Expensive Hobbies - How You Decide?

[Patrick Irish]

I was at Rockler today, buying their on sale shelf pin jig and centering bit and then drooled over the massive Jet bandsaws, EZ Track Saw, and Incra Master R Lift. It got me thinking how expensive my hobbies are at the ripe age of 33. I just send funds for a ($2,000 :eek:) for a CZ Tactical Sport 40cal competition package. It's used but a deal. I thought to myself, "I better use that gun cuz that's a bandsaw and festool tracksaw right there." I'll decide once I get it if I'll use it enough. Love to have a sawstop or tracksaw system. My bosch 4100 is too small.

What are your pricey hobbies?

[Erik Loza]

Working on cars. I have my wife convinced that money spent on tools does not count the way money spent on parts does. "Well, I needed a bigger impact gun in order to pull the axle nuts. That way, we don't have to pay the shop to do it. See, I saved us all this money..."

If you want to spend A LOT of money in a hurry in the area of woodworking machinery, just buy a shaper. Then, you realize you need a power feeder, an aftermarket fence, and THEN comes the tooling.

Erik

[Justin Ludwig]

Disc golf. I've spent about $1000 over the past 20 years. :D

[julian abram]

I was at Rockler today, buying their on sale shelf pin jig and centering bit and then drooled over the massive Jet bandsaws, EZ Track Saw, and Incra Master R Lift. It got me thinking how expensive my hobbies are at the ripe age of 33. I just send funds for a ($2,000 :eek:) for a CZ Tactical Sport 40cal competition package. It's used but a hell of a deal. I thought to myself, "damn, I better use that gun cuz that's a bandsaw and festool tracksaw right there." I'll decide once I get it if I'll use it enough. Love to have a sawstop or tracksaw system. My bosch 4100 is too small.

What are your pricey hobbies?

I do understand your dilemma, it's a life long balancing act trying to decide how to allocate your resources among hobbies. I'm nearly twice your age and have accumulated a fair size collection of guns. I get to thinking, "ok these guns are just mostly sleeping in the safe, I should sell some and buy better quality wood working tools that I will use and enjoy". Then a week latter I'll see a gun deal I can't resist, suddenly there is a new one sleeping in the safe. Decisions, decisions.
By the way, I thought CZ stopped making the Tactical Sport, you must have got a deal on a pre owned. Nice guns, I have a CZ 85B in 9 with a 22 slide. It's a fun shooter!

[Shawn Pixley]

What are your pricey hobbies?

Guitars, travel and books. They all can be pricey. I don't spend much on guitars anymore. I need to sell one to buy one.

[David Falkner]

It got me thinking how expensive my hobbies are at the ripe age of 33. What are your pricey hobbies?

I'm several years less than twice your age and we've spent about $6k to $7k on tools and shop upgrades over the last two years but we have a goal - I am in the process of making fixtures and tooling up for building acoustic guitars, something I've wanted to do for over 30 years. Fortunately, God has been great to us as a couple and financially, so we have the money to finance this (especially as frugal, er, cheap/tight as I am).

Now, I said all that to tell you this: I'm in Technology Sales and called on a new mud park not far from here, Muddy Bottoms near Springhill, LA. As I stood in the entrance talking to the manager I saw more $50k and up trucks with $10k toy haulers and ATV's in the tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes two ATV's on a toy hauler. The manager was laughing telling me, 'There's $150k, there's $125k, that rig is over $150k and none of those have sponsors!' I couldn't believe the amount of money being spent to go play in the mud. So I took a picture and sent it to my wife with the note - 'I'm glad we're just building guitars - woodworking is an inexpensive hobby!'

[Wade Lippman]

Ever put a kid though college? Who needs expensive hobbies.

[Rich Riddle]

Woodworking proves profitable for me since the money spent on tools never holds a candle to the cost of hiring someone to accomplish the same tasks. It does seem expensive when purchasing tools to say the least. Many other hobbies cost more with little benefit including things like cars, photography, travel, boats, recreational vehicles, etc.

[Phil Mueller]

When we had two in college, every semester I'd think there goes a handful of guns, fly rods, and woodworking tools. But hey, I'm happy to do it. After all, isn't hand planning for hours more enjoyable than a few passes through a joiner? :)

[Jim Matthews]

Everybody starts with the hardware.

It's the "New Yankee Workshop" trap.
I chatted with Norm once, briefly.

He didn't have nice tools until the sponsors
started giving them to him as 'props'.

You don't need lots of expensive tools.
You need training in the use of what you already have.

Put your credit card away until you take an introductory course.

[Anthony Whitesell]

When I first purchased my house, I looked at the big empty basement and said "Wow! Look at all the space for tools." Instead of running out and spending all my money on tools then not having any money for a tool when I need it. I decided not to buy any tools until I need them (or happen upon a really smoking hot deal...MicroSoft Bing Cashback helped with the bandsaw and jointer). I have the cash to buy (most) any tool if I need it. "Oh no, I don't have a 22mm socket to work on my car...off to Sears to get one." I do use or learn to use what tools I have to get a job done. But sometimes there is no substitute. When the bolt requires a 22mm socket, no other will do. When trying to make Lincoln logs, a convex bit is needed; no other will do.

I used to race karts competitively. That's expensive. Now I'm into woodworking, so much so I purchased a used sawmill. Woodworking is expensive. The next plan is to upgrade my tablesaw. I hate to get rid of my '52 Craftsman (I LOVE old iron) but it is a 9" saw with no blade guard (which would probably one of those in the way useless ones anyhow). But I figure the SawStop saw is cheaper than the doctor's bills. I just wish I could right it off as an insurance expense under preventative care.

[Jason Roehl]

Well, lemme see...in rough order of expense (most to least):

Work,
Cycling,
Homebrewing/beer drinking,
Grilling/smoking

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I think we tend to moderate our hobby expenditures as we get older. I used to drag race, hunt, shoot, found the fun of photography, as well as woodwork. The most expensive though was a fixer upper house. Due to an unexpected career change and relocation though, some priorities were analyzed. I suspect most of us have some mid life trigger where we decide enough has been spent on hobbies, at least for a while.

[roger wiegand]

How do you decide? Seems mostly by getting sucked in bit by bit. For me, what started with fascination with antique wind-up phonographs led to player pianos, then on to ever more complicated mechanical music machines (including a violin-playing machine), leading eventually to this http://www.carouselorgan.com. Utter insanity--but fun.

[Art Mann]

I've had quite the opposite experience of Steve. While I was working, I didn't have enough time to pursue woodworking so I couldn't justify buying new equipment. Now that I am retired, i have a lot more time and I am in the process of replacing most of my tools with upgrades. I am starting to sell some stuff and that will help pay for it.:)

[John Sanford]

Most hobbies can be cheap, a few, not really.

Any hobby that is heavily dependent on consumables can get expensive quick. The best example of this is shooting.

Any hobby that is heavily dependent on high capital costs is also going to get expensive quick. Yachting and flying are the best examples. Flying also has high consumables. Happy happy joy joy.

But, pretty much any hobby can be expensive. Take running as an example. Seriously, how can running be expensive? $100 a month or more for shoes. Travel to a bunch of different events. Electronic gadgets. etc, etc. It can add up.

It certainly would be less expensive though to have only one....

[Bruce Page]

It used to be motorcycles for me. I had 4 dirt bikes and 1 street bike in the garage at one time. You can spend a boat load of money on MC paraphernalia.
The kids grew up and I sold the remaining MC's when the shop took over the garage.

[Brett Luna]

I sure can relate to this thread. Where I spend usually just depends on where my focus is at the time, or upon needs at the time, or if an irresistible deal pops up.



Woodworking (of course) — this has the most focus these days. I'm itching to pull the trigger on the Benchcrafted kit but the new roof comes first.
Firearms, shooting and handloading — a Kimber Ultra Crimson Carry II recently followed me home (It did, I swear!)
Fly fishing & fly tying — I was pretty much set in this area until I recently got the itch for a 3-wt rod and reel. I'm still eyeballing one...
Charcuterie — I'm also pretty well set with the shiny, stainless steel gadgets I need...unless I decide to go bigger. As nice as it is, an upgrade for my 5-lb stuffer would be nice. But then, I would need a higher capacity meat mixer, too.
...and too much more hanging in the background like photography, cooking, etc.


Any more, the wife just shakes her head.

[Brian Brown]

What are your pricey hobbies?

My Wife! :eek::eek::eek::D

[Brian Kent]

I take comfort in the thought that everything I have for woodworking is cheaper than one bass boat.

[Howard Garner]

Mine is Model Railroading. When you have to fill a full basement, it does add up. Plus not one, but two lasers to make parts.
But then I have been at it as a serious modeler since 1964.

[Jim Becker]

Horses. (say no more) Plus woodworking, photography, cooking... ching...ching... :eek:

[Peter Kelly]

Snowboarding. Gear, clothing, airfare, accommodation, lift passes, all adds up pretty quickly. Makes woodworking seem reasonable.

Nothing I'd rather be doing though.

311110

[Bert Kemp]

Laser engraving,$$$ Motorcycling just bought another one $$$$$$:) Gun collecting$$$, Photography$$, Fly fishing $$ Gran Kids $$$$$$$$$ LOL not really that bad.

[Michael Weber]

Currently, though I typically try and keep the rubber side down. No idea why it's inverted.

[Gary Yoder]

I had too many hobbies to count until this picture really sank in to my brain.
311143
Now, I don't have many hobbies but I sure enjoy life more now!

[Belinda Barfield]

I had hobbies once . . . before my better half decided he needed hobbies. So now I just follow his hobbies, gun and ammo collecting, and truck collecting. Shooting together isn't cheap. LOL Probably my most expensive hobby as far as supplies is making jewelry. Crochet, cross stitch and embroidery are pretty cheap. Kindle has made reading cheaper now that I don't buy hardcovers.

[julian abram]

That's a big Amen! Hard to top horses or boats for big money drainers!

[John Sanford]

Don't forget the distinction between pure hobbies, and hybrids.

Any collecting hobby is, by definition, a pure hobby. It has no real value other than the enjoyment. Athletic and craft hobbies, on the other hand, have additional tangible benefits. Health in the case of the athletics, "product" in the case of the craft hobbies. Be it clothes, quilts, furniture, jewelry, food, etc, many things can be made with a net cost lower than purchasing them, or in the case of food, you gotta eat anyway.

Then there are the other hybrids. For me, back in the day, bicycling was a hobby of mine. It also meant that for 10 years our family was able to get by with only one car. While I spent a fair amount of money on riding, I'm pretty sure that the total cost of all the bikes, parts, riding gear, etc, was less than the cost of a car for 3 years would have been.

Motorcycling is similar for me, although the cost savings isn't nearly as great, nor are the health benefits. Still, when my son's car (a '96 Chevy Lumina with 220k+ on it) decided to die (it may be the true death) last week, I just told him to use my truck, as I can use my m/c until late next fall. Last year, when I was commuting 50 miles a day, it was costing me $100 a week in gas for my truck, or $25 a week for my motorcycle. Of course, on the flip side, I don't have to spend $100-$450 every 3-5 years for a truck helmet. Or truck gloves, or truck boots, or truck pants and jacket.

Guns/shooting can be similar, except of course its more of an insurance thing. All the money sunk into shooting is lost, until an encounter with a goblin happens. Hunting and fishing, of course, have the potential of food, but if one really wants food from their hobby, it seems as though gardening is a more productive pursuit in most areas. (Note: if you live somewhere that has open season on wild pigs, or you can fish out the back door, the equation can shift some.)

So, my hobbies:


Woodworking (duh, else why would I be here?)
Motorcycling
Model Railroading (dormant at the moment)



Each is expensive in their own way. Woodworking has consumed a lot of money in the last year, but I expect that to be tapering of significantly as I've got almost all the tools I want, and have a stash of lumber sufficient to keep me occupied for a year or two.

[Moses Yoder]

My most expensive hobby so far is living. I have gotten into fly tying, much fun, very expensive, woodworking hand tools, very expensive, very tedious to listen to people say your don't have the best tool and you need X for a million dollars, and gas pressure appliances such as lanterns, the biggest bang for the buck with the best group of people. The best thing to do is to budget an amount out of each pay; you never need to feel guilty about your expenditures. I have had an immense amount of fun and education out of all of my hobbies; I learned about both myself and my environment.

[Tom M King]

We have a horse farm on a lake, but it really doesn't cost us that much to keep the horses. We don't show the horses since our Daughter is grown and gone, but we used to have a USPC here. Now they mostly get ridden here, and not so much expense, but keeping the place up and trails and rings maintained takes mostly time and diesel fuel. Racing sailboats, and golf are my main hobbies. I probably break about even on golf. Sailboats are mostly small high performance dinghies and cats, but we sail other peoples' big boats. I actually made money racing on the Prosail circuit, but that was twenty years ago. We haven't put much money in the boats in years, and mostly sail here now too, unless I'm sailing someone else's boat, or delivering one once in a while up and down the East coast.

My Wife's hobby is dogs, and she makes a little profit on those, so I can't really say that our hobbies are very expensive any more, but it took years to build the base.

[Larry Edgerton]

That's a big Amen! Hard to top horses or boats for big money drainers!

I have had horses and boats, but this has them beat by a mile. A mile of ten dollar bills...

http://www.edgertonmotorsports.com/?from_fb=1#!

I am no longer a part of this, I finally came to my senses just before Jerry picked up Monster. Now it pays for itself, but for the twenty years before that, not so much.....

[Myk Rian]

For any of my hobbies, I peruse Eb*y and CL to get started. Then I get picky what I will buy to support it. Some hobbies have cost me $1000s. Some, not so much.
I'll join forums to get the best info on what to buy.

[Jim Andrew]

I feel better about my hobby now. Have justified it the last few years by driving an old Ranger pickup instead of a new truck, and the only MC I have is an old trail 110, that I'm planning to upgrade to a Lifan 125. Already have the engine, need to collect the adapter and some other changeover parts. And I have a few guns, but haven't bought anything new in years. The best thing is I have a farm with a creek through it, so there is no limitation on wood, only species. I have a few oak, plenty of walnut, red elm, hackberry and ash, although the borers are bad in the latter, need to figure some way of killing them, except a kiln is a project I'm not getting closer to building. Too much fence to build and repair. Old farm buildings needing repair, planting and such to do. Working the cows and calves soon, and getting them to grass as well. Summer keeps me going.

[John Lifer]

I'm getting up in age a bit, best financial shape we've been in since I've been working. Only owe mortgage of $65k on my $140K house with ZERO other debts. Late 50s, not enough saved, but working on it. I've spent a good bit on my WW hobby, it has probably paid for itself over time. Have spent on books when there were no electronic means. Spent on computers, other things. Lately spending on handguns. Have several, most recently Rock Island 1911s in 22TCM. Great fun to shoot. Now I want a range rather than pay for range time. So, there is more money spent! Go to www.22TCM.net to see more if you are a gun enthusiast.
I'm going to go looking for land again......:0

[Jim Matthews]

Did you make it to Jay Peak this year?
Nothing like a snowboard, through the trees.

I've got two kids, and two bad knees now.
You suck.

[Jim Matthews]

You should take that one back to the factory.

Your convertible is missing a couple doors.