What are your Hobbies?

[OtherJen]

I feel like this thread is an attempt out people's real-world identities.

If your hobbies are cooking and reading, you're probably fine.  But what if you're a concert bassoonist and international rescue cave diver who does youtube clown make-up tutorials on the side?  There aren't very many people in the world who do any those things, and the overlap between them has got to be essentially just you.  How could you possibly talk about all of these things in one place without outing yourself?

I have some hobbies.  They are fun.  I don't really want to talk about them.

Mostly they cost me a few hundred dollars each to get started.  The good ones cost essentially zero dollars per year after that, aside from gas money to go places to do stuff.

One of my concerns at this point in my life is finding hobbies that I can carry with me into my old age.  Triathlons may be great, but there will come a time when my body can't do that anymore and I would hate to have to give up something I have grown to love just because my body can't handle it anymore.  Sadly, I fear that all forms of musical instruments fall into the category of things that we will eventually lose the ability to do.

Learn to sing. I currently sing with people in their 60s and 70s. Community choirs have singers well into their 80s. I once sang in a church choir with a couple of nonagenarians. They were still good enough singers for community choir-level work and were absolute riots at the Christmas parties.

[sol]

We like drinking beer and each five gallon batch we brew instead of buying saves us around $40 I'd guess. Plus we get lots of homemade beer to give out as gifts instead of buying random stuff.

I really like the idea of homebrewing, but I just don't need drink anywhere near enough beer to make it cost effective.  All of the guys I know who DO drink enough beer to make it cost effective are enormously large around the middle, and I'm trying to avoid that fate as I slide into my 40s.

[dude]

#1

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering.

How did you get started?

Hired a guide for a weekend of rock climbing about 18 years ago, and my interest grew rapidly from there.

How much money do you spend on it?

 Varies. Climbing equipment lasts a pretty decent time (soft goods, usually 3-5 years depending on how much you use them; hard goods, anywhere from 5-15 years, same caveat). I also spend on trips each year, usually pretty low budget as they involve camping most of the time, so the plane ticket is the biggest expense.

How much time a week you spend on it?

3-4 days, both in the gym training, and outdoors on weekends.

Is the hobby a side business?

To a degree. I pursued guiding certifications a few years back, and since then, I've guided perhaps 15-20 days per year (mostly in the summer).

#2

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Snowboarding, both resort and backcountry (splitboarding).

How did you get started?

I was a skier for many years and decided to try snowboarding one day on a college ski trip back in 1991 (I still remember watching us bombing the shit out of Baghdad on CNN one night in the hotel on that trip).

How much money do you spend on it?

A fair amount, between equipment, season pass(es), gas, and flights. I go through a resort board about every 3 years. I own three splitboards, one of which gets the most use. My first splitboard set-up was close to $2,000. Since then, I've bought the other two boards using a pro discount, and I'm still using my original binding set up, though I bought new mounting hardware for the second board so I can share the bindings between boards (the third board is still wrapped in plastic for eventual future use).

How much time a week you spend on it?

I take at least two (sometimes more) trips out west each winter, so I spend several thousand dollars a year on snowboarding (flights, season pass, etc.).

Is the hobby a side business?

Not yet, but starting next winter, when I'm retired, I plan to instruct.

#3

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

How did you get started?

I'd been involved in martial arts for a number of years and was fascinated by the effectiveness of BJJ in the early cage-fighting days. Never seen anything like it, knew I wanted to become a practitioner. Been training for over 9 years now (with a few hiatuses of several months to one that lasted a year).

How much money do you spend on it?

Monthly dues are $155, plus I buy new stuff (gis, rash guards, etc) every now and then, so maybe another $200-$300/year.

How much time a week you spend on it?

Typically, 4-8 hours. That includes 3-4 classes per week, plus Open Mat time.

Is the hobby a side business?

Not currently, but in the future I hope to instruct, perhaps just for a free membership.

#4

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Scuba Diving

How did you get started?

Did an Intro to Scuba class on a Caribbean vacation about 15 years ago and was immediately hooked.

How much money do you spend on it?

Hmm, well, directly, anywhere from $50-$100 each day when I'm on a dive vacation. Usually two trips a year.

How much time a week you spend on it?

Generally, 2 weeks a year.

Is the hobby a side business?

Not currently, but again, I'm thinking about getting my instructor certification and using it more or less to get free diving when I'm retired.

#5

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Surfing

How did you get started?

30+ years ago I lived in California and took it up because I was infatuated with the lifestyle and image of surfing when I was young. Moved back to the east coast and didn't surf for 20+ years. Then went on vacation to Costa Rica about 7 years ago and got hooked again. Now take 2-3 trips a year where I surf for a week. I live in a cold water east coast locale, and while there is surfing here, I haven't taken it up here yet, but plan to next year when I retire.

How much money do you spend on it?

Well, I'd be going on vacation anyway, so the flight and lodging isn't really a direct cost. I rent boards when I travel, usually @$15/day.

How much time a week you spend on it?

@ 3 weeks/year.

Is the hobby a side business?

No.

[sol]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering.

...

How much money do you spend on it?

 Varies. Climbing equipment lasts a pretty decent time (soft goods, usually 3-5 years depending on how much you use them; hard goods, anywhere from 5-15 years, same caveat). I also spend on trips each year, usually pretty low budget as they involve camping most of the time, so the plane ticket is the biggest expense.

I spent roughly $10k on mountaineering this year, almost all of it on one big trip to the top of North America.

How's that for anti-mustachian hall-of-fame spending?  Totally worth every penny.

[slow hand slow plan]

One of my concerns at this point in my life is finding hobbies that I can carry with me into my old age.  Triathlons may be great, but there will come a time when my body can't do that anymore and I would hate to have to give up something I have grown to love just because my body can't handle it anymore.  Sadly, I fear that all forms of musical instruments fall into the category of things that we will eventually lose the ability to do.
[/quote]

Learn to sing. I currently sing with people in their 60s and 70s. Community choirs have singers well into their 80s. I once sang in a church choir with a couple of nonagenarians. They were still good enough singers for community choir-level work and were absolute riots at the Christmas parties.
[/quote]

I think you can take music instruments into old age. Look at  Leo Kottke, David Grisman, Paul McCartney, eric Clapton , Stephon Grapelli, Willy Nelson...etc etc... there are plenty of examples of people still playing incredibly well into their 70s and beyond.

[maglomanic]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
I enjoy painting/illustrating.

How did you get started?
I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. I still have my old drawings of every Pokemon. Which at the time was only 150. It's fun as an adult to see how much better I can draw and paint these same Pokemon.

How much money do you spend on it?
I keep a note book for how much I spend on my art hobby. I also write down any time I make money. I've never been in the positive sadly. I get really close then Michael's will have their black friday sale and I can't help but buy a giant canvas for $8.00. I think I"m currently at -$60.00ish. Writing down what I spend and what I make really has helped me spend less on art stuff. I'll see something I normally would have just bought but then I think to myself, "I'm so close to being in the positive! Don't need it..." It helps motivate me to use up what I have already as well.

How much time a week you spend on it?
I also write down my hours in that note book. I tend to spend around 20 hours a month. Some times more depending on how motivated I get.

Is the hobby a side business?
I consider it a business. My best friend owns a store front on main street and I sell my paintings there. We're still working on getting business and we're a small town. So I've only sold a few prints or buttons. No paintings yet. But I'm hopeful! Either way I have fun painting and I get to keep ones I really like.

[Dr. Pepper]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
Investing, motorcycles, running, video games.

How did you get started?
Investing- grandfather was a mechanic, but put 6 children through college, and was FIRE around age 42 with returns from buying individual companies, he passed on some of this to me starting when I was 8 until about 16 or so with weekly lessons. Later in college I randomly picked up a copy of Intelligent Investor, everything clicked for me based on the previous stuff after reading it. Have stuck with it, with satisfactory results over the last 17 yrs.

motorcycles- fixed up a Honda CB350 when I was 14 , mostly on my own, before it was cool to restore them. have been hooked since.

running- did cross country running in Junior/high school. have enjoyed it for a long time.

video games- again started as a kid, parents bought a Nintendo when I was 6, still enjoy them, not quite as much as I used to though.

How much money do you spend on it?

running- not much, new shoes every 6-8 months.: |
video games- maybe 100-200/year,
motorcycles- nothing right now, but all in, prob 5000 or so including the gear.
investing- about 4000/yr on publications (FT, WSJ, American Banker, NYT, Grant's, MOI, PACER filings etc..)

How much time a week you spend on it?
Investing- 20/hrs, mostly just reading everything I can get my hands on, I try to get 1 or 2 good ideas a year, and research them heavily.
Video Games- 10hrs
Running- run for 30min to 1hr 4 times a week
motorcycle- 0 right now, don't own one at the moment, but looking to change that in the near future.

Is the hobby a side business?

Maybe the investing, I consider it as if I'm running a family office, just with smaller capital. I envision a time where the returns totally eclipse what my family earns from employment, but still a way off from that. It's still fun even with a smaller capital base.

[ixtap]

Sailing. Slip fees are $800/month, but that plus a liveaboard fee was our total rent in a HCOL area for 4 years. Maintenance is a whole other ballgame, usually ~$10k because we are gradually upgrading. We didn't strictly need to this year, but DH got a new anchor and chain when they were on sale. Next is a new stove, as one can no longer get parts for the current one.

[brute]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
Strongman/Powerlifting
Homebrewing
Sausage/charcuterie making
Cheese making
Mushroom hunting

How did you get started?
Strongman: In 2008 I had completed my first full year at a desk job. Previously I had loaded trucks down on the docks starting at 3 am. Started that right after i finished my bouncing shift at a local hell-hole club. Desk job didnt require as many calories and I put on a lot of fat. In 2009, I lost 150 pounds. In 2010, I decided being small sucks, started lifting. 2011, I met a small crew of people who pulled semi-trucks and could lifting 1000 pounds off the floor, thought it was cool, and I've been doing it ever since.

Homebrewing: When I met my wife in grad school, she was pretty popular. She was(is) beautiful, very intelligent, and down to earth. Her closest friend already had my wife's life planned out, including who from their lab my wife should marry. That friend HATED me and did everything she could to ruin the dating relationship between my wife and I. One night, after a drink and dinner, we were wandering around downtown. My wife pulled me down to her level(6'4" vs 5'2"), kissed me, and told me that she thought home-brewers were sexy. I started brewing the next day. Anything to put a plus mark for me against the weird crap her friend was saying. Turned out I really liked brewing, I've won several state and national awards, and that gorgeous woman married me about a year later. The (ex)friend was not invited to the wedding.

Sausage/charcuterie: My grandfather made traditional german sausage and ran a bakery before his real estate empire took off. Following in his footsteps on his positive traits was a passion of mine. Salting a piece of cheap meat, hanging it for a year, and having something worth $80 / pound is truly amazing. And you can't buy bratwurst as good as what I make for under $25 / pound, plus you'd still have to go deep into one of the big 3 cities.

Cheese making: Just getting started now that I have access to good milk, but I've been making ricotta and mozzarella for years. Now on to some of the mold ripened good stuff!

Mushroom hunting: My wife got me started on this last year. We both enjoy the outdoors, but I generally need a purpose to really get a good hike in. Just the exercise isn't really enough for me, and I am no good at identifying birds (she's an avian biologist, so she knows ALL THE BIRDS) We found over 100 pounds of edible mushrooms: oyster, reishi, chanterelle, maitake, aborted entoloma, chicken of the woods. All told, about $1800 worth if we'd payed market price. It's fun, safe (we don't pick stuff with poisonous look-alikes), and delicious.


How much money do you spend on it?
Strongman: My gym cost ~$6000. I use it 5x a week, as does my wife. I spend ~$300 / year on contest fees and $500 on travel for the contests.

Homebrewing : $1500 / year. $30-$40 per batch on ingredients, plus consumables. Amortizing my kegs, keezer/taps, and other equipment over 10 years

Sausage/charcuterie making: $300 up front for the grinder and stuffer. $1.29 per pound for sausage, $3 per pound for stuff like duck prosciutto

Cheese making: $80 for the shaping molds, cultures, books, etc. $8 per batch of 3-4 pounds of cheese

Mushroom hunting: $60 worth of books, plus gas to get to parks. Also a $90 dehydrator to preserve the harvest.

How much time a week you spend on it?
Strongman/Powerlifting: 10 hours / week
Homebrewing : 4  hours (brew every other week. 5 hours for brew day + ~3 for bottling, cleaning, etc)
Sausage/charcuterie making: 3 hours once a month
Cheese making: 3 hours once a month
Mushroom hunting: 6 hours/week when the weather is decent

Is the hobby a side business?
Strongman/Powerlifting: yes, I offer coaching and meet prep. My athletes have won both strength and body building contests nationwide.
Homebrewing : soon. Takes a lot of capital to actually make this work, but the brewpub is in planning
Sausage/charcuterie making: you bet. I just need to upgrade my grinder and mixer. and get the licensing
Cheese making: nah
Mushroom hunting: $200 for certification, then we could sell to farmers markets and local restaurants. We've thought about it, but not sure it's actually worth it

[KBCB]

I feel like this thread is an attempt out people's real-world identities.

If your hobbies are cooking and reading, you're probably fine.  But what if you're a concert bassoonist and international rescue cave diver who does youtube clown make-up tutorials on the side?  There aren't very many people in the world who do any those things, and the overlap between them has got to be essentially just you.  How could you possibly talk about all of these things in one place without outing yourself?

This was not my intent. Just an attempt to get ideas on a new hobby.

[KBCB]

Thank you for all the responses. :)

[dude]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

Rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering.

...

How much money do you spend on it?

 Varies. Climbing equipment lasts a pretty decent time (soft goods, usually 3-5 years depending on how much you use them; hard goods, anywhere from 5-15 years, same caveat). I also spend on trips each year, usually pretty low budget as they involve camping most of the time, so the plane ticket is the biggest expense.

I spent roughly $10k on mountaineering this year, almost all of it on one big trip to the top of North America.

How's that for anti-mustachian hall-of-fame spending?  Totally worth every penny.

Denali?

[dude]

Sausage/charcuterie: My grandfather made traditional german sausage and ran a bakery before his real estate empire took off. Following in his footsteps on his positive traits was a passion of mine. Salting a piece of cheap meat, hanging it for a year, and having something worth $80 / pound is truly amazing. And you can't buy bratwurst as good as what I make for under $25 / pound, plus you'd still have to go deep into one of the big 3 cities.


holy shit, does it really hang for a YEAR??

(also began homebrewing well over 20 years ago; but fell out of it a couple years back just for lack of time; will rectify that next year when I'm retired!)

[bernardnb]

Powerlifting - I got competitive with the weightlifting

Triathlon - never knew how to swim, and was a shitty runner......a colleague convinced me to sign up for a sprint distance a few summers ago......I got hooked on the incremental progress until I completed an Ironman 70.3 distance.

Wow, are you doing these simultaneously or have you moved on from powerlifting to triathlons?  Talk about opposite ends of the fitness spectrum.  How do you keep your weight (both lifts and body weight) up for powerlifting?

[skip207]

Target Shooting
Started when I was a kid, 4 or 5. 35+ years ago.
Spend around £300 a month on consumables, probably another £150 a month on fuel getting too and from.
Spend a few thousand per year on equipment.
At least 8 hours per week.  Some weeks more.
No chance of side gig really.

Cars
Started in my teens.
Spend too much.  Standing costs are eye watering..
Spend too little time on them.
Side gig, actually possibly.  May look into classic car hire etc later down the line if I still own them in FIRE.

Computing
Started as a kid.
Spend very little, £100-£200 per year.  Not a big gamer, but do like to do other stuff.
Probably 3-4 hours per week.
Possibility of side gig but CBA / not cost effective maybe in FIRE though.

Previously flown a lot of RC aircraft (20 years in the hobby), boy that can get expensive.  Sold everything now.

[brute]

Sausage/charcuterie: My grandfather made traditional german sausage and ran a bakery before his real estate empire took off. Following in his footsteps on his positive traits was a passion of mine. Salting a piece of cheap meat, hanging it for a year, and having something worth $80 / pound is truly amazing. And you can't buy bratwurst as good as what I make for under $25 / pound, plus you'd still have to go deep into one of the big 3 cities.


holy shit, does it really hang for a YEAR??

(also began homebrewing well over 20 years ago; but fell out of it a couple years back just for lack of time; will rectify that next year when I'm retired!)

Haha, yeah, 12-18 months if you're making true to form prosciutto. My duck breast prosciutto on has to hang for 8 days to cure, so that's a nice quick turn around.

[Imma]

Anything that has threads and needles. Quilting, sewing, embroidery, crochet, knitting
Started when I was a kid, about 6 years old.
No start-up costs, just started with leftovers from relatives' stash and an old sewing machine when my mum replaced hers
Yearly costs: €200/supplies, €50-100 for sewing machine maintenance, spare parts, new foots etc.
I get most of my supplies for free/almost free from friends, deceased relatives of friends, thrift stores. I have a lifetime stash of buttons and hardly ever have to buy sewing threads. I use a lot of reclaimed materials in my work and I could get costs even further down if I had to. No one really needs hand-dyed embroidery thread or fancy quilting fabrics. The "deceased relatives of friends" part sounds kind of morbid, but a few times a year someone I know will call me and say 'hey, my grandma/great-aunt/neighbour passed away, are you interested in her sewing supplies? You are the only crafter we know' .
Could definitely be turned into a side hustle, but I won't do. Only boring sewing makes money (hemming pants and sewing curtains). I save a lot of money by doing my own mending and alterations and have made most of our curtains. I occasionally fix stuff for friends, on a 'I fix this for you, you fix this for me' basis.

[Virtus3]

What hobby/hobbies do you have? Hockey

How did you get started? Was looking for a new hobby after I sold my motorcycle; had a few friends who played and lived less than a mile from a rink. I grew up rollerblading but had only been on ice skates maybe 6 or 7 times in my life. Bought my first set of gear on my 26th birthday and never looked back; it's been my main passion since.

How much money do you spend on it? Spent about $1200 on gear to start. I've spent a little over $2k in 2018; was closer to $3.5-4k in 2017 as I upgraded a lot of gear.

How much time a week you spend on it? Currently playing two days a week. Before wife and I had a baby in August I was skating 3-4 days a week.

Is the hobby a side business? No, but because I played I ended up getting the opportunity to be the EMT for our local college's club team.


What hobby/hobbies do you have? Is fitness/working out a hobby?

How did you get started? I was always active growing up; got into Crossfit in college but quickly transitioned to what I would classify as strength and conditioning shortly after.

How much money do you spend on it? From the ages of 18-27 I payed anywhere from $35-120 a month on gym memberships. Bought first house at 27 and spent about $2700 outfitting a garage gym; have spent less than $200 in the 3 years since.

How much time a week you spend on it? Lift 3x a week, row 1-2x a week, do various bodyweight and kettlebell stuff throughout the day while I work.

Is the hobby a side business? No


What hobby/hobbies do you have? Mountain biking

How did you get started? Always had mountain bikes growing up and love being on the trails.

How much money do you spend on it? Maybe a few bucks a month on maintenance or new tubes but haven't made any major purchases in years.

How much time a week you spend on it? 1-2 times a month when the weather is decent. Used to ride a lot more often but my main riding partner moved away and it's not as much fun without him.

Is the hobby a side business? No

[HBFIRE]

High level competitive Bridge (card game).  For those not familiar, its the best/most difficult card game ever devised -- you don't play for $, as its a "mind sport" like Chess.  Some consider it the greatest and most difficult game ever created.  Bill Gates and Buffet are passionate players, but aren't even expert level.  If you're a game player, this is the ultimate "retiree" game by a long shot.  Just knowing enough to sit down and play gets you access to any club in the world.
Started in ~2010 after winning several Spades nationals and becoming the #1 ranked Spades player in the world.  I was ready for a new challenge.  Bridge has definitely given that, as I'm nowhere near the very top level of world class players.
I spend ~ 5 K/year traveling to various tournaments around the country.  I play in 6-12 tournaments per year.  Being FI allows me a lot of flexibility for this.  Credit Card churning helps with some of the cost.  In my last tournament just a week ago, I attended the nationals which were held in Honolulu.  Was a particularly fun tournament as we got to play against Bill Gates team.
On a non-tournament week, maybe ~ 5-10 hours/week.  During a tournament, I play ~ 7-8 hours/day for 7-10 days straight.  I'm headed to Palm Springs tonight to play for 5 days. 
It has the potential to be a "side business" if I play professionally more consistently.  For now, I'm only occasionally hired to play on teams.  Full time professionals are paid anywhere from 1-500 K/year.  That's not my goal really, as it's just a hobby for me.  I know that if I played for hire it would lose some of the fun.  This was an interview I did back in 2013 on the game:  http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/news_fetch.php?id=877

[Sur del Sur]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
Strongman/Powerlifting
Homebrewing
Sausage/charcuterie making
Cheese making
Mushroom hunting

How did you get started?
Strongman: In 2008 I had completed my first full year at a desk job. Previously I had loaded trucks down on the docks starting at 3 am. Started that right after i finished my bouncing shift at a local hell-hole club. Desk job didnt require as many calories and I put on a lot of fat. In 2009, I lost 150 pounds. In 2010, I decided being small sucks, started lifting. 2011, I met a small crew of people who pulled semi-trucks and could lifting 1000 pounds off the floor, thought it was cool, and I've been doing it ever since.

Homebrewing: When I met my wife in grad school, she was pretty popular. She was(is) beautiful, very intelligent, and down to earth. Her closest friend already had my wife's life planned out, including who from their lab my wife should marry. That friend HATED me and did everything she could to ruin the dating relationship between my wife and I. One night, after a drink and dinner, we were wandering around downtown. My wife pulled me down to her level(6'4" vs 5'2"), kissed me, and told me that she thought home-brewers were sexy. I started brewing the next day. Anything to put a plus mark for me against the weird crap her friend was saying. Turned out I really liked brewing, I've won several state and national awards, and that gorgeous woman married me about a year later. The (ex)friend was not invited to the wedding.

Sausage/charcuterie: My grandfather made traditional german sausage and ran a bakery before his real estate empire took off. Following in his footsteps on his positive traits was a passion of mine. Salting a piece of cheap meat, hanging it for a year, and having something worth $80 / pound is truly amazing. And you can't buy bratwurst as good as what I make for under $25 / pound, plus you'd still have to go deep into one of the big 3 cities.

Cheese making: Just getting started now that I have access to good milk, but I've been making ricotta and mozzarella for years. Now on to some of the mold ripened good stuff!

Mushroom hunting: My wife got me started on this last year. We both enjoy the outdoors, but I generally need a purpose to really get a good hike in. Just the exercise isn't really enough for me, and I am no good at identifying birds (she's an avian biologist, so she knows ALL THE BIRDS) We found over 100 pounds of edible mushrooms: oyster, reishi, chanterelle, maitake, aborted entoloma, chicken of the woods. All told, about $1800 worth if we'd payed market price. It's fun, safe (we don't pick stuff with poisonous look-alikes), and delicious.


How much money do you spend on it?
Strongman: My gym cost ~$6000. I use it 5x a week, as does my wife. I spend ~$300 / year on contest fees and $500 on travel for the contests.

Homebrewing : $1500 / year. $30-$40 per batch on ingredients, plus consumables. Amortizing my kegs, keezer/taps, and other equipment over 10 years

Sausage/charcuterie making: $300 up front for the grinder and stuffer. $1.29 per pound for sausage, $3 per pound for stuff like duck prosciutto

Cheese making: $80 for the shaping molds, cultures, books, etc. $8 per batch of 3-4 pounds of cheese

Mushroom hunting: $60 worth of books, plus gas to get to parks. Also a $90 dehydrator to preserve the harvest.

How much time a week you spend on it?
Strongman/Powerlifting: 10 hours / week
Homebrewing : 4  hours (brew every other week. 5 hours for brew day + ~3 for bottling, cleaning, etc)
Sausage/charcuterie making: 3 hours once a month
Cheese making: 3 hours once a month
Mushroom hunting: 6 hours/week when the weather is decent

Is the hobby a side business?
Strongman/Powerlifting: yes, I offer coaching and meet prep. My athletes have won both strength and body building contests nationwide.
Homebrewing : soon. Takes a lot of capital to actually make this work, but the brewpub is in planning
Sausage/charcuterie making: you bet. I just need to upgrade my grinder and mixer. and get the licensing
Cheese making: nah
Mushroom hunting: $200 for certification, then we could sell to farmers markets and local restaurants. We've thought about it, but not sure it's actually worth it

Holy S**t! You sir are my idol. I guess you can afford those tasty endeavors when you are 6´4¨ and do a heavy work out 5 times a week.

Love homebrewing, won several regional, national and continental (LATAM) awards. But have to put a hiatus on it since I moved to downsize my rent, and also didn´t have enough people around to share the beer and I was getting quite a belly. My biggest ambition once FI would be to start a nano to just make some bucks to partially cover my expenses and see where I can take it from there...

[I'm a red panda]

I used to really enjoy ice skating, but I got injured too many times and stopped. 

I greatly enjoy quilting and sewing, but after I broke my neck the second time it became more painful to do, so now it is much more limited.

I enjoy painting rocks.

I like nail art, and try to do my nails weekly if not 2-3 times a week.

I like learning things, so I've decided to become a Master's degree collector. My employee pays- so this is the most frugal of my hobbies.

I enjoy wasting time on the internet.

[Threshkin]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?

• Weaving
• Home Brewing
• Reading
• Board Gaming
• Assorted other maker crafts (Woodworking, soap, sausage, felting, gardening

I have had many other hobbies, crafty and otherwise, over the years, these are just the more active ones right now.  I expect new ones may pop up in the future, everything is interesting.

How did you get started?

I have always liked making things.  For me the most important parts are the planning and construction.  I don't really treasure the finished goods.  They get used or gifted.

My attitude is that if someone else can do something, I can do it as well.  There is no "Can't", just "Try it".

How much money do you spend on it?

Not much now.  It cost some money to get the looms, yarn stash, and tools but most of that was years ago.  I always scouted for deals and got many items for free/very low cost.  The great thing about crafting is that many people try it, buy a lot of stuff, give up, and then dump the tools and supplies cheap.  Just keep your eyes open, be patient and act quickly when the deals pop up.

How much time a week you spend on it?

0 to 25 hours a week depending on my motivation and schedule.  I actually spent more time on hobbies before FIRE than after.  Before, it was an escape from the pressures of work.  Not I just don't feel the need as much.

Is the hobby a side business?

No.  I generally don't like selling my work because that turns it into a job.  IMO "work" is very much a four letter word.  That said, I have sold a few weavings that were in a juried show and made a fair amount of profit buying, rehabing and selling looms, I have also taught paid clesses.  But I didn't approach it as a business, I just grabbed good deals when I saw them and sold the looms I didn't need.  For the last few years I haven't been looking.

[I'm a red panda]

I feel like this thread is an attempt out people's real-world identities.

I assume nothing I post on the internet is anonymous. 

[Philociraptor]

Powerlifting for fun, I don't compete or anything. Got started by reading Starting Strength, moved on to Crossfit, then Practical Programming, then paying a coach for programming, now Wendler 5/3/1 plus accessories. Per year I pay $500 for an annual gym membership, maybe another $100 for shoes or shorts, so $600 annually. Spend 1-2 hours per day at the gym, 4 days a week. Not a side hustle.

[diapasoun]

I started writing and selling crochet patterns in late 2016.  I'm slowly gaining a following on Instagram and Facebook.  Recently I reformatted my blog (with Ads) to be geared towards teaching people how to crochet with free patterns, tutorials, and how to write their own patterns to sell.

If you're willing to share your IG/blog information, I'd love to get a look!

What hobby/hobbies do you have? Crochet and knitting, reading, baking, and walking are probably my most constant hobbies -- I dabble in plenty of things.

How did you get started? I started crocheting as a child; I picked up knitting a few years ago. Reading is another childhood hobby. Baking and walking are things I picked up during high school and college.

How much money do you spend on it? I spend very little on these hobbies, at least right now. Crochet and knitting are the most expensive over time for me. I have a stash of yarn built up over the years, much of it for reasonable prices (I happily thrift yarn and have plenty of the "do you want my old yarn" skeins), but yarn for a big project (think baby afghans, sweaters, full-size afghans) ranges from $50 to nearly $200 new. I probably finish one big project per year, so I budget about $15 per month for materials costs for yarn, new needles, etc.

I primarily use the library for new books now, but have definitely fallen down the bookshop rabbit hole. Since I fell down that rabbit hole for about two years, I have a healthy library of my own and buy books rarely now.

Baking is very low-cost -- it's grocery funds, and I spend less on home-baked goods than I would the equivalent store-bought, for higher quality. My grocery expenses have ranged from about $160-$220/month in the past year, so I'm not doing terribly here.

Walking costs me very little; I have to buy shoes a bit more frequently than I would otherwise, but I'm actually surprisingly easy on my shoes. I'm also very certain that I've saved money on health costs with this one. Every once in a while I'll pay to drive to somewhere that's especially pretty for walking (local parks and preserves, etc).

How much time a week you spend on it?

Crochet and knitting: From zero hours a week to 10 or more.
Reading: Usually 15-30 minutes a day, sometimes more. Very rarely less.
Baking: I usually bake about once a week at this point, because I'm trying to avoid eating truly unnecessary amounts of baked goods.
Walking: Probably 10 hours a week.

Is the hobby a side business? Nope! These are all strictly for fun.

[mustachedad]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
Hunting, fishing and hobby farming / habitat development.

How did you get started?
Grew up in an outdoors family

How much money do you spend on it?
Easily $10-20,000 annually.   If I buy a big piece of equipment, new boat, or go on a big time trip it may be a whole lot more some years.

How much time a week you spend on it?
Since I retired, as much as I want, it's pretty much my job.  For instance, I've been hunting every day for the past 25 days.

Is the hobby a side business?
The hobby farming makes some money.  Bought all of my properties for hunting and recreation with the idea that they would spin off some side income also.   We have ground in various CRP programs, wildlife habitat programs and some is conventionally farmed, we earn approx. $30,000 annually off of these.

Teach me your ways!

[davisgang90]

What hobby/hobbies do you have? Photography
How did you get started? 20th wedding anniversary vow renewal ceremony, we sprung for a photographer.  I bought a DSLR camera before we got home from the trip.  Took me 2 years to finally take the camera off automatic and learn how to shoot in manual.
How much money do you spend on it?  I've spent $4-5K on cameras (currently have two), another $2-3K on lenses and other equipment.  I spend several hundred a year on new gear and trips.
How much time a week you spend on it? Several hours a week
Is the hobby a side business? Just a hobby for now

https://www.photographybyrichdavis.com/

[lemonlyman]

I can really only support one hobby at a time right now. Currently, it's chess.

Chess:
How did you get started?
A friend of mine messaged me earlier in the year and asked if I wanted to get good with him. I scoffed at the idea, but a few months later watched the Magnus documentary on Netflix and began casually playing. Now I'm addicted with a goal of being the highest rated player in the state (not much competition in the state, but it'll still be difficult).
How much money do you spend on it?
$35 on a set and probably $30 on books so far.
How much time a week you spend on it?
15-20 hours.
Is the hobby a side business?
NOPE

[E.T.]

I really like the idea of homebrewing, but I just don't need drink anywhere near enough beer to make it cost effective.  All of the guys I know who DO drink enough beer to make it cost effective are enormously large around the middle, and I'm trying to avoid that fate as I slide into my 40s.

Yeah, I think the cost effectiveness happens more if you hang on to the same brewing equipment for years. We use things til they break and keep it simple with no kegs or anything like that. We diy-ed most of our equipment to keep initial costs low too. I do give a lot of beer away as gifts or bring it to parties to share. However I'm sure my middle could also use some trimming. Beer and cheese are too tasty, lol.

It's fun to see that lots of people on this thread have home brewing as a hobby. I haven't met that many people who are into it in person.

[HBFIRE]

I spent roughly $10k on mountaineering this year, almost all of it on one big trip to the top of North America.

How's that for anti-mustachian hall-of-fame spending?  Totally worth every penny.

Nice.  Some of us in our boy scout troop (anchorage, AK) all climbed Denali in our teenage yrs.  Amazing experience.  My biology HS teacher had climbed it something like 16 times.

[HeadedWest2029]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
Trail running, hiking, tennis, reading blogs & listening to podcasts generally in personal finance & investing

How did you get started?
Trail running (and general outdoorsy stuff like camping & hiking) - introduced to local trail system by a co-worker
Tennis - my brother got me into it as a wee lad

How much money do you spend on it?
Trail running - I would guess maybe $500 a year for shoes, clothing, trail races
Tennis - Probably $100-$200 a year

How much time a week you spend on it?
Trail running - maybe 8 hours a week
Tennis - maybe 4 hours a week

Is the hobby a side business?
Considering teaching personal finance / coaching as a FIRE side hustle post ER

[DadJokes]

I just joined a local board game group on Meetup. A lot of the people in the group have spent hundreds or more on games. I just show up and let them bring the games, since they generally would rather play their own games anyway. The only cost has been the gas to get to the group every week. It's a great deal.

[horsepoor]

What hobby/hobbies do you have? - horseback riding, specifically dressage
How did you get started? - I was born horse-obsessed and finally wore my parents down enough to start riding lessons when I was nine.  I was first introduced to dressage as a teen, and have been trying to get a suitable horse and instruction to advance in the sport for the last decade.
How much money do you spend on it? - all the money.  Too embarrassed to talk about it on this forum!
How much time a week you spend on it? - I spend a lot of time reading/studying since there are so many topics - horse care, veterinary issues, as well as dressage/training theory.  Then a couple hours most days at the barn, plus time dealing with equipment, feed, etc.  Easily 20+ hours per week when I'm actively riding, more if I have a show or other event on the weekend (main riding horse is currently injured).
Is the hobby a side business? - no, though I will probably have some sort of horse-related side hustle when I retire (teaching riding, horse massage and/or hoof trimming)

[SharkStomper]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
Weight lifting and knife making.

How did you get started?
I was bored.

How much money do you spend on it?
Way too much.  I've spent over $3000 in equipment and I couldn't guess at my material and supply costs.  #badbudgeter

How much time a week you spend on it?
When I'm home and not traveling for work I probably spend 20-30 hours/week on the knife making.  Lifting is about an hour/day 4 to 6 days per week.

Is the hobby a side business?
Hah, I wish.  I have sold a couple of knives and hope to eventually get good enough cover supplies.

[soccerluvof4]

Health and Fitness- I workout on average probably 6 days a week Try to do 2 Hrs a day but probably average 90 minutes

I started when I was 19 and Was into Bodybuilding more for myself for about 18 years before I had a major injury in the squat rack. Then i kinda lost the same 60lbs about 10 xs till about 4 years ago when I Fire'd I lost it in the first 3 months and kept it off. I mostly do cardio like things now and lift in the summer when my kids are off school.

Summer I enjoy taking the boat out and fishing or just sight seeing.

I really need more hobbies as I get pretty bored but I do alot of cooking but to me thats more work than what I would call a hobby.

[Threshkin]

I just joined a local board game group on Meetup. A lot of the people in the group have spent hundreds or more on games. I just show up and let them bring the games, since they generally would rather play their own games anyway. The only cost has been the gas to get to the group every week. It's a great deal.

+1
I did the same a couple of years ago shortly after FIRE.  It is a lot of fun and my only expenses are an the gas and an occasional beer.  I preach mustachenisim (sp?) when appropriate.  Oh, I did buy one game, for a white elephant exchange last December.

The one thing that makes me wince is how casually some members spend money.  Buying food and not finishing it, spending $15-30 a night on drinks, ignoring the happy hour deals completely, etc.  This makes me wince but I just keep my mouth shut.

[Bloop Bloop]

Chess, piano and, unfortunately for my finances, fast cars.

I am trying to do a unicorn FIRE - retire by my 40s but with a supercar or two in the garage. Fingers crossed.

[Linea_Norway]

I have a couple of the hobbies that are already mentioned here. Mostly related to outdoorsy stuff and cheap to do after gaining the necessary equipment.

A hobby that has not been mentioned yet, is free diving. This is a nice hobby by itself. But you can also combine it with foraging seafood (shells, seaweed). E.g. hunting fish with a spear, if your country allows that. Free diving is much more simple than scuba diving, but of course, it is limited what you can do.

Another hobby is amature astronomy. After the initial purchase of a telescope, a good star atlas, and several upgrades to get better equipment, it is for free, as long as you do it at home, or at some other place with free/cheap staying. It can also become a really expensive hobby if you let yourself go completely. The best strategy is to either buy a telescope second hand, or build one yourself. There is a lot for sale second hand, if you have the time to wait for the good bargain to come along.

[NorthernMonkey]

What hobby/hobbies do you have?
I volunteer on a steam railway, as the guy who shovels the coal

How did you get started?
Some spare time, not much money, and I liked trains when I was a kid

How much money do you spend on it?
Its about 250 miles. I have to pay fuel, and accommodation at some really cheap volunteer digs they have

How much time a week you spend on it?
When im there, its full time, 12 hour days

Is the hobby a side business?
Very much a hobby

[Dancin'Dog]

There's an "axe throwing" bar opening nearby.  It sounds like a lot of fun.  I might look into getting some axes and practicing at home. 


Seems at lot tougher than tossing beanbags.

[albireo13]

1. Astronomy - enjoy the night sky
2. Biking - keeping in shape
3. Outdoors - hiking, kayaking

[Chris@TTL]

Have any of you all had a bad experience turning your hobbies into businesses?

For example, did making the hobby about money over time mean that the focus on the hobby as a passion, something for fun, turn into cold business calculation?

Did you go from reading industry news, excited for the latest in greatest, into thoughts about how to best profit off of the changes?

[maryjane234]

my hoobies are book reaing nd cooking

[Monerexia]

1. Ping Pong
2. Disco-Dance
3...

[asauer]

I love reading everyone else's posts here!

I have a few:

1. Political Activism
- got started after my adopted children (from Guatemala) were gleefully told by adults that "the wall" would send them "back where they came from"

2. Veggie/ fruit gardening
- its a great physical outlet
- allows me to feel accomplished even when I worked all day for what sometimes seems like no results
- After year 2, actually saves me about $30/ week in groceries!
- I also volunteer in my local food pantry garden, so I can get dirty to help other people

3. I walk live and virtual half marathons (13.1mi)
- started with a 5k to get back to physical activity and then fell all the way down the rabbit hole.  I love the challenge and the time to myself.

4. Volunteering with a local Tiger Rescue (Carolina Tiger Rescue).  Also, don't ask me about Tiger King or I will cut you.
- Volunteering gives me that happy feeling
- I have met several friends though the organization

5. Reading/ Booktuber
- Massive bookworm
- started a youtube book review channel to connect w/ other readers
- I love learning and books are a cheap way to learn
- the Youtube part is a creative outlet for me- I get to mess around with video editing/ canva etc.