either. $50/mo.
As a matter of context, it takes up less than 5% of income.
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First time to comment here, J.D.
I agree 100%. In a move that would certainly make you proud, I actually stopped paying $55/month for a gym membership to purchase a gently used weight set, weights included, for $300 and treadmill for $100. I’ve already made my money’s worth, and then some!
Don’t pay outrageous gym membership fees if you can get the same workout at home for a fraction of the price!
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I can’t see that spending a few bucks on a gym membership or learning a language or going to school can’t be considered self-improvement, if you can make room in your budget for it.
You aren’t obligated to always spend your last dollars on helping others. Should we all feel obligated to only spend our extra time, money and talents on helping others? I do think it’s a good idea to contribute time, money and efforts on helping others, and I do that myself, but setting aside some time in my schedule to do something I get something out of both educationally and emotionally, allows me to be a healthier person, mentally.
It’s always about balance.
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Helping others does not necessarily make you a better person. Apparently, based on some of these comments, it can also make you judgmental and can give you a false sense of superiority. Helping others to make yourself feel superior to others is not generosity.
On the other hand, how annoying are those pretentious people that think they’re the greatest because they can speak many languages, are artists, etc. and love to tell you about it?
No matter what your definition is of ‘self-improvement,’ let’s just try and be a bit more humble about it and thinking our way is the best way.
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Before our income dropped 90%, i spent money on banjo lessons and just about any book i deemed a good read. We’ve moved to a fairly remote area, so no banjo teachers or bookstores; or the money to afford them. I do still order books occasionally, but i do miss not keeping up with music that i love. I tried to continue on my own, but i just don’t have what it takes. I had to give up running,(arthritis), but i switched to long walks. That helps my mood by a mile! I hope i’m done ‘giving up’ things, thogh.
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Self-improvement can take on many definitions, and whatever works for each us is all good, right? In that case, I do work out and buy occasional books, but that’s probably it. Really, I could probably spend more on personal development. With kids, I tend to allocate limited resources toward their personal development though.
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I spend a lot of TIME on my hobbies/self development, almost as much as my career.
When I was learning the ukulele, I bought a decent inexpensive uke to practice on and told myself I’m not to buy a nice one until I’ve practiced till I develop calluses and my fingers bled. Taught myself from drills I found on the web, youtube videos. Taking a class once a week (1hr) isn’t going to cut it. I practice everyday as if I had an asian tiger mom. Cost: Free
I started teaching myself Spanish, but reached a point in the curve where I could not improve much without interaction. Paid for classes at Cervantes Institute. Cost: ~$200/month.
Spanish Online resources: Free
Spanish Podcasts: Free
Spanish Movies and TV series: Free from library
Other online learning from Coursera, Udacity, NPTEL, MITx in various subjects: Free
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On the topic of helping others…
I’ve spent a lot of time and energy to find the right balance of donating and volunteering. One year I gave a lot of money; another, I gave a lot of time to various things. I never felt like I was making a worthwhile difference, for myself or anyone else.
This year I signed up for a weekly volunteer gig at my local library. For some reason in the past I thought the library wasn’t ‘enough;’ it didn’t feed the hungry or save lives or anything. But it’s wonderful. I spend 2hrs/week surrounded by books and booky people, taking some of the load off the underpaid staff. They love it, I love it, and I’m really coming to appreciate what the library provides for the community. It’s perfect.
Does it improve the world? does it make me a better person? I don’t know. But I’m going to keep doing it anyway.
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Dear J.D,
I enjoyed reading your post.
I LOVED the combination of bussiness and self improvement.
However I find that in my experience that self improvement is a full-time job that never ends
Regards,
Amir Shani, Author
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