Author Topic: Hobbies  (Read 8409 times)

Eedad

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Hobbies
« on: November 25, 2016, 03:51:31 PM »
What are some people's hobbies here?   Mine include rock climbing, reading, hiking/backpacking, camping, building/making things at home.  I'm interested to see if there is a common thread among those here.

phalipi

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2016, 06:50:46 PM »
My cheap hobbies:
Fitness and reading.
Its a challenge of mine to be frugal when it comes to fitness. I like to make my own workout equipment and I love calisthenics. I did, however, splurge on a Brute Force Training sandbag, but its worth every penny. www.rosstraining.com has some great info for home making workout equipment.
Not so cheap hobbies:
Mountain biking and shooting.
I love mountain biking. I wish I had more time to hit the trails. I dont shoot much anymore and Im really thinking about getting into archery.

sol

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2016, 07:14:38 PM »
I'm pretty sure I spend more time on this forum than I do on any one alternate hobby.  It's pretty rare that I go more than a few days without checking in to see what's up with all of you weirdos.  And I've been hanging out here pretty consistently for almost five years.

Just think what I could have done with that time!  If I were to have spent four hours per week here during that time, that's roughly a thousand hours of my life I've spent on this website and forum.  It makes me queasy just thinking about it.

I would guess the first fifteen or twenty hours or so were really valuable.  The rest is just entertainment.

On the bright side, at least I don't watch television.  I'm absolutely certain that tv is the single most time-consuming (and personally destructive) hobby that Americans have, as a nation.  The average is roughly 30 hours per week per person, enough for most people to support a family while working!

In fact, I propose a new rule for this thread: only list hobbies that you spend more time on than you spend watching television.  Or at the very least, publicly admit to your shame by stating that you watch tv more often than you do whatever else it is that you claim to love.

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2016, 03:51:36 AM »
I spend a lot of my non-work time DIY-ing stuff to save money.  The big ones:
 - Cutting/hauling/splitting/stacking firewood, which saves me a bundle on electricity every year.
 - Making my own beer.  Doesn't save me a lot of money, but it costs less than cheap beer, and tastes a lot better.
 - Doing all my own yard work.
 - Minor upkeep and maintenance work on the house.  I'm not nearly as handy as some folks here, but I can at least do the unskilled labor, like painting, washing the siding, sealing the deck, etc.

Beyond that, true free time activities include:
 - Reading stuff in print or on the internet.  I rarely have time to read an actual book, but I spend a good bit of time reading news and semi-informative articles.  And of course, crunching my FIRE numbers over and over.  I try not to waste time on click bait stuff, which I consider to be the internet equivalent of bad reality tv.
 - Birdwatching.  I don't spend nearly as much time on this as I wish I did.
 - Playing the guitar and singing.  Not very well, but it's relaxing and fun.
 - Making real pit-cooked barbecue.
 - Damn, is that really it for hobbies?  Need to FIRE so I'll have more time to do stuff.

And just for Sol: DW watches more TV than I do; I usually sit down to join her for the last 30 minutes or so before I go to bed.  Usually fall asleep on the couch within the first 5 - 10 minutes.

Eedad

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2016, 04:26:35 AM »
I agree completely with you about the television watching!!  I have cut down to about half an hour a day and usually end up falling asleep while it's on. 

As for fitness I didn't think to list as a hobby.  I guess it's just something I do.  Its my time in the morning before everyone gets up, and it helps with my other hobbies. 

I love making exercise equipment to.  I'm working on a peg board now with my eight year old.  He's drilling all the holes with me.  Sure, it probably could be done but the time with him is much better.  He wants it to, as he loves the one at the climbing gym.  We've also made ourselves a bouldering cave in the basement, another fun family project, and the kids don't realize their exercising when they are on it.


I'm pretty sure I spend more time on this forum than I do on any one alternate hobby.  It's pretty rare that I go more than a few days without checking in to see what's up with all of you weirdos.  And I've been hanging out here pretty consistently for almost five years.

Just think what I could have done with that time!  If I were to have spent four hours per week here during that time, that's roughly a thousand hours of my life I've spent on this website and forum.  It makes me queasy just thinking about it.

I would guess the first fifteen or twenty hours or so were really valuable.  The rest is just entertainment.

On the bright side, at least I don't watch television.  I'm absolutely certain that tv is the single most time-consuming (and personally destructive) hobby that Americans have, as a nation.  The average is roughly 30 hours per week per person, enough for most people to support a family while working!

In fact, I propose a new rule for this thread: only list hobbies that you spend more time on than you spend watching television.  Or at the very least, publicly admit to your shame by stating that you watch tv more often than you do whatever else it is that you claim to love.

cdttmm

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2016, 08:12:52 AM »
Most time consuming hobbies:

1) Beekeeping
2) Studying Tae Kwon Do
3) Reading
4) Training for and running ultra marathons
5) Swimming

The first two have evolved into side hustles, but even if the side hustles disappeared I'd still keep on doing them as hobbies. I did each of them for 10+ years before they generated any income so it's not like I took up the hobbies thinking I'd make money one day. I've always liked to read so I don't really think of reading as a hobby -- more like a necessity for a fulfilling life. I'd have a lot more free time if I just ran at the level needed to stay fit (whatever that means). Training for ultras seems to teeter on the edge between harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Whereas running is something I do solo, I prefer swimming with a team. I wish I lived near a team that practiced 5 days a week because I'd spend even more time on this hobby.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2016, 08:41:11 AM »
-Reading. I read every night before bed. Through the glory of the internet, free amazon books, etc, this is a free hobby.
-Podcasts. Both of us have long commutes (rotating work sites, paid mileage), so we listed to a lot of podcasts. Tim Ferriss primarily for me, Joe Rogan primarily for him. But then some random ones too- some nutrition folks (rhonda patrick), freakonomics, alton brown, so on. We then talk about the podcasts we listened to with each other.
-Weight lifting. DH and I have a home gym. Gymnastics rings, barbell, squat rack, bumper plates, a DIY kettlebell. Since we just bought a second set of bumper plates (DH's getting too strong, lol), we're back to the cost of both of us being members of a cheap gym, but you can't do oly lifts at most gyms, so it isn't even an apples to apples comparison. Plus, we'll soon be back to beating the price- the power of time. I probably do this 1-3hrs per week, husband 4-6hrs. I have much slower muscular recovery, but then, my "training age" is a year younger.
-Cooking. We cook everything from scratch. Rarely eat out anymore (yay MMM), virtually no processed foods. An expensive way to eat overall (lots of veggies and local meat and some whole grains and dairy), but saves money in many respects.
-Hiking. This one way less since we moved from Portland and bought a house. Used to be once per week or more during the summer, ~once every two weeks through the winter. Hoping to increase this again once DH is done with his masters. Cheap hobby- one $36 trailhead pass every year, and drive DH's 60mpg TDI (for now... thanks VW. Ugh).
-Home improvement projects. These have supplanted hiking recently. Plumbing, lighting, painting, HVAC repair, general maintenance... We've only had the house since August, and the house exploded a bit with problems when we first got it. Getting more under control though. This stuff... saves money over hiring someone, but is a good example of why buying has SO many "hidden" costs vs renting.
-Gardening. Seasonal, obviously. This ends up expensive because we've moved so much over the years, so any soil is a sunk cost to rentals. Cheap mental health therapy though. And it'll be better now that we bought and are staying in one place.
-Volunteering. Lately it's been a community garden for a foodbank. Before that, as a hospital escort. Before that, shelving books in a library. Etc. Garden I do less often, about 4 hrs every 2-3 weeks. Hospital I did 4 hrs every week scheduled. Also did that at the library.

Intermittent:
-Hunting/camping. During hunting season, when we get tags, this takes a lot of time for a couple weeks. This ends up saving us a lot of money- family gear we use, and we get a lot of meat this way. Once we're paying to store/own/maintain/replace more of the gear, it'll become more expensive, but it's important to us. (Plus, I can't imagine a life without elk and venison in my freezer...)
-Visiting family. Once per year, sometimes twice per year, we roadtrip out to see my parents and stay with them about a week. They have sunshine. We don't. They have a pool, and live somewhere very quiet. Especially when we were in a city high rise, it was a very nice (and cheap!) vacation. They'd usually pay half or sometimes all the gas cost since they were excited to see us/we would bring some stuff down from their barn up here where they were storing it to their house, so it saved them shipping/driving/etc.
-TV binge. Once every 3-6 months, we find a show we really like on a streaming service and just binge it for a couple weeks in our free time until we're bored with it. Rarely watch TV otherwise- 1hr, maybe 2 per week, tops.

ETA: oh yeah, and yoga. I do a yoga flow every morning as part of getting ready.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2016, 01:22:48 PM by Bracken_Joy »

Orvell

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2016, 08:55:17 AM »
I think the common thread will be we all spend time dicking around on the internet. ;))))
Good hobbies here so far though!

Mine are:
Dicking around on the internet (:P)
Reading  (freeeeeeeeee)
Writing (freeeeeeeeee)
Painting/drawing (cheap as fuck when I do watercolors, will increase in $ as I branch into acrylics again)
Yoga ($50/month (worth it))
Embroidery (cheeeap)
Cats (sooo entertaining)
TV watching (cheap)
Fandom related fun (fic, vids, administration/organization) (freeeeeeeeee)
Cooking (more $ than eating plain cans o beans (:P), but I like it)

horsepoor

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2016, 09:10:05 AM »
  • Horseback riding, and specifically, attempting to be a dressage rider

    Vegetable gardening and food preservation, making condiments, etc.

One of these hobbies is Mustachian, and the other is not.

mm1970

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2016, 12:19:37 PM »
Outdoor:
biking (to work 1x/week, home from work 1x/ week, 10 miles)
running (more like a run/walk combo)
walking
swimming
strength training/yoga (varies)

Indoor:
cooking
quilting
crocheting
coloring
reading (we have two "little free libraries" on my street, my reading this last year has been pretty eclectic)
volunteering at the school, predominantly fundraising.

And of course, # 1 of all this is:

kids.  They take up most of my time.

ptgearguy

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2016, 06:45:05 PM »
I move in and out of activities fairly often but do tend to have a few that stick around.
1) Hiking--I love being out in the woods and it also fits with my next hobby

2) Photography-- Something I have always loved since I was a young child. SOmetimes I will shoot more than other times but it is always a part in my life

3) Videogames-- I like to dabble in competitive video games. A little like a sport for me and I use it to wind down. Not a priority hobby but a guilty pleasure I guess

4) Archery-- just got back into this one. Dabbled in it as a child and have always wanted to get back into it. I have an archery club that is about 4km from my house. All my equipment is worth about 300 dollars but gives hours of entertainment. Useful skill for hunting your own food as well (assuming you dont suck like me haha)

Jaguar Paw

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2016, 07:31:51 PM »
1) camping and hiking

2) running/ training for long events

3) cooking

4) coffee roasting/brewing

5) watching my infant do cool stuff

6) reading

Gunny

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2016, 07:40:15 PM »
Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, almost anything outdoors.  I also like playing the guitar and reading financial and ER blogs. 

Dollar Slice

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2016, 08:04:59 PM »
My #1 hobby is live music. Mostly small/local/cheap but I have a pretty wide variety of interests. November's concerts included jazz, contemporary classical, a brass band, rap, singer-songwriter, avant garde, Jewish music, and western swing.

Other current hobbies include reading, physical therapy exercises, comparison-shopping for anti-inflammatories, and icing my joints...

Letj

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2016, 08:17:17 PM »
Reading these hobbies makes me dizzy and I am wondering how on earth anybody gets time to do all this. Between a kid still at home, yoga, occasional cooking (my husband does most of it), the gym, dancing, reading all kinds of stuff on the internet and my almost daily reading of this blog, my life is full.

JustFixIt

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #15 on: November 26, 2016, 09:16:58 PM »
Competitive Ballroom Dancing, and yep, it's a real thing.

Le Poisson

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #16 on: November 26, 2016, 09:36:35 PM »
We have 2 boys in elementary school... no time for fun!

We used to sail (I sneak out on friends' boats over the summer), we used to Canoe (still manage family Canoe trips in the summer), I used to race mtn bikes.

Now we are heavily involved in youth groups (scouting, girl guides, Cadets), and we've bought an investment property we work on every weekend. Oh, and I'm on the executive of the local outdoors club.

Yeah, we never have time for TV.

sol

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #17 on: November 26, 2016, 09:42:05 PM »
In some respect, "hobbies" are for people who don't have anything better to do.  Like if you're a single mother raising four kids, you probably don't do yoga three nights per week.  I think you get a free pass on being totally hobbyless, if you're life is too stressful or you genuinely lack available free time.

But there are LOTS of people who have tons of free time, and still don't do anything.  Surfing the internet is not a hobby.  Game of Thrones is not a hobby.  Daily responsibilities like mowing your lawn and doing your laundry are not hobbies, either.

So was this question really meant to be something like "what interesting things do you do in your free time when you're not busy with anything important?"?  Maybe that more incisively highlights that our hobbies are really distractions, things we do to make ourselves feel good instead of things we do for others. 

Le Poisson

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #18 on: November 26, 2016, 10:10:17 PM »
Interesting take on it Sol. I consider every thing in my last post a hobby. We could raise our kids without scouts. We could make money without the investment property. It's once we stop enjoying these things that they cease to be hobbies.

sol

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #19 on: November 26, 2016, 10:25:23 PM »
It's once we stop enjoying these things that they cease to be hobbies.

I enjoy taking my kid to the local swimming pool, but I don't consider that a hobby.  That's part of being a parent.

As a younger man I was overzealously involved in martial arts, to the tune of 20 hours per week or more for years on end.  In grad school I made good use of the school's pottery studio for five or six hours every Sunday morning.  I've really enjoyed spending a solid month each climbing some of the world's tallest mountains.  But each of those things are hobbies that I've given up now that I have three kids and a full time job.  Work is chock full of opportunities to put in more hours, to get more done, to accomplish things that I think are meaningful.  And when I can't stand that any more, my family always wants more of my time than it is getting.  Always.  Without exception.  I just can't imagine taking up scuba diving or something with my current lifestyle.  My older kids constantly need to go to somewhere, my youngest constantly wants to just hang out and play one-on-one.  Between them and my job, and life's regular chores like keeping the cars running and the gutters cleared and the lawn mowed, everything that I considered a "hobby" in my 20s now seems like a ridiculous luxury. 

My only remaining "hobby" as a family man is a weekly music group that I adore, but that I get to attend less than half the time.  Playing good music with a group of good people is pretty awesome.

Dollar Slice

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #20 on: November 26, 2016, 10:27:16 PM »
But there are LOTS of people who have tons of free time, and still don't do anything.  Surfing the internet is not a hobby.  Game of Thrones is not a hobby.  Daily responsibilities like mowing your lawn and doing your laundry are not hobbies, either.

Yeah - I know a lot of people who seem to pass a lot of time without having anything they seem passionate about, or enjoy intensely. They are always the ones who ask me "but what do you DO in the evenings if you don't have a television!?" It's a little worrying to someone like me, but I try not to be too judgey about it.

I think you can elevate almost anything into a hobby, though - even things like lawn care and watching TV. Most people don't, but it's possible.

sparkytheop

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #21 on: November 26, 2016, 11:39:26 PM »
Hobbies I currently dedicate most time to:

Quilting
Sewing
Crochet
Reading
Cooking/baking/food preservation/trying new food/drink related stuff

Hobbies I really enjoy, but have not spent near as much time on lately:

Travel (goal is to take at least two two-week long trips every year until retirement, after I get a house built and help son through college.  I can easily get time off work to do five two-week long trips a year, and still only use 1/3 of my vacation time.)
Hiking, or just roaming around on the property/near the property
Camping
Reading a book in the hammock
Photography (I need to take my camera out more often)
Woodworking (I have a big slab on the property that is just waiting for a nice woodshop)

I usually have some kind of show going on in the background when I'm quilting/sewing/cooking. I like my downtime to still be productive, but yeah, sometimes I just sit and veg.

Eedad

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2016, 06:23:50 AM »
My hobbies, or things I enjoy doing, or whatever you want to call them, have changed with having kids.  I always kind of dabbled in rock climbing.  I have an eight year old that really loves it, he got interested after seeing it when he was four, and we've been doing it together ever since.  Its a fun way to get exercise in so I like it, my wife and youngest enjoy it also so it's good family time.  My wife and I have been taking our kids on hikes since they were born, they love going into the woods and getting dirty, again good family time. 

We are fortunate that my work offers me a good work/life balance, and my wife is part time three days a week.  This affords us much time for many activities that we enjoy. 

My only real time for myself is my morning workouts, as I get up at 4am and the rest of the house is sleeping.

It's once we stop enjoying these things that they cease to be hobbies.

I enjoy taking my kid to the local swimming pool, but I don't consider that a hobby.  That's part of being a parent.

As a younger man I was overzealously involved in martial arts, to the tune of 20 hours per week or more for years on end.  In grad school I made good use of the school's pottery studio for five or six hours every Sunday morning.  I've really enjoyed spending a solid month each climbing some of the world's tallest mountains.  But each of those things are hobbies that I've given up now that I have three kids and a full time job.  Work is chock full of opportunities to put in more hours, to get more done, to accomplish things that I think are meaningful.  And when I can't stand that any more, my family always wants more of my time than it is getting.  Always.  Without exception.  I just can't imagine taking up scuba diving or something with my current lifestyle.  My older kids constantly need to go to somewhere, my youngest constantly wants to just hang out and play one-on-one.  Between them and my job, and life's regular chores like keeping the cars running and the gutters cleared and the lawn mowed, everything that I considered a "hobby" in my 20s now seems like a ridiculous luxury. 

My only remaining "hobby" as a family man is a weekly music group that I adore, but that I get to attend less than half the time.  Playing good music with a group of good people is pretty awesome.

nancyjnelson

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2016, 07:52:05 AM »
1) Reading
2) Tai Chi (open hands forms and sword)
3) Website (www.morethanpassingstrange.com)

Now that my youngest is in college, I plan to sell the house (4BD/2BA - I don't need the space anymore) this next summer and travel a bit.  Eventually I will settle down again, but I have no idea as to where and when.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #24 on: November 28, 2016, 07:52:09 AM »
Weightlifting (both for bodybuilding and powerlifting purposes)
Mountain Biking
Cycling
Running
Swimming
Hiking
Camping
Motorcycling
Reading
Netflix
Cooking

Schaefer Light

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #25 on: November 28, 2016, 07:58:15 AM »
Golf
Reading
Travel

I also exercise on a fairly regular basis, but I don't consider that a hobby.  I do it to stay healthy and feel good, but I probably wouldn't do it if I could stay just as healthy and feel just as good without exercising.

Fishindude

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #26 on: November 28, 2016, 08:54:59 AM »
Deer hunting; archery, firearms and muzzle loader, multiple states
Other big game hunting, usually elk
Fishing and fishing trips
All of the prep & planning associated with the above
Farm land care; mowing, planting, weed control, habitat development, tree cutting, etc.
Repairing, building and fixing things
Boating
Trapping
Gardening
Butchering and food preservation



aceyou

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #27 on: November 28, 2016, 10:39:33 AM »
- Tennis (I coach and instruct, so it pays me)
- Cooking
- Riding my bicycle
- Learning about personal finance/practicing frugality (I do it just as much for the fun as for the financial implications, so I'm counting it)
- Phases/kicks I've gone through but that haven't stuck for many years: hydroponics, Daily Fantasy Sports, Poker, winemaking, gardening, and many others.

mm1970

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #28 on: November 28, 2016, 10:45:39 AM »
Quote
Work is chock full of opportunities to put in more hours, to get more done, to accomplish things that I think are meaningful.  And when I can't stand that any more, my family always wants more of my time than it is getting.  Always.

Work will always want more than I can give.  Always.  I set my limits, whether I think the work in meaningful for not.

Family will always grow to fill the remaining time.

But I need to take care of myself too - a lot of my "hobbies" are "things I have to do to stay healthy" - both physically and mentally.  Cooking, swimming, biking, running - all things that aren't strictly *necessary* (depending on who you ask), but I enjoy them and they keep me healthy.

Crafts for 10-30 minutes a day are good for my mental health.  Sleep is good for my mental health.

Cookie78

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #29 on: November 28, 2016, 11:01:25 AM »
Gardening
Learning Spanish
Fostering Dogs
Hunting
Reading
Traveling
Volunteering during disasters - I haven't actually done this yet, but I just finished the training last weekend
Baking/Food Preservation
Leather working
Tanning leather - In the process of learning how
Wood working
Chainmail crafting - Haven't done much in the last year
Camping/Hiking - Not as much as I used to
Fishing - Just started last year

Mostly I just like learning/discovering things and making things

powersuitrecall

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #30 on: November 28, 2016, 11:11:49 AM »
It's once we stop enjoying these things that they cease to be hobbies.

I enjoy taking my kid to the local swimming pool, but I don't consider that a hobby.  That's part of being a parent.

As a younger man I was overzealously involved in martial arts, to the tune of 20 hours per week or more for years on end.  In grad school I made good use of the school's pottery studio for five or six hours every Sunday morning.  I've really enjoyed spending a solid month each climbing some of the world's tallest mountains.  But each of those things are hobbies that I've given up now that I have three kids and a full time job.  Work is chock full of opportunities to put in more hours, to get more done, to accomplish things that I think are meaningful.  And when I can't stand that any more, my family always wants more of my time than it is getting.  Always.  Without exception.  I just can't imagine taking up scuba diving or something with my current lifestyle.  My older kids constantly need to go to somewhere, my youngest constantly wants to just hang out and play one-on-one.  Between them and my job, and life's regular chores like keeping the cars running and the gutters cleared and the lawn mowed, everything that I considered a "hobby" in my 20s now seems like a ridiculous luxury. 

My only remaining "hobby" as a family man is a weekly music group that I adore, but that I get to attend less than half the time.  Playing good music with a group of good people is pretty awesome.

I'm right there with you Sol.  Since having kids, our hobbies have slowly eroded to zero.  There are hobbies that I want to pursue, but finding the time and motivation for them seems impossible.

In the absence of real hobbies, I seek out activities that are enjoyable while also contributing to our family unit.  DIY renovations and cooking come to mind.

Fishindude

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #31 on: November 29, 2016, 07:21:21 AM »
I've seen several friends that I used to do a lot of fun stuff with pre children & families completely drop all hobbies and fun for themselves as they raised their kids.   Now they are mid 50's, their kids are gone and they don't do much of anything.   It's pretty sad when your entertainment consists of cutting grass, working on the house or washing the car.

If there is something you really enjoy doing, stick with it, and block out time for it.   None of us get a re-do on life.

sparkytheop

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #32 on: November 29, 2016, 07:48:56 AM »
I was an avid reader as a kid and through high school.  Then I had my son.  At 21, I was taking full time classes, working 30+ hours a week, and suddenly became a single mom when then-husband walked out.  Reading for fun had gone to the wayside. 

When my son was 5, I decided I'd figure out how to carve out time for reading again, no matter what it took.  I was already dropping him off at the babysitter at 5 in the morning, before they were out of bed (we'd go in and I'd get him settled on the couch, she'd get him up for breakfast and school at a more reasonable hour).  So, I asked if she would mind if I dropped him off at four instead.  She was fine with that.

So, for a couple years, I would wake up at three in the morning, drop him off at four, drive just over halfway to work, pull of the freeway, and read for about an hour.  I had to set a timer so I wouldn't be late for work.  First book I got to read after years of not being able to was Seven Roads to Hell.

Now he's all grown up and I'm finding more time for more hobbies.  I just don't ever want to have to wake up at three in the morning to do them again!  (although, now that I do rotating shifts, I'm often up at three anyway)

Slee_stack

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #33 on: November 29, 2016, 08:10:47 AM »
Some strict definitions in here!  If something is passive it can't be a hobby?  What is the difference between watching a favorite TV show, reading your favorite author, learning the latest geeky techno stuff on the internet, or watching birds in your backyard??

If you get enjoyment out of doing/participating/immersing yourself in something..... its a hobby. 

Mine (by time invested):

MTB (Trail Riding)
Racquetball
Walking/Hiking
Internet Stuff
TV Streaming
Video Games (PC FPS)
Party games (board games, jackbox, etc.)

Chris22

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #34 on: November 29, 2016, 08:11:09 AM »
It's once we stop enjoying these things that they cease to be hobbies.

I enjoy taking my kid to the local swimming pool, but I don't consider that a hobby.  That's part of being a parent.

As a younger man I was overzealously involved in martial arts, to the tune of 20 hours per week or more for years on end.  In grad school I made good use of the school's pottery studio for five or six hours every Sunday morning.  I've really enjoyed spending a solid month each climbing some of the world's tallest mountains.  But each of those things are hobbies that I've given up now that I have three kids and a full time job.  Work is chock full of opportunities to put in more hours, to get more done, to accomplish things that I think are meaningful.  And when I can't stand that any more, my family always wants more of my time than it is getting.  Always.  Without exception.  I just can't imagine taking up scuba diving or something with my current lifestyle.  My older kids constantly need to go to somewhere, my youngest constantly wants to just hang out and play one-on-one.  Between them and my job, and life's regular chores like keeping the cars running and the gutters cleared and the lawn mowed, everything that I considered a "hobby" in my 20s now seems like a ridiculous luxury. 

My only remaining "hobby" as a family man is a weekly music group that I adore, but that I get to attend less than half the time.  Playing good music with a group of good people is pretty awesome.

So yeah, I get all that, but I don't get how it jives with your anti-TV rant.  You know when I watch TV?  Weeknights from about 9PM to about 10-1030PM, when my kid and wife go to sleep and I don't really have anything else to do.  It's dark out, I can't make much noise, and there isn't much open at that hour to go hobby around. 


Anyways, most of my hobbies are seasonal, for instance boating, snowmobiling, or hunting.  And lots of them are relatively expensive, so I can only do them so much, like target shooting or golfing.  By far my biggest passion (outside of family) is cars, but aside from occasionally wrenching on it or washing it, or taking the occasional fun drive, driving a fun car doesn't take up any more time than driving a regular car.  Bickering about them on the internet does, though.  I do a lot of home improvement stuff, but that was ruled out as a hobby.  I also like to BBQ/smoke meat, but I imagine that just counts as making food, so also not a hobby.

teamzissou00

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #35 on: November 29, 2016, 08:26:55 AM »
So impressed with everyone's hobbies!  Gives me something to shoot for. 

I'm 36 with 3 kids and a 50 hr/week job that involves a lot of travel...

TV Junkie - to a point.  I pick about 3-5 shows and watch them consistently
Music enjoyer - I tend to make a playlist a month
Lego Lover - for my kids yes, but for me as well - love those things!  Not very mustachian the way I do it.

I'd like to get into bike riding and hiking in the coming years when the kids are more able. 

davisgang90

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #36 on: November 30, 2016, 04:49:47 AM »
Hiking (free)
Reading (free kindle books from library)
Cycling ($400 road bike for commute a couple days a week)
Photography (my most expensive hobby)
Video games (I am very monogamous with a video game, so fairly cheap)
Beer brewing (haven't done this in a while, more in a year and a half or so when I FIRE)

AZDude

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #37 on: November 30, 2016, 09:14:26 AM »
Softball
Fishing
Fantasy Football

Toffeemama

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #38 on: November 30, 2016, 01:45:16 PM »
When I'm paying attention to other things: Knitting or crochet
When I don't have to pay attention to others: Reading

I've gotten far less of the reading time than knitting time in the past few years.

I used to go to a board game group once a week, and that was pretty fun to get my social needs met.  I get a couple board games every year around Christmas or my birthday from family members, so now I have a nice arsenal of games to break out at social gatherings.

I paint and draw frequently as well, but since I've monetized them I no longer consider them to be hobbies.

Baking.

Used to love video games, but now I have so much other stuff to do, I haven't touched any video games in months.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #39 on: November 30, 2016, 02:08:06 PM »
antique vehicles - any and all aspects. any mechanical repair, paint, rust repair, driving them, whatever
That has helped keep the family cars rolling for cheap.

carpentry/cabinetry. Lots of learn which is the fun part.

photography - not so much anymore but still enjoyable.

music - not as much any more. Hard to focus with all the house distractions (kids, critters)

travel - I like to avoid the crowds. Connect it with our other hobbies hiking/camping.

reading books or online like MMM

TV and movies are good but I like to immerse myself in a movie and suspend reality. TV is occasionally good and we stream only so the options are different than a cable package. No OTA TV here either without a big antenna aka lightning rod so we don't have that. I tend to find a series and watch it 'til its gone on one of the streaming services. A tiny few will get watched and re-watched. I might get an hour a night at most. We share a single family TV.

JezL

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #40 on: December 01, 2016, 03:33:49 AM »
- Camping
- Hiking
- Travelling (but less now cos that's expensive)
- Reading
- Running (recently quit the gym to save some money and started running round local area)

DeskJockey2028

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Re: Hobbies
« Reply #41 on: December 01, 2016, 07:51:22 AM »
Probably my biggest hobby right now is modern hobby board games. Something about it just gets me right in the yay zone.

I also love that I can spend $40 on a game and enjoy it for 20-40 hours (at least). That's a huge return for me on cash invested vs time enjoyed. Even though I'm really looking forward to Rogue One in a few weeks, It'll be $40 for 4 of us to enjoy a 2 hour movie. Or I can spend $40 for 4 of us to enjoy 40 hours of a game title.

I also dabble in creating my own games.

After that, I do very much enjoy reading (scifi/fantasy being my favorite genre, followed closely by well written history books). I watch some TV but not a ton and do enjoy occasionally going to the movies or binge watching a show on Netflix.

I also like walking. Not a lot of people seem to do this anymore unless you live in a big city. It's kinda fun to walk places though and it's a good way to help stay in shape. Add to that some light hiking when weather and time permit.