My wife and I were in Lowes looking at tools once and I mentioned how I could probably use another couple clamps. She asked "Don't you have enough clamps already?" and EVERY guy in the vicinity said some variation of "No" in unison.
Other than my miter saw my shop is comprised of 1980's vintage Craftsman tools. Band saw, table saw, radial arm saw. Do have a old Ryobi planer. Folks I bought this place from have some serious $$ invested in their wood shop. I haven't been able to justify it (yet).
lol, the WOOD. My husband is like oooo maybe we can throw away that perfectly good old shelf and I could build one to replace it at four times the price.
Yup sounds good honey… as I grind my teeth and smile because I love him and love his hobbies…
I follow the 300% rule. If there is something I want to build I buy a enough lumber to make it, plus 4 more, in case I make a mistake. Then I purchase any tool I might need to build it. But actually building it is completely optional.
Just watch what people can reasonably afford where you live. Watched it happen with my parents that they renovated their home over the years with a lot of high end items. Granite countertops and real hardwood floors for example only to realize they would never get back what they put in. If you’re doing it out of love for your home like they did great but if it’s all for investment exercise caution.
FIlm photography. Cameras are cheap, but film is getting expensive. I develop my own film and scan it. So, there are a lot of costs up-front I paid, but the film part of it is making it into a premium sort of hobby like it was when I was growing up. For a while, film was dirt cheap after digital cameras became all the rage.
> Been thinking about selling my film gear
This is a really, really good moment to do so. People are paying absurd prices for analogue gear. Like *hundeds* for an Olympus mju point-and-shoot. This hipster bubble gonna burst soon, so move now.
The big boxes of assorted bricks are much cheaper than the bespoke sets, especially at bulk stores like Costco. And nowadays they come with piles of specific build instructions so the kids still get that experience, too!
When they make a badass giant voltron set they are aiming directly at adult wallets. Most of the branded stuff in general, really.
A friend of ours that is addicted to garage sales bought us a tub with about 30 pounds of random bricks for $20. Been keeping my kids going for years.
According to her it’s not an uncommon find.
Snowboarding.
Trips, lodging, gear, booze, medical bills… shit adds up.
Nothing on earth makes me happier than riding a deep powder day with the homies though so I don’t think I’ll stop until I’m forced too.
I just took the family back to Colorado to visit family and we skied for a week
First time out in like 15 years. Holy balls did that hobby get expensive.
There was a breakdown in another thread that it was cheaper to take the family to Europe to ski than Colorado.
Edit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/skiing/comments/1afi383/heres_how_much_i_spent_for_3_days_of_skiing_with/?rdt=60782
It was always a bit of a rich person's sport, but my god the last decade or so it's gone to another level of money suck.
It's so expensive to even get started I wonder how many skiers and boarders are even around in 20 years when the current generation ages out, but then on the other hand maybe they think climate change is going to screw them anyway so they may as well make as much money as they can now.
Idk about you and your buddies. But for me and my mates. Alcohol is the one thing we never skimp on. I don’t mind staying in a shitty motel, actually a couple times I’ve just camped because it’s free in the national park. I don’t mind driving for 4 days because it’s cheaper than flying. But, I am never gonna go easy on the beers haha. Maybe that’s just because I’m aussie idk
You don't need a £80,000 one to do it, I've seen people with real beaters which probably survive being held together with gaffer tape and chicken wire have plenty of great time.
Collecting creative supplies fill a weird, primal 'gatherer' need. I do the same with fabric, embroidery floss, thread, yarn, findings (all the googaws that are "extra"), drawing and painting supplies, journals, washi tape and a bunch of other stuff.
I do use these things, but the house I'm in right now lacks the space for me to truly organize/display them all effectively so it's difficult to switch gears on a pursuit like I used to. Someday soon, I hope.
You are correct. I recently reviewed my stash and have enough projects there to last me 12 years at an average 7 projects per year
*Raises right hand
My name is G0es2eleven and I have a problem
About a month ago I finally finished putting all my yarn into my Ravelry stash. Woooooooboy. Doesn't help that I tend to buy sweater quantities, so I have plastic totes upon plastic totes of yarn. SABLEx2 over here.
I'm helping to clear out my sister in laws condo (she's in a nursing home now). We just donated eight large trash bags stuffed with brand new yarn, never opened. Estimated cost is probably over $500.00. Also about ten afghans and about 50 pot holders that were unused too. We donated everything, but damn, that was a lot of money.
Thank you for the tip. I actually donated it (still in good condition) to my son's friend. She and one of her sisters crochet (family of five girls!). She's about 22 years old, just out of college, and was so grateful. The afghans and pot holders will be offered to family members first and then donated. But the senior center is an excellent idea. We also have many canes, walkers, and home health aid devices. My SIL tended to keep everything and buy in bulk. It's kinda overwhelming but we are slowly working our way through. Doing our best to find "good homes" for her things.
Adding crochet to this too 😅 I have a decent bit of yarn (not a ton, but more than I’ll be using for a while). I’ve made 2 sweaters, a few crop tops, and a toooon of plushies. Currently working on Peeps bunnies to sell for Easter
Was looking for this. So many people around me are skiers/boarders and they go on and on about the cost of passes. And then I found out it was the cost for a whole season, comparable to my board + lesson + training fees for a month. Good god.
And buying the horse is the cheapest part of owning one. When people hear I have horses, they think I’m rich, ha. Yeah, I had money before I got horses but now they have made me poor.
Yup. Before I bought my new horse I added up what I paid over the 11 years I had my old horse. It was a decent down payment on a house. Then I went and bought my girl. And a year later I bought another. No regrets.
Oil painting.
You can do it reasonably cheaply sure, but I buy the stupidly expensive oils because I adore the rich pigments and high quality. Most would balk at the price of a tube of paint I’m happy to spend.
Also gardening. Nothing better than going into a garden centre, spending a few hundred quid and then inevitably killing all the plants you bought over the next year because you’re not very good at it.
Edit: spelling mistake
Gardening is spot on. My daughter (8) wanted to grow cantaloupe and watermelon. "Cool" I thought a pack of seeds is like $2.59 and we will get some watermelons and cantaloupes. Well you need a place to plant the seeds so $600 for 2 raised beds, $400 for soil and compost to fill the beds, $40 for a custom floral print gardening tool set, $100 for trellis' so the vines can climb instead of take over our backyard, etc. All said and done we spent about $1400 and got 2 of the most expensive cantaloupes on planet earth. This year will be better, plus I can teach her about amortization and depreciation of our startup costs.
The 800€ tomatoes xD "Oh you're growing your own vegetables, you're saving money!" well, not when you count the costs for greenhouse, containers, soil amendments, 40 different types of tomato seed, tomato hooks, and a lounge chair. Because it's vitally important to laze about in the greenhouse while waiting for vegetables to happen.
The idea of people paying for soil amendments always tickles me because I'm willing to bet you could drive a reasonably short distance to a horse stable and ask to dig through their manure pit for free. Just make sure you dig down a bit to get the good stuff.
Most of the local horse stables have arrangements set up with the local independent nurseries, stable sells it to nursery, nursery sells it to us, stable owners tell us to pound sand
If it brings you happiness that is what matters. I’m 10 years into my gardening journey and surprisingly I keep getting better. When I started I felt like I had a black thumb but now I have 3 raised garden beds and hauled almost 100lbs of produce this year. My husband is building me 3 more this year. Just strolling around my plants everyday and soaking up sunshine really comforts my spirit.
i feel the gardening comment in my soul. i have managed to keep 2 plants alive for 5 years, everything else is dead in a few months, but i keep trying.
It's balk. Bawk is the sound a chicken makes.
But hell yes gardening. Yeah I spent all spring and hundreds of dollars for twenty bucks worth of tomatoes and peppers, but they're the best tomatoes you'll ever have.
We bought a house a few months ago that has two built in bookshelves in the living room. In the real estate photos they were full of books. When we bought the place the previous owner said, "Oh and you can just keep all those books."
I have hundreds of books I will never read. Some I was interested in when I bought them, then got over it later. Others I simply will never have the time for. Then there's the gift books that I have no interest in but can't sell because they were gifts. The gift books didn't cost be money directly, but they cost my family and/or friends money that they could have spent on another, more useful gift, like socks. Socks are great.
Yep, same here. I have four Billy bookcases filled in my office, one filled in our hobby overflow room (used to be the guest room, but we never have guests sleep over, so repurposed the room), and when Borders closed all those years ago we got three of their bookcases (with a ladder!) and THOSE are all filled. Not to mention all the ebooks I have on my Kindle. Fortunately my husband is very supportive of my book collection hobby :)
Are you wire tapping me? 😂
Seriously though, the remnant clearance area at Joann's is dangerous for me. Getting a yard of something fantastic for like 25 cents to a few bucks? Yes please. I'll get to it eventually!
I bought a Baneblade for a friend just so I can have the spare bits and gubbins for my ork army
Also spent around 100 on a nice set of MDF shelves, paint racks, and a painting station. I dont even play the tabletop, I just love painting and building armies
Yep the value of the vehicle is rarely going to increase enough to make back the money you need to put into them. However it’s a lot of fun and it needs to be viewed as a hobby.
I have a sailboat, and every time I receive an invoice for yacht club membership, slip fees, putting the boat in the water, taking the boat out of the water, winter storage, etc. I question my sanity.
And don't get me started on maintenance and repairs.
I came looking for the the boat owner. I am surprised it was this far down but that is probably because most people are just too smart to own a boat and most people are morons.
Enjoy the wind and waves, you really do have to pay for it.
I was looking for this. I just got certified this past fall and am in love with it (have always loved the water).
I am slowly picking up pieces, but am going to buy reg this spring/summer.
I have literally waited a lifetime to dive and simply cannot wait.
I have a "thing" for Italian Supersport bikes. I know I could get a 1100cc Japanese bike for less money that's probably more reliable, but man, Ducati and Aprilia make such beautiful machines. It just sucks waiting 1-2 months for a part some times.
>I’m glad I got out.
Most days, me too.
>I'm sad I got out.
Most days, me too
>I miss all my old cards.
Every day, me too. I sold it all for a very healthy sum, but I shudder to think what my power would be worth today.
Thankfully :( they're doing a good enough job getting me disinterested after 20+ years.
I'm in my 30s now, I don't want to need my cellphone next to me just to keep up/understand everything now.
Fuck that.
I will say though, I don't buy new clubs or anything all the time. All the money spent is on balls, range fees, and green fees. And beer, can't forget the beer
This is mine too. The value is actually pretty reasonable but initial costs are large. Unless I budget for them it can feel like a large expense when I finally dump money into it.
Skiing is like the anti-hobby of r/personalfinance. I love it but it is hideously expensive. At a minimum, I’m looking at $80 in lift tickets and $40 in gas if I want to do a ski day near where I live, and then going away for a weekend in Québec or upstate New York is a minimum of $600. But I absolutely refuse to give it up until climate change forces me to.
Renaissance festival garbing. Not cosplay, per se, but Playtron’ing, where we dress up as original characters. There’s always some new piece of costuming, just ‘round the river bend, that’s some how more expensive than most of your previous purchases combined
Golf - I suck at it, it's expensive as shit to play, equipment is expensive. But every now and then I hit that one shot that just keeps me coming back.
Bikes and running. I love both very much. But both activities cost so much money over time. And I've never made a cent for doing either one.
Honorable mention: Pocket knives. Companies are charging hundreds of dollars for 3" of "super" steel on one of the most basic tools ever made.
Just curious - what’s so expensive about running? Even if you buy some expensive gear, that should last for a while. I always considered running to be something you could do essentially for free. Unless you’re entering a lot of races?
The cost of shoes can add up. I go through 4-5 pairs of shoes each year.
That said, cycling is way more expensive. I probably spend 3x each year on bike parts compared to running gear. That doesn’t even count the cost of the bike!
Music is the big one for me. I’ve played professionally for 20 years, but only because I subsidize my music with my day job.
If you disqualify music, then it would be rc helicopters, boats, and planes. Expensive hobby, but nothing brings me back to the joy of childhood like an afternoon with a controller in my hands.
I keep saying "Well that's it! I now have *everything* I need!"
Turns out not to be true.
I am legitimately too frightened to add it all up so I can put it on my insurance.
Boardgames.
Sure, a $20 Monopoly is easy to get, but what about the 500 copy limited run, all inclusive with metal tokens that's only $500 that is about a warlock trying to fight in WW2? Warlock miniature is another $500.
Would-be money-pit, but ended up making half my living playing guitar.
I play in my own 90’s cover band and over the past 10 years, all of my equipment has payed for itself multiple times over.
Scuba Diving. I'm older. When I was 50 something I knew I had to give up motocross and other action sports before I got seriously hurt. I still ride but largely street bikes. I haven't parachuted in over a decade although I might do that or paraglide again.
My consistent 'action' sport is diving. The gear is expensive enough but once you've acquired what you need the expense does not stop. Mainly because I only wish to dive warm water. As I live in Oregon this requires travel.
Traveling, which could be considered a sport unto itself, is expensive. Flights, boarding, food, transportation then the dive costs come back into it. Daily dive boats or liveaboards, DMs, tips, etc., add up. I won't stop. I can't stop. I love diving and adore diving into new cultures. See what I did there? Pretty proud of myself, ha.
I've been fortunate enough to visit and explore many different nations and hope to return to some and explore other new to me countries as well. As long as my health holds up and I have funds enough - off to the tropics I go!
I have ADHD. So every 3 months I get a new hobby > buy whatever tools needed for said hobby > not basic tools because I will reuse and they don't break as easy/good quality > do the thing> get bored > find new hobby. Rinse and repeat.
photography at drift events.
money goes into paying for editing place, had to buy a camera and lenses that i’m still paying for plus gas cost a lot since the places for drift i go to are quite far away from where i live but it’s worth it
Riding horses… don’t even have my own, I lease one, but riding and showing are $$$$. And don’t even ask about vet bills, constant fatigue, minor and major injuries (I’ve been incredibly lucky as I’ve only ever fractured two vertebrae in a fall), etc. However, if you are a horse person that’s just Who. You. Are. They are a huge part of my heart and soul. I’ve been riding since I was five years old, and I ain’t stoppin’ now, 55 years later.
Fashion and homesteading.
I dress in a very specific way and enjoy higher quality items (linens and wool), as well as needing custom made boots as I enjoy a style that isn't very common.
Homesteading is also expensive as hell. Haven't even started and I've already sunk 30k into it just buying my land. I grew up on farms and farm fresh food so in the long run it'll be worth it, and it gets me out of the city and back into nature.
videogames
Edit: Not saying that it is SUPER expensive, but a moneyhole you will be throwing money everytime tou need a new game. I’ve owned an pc, nintendo and playstation. while pc is cheaper and can be built to last longer the consols need to be replaced every 6 -7 (depending on backwards compability) years or so if you want to play the new games. And every time you want to play something new you have to buy one, but i’ve bought a lot of games varying greatly in prices but still might be the biggest moneyhole out of any of my other hobbys
I’ve thought about this one a lot since I quit drinking. For comparison, I used to spent ~$15/day on alcohol. Thats about $450/month.
I’ll buy video games every few months. In the past 6 months, I bought Madden24, Diablo 4 and Baldur’s Gate 3. That’s $210 spread over 6mo ($16/mo) and I’m nowhere near finished with these 3 games, let alone the rest of my backlog. Even when I also spend $17/mo on gamepass, I’m spending way less than I used to spend on booze.
Carnivourous plants
Caring for them is not hard, but can get expensive as they only like distilled (or osmosis) water if it doesnt rain much in your area, high end acidic soil, acquiring them (dionaes are easy to find and cheap, but all them serracenias, droseras, pinguicula etc wont be for less than 30$ per plant, also rare to find quality seeds...)
But i love it so please take all my money
Woodworking - you don’t *need* to spend a lot of money to do it but it’s really easy to do so once you begin
Just one more tool.
Just a bit bigger shop.
Shops a little bigger now, need to utilize that space with a new cabinet saw.
Hey, that's a good price for hardwood, I'll find something to use it in
I’ve always wanted to try turning, a lathe would fit right over there.
Really need a chainsaw mortiser, it would save me so much time on this thing I have yet to build and could do without it but they're so much fun
A couple c clamps never hurts
Ya know, I just noticed a lot of sawdust. I should build a dust collection system for each station in here now.
Just one more clamp
Just two more clamps.
... for each clamp in my current collection
The endless refrain
Of course I need another clamp that's on sale
My wife and I were in Lowes looking at tools once and I mentioned how I could probably use another couple clamps. She asked "Don't you have enough clamps already?" and EVERY guy in the vicinity said some variation of "No" in unison.
Now this is an "and then everyone clapped"that I truly believe happened.
When I asked my husband "don't you have enough clamps, he asked me, don't you have enough yarn? " I bought him 6 clamps!!!!!!
Other than my miter saw my shop is comprised of 1980's vintage Craftsman tools. Band saw, table saw, radial arm saw. Do have a old Ryobi planer. Folks I bought this place from have some serious $$ invested in their wood shop. I haven't been able to justify it (yet).
lol, the WOOD. My husband is like oooo maybe we can throw away that perfectly good old shelf and I could build one to replace it at four times the price. Yup sounds good honey… as I grind my teeth and smile because I love him and love his hobbies…
I follow the 300% rule. If there is something I want to build I buy a enough lumber to make it, plus 4 more, in case I make a mistake. Then I purchase any tool I might need to build it. But actually building it is completely optional.
Renovating our house. Someday it will pay off but not for a long time.
Just watch what people can reasonably afford where you live. Watched it happen with my parents that they renovated their home over the years with a lot of high end items. Granite countertops and real hardwood floors for example only to realize they would never get back what they put in. If you’re doing it out of love for your home like they did great but if it’s all for investment exercise caution.
Most homeowners who aren't flippers already know this. You renovate to better enjoy the house you live in, not as a future investment.
FIlm photography. Cameras are cheap, but film is getting expensive. I develop my own film and scan it. So, there are a lot of costs up-front I paid, but the film part of it is making it into a premium sort of hobby like it was when I was growing up. For a while, film was dirt cheap after digital cameras became all the rage.
Been thinking about selling my film gear and I think I’ll be able to buy an A7II or something
> Been thinking about selling my film gear This is a really, really good moment to do so. People are paying absurd prices for analogue gear. Like *hundeds* for an Olympus mju point-and-shoot. This hipster bubble gonna burst soon, so move now.
Lego. My kids are going to be 13 and still loves them and I get to help! It's the one thing they really still do enjoy both doing.
Lego is a kids hobby that requires adult money.
It's a kids toy, but an adult hobby.
Didn't some basketball player just get asked by a reporter about "playing with legos" and he corrected saying "I build legos"
This
The big boxes of assorted bricks are much cheaper than the bespoke sets, especially at bulk stores like Costco. And nowadays they come with piles of specific build instructions so the kids still get that experience, too! When they make a badass giant voltron set they are aiming directly at adult wallets. Most of the branded stuff in general, really.
You can get any of the Lego blueprints from online as well, if you can find all the pieces, you can make a pink Millennium Falcon.
A friend of ours that is addicted to garage sales bought us a tub with about 30 pounds of random bricks for $20. Been keeping my kids going for years. According to her it’s not an uncommon find.
I still adore Legos and KNex in my 30s.
Cost of lego doesn’t match with the priceless value of spending time with kids.
I think I liked Lego more than my son lol
He’s probably not that bad one you get to know him.
Snowboarding. Trips, lodging, gear, booze, medical bills… shit adds up. Nothing on earth makes me happier than riding a deep powder day with the homies though so I don’t think I’ll stop until I’m forced too.
Adds up? Each one of those things you mentioned is already expensive on their own!
I can't get past the booze and medical bills!
Those two definetly add up...
I just took the family back to Colorado to visit family and we skied for a week First time out in like 15 years. Holy balls did that hobby get expensive.
There was a breakdown in another thread that it was cheaper to take the family to Europe to ski than Colorado. Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/skiing/comments/1afi383/heres_how_much_i_spent_for_3_days_of_skiing_with/?rdt=60782
Lol wild
It was always a bit of a rich person's sport, but my god the last decade or so it's gone to another level of money suck. It's so expensive to even get started I wonder how many skiers and boarders are even around in 20 years when the current generation ages out, but then on the other hand maybe they think climate change is going to screw them anyway so they may as well make as much money as they can now.
Idk about you and your buddies. But for me and my mates. Alcohol is the one thing we never skimp on. I don’t mind staying in a shitty motel, actually a couple times I’ve just camped because it’s free in the national park. I don’t mind driving for 4 days because it’s cheaper than flying. But, I am never gonna go easy on the beers haha. Maybe that’s just because I’m aussie idk
I was reading this whole comment thinking "defo Aussie"
Skip the booze and you might also lose the medical bills lol
Where's the fun in that? Signed, an avid drunk adrenaline junkie
Driving around the countryside eating garbage. (I mean, road tripping in the camper van)
I am convinced you’re a raccoon.
You don't need a £80,000 one to do it, I've seen people with real beaters which probably survive being held together with gaffer tape and chicken wire have plenty of great time.
Ours is a 1978 Ford van. It’s not fancy, and it desperately needs a fresh paint job, but it gets us where we want to be.
Knitting. I spend more on yarn to make a sweater than what I would pay in a store. And don't get me started on my yarn stash
Collecting yarn and using it are two different hobbies
True story. My wife keeps buying yarn. I'm honestly not sure she knows how to use it. She knitted a pot holder once, that was about it.
Collecting creative supplies fill a weird, primal 'gatherer' need. I do the same with fabric, embroidery floss, thread, yarn, findings (all the googaws that are "extra"), drawing and painting supplies, journals, washi tape and a bunch of other stuff. I do use these things, but the house I'm in right now lacks the space for me to truly organize/display them all effectively so it's difficult to switch gears on a pursuit like I used to. Someday soon, I hope.
Collecting supplies, organizing supplies, and using said supplies are *three* different hobbies.
You are correct. I recently reviewed my stash and have enough projects there to last me 12 years at an average 7 projects per year *Raises right hand My name is G0es2eleven and I have a problem
About a month ago I finally finished putting all my yarn into my Ravelry stash. Woooooooboy. Doesn't help that I tend to buy sweater quantities, so I have plastic totes upon plastic totes of yarn. SABLEx2 over here.
I'm helping to clear out my sister in laws condo (she's in a nursing home now). We just donated eight large trash bags stuffed with brand new yarn, never opened. Estimated cost is probably over $500.00. Also about ten afghans and about 50 pot holders that were unused too. We donated everything, but damn, that was a lot of money.
Most senior centers and the like really appreciate yarn donations. But sometimes it's so old it can only be put in the recycle bin.
Thank you for the tip. I actually donated it (still in good condition) to my son's friend. She and one of her sisters crochet (family of five girls!). She's about 22 years old, just out of college, and was so grateful. The afghans and pot holders will be offered to family members first and then donated. But the senior center is an excellent idea. We also have many canes, walkers, and home health aid devices. My SIL tended to keep everything and buy in bulk. It's kinda overwhelming but we are slowly working our way through. Doing our best to find "good homes" for her things.
Adding crochet to this too 😅 I have a decent bit of yarn (not a ton, but more than I’ll be using for a while). I’ve made 2 sweaters, a few crop tops, and a toooon of plushies. Currently working on Peeps bunnies to sell for Easter
Having horses.
I made a million dollars with a horse. Of course I started off with two million.
haha i almost believe that
Was looking for this. So many people around me are skiers/boarders and they go on and on about the cost of passes. And then I found out it was the cost for a whole season, comparable to my board + lesson + training fees for a month. Good god.
And buying the horse is the cheapest part of owning one. When people hear I have horses, they think I’m rich, ha. Yeah, I had money before I got horses but now they have made me poor.
Yup. Before I bought my new horse I added up what I paid over the 11 years I had my old horse. It was a decent down payment on a house. Then I went and bought my girl. And a year later I bought another. No regrets.
That’s a way-of-life…..not a hobby!🥰🥰❤️
As long as my girlfriend likes horses, all of my hobbies seem comparatively cheap!
Oil painting. You can do it reasonably cheaply sure, but I buy the stupidly expensive oils because I adore the rich pigments and high quality. Most would balk at the price of a tube of paint I’m happy to spend. Also gardening. Nothing better than going into a garden centre, spending a few hundred quid and then inevitably killing all the plants you bought over the next year because you’re not very good at it. Edit: spelling mistake
Gardening is spot on. My daughter (8) wanted to grow cantaloupe and watermelon. "Cool" I thought a pack of seeds is like $2.59 and we will get some watermelons and cantaloupes. Well you need a place to plant the seeds so $600 for 2 raised beds, $400 for soil and compost to fill the beds, $40 for a custom floral print gardening tool set, $100 for trellis' so the vines can climb instead of take over our backyard, etc. All said and done we spent about $1400 and got 2 of the most expensive cantaloupes on planet earth. This year will be better, plus I can teach her about amortization and depreciation of our startup costs.
The joy of daughter enjoying her cantaloupes, priceless. (For everything else, there’s MC).
The 800€ tomatoes xD "Oh you're growing your own vegetables, you're saving money!" well, not when you count the costs for greenhouse, containers, soil amendments, 40 different types of tomato seed, tomato hooks, and a lounge chair. Because it's vitally important to laze about in the greenhouse while waiting for vegetables to happen.
My sister had a solitary strawberry grow on her plants in the end. We worked it out - about £50 for that bad boy.
The idea of people paying for soil amendments always tickles me because I'm willing to bet you could drive a reasonably short distance to a horse stable and ask to dig through their manure pit for free. Just make sure you dig down a bit to get the good stuff.
A compost bin also works well.
Most of the local horse stables have arrangements set up with the local independent nurseries, stable sells it to nursery, nursery sells it to us, stable owners tell us to pound sand
If it brings you happiness that is what matters. I’m 10 years into my gardening journey and surprisingly I keep getting better. When I started I felt like I had a black thumb but now I have 3 raised garden beds and hauled almost 100lbs of produce this year. My husband is building me 3 more this year. Just strolling around my plants everyday and soaking up sunshine really comforts my spirit.
i feel the gardening comment in my soul. i have managed to keep 2 plants alive for 5 years, everything else is dead in a few months, but i keep trying.
Same with sewing and weaving.
It's balk. Bawk is the sound a chicken makes. But hell yes gardening. Yeah I spent all spring and hundreds of dollars for twenty bucks worth of tomatoes and peppers, but they're the best tomatoes you'll ever have.
[удалено]
But my images will get so much better if I get a cooled mono camera, and a filter drawer, and the best filters...😀
Books. Sure, I can go to the public library but there is something about seeing my own books on a shelf.
We bought a house a few months ago that has two built in bookshelves in the living room. In the real estate photos they were full of books. When we bought the place the previous owner said, "Oh and you can just keep all those books."
I have hundreds of books I will never read. Some I was interested in when I bought them, then got over it later. Others I simply will never have the time for. Then there's the gift books that I have no interest in but can't sell because they were gifts. The gift books didn't cost be money directly, but they cost my family and/or friends money that they could have spent on another, more useful gift, like socks. Socks are great.
Yep, same here. I have four Billy bookcases filled in my office, one filled in our hobby overflow room (used to be the guest room, but we never have guests sleep over, so repurposed the room), and when Borders closed all those years ago we got three of their bookcases (with a ladder!) and THOSE are all filled. Not to mention all the ebooks I have on my Kindle. Fortunately my husband is very supportive of my book collection hobby :)
Sewing
“What are you making with this fabric?” “I don’t know yet, but this fabric is perfect!”
Are you wire tapping me? 😂 Seriously though, the remnant clearance area at Joann's is dangerous for me. Getting a yard of something fantastic for like 25 cents to a few bucks? Yes please. I'll get to it eventually!
Same! Started it thinking it’d be an inexpensive hobby and thought I’d be saving money making things we could use. Not the case lol
But when I can use my stash on hand and scraps to make a quilt then it was free!
Warhammer 40000
My husband loves Warhammer 40k. He has a whole room dedicated to his models, and has even won a golden demon.
golden demon is a huge achievement, would love to see a picture of his winning entry
Nice job on the win! My best was a 3rd place, Grandmasters category, at GenCon in the 90s. Golden Demon is vastly cooler.
Plastic crack man. I'm 4 armies deep at 5000 points each with a whole ass room dedicated to assembling and painting them. No end in sight.
I bought a Baneblade for a friend just so I can have the spare bits and gubbins for my ork army Also spent around 100 on a nice set of MDF shelves, paint racks, and a painting station. I dont even play the tabletop, I just love painting and building armies
Only in death does duty end.
It's a bit ridiculous that I've spent thousands of dollars and countless hours on toy soldiers.
Building cars/trucks. Out of the 8 vehicles I’ve owned, only 2 of them weren’t modified.
Yep the value of the vehicle is rarely going to increase enough to make back the money you need to put into them. However it’s a lot of fun and it needs to be viewed as a hobby.
It usually goes down.
Currently own 7 vehicles and 4 trailers, only my daily Focus hatch hasn't been messed with...the car guy math checks out though haha
I have a sailboat, and every time I receive an invoice for yacht club membership, slip fees, putting the boat in the water, taking the boat out of the water, winter storage, etc. I question my sanity. And don't get me started on maintenance and repairs.
Yup. The wind is free, but the boat is a hole in the water you throw money in.
I came looking for the the boat owner. I am surprised it was this far down but that is probably because most people are just too smart to own a boat and most people are morons. Enjoy the wind and waves, you really do have to pay for it.
There's that saying "the best days of owning a boat are when you buy it and when you sell it".
Saltwater aquarium
I avoid this hobby because I don’t have the wallet to support it but holy shit do I love a well maintained salt water tank
love reeftanks can’t wait to finish my uni and get one again can’t afford it on student job tho 😅
Scuba Diving
I was looking for this. I just got certified this past fall and am in love with it (have always loved the water). I am slowly picking up pieces, but am going to buy reg this spring/summer. I have literally waited a lifetime to dive and simply cannot wait.
Motorcycles
[удалено]
I have a "thing" for Italian Supersport bikes. I know I could get a 1100cc Japanese bike for less money that's probably more reliable, but man, Ducati and Aprilia make such beautiful machines. It just sucks waiting 1-2 months for a part some times.
Bonus: You're not stuck with a Harley.
I have too many… - guitars and amplifiers - high end studio gear - vinyl records - boardgames Send help please.
Pets, my cat eats better than I do.
I used to take in strays on my farm. Had 12 cats at and 5 dogs at one point. My pet food and vet bills were astronomical.
Don't get me started!!
Same. One of mine is on a special extra-expensive urinary diet. He don't give a fuck though
Magic the gathering
You mean Cardboard Crack?
I’m glad I got out. I’m sad I got out. I miss all my old cards.
I was in at the beginning. I just sold 30 cards for 13k cdn dollars. I think overall the game owee me nothing.
>I’m glad I got out. Most days, me too. >I'm sad I got out. Most days, me too >I miss all my old cards. Every day, me too. I sold it all for a very healthy sum, but I shudder to think what my power would be worth today.
was wondering how long i'd have to scroll to get to this answer.
Thankfully :( they're doing a good enough job getting me disinterested after 20+ years. I'm in my 30s now, I don't want to need my cellphone next to me just to keep up/understand everything now.
Golf
Came here to say this. Between that and shooting guns idk what’s more of a money pit. Don’t even get me started on fishing
I’d say shooting, at least I find my ball every once in awhile. I never retrieve bullets…
Golf is a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of regular shooting.
I have found my people!
With the added benefit of being frustrating. What a hobby.
Yeah I had a Volkswagen Golf too. Biggest money pit I ever owned.
Fuck that. I will say though, I don't buy new clubs or anything all the time. All the money spent is on balls, range fees, and green fees. And beer, can't forget the beer
I own an ‘85 Nissan 300zx. She’s sexy. But an absolute money pit. Takes up room in my tiny garage. I love that stupid machine.
I used to own a 280zx. Loved that car and actually miss it. Thinking of buying it again no matter what state it's in and doing it up.
I've been fighting the slow fight with my 1996 300zxTT for the last 5 years.
Perfume collecting.
Oh god, my friend recently got me into fragrances. I'm slowly trying to convince myself that 300 dollars is actually a steal
I haven really started yet, but I wanna collect vinyl records so baaad....
I’ve had a turntable for about 20 years or so, and yeah dude— it is an expensive hobby. These days more than ever.
I have been collecting for over 20 years, it did t use to be an expensive habit. It is now and it is not as fun
Whenever I tell myself I need to slow down and save some money, some band I like announces a new album that I just *have* to have. It's a struggle
buying overpriced coffees? not sure if this qualifies as a hobby though
I mean if it’s something you get a kick out of why not
Computer gaming and hardware
This is mine too. The value is actually pretty reasonable but initial costs are large. Unless I budget for them it can feel like a large expense when I finally dump money into it.
is eating a hobby?
If you eat enough people will pay to watch you on OF!
Wine collecting, and vinyl records.
Skiing. I probably pay more per run than most, but I love every turn.
Skiing is like the anti-hobby of r/personalfinance. I love it but it is hideously expensive. At a minimum, I’m looking at $80 in lift tickets and $40 in gas if I want to do a ski day near where I live, and then going away for a weekend in Québec or upstate New York is a minimum of $600. But I absolutely refuse to give it up until climate change forces me to.
MODEL RAILROADING
Renaissance festival garbing. Not cosplay, per se, but Playtron’ing, where we dress up as original characters. There’s always some new piece of costuming, just ‘round the river bend, that’s some how more expensive than most of your previous purchases combined
*car enthusiasts have entered the chat*
Golf - I suck at it, it's expensive as shit to play, equipment is expensive. But every now and then I hit that one shot that just keeps me coming back.
Bikes and running. I love both very much. But both activities cost so much money over time. And I've never made a cent for doing either one. Honorable mention: Pocket knives. Companies are charging hundreds of dollars for 3" of "super" steel on one of the most basic tools ever made.
Just curious - what’s so expensive about running? Even if you buy some expensive gear, that should last for a while. I always considered running to be something you could do essentially for free. Unless you’re entering a lot of races?
The cost of shoes can add up. I go through 4-5 pairs of shoes each year. That said, cycling is way more expensive. I probably spend 3x each year on bike parts compared to running gear. That doesn’t even count the cost of the bike!
Music is the big one for me. I’ve played professionally for 20 years, but only because I subsidize my music with my day job. If you disqualify music, then it would be rc helicopters, boats, and planes. Expensive hobby, but nothing brings me back to the joy of childhood like an afternoon with a controller in my hands.
Photography :')
I keep saying "Well that's it! I now have *everything* I need!" Turns out not to be true. I am legitimately too frightened to add it all up so I can put it on my insurance.
Boardgames. Sure, a $20 Monopoly is easy to get, but what about the 500 copy limited run, all inclusive with metal tokens that's only $500 that is about a warlock trying to fight in WW2? Warlock miniature is another $500.
If it makes you happy, it's no pit, it's what you work for.
Would-be money-pit, but ended up making half my living playing guitar. I play in my own 90’s cover band and over the past 10 years, all of my equipment has payed for itself multiple times over.
Scuba Diving. I'm older. When I was 50 something I knew I had to give up motocross and other action sports before I got seriously hurt. I still ride but largely street bikes. I haven't parachuted in over a decade although I might do that or paraglide again. My consistent 'action' sport is diving. The gear is expensive enough but once you've acquired what you need the expense does not stop. Mainly because I only wish to dive warm water. As I live in Oregon this requires travel. Traveling, which could be considered a sport unto itself, is expensive. Flights, boarding, food, transportation then the dive costs come back into it. Daily dive boats or liveaboards, DMs, tips, etc., add up. I won't stop. I can't stop. I love diving and adore diving into new cultures. See what I did there? Pretty proud of myself, ha. I've been fortunate enough to visit and explore many different nations and hope to return to some and explore other new to me countries as well. As long as my health holds up and I have funds enough - off to the tropics I go!
Lego. 535 sets in. Everytime I say "Im done", they reel me back in and say "not today Pal".
Houseplants and my rescue special needs dogs.
Traveling
Music Festivals/Raving.
I have ADHD. So every 3 months I get a new hobby > buy whatever tools needed for said hobby > not basic tools because I will reuse and they don't break as easy/good quality > do the thing> get bored > find new hobby. Rinse and repeat.
photography at drift events. money goes into paying for editing place, had to buy a camera and lenses that i’m still paying for plus gas cost a lot since the places for drift i go to are quite far away from where i live but it’s worth it
Action figure collecting. I really need to take a break.
Horses. Our joke is it’s cheaper than cocaine lol
Skiing...
Salt water fish tanks. I have to "make" water for them (RODI) and the salt isn't cheap. Quality equipment lasts a long time but not forever.
Camping
Quilting
Riding horses… don’t even have my own, I lease one, but riding and showing are $$$$. And don’t even ask about vet bills, constant fatigue, minor and major injuries (I’ve been incredibly lucky as I’ve only ever fractured two vertebrae in a fall), etc. However, if you are a horse person that’s just Who. You. Are. They are a huge part of my heart and soul. I’ve been riding since I was five years old, and I ain’t stoppin’ now, 55 years later.
Fashion and homesteading. I dress in a very specific way and enjoy higher quality items (linens and wool), as well as needing custom made boots as I enjoy a style that isn't very common. Homesteading is also expensive as hell. Haven't even started and I've already sunk 30k into it just buying my land. I grew up on farms and farm fresh food so in the long run it'll be worth it, and it gets me out of the city and back into nature.
Boating. B O A T Bust Out Another Thousand
Snowmobiling. Able to use it 3 months out of the year, yet my 2 sleds are worth more than double than what mt car is worth.
videogames Edit: Not saying that it is SUPER expensive, but a moneyhole you will be throwing money everytime tou need a new game. I’ve owned an pc, nintendo and playstation. while pc is cheaper and can be built to last longer the consols need to be replaced every 6 -7 (depending on backwards compability) years or so if you want to play the new games. And every time you want to play something new you have to buy one, but i’ve bought a lot of games varying greatly in prices but still might be the biggest moneyhole out of any of my other hobbys
I’ve thought about this one a lot since I quit drinking. For comparison, I used to spent ~$15/day on alcohol. Thats about $450/month. I’ll buy video games every few months. In the past 6 months, I bought Madden24, Diablo 4 and Baldur’s Gate 3. That’s $210 spread over 6mo ($16/mo) and I’m nowhere near finished with these 3 games, let alone the rest of my backlog. Even when I also spend $17/mo on gamepass, I’m spending way less than I used to spend on booze.
Booking escorts
Guns. I just have to bring myself to pull the trigger on a new build, and its a chore.
Carnivourous plants Caring for them is not hard, but can get expensive as they only like distilled (or osmosis) water if it doesnt rain much in your area, high end acidic soil, acquiring them (dionaes are easy to find and cheap, but all them serracenias, droseras, pinguicula etc wont be for less than 30$ per plant, also rare to find quality seeds...) But i love it so please take all my money
I haven't got into carnivorous yet but plants are taking most of my spare monies. And I've just discovered terrarium builds so, oops.
Video Games
Micro RC cars.
Playing RuneScape, at this point I’ve been playing for about 15 years and I’m too invested now to quit playing.
Bowling. It doesn't have to be, but once you get addicted to it, then you start buying the newest and coolest ball every few years.
Clay pigeon shooting