Ask the Readers: What is your hobby worth to you?
Published on - October 12th, 2012 (by Ellen Cannon) This guest post was written by Jenny Saikwa.
Our friends’ weeks and weekends are crammed full of various pursuits – soccer, baseball, gardening, scrapbooking, calligraphy, swimming, dressage, sailing … the list goes on and on. And let’s face it: No matter what the hobby is, it’s going to involve the wallet.
There is a price of entry for virtually every hobby, beyond which the sky is the limit. And after watching the Olympians compete this summer, I started thinking about just how far you can take these pursuits and how much it costs to go there. How do you decide if you’re spending too much?
The intangibles
All in all, the pursuit of a hobby, sport, or interest can be rewarding on so many levels that it seems pointless to weigh the cost against the benefits. The mastery of any skill produces confidence, tenacity, and appreciation. Team-building adds social awareness, cooperation, and respect. Pursuing a sport usually leads to better health, and, for a lucky few, a gold medal.
The hidden costs
But it’s easy for a hobby to spin out of control before you even realize it. For instance, were many of the Olympians’ parents aware when they enrolled their sons and daughters in lessons that they could soon be paying $15,000 a year on average for camp, competitions, airfare, and training?
My friend Katrina loves horseback riding. She expects to pay $1,000 for a horse — at least. But then she has to house and feed it, to the tune of $350 a month. She regularly shells out $200 for various unexpected expenses too, and that’s over and above tack and trailer. And to top it all off, when she became interested in entering her prize stallion in a horse show, she found that competing added another $1,500 annually per horse.
Three months ago, Jonathan bought a used 1977 Canon AE-1 to enjoy taking pictures with his dad. So far, he’s spent $800 purchasing the camera, filters and lenses, paying for film, processing, and frames. This is another passion where costs can skyrocket, but Jonathan is finding ways to keep his expenses down. He budgets about $100 a month for his passion and combs the thrift stores for frames and Craigslist for equipment. Plus, he develops his film at Walmart.
The other surprises
After paying $247.50 for all the soccer paraphernalia for his first season, Tracey’s son, Brody, lost interest and started playing in the grass rather than running on the field because “he didn’t want to go.” When her daughter started ballet lessons, she got stage fright and refused to do anything unless she held her mother’s hand. They had to quit after the third week, and there were no refunds. Eighty-five dollars spent for lessons, tutus, and slippers that will not be used by this little one.
Personally, it’s hard to say that getting to hold your daughter’s hand and letting her know you’re there for her isn’t worth the $85. Still, knowing the benefits and costs of a hobby or sport really just scratches the surface. When you consider what it means to Jonathan to be able to enjoy a common interest with his father or the personal satisfaction of becoming a world-class gymnast, do the sacrifices pale by comparison or scream for restraint?
In pursuit of passion
If you’ve gotten involved in a sport or hobby only to find that the continuing costs are prohibitive, what was your strategy to stop the budget drain? Did you limit yourself to a certain budget from the start or just dive right in? Maybe you decided you had to sacrifice other things because the passion meant so much to you. Either way, hopefully you’re the richer for it.
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Having children and tight budget means I get to invest in their hobbies not my own. My oldest daughter was involved in academic pursuits and we had to pay rediculous amounts of money for tests and activities. It paid off…she received scholarshps and was accepted to the honors college at her university.
The youngest daughter is a dancer. She’s been dancing since she was three and is now 15. It costs us $200 per month in tuition. Then there is the cost of costumes, shoes (did you know you need a pair of new pointe shoes every 6 months for $85 a pop?), tickets to the performances (yes, you have to pay to see what your daughter learned in class), etc. It ends up costing us $3000-3500/year. We do it because dance is the ONLY thing thing this child cares about and if she weren’t in dance class 3 days per week she most likely would be getting in trouble. At the moment she is also talking about going to college for dance. So while this does strain our budget at times we do it because it develops a passion for her and teaches her discipline. We also figure it is cheaper than bail (just kidding). When she graduates 3 years from now I will be VERY happy to have that money back but for now it is a worthwhile investment.
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For me, hiking is my main hobby and not only does it keep me fit and help me meet new people, but it has helped me see quite of a bit of Austria. My hobby is not expensive but I would never be able to quantify the value I have received from hiking. Just over lunch today, my colleagues and I were talking about some young girls who are so passionate about playing petanque/boule that they attend almost each and every game. One of my friends said she usually partners with one girl of about 13 years because she knows that the girl is doing something constructive instead of running around in the streets. Many of the benefits can not be measured quantitatively but you gain a child that is disciplined, whose whereabouts are known and stays out of trouble (and jail
like AMW said.
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Traveling is my main hobby. I have been on a one year round-the-world trip that I had budgeted and saved for during my last year of college.
I ended up spending about $15 a day, plus flights, and still managed to go diving and explore many places. If I consider that $15 gave me tons of fun and memories for a full day, that was totally worth it. Saving up for it was so easy because I was really motivated too.
During that trip I had the opportunity to do expensive things that weren’t adding much value to my trip, and others like diving or visiting World Heritage sites were really worth the expense.
I think the same goes with any hobby, spending $100 for a three minutes bungee jump or $350 a month on a horse is probably worth for certain persons, and as long as the rest of their finances is in order I say go for it and enjoy your hobby.
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I like photography, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that I’m not really good at it. Accuracy by volume, that cynical military bombing strategy, sums up my approach. The running joke among my friends is any less than 500 pictures a day on a road trip means I’m just really not into it. You can imagine how the advent of digital photography saved my bacon — no more film purchases.
I have a camera, tripod and two lenses… and that’s it. And that’s been it for years. The key to cutting down spending has been staying away from photography magazines, websites and the like. I just remind myself I never got any better for reading those things, only poorer. If you don’t see ads, it’s a lot easier to not spend money.
I don’t count multi-terabyte hard drives to warehouse all those pictures. Why would I? That’s an IT expense — work, not hobby (always have to keep that distinction clear). The gas expense for those six hour road trips and the lunch we buy when we’re out of town, why, that’s just relaxation. And the odd matt-and-frame is home decorating, right? And when my old camera got scratched, coincidentally when Nikon released the D5100, which handles light and shadow contrast so much better, the $800 replacement was a once in a lifetime upgrade. (Didn’t say which animal’s lifetime — I’m sure there’s an animal out there than only lives four or five years.)
Yep, I can say I’ve been able to keep this hobby really cheap. As a friend said (rolling her eyes) I ought to give lessons…
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Canon has some really great photography-lesson type content on their website. Check it out. It’s free!
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Well, sewing is not a sport, but I do have a strategy.
Buying every cute new fabric and every pattern book is certainly a temptation. So, I tell myself that I am going to finish x amount of projects before I start a new one. And a new one starts when the fabric is bought.
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My main hobbies are similar – I go between quilting, cross stitching and sewing, and in order to keep things from getting expensive I try to keep myself to no more than two projects, in different mediums, at any one time. I also get the benefit of the finished work after the fact though, and it’s usually either beautiful or useful.
My husband on the other than is an archer and a hunter and the amount of money we can spend on his hobbies gets ludicrus, between hunting licenses, gas to get to the hunt spot, ammo and his bow club membership. He gets a lot of joy from it though.
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I’m a sewer/crafter too. The hardest part is not starting a new project until the current crop of half-finished projects is done.
I’m truly grateful for the internet, where I’ve been able to find a lot of great project ideas for free. Someday (when my kids are grown – see previous comment on “my hobby is now kids’ hobbies”) I hope to return the favor and post my own project ideas.
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Sewing is one of those hobbies that can pay you back. Granted I’m not getting physically fit the way I would with a sport like running, but I’m fiscally fitter than I would be otherwise. Sewing keeps me out of clothing stores/malls since I just make what I need. Also, I mend, repurpose and alter my husband’s and daughters’ clothing to make them last longer or create new clothes from what we already have. My daughters are always happy when they don’t really have to give up a favorite piece of clothing because they’ve outgrown it as long as I repurpose it into something that will fit them.
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I agree that UFOs (UnFinished Objects) are one of the traps of sewing and craft projects. My mom and I belong to the local quilt guild, who holds an auction every year to raise money for their programs. Members donate patterns, fabric, and lots of their half-finished projects for others to bid on. It’s tricky though – you may be grateful to get rid of your own UFOs, but also see someone else’s that you want to finish!
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A very timely post for me. I’ve recently had my interest in homebrewing beer rekindled, and whereas for the first round (years ago), I just did simple kits and bottle-carbonating, this time I’m going all-out and trying to take it to the next level, brewing all-grain batches and kegging it. I’d say I’ve spent easily $2,000 in the past 2 months, but I’d like to think that at this point, I have everything I need to do it properly.
The Internet makes it deadly easy to spend money on this stuff impulsively. Yesterday alone, I received 3 more homebrew-related parcels in the mail, and I’m expecting 1 more today.
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First I didn’t have a ton of hobbies to begin with, so I can’t blame the kids for not pursuing them. For things I did want, I managed to get my costs reduced by putting things on Christmas or birthday lists. I didn’t always get exactly what I wanted, but close enough to have kept me busy over the years.
With respect to the kids, one activity and one sport per season, and unless they became obsessed with the sport, no traveling teams, just rec and school.
Between all my kids they experienced soccer, softball, baseball, dance, football, scouts, karate, tennis, golf, after school programs for language and science, and host of things associated I can’t recall right now.
By restricting it, we didn’t totally drive ourselves nuts with schedules like I saw other parents experiencing. Fortunately only one child got involved in a travel team, and it was a regional league with all games within a few hours drive, so I wasn’t paying for hotel rooms.
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My younger brother played travel hockey for about 10 years. He made it onto one of the best teams for his age. My parents loved it, but shelled out 10′s of thousands of dollars for this.
They/we traveled 2 out of 4 weekends a month. Played in two world tournaments that cost them $2,000-$3,000 a pop. Plus all of the bills for ice time and equipment really added up.
Luckily they didn’t believe in credit cards and they have money put aside but I often wonder what would’ve happened had they invested that money.
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When I was in my teens and twenties, I played a lot of golf. I wasn’t all that good, but I really enjoyed it. The last time I really played on a regular basis was around 1996. I was in the Air Force and stationed in Hawaii, and my work schedule was such that I could play pretty much every day. When the guy I played with all the time got out of the Air Force, I stopped playing. We had access to military courses that were relatively cheap, but we did play a course once that cost us $45 (local rate), but was $115 for tourists. Golf can be really expensive, especially if you join a country club.
My current hobby is running. It is much less expensive. I buy two pairs of shoes per year at around $100 each, and that is the big expense. You also have running clothes and entry fees into races. I will probably spend around $4-500 this year. It costs at least that much just to play Pebble Beach, if you can get on.
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It’s funny, you’d think that something like running – just moving your legs back and forth – wouldn’t be an expensive hobby. All you have to do is go outside and start moving. But between a nice pair of shoes ($100 ish every 6 months, depending on how many miles you rack up), 5K/10K/marathon entrance fees (can be free, $20, I’ve seen some that ask $80 or more), accessories like nice socks ($20 for a couple pairs), headphones, the arm strap things for your smartphone, etc etc. I don’t use most of it but I can see how it could add up.
Anyway, it’s not the most expensive hobby by far. It’s probably among the cheapest. Just don’t kid yourself into thinking it’s a free hobby!
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Forgot to mention another hobby of mine, community theatre. It can be ridiculously cheap or extremely expensive, just like other hobbies…
Unlike professional theatre, you don’t necessarily need headshots, a printed theatre resume, vocal lessons, acting lessons, dance lessons, etc. But… you could do it if you wanted.
- Headshots: been a while since I’ve looked into this. Couple hundred bucks for a good photographer?
- Printing resumes: fairly cheap.
- Vocal lessons: anywhere between $20 to – $100+ per hour, depending on your market, skill level, etc.
- Acting lessons: a bit cheaper, probably from $20 – $80. Again, it depends.
- Dance lessons: no idea. Not a dancer myself. But I’m willing to bet they’re in the same ballpark as acting/voice.
You may need to buy other odds and ends, too. Cast gifts, character shoes, CDs of pictures of the show, the list goes on.
So you could easily drop a couple thousand bucks a year if you do a couple shows and are trying to improve your abilities.
With that being said, there’s no reason you HAVE to spend any of this money. None of it is necessary in most community theatres around the country.
It’s worth nothing, though, that this is one of the most incredibly time-consuming hobbies I’ve ever been involved with. Rehearsals for a show are typically 3 hours a night, 5 days a week, for at least a month if not 6-7 weeks for a single production. Not including any Saturday or Sunday rehearsals that may be called. Also not including other time spent having costumes fitted, doing radio spots (if you’re in a decent market at a good theatre), other promotional activities. Also not including the shows themselves which can run for 2, 3, maybe 4 weeks with 4 shows a weekend.
Still, I love it.
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And when you’re a long distance runner (I’m training for my 5th marathon), you also have to factor in the cost of running fuel – energy gels, sports drinks, etc. that you really do need in order to make it 26.2 miles.
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Running is my main hobby too. I set up my own budget line item for running-related expenses so that I can keep track of it!
* Race fees aren’t the only cost to racing. If you’re traveling to a race, you have to pay for a hotel, meals, etc.
* If you live in a cold weather climate and want to avoid ice/sub-zero temps you need access to a treadmill, either through a gym membership or buying one of your own.
Between all of the costs (shoes, gear, race fees, etc), I probably spend $1,500 a year on running. For some, that sounds crazy! But for me, it’s money well spent on something I love and an investment in my health that I’ll reap benefits on for years to come.
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And then you can take it to the next level – I run at a track 2x a week with coaches (speed workouts) – really helps improve your speed even for long distances like marathons (cost is equivalent to a monthly gym, but I figure I am paying at least partly for motivation since I actually go). And then there’s the periodic VO2 max test ($100) + the heart rate monitor – and recent upgrade to the watch with GPS ($200). Sure, these things are clearly extras, but for me it is worth the money to train in my correct heart rate zones. Helps you improve speed and recover faster from long runs.
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I made one very long heartfelt post about my son’s running hobby. Just one post. I submitted it and got a message.
“You are posting too quickly, slow down.”
The post was lost
Quick version. The benefits of my son’s hobby farrrr aweigh any costs, I would pay 5x for him to continue his pursuits.
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I guess travel is my main hobby, though I never really thought of it as such. Hard to quantify the true expense.
I also like to have some kind of big project going on, whether it’s travel related or not. Past couple years, it was getting ready to come to Australia. Well, we’re here. Now I’m planning a trip to Sydney (bought tent to camp in the middle of the harbour, and of course an inflatable raft to get there). And there’s the Dalek sitting by the door that has to be finished by Halloween (now THAT’S a budget breaker).
Maybe I need a (proper) hobby, like running or stamp collecting (ooh, I did that once when I was a kid…lasted about a month I think).
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Hi,
No need for an inflatable boat to camp in Sydney Harbour.
Cockatoo Island is owned by the government and you can camp on there either in the tents they provide, the two houses on the island or you can take your own tent.
New Years Eve is fantastic in the middle of Sydney Harbour, although it’s a bit late now to organise that. Being able to see right to the Harbour Bridge and all of the fireworks was just spectacular although not cheap.
There is a ferry from Circular Quay and I would recommend your own food as there is a take away shop on there.
Nothing beats waking up in the middle of the harbour!
S
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For me, being frugal and saving money are what allow me to indulge in my hobbies – it’s kind of the whole point – to get to the position where you have the disposable income to spend on what is important to you.
)
Hobbies that you are starting from scratch can be researched so that you know what the costs are up front. However, once your hobby becomes a passion, it becomes more difficult not to spend whatever it takes.
I design and make theater costumes and am also an avid gardener and the temptation to put in extra money when the (amateur) theater costume budget comes up short – or to buy that latest variety of hydrangea that would look so perfect in a certain spot – is difficult to resist. (I know, firstworldproblems
Getting to know professionals in the field of both my hobbies has helped a lot – tricks, tips, and occasional donations have been an enormous help over the years. Anyone who is pursuing their passion full-time in a field where they are not likely to make a fortune learns how and where to save money.
Pooling resources is another way to limit costs – I network with costumers at local schools and theater groups and we share what we have. I also swap plants with other gardeners. When my kids were small we had a whole network of other young parents that would circulate gently worn sports equipment.
My point is that I have been able to find ways of cutting costs that allow me to continue to pursue my hobbies. And sometimes finding a cheaper, more imaginative solution to a problem can add to the satisfaction of hobby itself.
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I keep my skiing addiction as cheap as possible by volunteering as a host at a nearby resort. While this provides a free pass, I still have have to pay for gas to get there, equipment and (discounted) food in the cafeteria. I figure it runs me about $25 each day I ski, and I’m required to work at least 20 days per season.
Still, it sure beats buying an $80 lift ticket!
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You friend Katrina is getting away with murder in her horse expenses. I spend probably ~$20,000 a year on my one, non-competitive horse. I’ve had $1,500 just in vet bills just this summer. I have friends pursuing showing goals that easily top $1,500 *per show.* It is a ludicrously expensive hobby.
But here’s the thing – apart from reading library books and crocheting from donated yarn, it is basically my only hobby. I know and accept that. I’m also willing and able to devote 40% of my income to my horse because he is my best friend and my reason for sanity. It is NOT the right decision for everyone, or even 99% of the population. It’s incredibly difficult but incredibly rewarding.
Finally, anyone who balks at $1,500 for showing per year to campaign a stallion needs to take that stallion to the vet to have its testicles removed, PRONTO. There is NO REASON to have a stallion just hanging around unless you are going to prove that it should keep said testicles – by showing, achieving, and actually having accomplishments before breeding it all around the neighborhood. There are already far too many unwanted, starving horses in this country. No one, NO ONE, should be contributing to that problem without seriously pursuing an intelligent, thoughtful, and productive breeding program.
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Yeah, and I seriously hope the “prize stallion” and the $1000 horse are not the same animal.
Any horse that is worth only $1000 should NOT be bred, EVER.
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My main hobbies are expensive (Dance and sewing) if only because in order to do them, I need to pay for classes to help me learn new things -or get me into performance opportunities, and/or supplies to make new things that I dream up and design. I don’t know how successful I am at keeping costs down, but I have some strict rules regarding buying for the hobbies:
BEfore I purchase anything, I have to answer the time honored questions –
1) do I really need this? (Is there something I have already that I can use in its place)? – this goes for fabric, notions, patters, etc AND classes/workshops too – Do I need to take every workshop that pops up? NO. Quality over quantity. And focus on what you want to learn can help you eliminate alot of things that would just take your money without really being value added.
2) Can I make it myself for less or in a better fitting fashion(this applies to costumes or some clothes and all quilts, which can get so so expensive)?
3) Will I use this often once I purchase it? I don’t want a closet full of fabric and costumes that I never use. Just say no to expensive collections of things-that-I-don’t-use-but-have-to-store.
These questions have kept me out of some trouble before, but not always. As sewing and belly dancing have grown in popularity, the vendors for both those hobbies have become numerous and it’s VERY easy to get sucked into buying things you don’t really need – especially at an expo, or workshop weekend, when the excitement is high, you’re completely wrapped up in hobby world (not your normal reality) and you feel like you’re on a vacation anyway of sorts…so why not indulge a little?
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Very provocative thinking in this post. I used to do a lot of quilting as a hobby. The materials can get pretty pricy and I don’t have time to do it anymore. So, I decided to start selling off the expensive fabric on Etsy. I can stop feeling bad every time I look at the materials not being used and use the money to pay down debt. That is my real need right now. If I have some free time, I can choose other less expensive things to do (read a book) to relax.
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My hobby is brewing my own beer. While cost in raw materials I can usually produce beer that is cheaper than what I’d buy in the store (I am talking good beer, not miller light or Natty Ice).
But I am fairly diligent in tracking all my costs and I’ve spent around 3k on equipment. If I do not buy any more equipment (yea right) it will take me over 5 years at brewing 5 gallons per weekend to recoup any money saved.
But alas I still buy beer at the store too (it provides inspiration). And its a great way to spend a Saturday.
And no I’m not stopping. I’ve worked brewing expenses into my budget planning, it even has its own category and monthly allotment.
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Uh-oh Five gallons per weekend for 52 weekends and you’re over the 200 gallon homebrewer’s annual limit.
Get ATF on the phone!
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Grrr Guvm’nt always steppin on my toes.
Besides this was hypotheically, If I were really looking to recoup costs I’d have to step it up to a barrel or so a week…..but then I’d need more equipment….and so it goes.
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Just FYI, I’ll be bottling my Mr. Beer tomorrow.
Yeah, you heard right, MR. BEER!
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Our main hobby is travel. We live a frugal lifestyle throughout the year so that can indulge ourselves on vacation. That is what we enjoy so that is what we spend on!
Our kids are still young- ages 3 and 1- and I shudder to think of what their sports and activities may cost. Hopefully they will pick things that aren’t too expensive!
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I’m a knitter; and that’s more expensive than it sounds. Once you’ve knit with a good quality fiber it’s hard to go back to squeaky yarn from Walmart.
In order to justify my yarn habit, I tend to give away most of my knitting. 2 years ago I knit a dozen pair of mittens for Christmas presents–all of my hobby time from Halloween on. After checking my Ravelry que, I figure I’ve given away 2/3 of what I’ve knit.
And the stuff I keep is functional if not frugal. The pair of socks I knit for $15 is prettier and fits better than the ones I buy in the store. The $70 cardigan is warmer than the $40 ones I usually buy and is custom fit to my body.
See, I’m good at justifying…;P
Other ways to save money: I have a group of knitting friends. Whenever someone is planning on ordering from an online shop they ask if anyone else wants to order. We then split the shipping and sometimes order enough to get free shipping or a discount. Buying yarn online is usually cheaper than buying in a store. And my in-laws have been great at giving me yarn for presents. I also tend to knit with fine yarns; 1,000 yards of lace-weight yarn often costs about the same as 300 yards of bulky weight.
I did learn one way to NOT save money on my hobby. Many people assume that by spinning your own yarn, you’ll save money. So not true..all that did was make me spend the same amount on fiber as I would have on yarn, but then I “needed” to spend another $400-$600 on a spinning wheel. So far, I’ve remained sane. But unless you live somewhere you can keep sheep; spinning your own yarn is NOT cheaper. It IS, however, really F’ing cool!
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I knit too. I make sure to knit at work, and then when people ask for me to make things, I get them to buy the good yarn! I give away most of my knitted goods too.
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Some knitters I know watch the second hand stores for real wool knitted sweaters etc………..they buy them and unpick the garment and wind up the yarn to make new garments….and wool square bedcovers.
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I tried this for a crochet project- once. The time it took me to pick apart the sweater was NOT worth it (and I have a pretty loose definition of “worth it”).
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I have several hobbies – photography, knitting, nalbinding, spinning, etc.
I chose photography simply because I looked at the price of getting good photos of my kids and the price of a decent little DSLR and I could pay for the DSLR or 2 photo sessions per year. (Never the less I think photographers should get paid what they ask. It’s hard work!) I learned how to take pretty good photos from the local camera club and still enjoy taking pictures of my kids and take special portraits 4-5 times a year. So it’s worth it to me.
The hobby(ies) that get away from me are the fiber arts ones. Though I’m trying to make them help pay for themselves at least partly. Since I like to go to fiber festivals – I’ve started teaching to help offset the cost and make it a bit more affordable to travel to these events. It’s fun to teach my hobbies and a great way to meet people! Do I really get paid for the time I invest in planning a class? No. But it supports my going to fun events and I get to share some hobbies that I want to keep from dying out – such as nalbinding.
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Ooohh…nalbinding. Cool!
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It’s fun! I’ve been obsessed with it for the last few years. You only need a needle + yarn (worsted or thicker is good to start with).(And you can start with a plastic tapestry needle if you need to.) There’s some great videos on it on the internet if you’re interested. These are my favorite ones. https://sites.google.com/site/neulakinnas/link/videot
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Kids and competitive sports: I highly recommend living in a large metro area if your kids want to do this. We live in a mid-size city (100K) 125 miles from bigger cities. My kids both participated in sports that needed “outside competition” (swimming and higher level baseball). The amount of money we’ve spent on travel to those is crazy. If you live in a larger city, you can avoid at least a third to half of those costs because you don’t have travel nearly as much. And let’s not get into equipment, fees, uniforms/swimsuits/googles/bats/gloves/ private lessons….. While I am glad my kids did them, I am not always sure it was worth all of my time and theirs. But the really unfortunate thing is that these days, you have to participate at a relatively expensive level just to find out if you are good enough to really pursue it!
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My hobby is my sanity (needlework). I don’t even try to tally what I have in stash. However, I *do* try to watch for sales (especially clearance sales on threads) and trade patterns with other stitchers to help keep my costs down.
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I hear you on the sanity part! I often tease that I craft so I don’t kill people! *wink*
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I’m with you both. I’ve sewed, quilted, and other hand-stitch crafts for years, but I keep returning to needlepoint. I’m pretty good, and have a creative eye, so that means I’m (naturally) drawn to those beautiful, hand-painted canvases, and the exquisite variety of threads — silk, wool, ribbons, metallics, etc. All expensive stuff, but I love seeing a really special piece come to life. And, such a great way to relax.
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I have a hobby that is usually free. . .but occasionally very expensive. I’m on a “team” and if we do well in local competitions then we go to a national competition. The locals only cost me a fraction of a tank of gas or a subway ride occasionally. I guess that plus the time I spend practicing (between 1-3 nights a week).
But now that we’re good enough to go to nationals on the other side of the country, we’ve all got to cough up money for plane and hotel. I love learning and I love being with my team but I don’t love spending money on the travel especially since we haven’t brought back a trophy since I joined!
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We have two kids, when both started soccer we were amazed at how much it actually cost after registration fees, fundraising fees, equipment, uniforms, etc. Then my daughter didn’t like it and stopped playing after a year. But for my son, he absolutely loves it and has been playing since he was 5 (for 3 years). He asks to practice even on days he doesn’t have team practice, and it’s been a joy watching him progress and get better, and actually understand what he’s doing. That makes it all worth it for me.
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I try to aim towards “useful” hobbies for myself: knitting, quilting, sewing, gardening, canning, for family needs. I’m an amateur musician as well and actually have made the transition there to part time side job; I’ll be pulling down three figures this month, woo hoo. I social dance as a purely recreational hobby but that’s fairly affordable if I’m not drinking.
For the kids I’ve indulged cheaply until they become passionate:laid back rec league soccer has been good enough but I just got a pricey new flute for my oldest as his cheap school rental and group lessons (Fabulous program BTW; $40 for a YEAR and free weekly lessons in a public school) were holding him back. I’m letting them explore a variety of things inexpensively: pottery class here, gymnastics there, until they really get grabbed by something. The big grab is currently First Lego Robotics, which is fairly affordable and is great for my probably future engineer/IT/architect offspring. Being in a good school district with an involved PTA fundraising program helps a lot.
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Allowing kids dabble in things is incredibly important!
Our family is involved in First Lego League too. Soooo worth it! (Even worth the time to help coach!)
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I get bored easily so I actually find myself cycling through various activities that I’m passionate about: traveling, hiking, cross-stitching, geocaching, climbing, running, wine tasting, and now backpacking.
There are a few things I’ve learned over the years through trial and error:
- I get more involved in activities when I find a group of people to talk ‘shop’. This opens up opportunity to learn and experience without paying for a class or coach.
- When I first show interest in a new hobby, there are always costs to get started (equipment, membership fees, etc). The rule I use is to first look for cheaper alternative costs to start (rentals, buying the cheapest equipment or borrowing from others). In a few months, when I’m certain that this isn’t just some fading interest and I know more about what I need to pursue my hobby, I’ll start to upgrade my equipment little by little.
- When I do upgrade, it’s about all about quality. I may have to pay more, even when looking at sales and discounts, but good-quality will last.
- No birthday or Christmas gifts should have anything to do with my hobbies. It’s a silly rule but I find that I’m more aware of what’s important when I’m paying for them myself. Little odds and ends like running socks are okay, but if I’m getting cooking stuff for Christmas because I was looking into improving my chef skills, than I’m less likely to find satisfaction in what I’m doing when someone else covered the costs.
- As for budgeting, my activities are important to me so they are a big part of my budget. I don’t purchase anything expensive until I saved up for it and I try to keep track of the little purchases along the way.
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I wanted to just speak to all the parents paying for competitive sports right now – if your kids love the sport, you might be giving them a lifetime gift. For example, I played volleyball in high school and play in competitive leagues now…I’m not great, but am still a fairly competent player and well able to hold my own even in most co-ed groups. It’s nice to have an area where I can easily bond with others without having to worry or feel self-conscious.
For example, the Friday afternoon pickup volleyball games at my grad school provided a great opportunity for me to make friends – I otherwise I would have been way too shy to really get to know many of the (mostly slightly older, mostly male) students/faculty who played in these pick-up games.
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Our main hobby is travel, which can be costly. We look for ways to be frugal throughout the year to enable us to enjoy a nice vacation. Our kids are still young, the oldest is five, so we’ve not really experience it in terms of their hobbies yet. In the end I think it comes down to making wise choices and not allowing the habit/hobby become a money pit.
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I play men’s league hockey, and it’s expensive. The league fees can be up to $400 for a season (24 games plus playoffs). Equipment adds on more costs. But, it is a great workout and I love it more than any other activity. I’d have to be damn near broke to give it up.
When I got invited to a wedding across the country, I decided to skip the summer hockey league (another $400 for the season), and just stick to the winter league. I still got to play hockey for the year, and I went to the wedding without feeling like it was hitting my wallet too hard, because otherwise I would have played hockey. That might just be a rationalization, but it was a sacrifice nonetheless.
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My most recent hobby (in the last 2 years) is training for triathlons. It can be cheap or expensive, depending on how far you go. Either way there is some upfront cost on the bike and equipment, but after that my only main expense is my Y membership so that I can swim 3 days a week.
It is really hard finding a hobby that costs nothing, unless maybe you like to take walks or bird watch, there is almost always a cost either upfront or monthly…
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Yep – triathlons for us too. We’ve probably spent $15k or more this year. Coaches are $450/mo; IM races fees are $800/race. Then, you have gear, testing, food, travel, etc. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that much. You can do it for almost free…depending how serious you want to be.
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Dragonboat racing: $10/mo dues, about $200 initial layout for gear, about $50/ea for local races, including food. Out of town races about $500 ea including travel. Total <$1500/yr, benefits include good friends and a high level of physical fitness. And a ridiculous amount of fun.
Writing: mostly free. I pay $18/yr for the web-based software I use, and because I like books in hand I've paid a fair amount, probably a couple hundred, for self-publishing. $100 for one writing class. Benefit: hours of enjoyment, mental fitness, exercising the creativity. (and I have sold a couple of copies, bringing down my total expense a bit.)
My husband's cocktail-mixing hobby, which I enjoy as much as he does, can get quite expensive, but not as expensive as drinking in bars.
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Did you just make this up?? I do horseback ride, and it makes zero sense – no one buys a “prize stallion” for $1,000 and $1,500 is seemingly an arbitrary number for showing. One show could cost $1,500 or more, easily.
“My friend Katrina loves horseback riding. She expects to pay $1,000 for a horse — at least. But then she has to house and feed it, to the tune of $350 a month. She regularly shells out $200 for various unexpected expenses too, and that’s over and above tack and trailer. And to top it all off, when she became interested in entering her prize stallion in a horse show, she found that competing added another $1,500 annually per horse.”
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There was some confusion around what I said. My daughter’s mustang cost $1,000. I estimated that I pay around $1,500 per year in expenses and entry fees for her to enter local 4-H and gymkhana shows. My “prize” (not yet!) Friesian *gelding* is in training for dressage. I don’t want to think too much about how much he is costing me. I don’t have a stallion. Showing a stallion as a STALLION could easily cost $1,500 per show, as you mention. Hope that makes more sense now.
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Except for the $1000 for a “prize stallion,” which could easily just be a glorified description of a gelding by a non-horseperson, these numbers seem reasonable enough to me. I pasture board my horse for $250/mo with all-he-can eat hay, and when you figure in grain and routine care, that averages about $350/mo…My guy is young enough that we haven’t had any majo vet issues, so I’d say $200 in unexpected expenses a few times a year is also about right for me, and I do fun shows and local shows a for an average of $75 a pop, plus cost of transportation, so $1500/yr for showing is reasonable as well. Horses are expensive, but it is possible to keep them on a budget, especially if your not heavily competitive…
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I know my figures are right for my situation. I keep excrutiating spreadsheets of all my horse expenses.
Youngsters sometimes incur vet bills too, of course. One of my young mustangs gave us a Holiday to remember a few years ago when he ripped a hole in his nose on Christmas day. We watched him do it but *still* couldn’t figure out how he did it. Couldn’t find anything sharp anywhere near him. Surprisingly, the vet bill came to only $284, including the call-out fee and two hours sedating him and then stitching his nose. I’m happy to say that the scar is barely visible two years on.
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I actually earn the same amount from my hobby as I do from my part time job. The rub of course is that I’d rather my hobby became the job!
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My biggest hobby expenditure is books. I used to regularly use the library, then Mr. Sam got me a Kindle for my birthday a few years ago. Between the Kindle and my iPad, its so easy to buy new books. I need to learn how to borrow books electronically. One of my co-workers said he would show me how.
My husband has an antique car and while the parts are $5, it always needs something, but we get a lot of fun out of it.
My niece is deep into horsing and I hear from my brother how expensive that hobby is. Costs him the same as his monthly mortgage payment.
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I’m a quilter. Depending on the sort of quilting you do, it can be a very expensive hobby. Unless you’re a hand quilter (like me), there’s a sewing machine–and there’s always a newer, fancier, more capable machine out there to buy–and fabric, thread, batting, and gadgets galore. There is the expense of finding a person to quilt your top, unless you do it yourself. There are classes, instructional videos, books, and magazines; there are dues if you belong to a guild.
If you’ve been at it a while and have built up a stash of fabric and supplies, of course, it’s less expensive–unless you’re disorganized. If you don’t know what you have on hand, or you know but can’t find it, you can spend a ton of money on duplicates. Organization is key.
There are ways to keep down expenses: trade fabric with other quilters, acquire fabric from Freecycle and Craigslist, borrow quilting books from the library or hunt for information/instructions on the Internet, and figure out how to produce a particular design without buying every ruler/gadget on the market. Time spent can substitute for money spent.
For me, quilting is both fun and useful. Since our guild gives quilts away to hospices, nursing homes, and homeless shelters, I never have to wonder what I’m going to do with one when I’m finished, if I’m not making it for someone in particular. It’s not a cheap hobby, but it’s worth what I spend on it, and more.
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I have a costly hobby but I love it. I compete with my dog in Schutzhund and it is a very expensive sport. I have spent around $4-5k a year in training, club dues, event fees and vet bills. This year my costs are a little lower since the dog just needs fine tuning training for competition. Next year my expenses are going to sky rocket with several national competitions and possibly buying a new puppy to start training. It takes years of training before a dog is able to compete.
It is a very expensive hobby but it provides me with a lot of excersize and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There is nothing in the world like watching the lighbulb going off in the dogs head and the bond between dog and handler. Well worth every penny spent.
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I totally agree with you! I am an agility addict and the same concepts apply. Training in class, private lessons, agility trial entry fees, equipment to train on at home, plus a chiro vet and canine masseuse, it all adds up to a lot of money but worth every single penny!
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When I was young, my hobby was theater. It was an enormous time commitment, but I was obsessed. The rule was that I could continue as long as it never interfered with my school. There was never any “entry fee” to the theater I did, and I even got paid for about half of the shows I was in. But, I do know my parents spent an insane amount of gas (and time!) driving my sister and I to all the auditions and rehearsals every night. I am really grateful because I learned SO much from my time in theater.
College brought on the lull of any hobbies, as I was stuck in a lab for 5 years getting my engineering degree. Then, since college my hobbies have been limited to things that won’t eat into our debt reduction money: so I took up cooking and reading library books.
Now that we are nearing the end of our student loan payback, I’ve portioned out some money for something I have always wanted to do: ballet.
It is about $15/ lesson, and I currently go once a week. I am having a blast, and it is well-worth the money spent to me.
I think the hardest part for me is that my husband does not have a hobby that costs something similar (his own choice…). Though he supports me in ballet, I still feel bad about spending the money.
Does anybody else have a similar hobby-expense-difference with a spouse?
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I think that if your hobby is a big factor in your happiness, there should certainly be space for it in your budget. If all you do is work all week, and occasionally get to enjoy the pleasure your hobby brings you, its definitely worth an investment. When I was into painting, I made it a point to only allow myself a certain amount of money to spend at Michael’s because art supplies is incredibly expensive. It must be a lot more complicated when it comes to your kids hobbies though because you want to allow them to do whatever they want, but many sports/activities can be very pricey.
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My husband and I are ballroom dancers. It’s how we met, and it’s become the hub of our social and athletic lives. Fortunately, it’s a hobby that is very flexible in terms of how much we spend on it.
During a couple of lean years, we stopped training with a coach, didn’t compete, didn’t buy any new gear, and didn’t go to any fancy events. We still got to dance regularly and see our friends, for probably less than $50/mo.
This year, on the other hand, we’ve spent several thousand dollars on coaching, we’re competing (which means event entries, hotels, and flights), we’re spending on costume & shoes, and we’ll order video of our events. Altogether I’m betting the bill will come to nearly ten grand.
Worth every penny.
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This has been on my mind a lot of late in regards to my kids. My son, now 7, is pretty finicky and has been passionate about so many things followed by quickly refusing to ever do them again. This includes ice skating, gymnastics, and golf lessons. I have paid out close to $1k in the past 2 years on lessons that he has refused to attend or “try at” past the first few. Now if he is interested in something, I see if I can pay per class not per sessions of 8-12, etc.
My daughter, 3, really wants to do a dance class. I have been researching it and seeing what I can swing budget wise. It isn’t pretty, the best I can find is $50/month which means I have to cut $50 out of something else in the monthly budget.
I am not left with much for my own hobbies. In fact there are so many things I really want to try – like martial arts or zumba class, ice skating lessons (I never learned as a kid), and making jewelry and when I look into them I get turned off instantly because I feel I can’t afford it.
I exercise a lot at home with various DVDs and weights and find that every 3 months or so I want to try a new program so I invest in a new DVD or set that is anywhere from $10-60 and I always look for used via craigslist/ebay/Amazon, etc.
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Hobbies for me sometimes end up exemplifying the sunk cost theory. For instance, my husband likes fishing, and so this year I found a Groupon for a flyfishing class, something he’d always wanted to learn how to do.
Unfortunately, we didn’t plan our vacations well, and instead of using some time this summer to go camping next to the lake the class was on, we realized he’d have to travel the 2 hours on his own, get a hotel, pay for food out, and any gear he might need.
I could keep paying out more money so that I could get my original money’s worth out of the Groupon, or just admit that the coupon was a sunk cost.
The coupon was originally $50, but the “cost” to actually redeem it was around $250 after the hidden costs were factored in.
If a hobby becomes, “well I’ve already spent the money, might as well spend some more”, I think it’s time to reassess.
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I have a number of hobbies that give me great happiness. I have put some money into them over the years, but I have also learned that it is easy to go overboard on the money spending. I play the violin, and while I do covet a pricey instrument and bow (and probably will upgrade eventually), my instrument sounds better and better as I improve my skills. I see many people spend more time and interest in getting the “best” instrument than in practicing… I quilt, but I think I already have a lifetime of fabric so I never buy any more. I knit with yard sale yarns (but I really only buy nice yarn – I hate acrylics). I cook and bake with yard sale equipment, nothing fancy really needed. My kids do the same: used sports equipment for the most part, passed down instruments until the instrument really proves a passion, community teams that are very inexpensive. One thing that I know from experience and observation: having the best gear does not make a person “the best” at anything. It is the commitment and the passion that drives excellence. How many times have you seen a “gourmet” kitchen for someone who doesn’t really cook all that much, or a beginner musician purchase a high end instrument, etc.? We really need to learn to be real with ourselves! That said, I adore my hobbies and happily shell out needed money for a lesson once a month or new violin strings….
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I just quit a $150,000/year job because the time it required (both work hours and commuting) took too much time away from my family and my hobbies. I’d get up in the dark to leave for work before my family was awake, and get home just in time to put my daughter to bed. Clearly this didn’t leave any time for my hobbies, either, the most important one to me being surfing.
Surfing requires being able to find a couple hours of free time when the wind, swell, tide, and weather conditions are right, and so you can’t schedule it very far in advance. I need more flexible hours if I want to be able to get in the water more often, and lately I haven’t been able to. I have mixed feelings about quitting this job, because in many ways it’s a fantastic job, but when I make my daughter laugh, or look at this photo I took last winter, I’m pretty sure I made the right decision.
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Good Luck!
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Aside from reading books (which I get either as gifts or from the used bookstore) or TV (I like to pick series with 100+ episodes off Netflix), my hobby is cooking.
Many of the tools are expensive! My Cuisinart and my KitchenAid are probably the priciest ones. The Cuisinart was more than worth it once I got over being intimidated. Among many other things, I will never buy salsa from the supermarket again
I haven’t had the KitchenAid very long so I’m still trying to get over being intimidated by it, but very excited by the bread I’ve made so far!
Really, though, aside from the Cuisinart and a good knife, the two cooking implements that changed everything for me were a Crockpot and an immersion blender. Both of those are pretty inexpensive (less than $30 each, I think).
As a result of my hobby I don’t eat very much processed food at all, which is a big plus. It also kind of spoils eating out after awhile, because you take a bite of what you ordered and think, “I could make a better version of this!”
I think gardening is the next step in terms of a hobby. So far, however, I’ve killed everything (I’ve tried tomatoes, jalapeno, and a bunch of different herbs) regardless of whether I tried to do indoor or outdoor.
Clearly I don’t have a green thumb! But I got an herb gardening book as a wedding gift, and now that it’s not 105+ degrees anymore, I hear now is the time to be planting. So I will probably give it another try soon. The nice thing is, I’ll actually save a bit of money if I can get good at that one!
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I recommend Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano and Mint. Mint needs to grow in pots because it can spread like crazy. Cilantro goes to seed quickly so you will need to be prepared to collect the seeds to plant again.
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lol… I love that feeling of being able to say “I could make it better, and for less money!” I think all the things I’ve learned to do during my life have made me a more discerning shopper.
I don’t consider cooking a hobby because it’s a necessity for me (with food allergies/intolerances, eating out is nearly impossible.) I definitely think it’s worth having the right tools!
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it does kind of spoil eating out, doesn’t it? Part of why I love hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants is because they’re more likely to have food I don’t know how to make, and even if the food is not better than at home, if it’s faster or cheaper that still makes me happy.
But aside from buying or growing lots of varied ingredients, cooking doesn’t have to be expensive – I can cream butter and sugar with a fork and knead bread with my hands, so even though I got a KitchenAid as a gift, I end up only using it if I’m making enormous batches of something.
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I think it’s really hard to put a price on hobbies. One of my family members actually makes money from his — he buys items, fixes them up and sells them for a profit. A couple of friends turned their sewing hobby into a successful side business. I know quite a few people who get free materials and knit or sew for charity.
Some of my hobbies are pretty cheap – like writing and reading — but they’re solitary activities. Over the years, I’ve picked up hobbies from relatives and friends and in many cases, spending time together was the most important thing. There’s something be said for the memories you make sharing a passion with someone.
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All my kids, except my 5 year old, have some extracurricular activities. Because the boys are in baseball, basketball, and soccer, the costs for them are significantly less than for our 15 year old daughter, who is an Irish Dancer. She competes on the international level and so while lessons are not that much, the competitions, costumes (including shoes), and travel really add up.
Fortunately, she makes some money teaching Irish Dance and also performing. So far, we have not had her use her performing and teaching money to pay for the costs associated with her sport, but we have told her it is a possibility if our financial situation changes.
So far, all the money we’ve spent on Irish Dance has been money well spent because she’s a more confident, even keeled teenager. One of the Dads at her dance school says, “It keeps them from hanging out at the mall, smoking cigarettes.” We had no idea when she got involved how crazy and expensive the Irish Dance world was. We thought it was just some little thing where she hopped around in a church basement when she was four years old. Hah! The joke was on us – but it really is a gift to parents to see their child find a passion early on and stick with it and progress beyond her wildest dreams.
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When my sisters and I were younger, my mother could not afford much for hobbies. But she did buy a piano and would pay for classes if we wanted. Some of my sisters did. I took up tae-kwondo (it was cheap). Most days we spend our time teaching ourselves (and each other) music, or reading books. Mom was never frugal with books. We had book allowances.
As an adult, I’ve somewhat overcompensated in the hobby department, but I still try to keep it frugal.
Dancing probably cost me $1000/yr in classes, studio parties, outfits, etc. I have other minor hobbies that incur some cost like diving/skydiving/music playing. My most expensive hobby to date: Motorcycles.
I got a cheap vintage ’82 Suzuki in beautiful shape for cheap, but the cost of my helmet and protective gear cost more than the motorcycle itself. I really want to own a Ducati monster, but as this is my first bike, I wanted a cheaper ride to get used to. But there is no scrimping when it comes to protective gear. If I go down I don’t want to scrape half my body on the asphalt, no sir.
Unexpected expenditures: Parking tickets, I DID TAKE A SLIDE and had medical bills, minor damage bills.
Is it worthwhile? Ask any rider, the answer is yes.
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In addition to what others have said about competitive sports for kids, its not cheap. I am now in my mid 20′s but from the time I was 11 to age 19 I was playing competitive softball and my brother, who is just a year younger did the same in baseball. Our parents easily spent 10-15k per year on each of us. We lived between metro areas, my last 2 year I drove 3 hours each way for pracitces and games and my brother played 2 hours in the opposite direction. We compromised by not eating out as much, not always wearing the newest clothes, etc. I dont think my parents, or either of us would trade it for anything though. We got to spend lots of time together on trips and I got to see every corner of the US, not to mention I was paid to play in Europe for two summers after college. Add in a 200k education that I recieved and the 2 years at a juco my brother got, their investment ended up paying off (would have been our responsibility otherwise). Although they did still end up spending significant amounts of money following us around through college between 4-6 roundtrip flights a year and about 8 driving trips at 800-1000 miles roundtrip. I realize this isn’t the norm, but the cost never stopped for them, but I know they wouldn’t have changed it. I wouldn’t change it either I now play multiple competitive sports as well as rec leagues. I never realized how much some things cost until I have had to buy them on my own. This was the first year I had to buy cleats (3 kinds for 3 different sports) but to me the social benefits, as well as physical benefits I get from sports are more than worth it to me.
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I’m in a historic recreation organization, and boy does that suck money in so many ways. Gear, cloth for costuming, supplies for hobbies in the hobby, and books!
On the other hand, it cuts my costs for vacation– camping at a cheaper rate than even a state park– we do swaps for gear, and when cooking for official meals, one buys bulk (thus saving money) and attendees get to take home the leftovers. One week I ate all my lunches from leftover feast food.
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When I was 11, I got really into horseback riding and showing. I had a great horse and a great trainer and I did very well when I competed.
For my 13th birthday, my parents bought me an amazing, beautiful $1000 show saddle. With that saddle, their whole attitude about my riding changed– And so did mine. There was so much pressure to ride and utilize the new saddle that I stopped enjoying riding. I quit riding within a few months.
I’ve accepted the blame for the wasted saddle money, which my parents still bring up periodically (I’m 30 years old now, btw…), but I’m sure there is a lesson here for parents, too.
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I think *especially* for kids, if they are grooving in their current level, trying to change their level is a big, big mistake.
It might be a $1000 saddle, or it might be taking them out of the neighborhood league and putting them in a county league. If they’re happy … leave ‘em where they are.
Same goes for adults, of course.
But we have a little more control over these things, so we have no one to blame but ourselves if we get in over our heads and stop enjoying the hobby.
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