Everyone has free time, and everyone has to find a way to fill it. The possibilities are endless — reading books, playing video games, watching TV, listening to music, traveling to new places, playing sports, taking photographs, going to the movies, learning useless trivia, etc. Hobbies are great. They keep us from (potentially) dying of boredom when there’s seemingly nothing else to do. However, hobbies do have one major downfall. They can get really expensive.
Blogging was one of my hobbies long before I started this particular blog. I first started blogging in college. It was something fun to do when I didn’t feel like studying or doing homework.
The danger with hobbies is that the more you enjoy them, the more money you tend to spend on them. Whether it’s paying to host your own blog, buying more books, or getting a better digital camera, there’s a direct correlation between how much a hobby costs and how much you’re into it.
That explains why I own a different pair of shoes for every sport that I play, and some sports equipment that I’ve only used a handful of times. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re having fun. Fortunately, a lot of the equipment will last a long time, so I’m set for years to come.
Unfortunately, I recently rediscovered one of my favorite hobbies — music, and it’s not looking good for my wallet. I’m not talking about listening to music, but actually making it. Throw in a roommate who plays guitar, and it’s just trouble waiting to happen. We have everything we need…except a drum set. Music is quickly becoming my most expensive hobby.
What’s your most expensive hobby?
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This post kind of made me sad at first. It made me feel like I don’t have a hobby because I couldn’t think of any expenses. But then I realized I just do a lot of cheap things. Blogging is a big hobby, but it pays for itself. Running is a hobby, but that sets me back $100 a year for shoes. Going to the dog park costs me gas, the same goes for visiting open houses on Sunday.
So most of my hobbies either pay for themselves or are free! So now I’m just proud of myself. Now once I have some more disposable income, this will of course change. Track racing cars will then be my hobby.
I would say that my most expensive hobby is bicycling. I have bought a lot of tools and supplies to keep safe and comfortable while riding.
Thanks,
Nate
I’m a bit limited in the hobby department right now, but I can think of one that I would like to do that would cost some serious cash: photography.
College.
I am with Nate, cycling! I have my road bike and my mountain bike, then all the upgrades, and I have spare parts around. Then you need jerseys, shoes, shorts, helmets, gloves…. the list goes on and on.
Everytime I have a flat on the road a new tube is about 4 bucks and 2.50 for CO2! Then buying tires and sealant, then taking it to the shop for repairs.
I spend way too much on it and may buy a new bike soon.
I’m just getting into triathlons, which can eat up money like mad. Trying to buy only things I need, not things that are cool. I also love training with a personal trainer, which I’ve been spending the majority of my fun money on.
I love to read, but I have traded in enough used books at the local bookstore that I can feed that fix without spending much. I also am often given gift cards for bookstores.
I would love to get into photography, but I don’t have the cash for that right now.
I’m learning how to sew, and depending on what I’m working on, that can be pricey … but everything I’ve made is functional.
I’d love to dance more. Again, too much money.
Actually, I’m pretty good about being fairly frugal. I can think of many hobbies I’d like to pursue or pursue further but don’t have the cash flow for.
Reading and book shopping. I love to read, so that is one of the reasons why I buy books. But I also love book shopping in general; especially used books, and even though they are cheaper, I can easily still drop 40 dollars per trip to a used bookstore. I’ve also had to buy a new bookshelf recently. I don’t even have time to read the books I own though which sucks. One day.. I also really like to cook; so sometimes I might spend money on a special ingredient that I will only use the one time that will end up going to waste.
Skiing. We make it a financial priority because I just can’t imagine not enjoying those amazing Colorado mountains! Thanks for asking and good luck with your music!
Sailing for me. However I am starting to be paid for it so the expense will hopefully drop. Well one can hope.
New hobby: Snowboarding. Total investment; $900 for equipment and the cash it takes to actually go boarding. But its worth it. It scares me going so fast and I get a rush. Plus, next year I won’t need all new equipment, so hopefully it won’t cost more that $400 (I might go to Montana).
Old Hobby: Clarinet. Total investment; 12 years and thousands of dollars. This is my best investment. Music is fabulous! I think you could do music without drums, especially if you have an acoustic guitar.
Desired hobby: Photography. I have a friend that already does it and I already have a semi-nice digital. So now I just need the time and learn how to do some awesome editing!
In between I do too much computering, shopping and mostly TV-ing (word?).
My advice to myself and others; get rid of cable.
Cycling. Definitely.
But again, the equipment will last if you buy good stuff and take care of it. My $2500 mt bike is still doing great 10 years later (and the suspension design is still being used to, its not even behind the times). But its the new stuff… recently spent ~$10k on a Quest velomobile (www.velomobiel.nl). And another $2k on a cargo bike (RANS Street with an Xtracycle attachment). But, the combo of those two provide my daily transportation, commuting, errand running (I still have a car, just trying to go car-lite), weekend recreation, and racing. I’m pleased with my purchases.
i don’t really have one that costs me a lot myself, although i DID just sit on a motorcycle for the first time in a while…and i must say, the thought of cruising along on it w/ my father (who does have one) and my brother (who’s about to get one) can very easily eat up some money! i really want that damn thing now…
I don’t know if I have one specific, most are usually one time costs, for example PS3 and computer. Books tend to add up for I used to spend a lot on gym membership and boxing classes, and supplements. My health gets quite expensive, ha.
Knitting has the potential to be my most expensive hobby. It seems frugal: “make your own! do it yourself! save some cash!” But thanks to the cost of yarn (especially luxury yarn), a simple sweater can cost upwards of $60, and you’ve got to put a ton of time into it.
I’ve found ways to make money from my knitting to keep costs down, but there’s still a huge time investment that means my hourly wage is ridiculously low, when I do make money. But it gives me something to do with my hands while I watch TV.
I got you trumped. I make little movies
spent about $110 dollars on the last short and that was me being cheap. And that’s not counting what I paid in the past to get the equipment I used. It’s the experience though, if you love your hobby enough then the money doesn’t hurt so bad as it flutters away from you.
Photography hands down. I bought my Film SLR camera really cheaply on ebay but it was still several hundred dollars. Add in different lenses and tripods and you’re basically financially screwed. I love to develop my own photographs so that sets me back in darkroom supplies (chemicals), papers and actual film. I’ve recently gotten into lomography (wiki it) which is much much cheaper. Cameras are as cheap as $40 but they don’t last very long
I wish I only had 1 expensive hobby. I’d be in much better shape financially.
I ride a motorcycle, play guitar (electric and acoustic), am an amateur photographer, am into web design, graphic design, computer gaming, paintball, mountain and road biking, working out, and I read too many books. Oh and I love to cook fancy new things…
I’m sure there are more… No wonder my bank account is so low…
Homebrewing Beer is my most expensive hobby. Start up costs = $200 or so just to get started, then when you hone your mash skills you graduate from using sugar malt extract to actually soaking wheat and/or barley grains in your own mash tub ($500) along with all the new service equipment needed to go along with it.
Bright side is that the usual average beer price falls to $0.33 per bottle!
Mike
Twitter: MPJoyceii
Golf is probably my most expensive hobby in terms of money. In terms of time, it’s probably blogging.
DVDs! I have over 400 DVDs. Some were $5, some were $50+ (I buy tv series I really like, too). Only two of the sets I own were over $100. But, as a screenwriter, I do look at this as an investment in my future. I do watch these shows, so they’re being used. I also just bought a Blu-ray DVD player, which was cool, but it was another price tag to add to this collection. It’s by far the biggest thing I spend money on!
The trick with hobbies is to find cheaper ways of doing them. My hobbies include movies, music, and books. By going to the library for most of these I save quite a bit. I also subscribe to Netflix, which is quite a bargain for the amount of movies I watch.
As a music major, buying music, sheet and cds, can put a damper on other spending, but I see it as an investment into my future. (Depending on the CD of course) I also enjoy composing, which is usually free, except for the purchase of software, which can be quite expensive.
Another one of my hobbies is video games. Video games can be expensive, but I have started a new policy that I can’t buy a new game, until I finish the one I’m currently working on. Which is great because it usually takes me a while to get through games.
My name pretty much says what my hobby is. Before anyone googles it, yes keeping Poison Dart Frogs is legal (only in certain places though) and it is a very expensive hobby.
The goal of my hobby is to create a vivarium, which is a natural terrarium that generally houses a reptile or amphibian, that will mimic a dart frogs natural habitat. A vivarium can run from a minimum of $50 for a 10g vivarium to $5,000+ for a 75g vivarium. Once you get into this hobby you keep making more and more vivariums which spends a lot of money. After you achieve in making the vivarium you have to get the frogs! As they are exotic animals, they cost a lot and their prices fluctuate regularly according to fads among fellow “froggers”. Once you get the frogs you have to quarantine (make sure they aren’t sick etc.) the frogs and maintain their perfect health, to make sure they aren’t sick you have to get a $12 fecal test. A medicine kit for a dart frog can be as little as $25 or $75+ for a good one. Then if you work in the energy bill for the upkeep of a lit and heated vivarium, you have even more money to spend!
The second, and most important goal of keeping a dart frog is breeding them, which continues the hobby and makes sure that species has a life line from extinction. This hobby is extremely expensive and the good thing is, after time your little frogs start paying you back. Their baby’s can sometimes fetch more then the parents, especially if you didn’t breed among family.
Manga and anime, easily. (That’s Japanese style comic books and animated movies, respectively). I spend much, much more than I really should on both (although I’ve been cutting back tremendously lately, which should hopefully help my bottom line.) Still, when each manga can cost ten dollars and the movies can be even more expensive, it adds up quickly.
It’s either the internet or my boyfriend (we’re in a long distance and travel to see each other on weekends.) I’ve got a deal to reduce my internet payments by 2/3 that I’m going to take up once I move at the end of next month, and the boyfriend is moving in this summer, so that will help. They’ll still be my most expensive hobbies though because, as far as I can tell, I don’t have any others. Boy, that’s depressing.
Coffee shops and grocery stores. ha. I don’t really spend all that much on clothes, shoes, gadgets, even music/movies, but I buy coffee almost every day during the work week and I go to the grocery store about once a week. It adds up. Putting it that way, though – the fact that I buy coffee every day, and often more than once in a day – it’s not hard to see what I can do to fix it.
Oh God. No wonder I’m so broke. I have hobbies of collecting hobbies!
From crafts (all those decorative paper, yarn, knitting needles, scrapbooking supplies, pretty fabrics, etc etc… even linoleum!), reading (easily cost so much money especially the imported ones because I love reading them in their English/non-translated version), journaling (gorgeous good-quality journals equal expensive… and, fountain pens anyone?), watching movies (too many DVDs, so little time) and tv series (I watch, like, a dozen), collecting stationaries (sure, one cute notebook seems little enough… try a closet of them), going out (need I say more?), late night snacking (yes, it’s a hobby), photography (self-explainatory), music (mp3s and earphones and missing ear buds), forgetting and losing stuff (it’s a habit that it’s a ‘hobby’… you keep buying new ones ’cause you keep losing it), girly stuff (because a girl can’t have too many lip gloss or shoes or pampering oneself too much), and too often I get too creative by saying “BAH! I can make THAT myself.”, ends up spending more than the mass-produced version.
The person who found the quote “Follow your bliss.” must be SO broke.
The only hobby i ever had was riding and showing horses, which until i was in high school i had no idea how much it cost. between the cost of the horse, upkeeping it, boarding fees, show fees, and show tack and clothes its crazy. Unfortuanlty when i got out on my own i can yet afford a horse
so im looking for a less expensive hobby- i just dont know what interests me since i did the horse thing for years.
When it comes to hobbies, I find the need to fulfill each one and keep myself up to date or in touch. I may be one of the worst. 1) Dance. Going back to dance and buying a membership with a punchcard for 10 lessons. 2) Video games. I love video games and especially imported ones. Not only do I play them at home, but I’ll go to the arcade as well, here and there. 3) DVDs, Software and Music equipment. Buying synthesizers and mixers, CDs and sheet music. I’ve found cheaper ways though to do the latter. 4) Eating out and going out to buy “snackage”. Food is food. In once out the other. 5) Fashion, Sneaker Freaker and Online Shopping. This is my worst and most recent.. but I haven’t really bought myself any clothes for the past year. Most of my stuff I’ll keep wearing by mixing and matching stuff. No over plaid out logos or R&R/Religion clothes to really disintegrate my wallet.
Classic car restoration is my hobby. It’s obscenely expensive, with long delays between purchases…fun, but frustrating.
Longboard skateboarding. In comparison to others its not that expensive. 250 for a complete longboard, basic helmet 40 dollars, knee pads and elbow pads and gloves = 80 dollars. Those are just basics, you can get carbon boards and machined trucks that like up t 500 dollars each, custom leathers for 1000 dollars, aero helmets for 300, traveling to races, entry fees, medical insurance. However if you crash and get hurt without medical insurance, youll be spending a lot more than you ever did on any equipment. Paragliding…now that is a rich mans sport.
Definitely Gaming, I have spent somewhere from $3,000 to $4,000 on computer gaming supplies alone. Since those purchases, I have been saving up for my dream computer….I don’t even want to mention how expensive that is going to be
Rebuilding machines, yep I do it for fun. Any kind of machine makes me happy but buying the parts is a different story. For the parts I can’t buy I have to cast out of metal my self and then machine. I would say somewere between the $1600 lathe to the $2000 mill and with all the casting equiptment I built, and bought supples for. I would say I have around $10,000 (cheap for alot of machining enthusiasts) just to start invested in all that I have not including the ongoing purchase of parts and materials. Exotic materials needed in alot of applications can be tedious to find and expensive to make or buy. Just one miserable milling bit for the mill can sometimes hit $50+ unless I buy ones that don’t last long.
My runner up is my computers and electronics, building electronics is rather expensive. Computers just have a never ending expense because the parts are always out of date and legal software sometimes cost more then the whole dang computer.
Any hobby that leads to another hobby can cost you more than you hoped. Miniature indoor gardens… umm yeah I actually thought it wouldn’t cost too much. Add the cost of terrariums, plants, soil, lighting, miniature furniture and decorations. Then finding out that there is a whole market for miniatures. Look it up. Hobbyists for miniature trains, dollhouses and bonsai. I started with a mini forest and now I’ve been looking at how to make the miniature things I need to make (more money) my mini forest look realistic and 1/2 scale. Oh, and I also bought a camera to visually document my progress. I must be crazy, but I am enoying myself immensely.
I recently got into Asian ball jointed dolls. Some people think they’re creepy, but I happen to think they’re rather cute! Anyway, I’ve seen some dolls hit up to over a thousand dollars! A good outfit alone can start at 25 – 40, wigs are another 20+, changable eyes are 15+… It’s terrifying how much it’ll bring you up to.
I’m also an artist, and all those supplies (many of which I barely use since I do a lot of digital art) seem to add up!
For me every hobby I do is expensive! Is ridiculous! First it was my guitars and amps, then fishing, with a single rod and reel combo costing me around $500-600! And I have 12 combos! Now im into the most expensive(in my opinion), PHOTOGRAPHY!!! Got a large tax return this year and decided to splurge on a new camera and lens($2000+!) and im already thinking about the next lens, tripod and flash i want to get! I can find a used Honda civic for that price, or cheaper!
Hobbies, in my opinion, bring out the addictive personalities in alot of people. I have an addictive personality, not for drugs, but for the hobby that pleases me the most and that keeps my interest the best! I have made many bad decisions in the past and put myself into financial debt because of a passion that I have had for a particular past time, especially photography! And in the world of photography and technology, new improvements and ideas come out every single day! And these new improvements will continue to feed my desire and the desire of millions of others to break themselves financially to chase that perfect picture.
I have to say that Music and Photography are my only (and so it happens, tremendously expensive) hobbies. I’m only at Secondary school, and these two hobbies are likely to become career paths. The thing is, I’ve reached the limits of the equipment I currently own and because I’m always making music/taking photos it’s meaning I’m not doing it as much. I was looking to set up a cheap studio but that would already set me back £5,000, and a bunch of good lenses and a good camera would cost me similar or more. It sucks. I’ve set up a web design business though so hopefully that will help. ^.^
It was crafting of course and making my own jewelry. But i learned a lot from it, well, at least enough to start selling them.
Well I also have way to many hobbies as well. The number one is guitars. I currently have three which vary from 600-1000$ and an amp also around 600$ and effects around 200$. I also love to golf, hike, climb, camp, photography, web design, you name it!