Author Topic: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?  (Read 26215 times)

IowaStache

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Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« on: October 15, 2014, 07:52:31 AM »
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« Last Edit: June 10, 2016, 08:52:39 AM by IowaStache »

StartingEarly

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2014, 08:05:36 AM »
Expensive is all relative.  My hobbies cost well over a thousand a year and I define them as cheap.

Kansas Beachbum

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2014, 08:11:37 AM »
Yes, scuba diving.  Very expensive when you live in the Midwest.  Hobbies are what make life fun (well, more fun), and are part of why we are frugal in other areas...to support our hobby.  Go for it!

JoanOfSnark

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2014, 08:20:06 AM »
oh god, I've got a few.
Travel being the worst offender, though I find it worthwhile to my personal development... I am trying ot put a bit of a cap on it for next year though, since I got a bit carried away this year...
Foreign language lessons- it lets me feel smart and relatively talented again, and makes the aforementioned travel more fun
Roller derby, though I just retired. Boxing is up next, but I'm trying to keep it to under 25 a month.
jewlerymaking- I recently made back the cost of the lasercutting course in commissioned pieces though, so hopefully this is a profitable venture from here on in. It also gives me a chance to collaborate with some of my artist friends!


Forcus

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2014, 08:21:02 AM »
Car hobby. I have a 1974 International 4x4 pickup and am budgeting $15k for the restoration / modifications. I have a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis that I intend to turbo and convert to a manual transmission, as well as eventually build as a "pro touring" car. Probably $15-20k budget for that. My Focus daily driver needs a full suspension rebuild, paint and body, I have a supercharger for it but need to buy the tuning package, so we'll call it $7k. In addition I need to build a new shop for my tools and that's around $40-50k (however, I intend to do side work to recoup much of the cost). So yeah.... expensive!

In addition I am going to start taking flying lessons and probably buy a Cessna 150 / 152 if I decide to carry on (I have ALWAYS wanted an airplane. Since I was little). Figure about $7k for lessons / rental, $20k for airplane, and $2-3k a year in costs. Although this seems cheap compared to the car stuff!

Timmmy

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2014, 08:26:14 AM »
I have several but I try to do them in the least expensive way possible. 

I play hockey, hunt, target shoot, dirt bike, and crossfit.  All could be costly if done the "normal" way.  There are always way to do things in a more frugal way. 

Ynari

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2014, 08:35:33 AM »
My hobby (circus training and performance) costs up to $4000 a year if I go all-out (I plan to next year).  To be fair, it may turn into a stream of income one day, or at least turn into a barter-able ability.  But while I'm working the 9-to-5, it keeps me sane.

Hobbies that I don't plan on turning into an income stream (knitting, reading, language learning, travel) are done as cheaply as possible, as they are more flexible - though, as someone already pointed out, travel can get really expensive.  These hobbies are funded largely through gifts, small purchases, DIY/ingenuity, and travel hacking.

forestbound

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2014, 08:56:49 AM »
Dogs. Are they considered a hobby?

Unfortunately they can be expensive. I have one dog that is allergic to grains and chicken and beef, so expensive grain-free dog food for him, along with meds. I have another dog that is 12.5 y.o. and needs even more expensive meds, like $100/month. Plus the vet bills, I seem to be in there every other month for something, treats, toys , etc... When you add it all up its costly. BUT, I dont' have kids and my dog is my hiking buddy and brings me great joy, so no need for gym membership or therapist... they pay for themselves!


MotoMM

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2014, 09:10:46 AM »
Motorcycles... not expensive ones, under 10k in total.  Insurance and maintenance is low also, and I enjoy doing some of the maintenance.  I'm not talking about a new Ducati or BMW.

The way I look at it... would I rather work just a bit longer and spend my free time now doing what I love doing?  In my case, yep.


horsepoor

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2014, 09:24:56 AM »
I agree with the previous poster that if the hobby is worth working longer to pay for, it's worth it.

As you can tell from my user name, I have an expensive hobby.  A $600 one-time cost sounds cheap to me; I routinely spend more than that on a monthly basis for my horse hobby!  However, I love doing it, and have no desire to reach an early retirement that does not involve having horses.  I don't have children, make a darn good salary, and have pretty low living expenses otherwise.  With a few more shifts in my budget, I'll be able to indulge in this hobby while still saving about 40% of my salary.  I also try to keep costs down by doing things like trimming my horses' feet myself rather than paying a farrier, buying used equipment instead of new etc.  Hoof trimming and giving riding lessons could also turn into a decent sideline to offsett my hobby expenses if and when I RE.

However, if $600 feels like a large amount of money to you right now, buying the tools might not be the right move.  OTOH, woodworking is another good example of a hobby that could eventually be profitable if you are so inclined.  Maybe do the calculation on how much the $600 will be in future dollars if you invested it instead of buyng the tools, and see how you feel about that?

Kaspian

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2014, 09:28:31 AM »
Besides travel, I go to sci-fi conventions.  While admission for these usually doesn't cost too much ($60-100?), the costuming aspect can easily run into a few thousand in a year if you're not careful.

Right now I need accurate boots for my "Firefly/Serenity" browncoat costume.  They go for about $550+.  I'd also like a specific retro 70s calculator watch for my classic "Battlestar Galactica".  Those go for $200-700 easily (depending on whether they work or not).

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2014, 09:37:16 AM »
Motorcycling, though I was pretty good with buying a used bike well bellow book value.

Insurance is $225/year and the thing goes 150 miles on a $10 tank of gas =D

I can't picture life without two wheels and a throttle.

retired?

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2014, 09:38:31 AM »
It is all a trade-off.  If you have higher happiness or "utility" from the hobby as opposed to the opportunity cost associated with it (working less), then you choose to do it.  Just as rational people trade with each other, individuals trade one choice for another by allocating their scarce resources in a way that is optimal .... to them.

I don't think Mustachian means not working for a company (continue to do so if you like it) or not spending at all.  It is about obtaining the freedom to make your own choices, including hobbies.

Any that can be done without borrowing seem fine.

Of course, few people are rational all the time.

That said, I don't have any I'd consider expensive......travel and wine, perhaps.


RapmasterD

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Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2014, 09:48:37 AM »
$400/month family gym membership. Quitting is not on the table because divorce is more expensive, as are weekly therapist visits. I go there every day of the week. And they have 'free' coffee. Unfortunately minimal eye candy (I'm referring to myself.)

KevBoston

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2014, 09:53:54 AM »
Yes, scuba diving.  Very expensive when you live in the Midwest.  Hobbies are what make life fun (well, more fun), and are part of why we are frugal in other areas...to support our hobby.  Go for it!

I second that. There are not only one time fees like certification and buying your own gear, but also maintenance and driving costs associated. At the end of the day, it is all worth it :)   

Exflyboy

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2014, 10:11:27 AM »
WEll I did build 2 airplanes, the last one was fully kitted out for instrument flight and did over 200mph.. It also cost about $90k.

Add to that about $3500 a year on hangar rent and insurance (I did all my own maintenance), advanced flight training, aerobatic lessons etc.

When I decided I was to retire I sold it.. That was a year ago in fact.

Frank

Krackerjacksna

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #16 on: October 15, 2014, 11:04:34 AM »
I use to have a saltwater aquarium. Very expensive, especially the larger you go.  I recently got rid of it. To save on electricity, time, and overall monthly cost.  One day again I will get another but I really hate my job.

trailrated

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #17 on: October 15, 2014, 11:13:34 AM »
Jeeeeeeeeep, I consider it somewhat frugal though... my dream car being like $7,000 and relatively easy to re-sell. Hence the name ;)

MgoSam

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #18 on: October 15, 2014, 11:20:54 AM »
$400/month family gym membership. Quitting is not on the table because divorce is more expensive, as are weekly therapist visits. I go there every day of the week. And they have 'free' coffee. Unfortunately minimal eye candy (I'm referring to myself.)

If you mind me saying so, that is a very pricey gym, how nice is it and where is it? The gym I am leaving at the end of this month due to my rate increase (had a really cheap rate under their "under 26" plan that expired when I turned 27), and it was great: really clean, lots of available machines, amazingly clean pool, great showers and access to towels, and I believe a family plan would be under $200/month.

MandalayVA

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2014, 11:40:50 AM »
If travel can be a hobby, then sports tourism is mine and yes, it's expensive because with the exception of my beloved Yankees, where I'm a happy Bleacher Creature (cheapest seats in the stadium), we like to get lower level seats.  This weekend we're heading for Pittsburgh, where we'll be going to the Steelers game on Monday night and two Penguins games.  The total cost of all the tickets is about $1300.  Back in the day I'd take several trips a year just to see the Yankees at the Stadium or a favorite player who got traded or to go to a stadium I'd never been to before.  I'm one of those freaks who wants to go to all the major league baseball stadiums/cities and I'm a little more than halfway there.  And yes, it makes me happy and for the most part all the different stadiums and crowds have been fun.

zoltani

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #20 on: October 15, 2014, 11:41:30 AM »
Climbing - Initial investment is in the thousands, with occasional gear replacement costs at times. After that it only costs gas to get to the rock.

Bicycle touring/riding - Same deal, initial costs are high, but after that it is virtually free except for maintenance.

Those are my only two expensive hobbies.

cavewoman

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #21 on: October 15, 2014, 11:43:06 AM »
Car hobby. I have a 1974 International 4x4 pickup and am budgeting $15k for the restoration / modifications.

Another thing besides location that we have in common.  Well, sort of.  My boyfriend is very into fabricating 4x4s and off-roading.  He spends a lot, but also knows good deals on things like axles, and has made money by getting them cheap and reselling them. 

Since I've gotten into MMM, he will say things like "do you care if I spend XXXX on [insert project]?"  I try to interrupt right after 'spend' to say "No, I don't care, have fun!" because 1) I enjoy his hobby too and 2) he changes his mind a million times about which direction he's going with a project.  Not to mention that his 1982 CJ-7 is currently our largest asset!

We have a lot of equipment for rock climbing and rappelling too from when it was our job, and that can be expensive ...walking into an REI can get dangerous.  want it all. Most of the stuff lasts a long time if maintained well so over time it's not too bad.

We also finally bought a nice DSLR camera in May.  Went all out with the bag and an extra lens and whatnot.  But we had been saying we need a camera since we got together, and it's been really fun so far.

skunkfunk

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2014, 12:09:25 PM »
I have too many hobbies, some expensive.

I've got probably $3k-ish tied up in trombones (do get some slight income from this, however, I would get just as much with $500 worth of trombones.) I fix up an old 69 firebird that I don't even want to talk about aside from saying that I spend probably 16 hours last month replacing a stupid oil pump. Beer brewing equipment I've probably dropped $1k on between parts, ingredients, cleaners, sanitizers, etc. Bicycling isn't cheap. Tennis rackets and shoes kinda suck. Watching sports is way more expensive than I'd like (though I don't go to games anymore.) Gotta have something to do once I retire right?

In short yes there are expensive hobbies among us, even facepunch-worthy hobbies.

CabinetGuy

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #23 on: October 15, 2014, 12:23:32 PM »
Gym as well (crossfit.)  it ain't cheap, but then neither is a heart attack.  Feel better than I have in over a decade, and I'm finally putting some weight on.  Not good to be skinny when you're older.

Jon

JoJo

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #24 on: October 15, 2014, 01:36:11 PM »
I usually spend $5-10K a year on travel.

MrFrugalChicago

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #25 on: October 15, 2014, 03:15:04 PM »
Triathlons!

Running is fairly cheap, few 100 a year for shoes.

Swimming is more, maybe $200 every few years for wetsuits, and need to somehow get access to a lap pool (40-50 a month)

Biking is the real killer, easy to average 2-3k a year on getting a good bike every few years

Races themselves can cost $50 - $800

So ya... easy to spend 5k a year. But it is a lifestyle. I spend a huge % of my time on it. Makes me in awesome shape. have fun. So why not?

I just need to get better cutting back on other things. Keep buying video games thinking I will like them.. really I ain't got time for video games.



Forcus

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #26 on: October 15, 2014, 04:20:57 PM »
WEll I did build 2 airplanes, the last one was fully kitted out for instrument flight and did over 200mph.. It also cost about $90k.

Add to that about $3500 a year on hangar rent and insurance (I did all my own maintenance), advanced flight training, aerobatic lessons etc.

When I decided I was to retire I sold it.. That was a year ago in fact.

Frank

That's awesome, the aforementioned Cessna 150/152 is meant to be a springboard in to building an airplane like you've done if I find its something I want to stick with. I drool over the 200 knot+ airplanes but I'm on an ultralight budget.

theonethatgotaway

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #27 on: October 15, 2014, 04:36:43 PM »
About to start private ice skating lessons as an adult :) I know how to skate- want to learn how to be fancy.

RapmasterD

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #28 on: October 15, 2014, 04:50:54 PM »
$400/month family gym membership. Quitting is not on the table because divorce is more expensive, as are weekly therapist visits. I go there every day of the week. And they have 'free' coffee. Unfortunately minimal eye candy (I'm referring to myself.)

If you mind me saying so, that is a very pricey gym, how nice is it and where is it? The gym I am leaving at the end of this month due to my rate increase (had a really cheap rate under their "under 26" plan that expired when I turned 27), and it was great: really clean, lots of available machines, amazingly clean pool, great showers and access to towels, and I believe a family plan would be under $200/month.

That's a family membership price.

It's in the SF Bay Area. That alone is a clincher.

It has two outdoor olympic sized pools plus an extensive children's swimming area. We use this both days every weekend for about four months per year, in addition to my going every day.

The price drives me crazy.

FreeWheel

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #29 on: October 15, 2014, 04:52:59 PM »
I used to be an antique collector car hobbyist, and did dump a bit of money in that. But I enjoyed doing my own work and every car sold for more than I bought it for... some after many years and tens of thousands of miles of use... so there's that value too.

Most of us gotta drive something. Why not make it something cool that no longer depreciates? 

AlexK

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #30 on: October 15, 2014, 05:00:21 PM »
Buy the tools. I have lots of tools, never regretted buying a high quality one, and they have paid for themselves many times. If you were considering spending $600 on Harbor Freight Tools crap I would be saying don't do it but these are good tools that will not depreciate. You said yourself you would make money flipping them so there is no downside to buying them even if you change your mind.

My hobby is buying, fixing, and flipping motorcycles. I've had literally hundreds of bikes. It is so satisfying to buy a piece of junk for $500, put $200 and 5 hours fun garage time into it, and then sell it for $2k as a reliable bike.

I also got into rc helicopters (diy quadcopter with video goggles for long range FPV flying) for a while. A little expensive but tons of fun.

DarinC

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #31 on: October 15, 2014, 05:45:13 PM »
I don't think there's anything wrong with indulging your hobbies as long as you're involved in them. I justify some of my hobbies because they're cost reducers (DIY repairs/energy efficiency upgrades/behavior, smart purchases, etc...) and use some of the money I didn't spend on those to fund relatively frivolous hobbies (an old Mercedes, 3 flat screen TVs, a DSLR, an extra laptop, etc...).

I'm kind of a hedonist insofar as I value interesting and novel experiences, as opposed to physical comfort, and being frugal in some areas allows me to spend a little more in others and really immerse myself intellectually.

Lizzy B.

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #32 on: October 16, 2014, 06:07:12 AM »
I don't have particularly expensive hobbies, but I have a lot of them, so the cumulative cost is high. I too worry about this primarily because DH doesn't have many hobbies, and I feel a little guilty spending for my activities when he doesn't have something similar.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. A $600 purchase, if you use it regularly over the long term, isn't that big a deal and it sounds like it would give you some new, fun opportunities. Who knows? Maybe your wife will start seeing how much fun wlyou have with your hobbies and develop some if her own?  That's what's happened for us.

hybrid

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #33 on: October 16, 2014, 07:01:27 AM »
This is one of those great topics I think. The simple reality is people reading this blog are going to make some very (hopefully) conscious decisions about what they want to include in their budget. I love golf and had been in a country club for eight years before stumbling across this blog. We ultimately dropped the club (similar in cost to horsepoor's equestrian pursuits), and it wasn't a tough decision given the DW had not been using it much for various reasons over the past few years. But what about in a few years when the DW is retired, and our finances should be on even more solid ground? That's a bridge we will have to cross when we reach it. I honestly have no idea what we will choose.

In short, it's all about trade-offs. As long as folks are financially secure then the trade of time to pay for what they really enjoy is completely in the eye of the beholder. There isn't a right or wrong answer here once your finances are on solid ground.

Forcus

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #34 on: October 16, 2014, 09:32:51 AM »
Buy the tools. I have lots of tools, never regretted buying a high quality one, and they have paid for themselves many times. If you were considering spending $600 on Harbor Freight Tools crap I would be saying don't do it but these are good tools that will not depreciate. You said yourself you would make money flipping them so there is no downside to buying them even if you change your mind.

My hobby is buying, fixing, and flipping motorcycles. I've had literally hundreds of bikes. It is so satisfying to buy a piece of junk for $500, put $200 and 5 hours fun garage time into it, and then sell it for $2k as a reliable bike.

I also got into rc helicopters (diy quadcopter with video goggles for long range FPV flying) for a while. A little expensive but tons of fun.

Hah, when I read "flipping motorcycles" I thought, hope he wears a helmet!

I agree mostly about your tool comments. I find that when I'm building something (car, truck, tractor, house stuff, etc.) the value of tools far outweighs the value of materials. You can repurpose most any old material but without the right tools it's an exercise in frustration. As soon as our other house is sold I'm getting a plasma cutter and other stuff that will make the garage even better.

My only part where I differ on tools is the Harbor Freight comment. Some of their tools are as good or better than name brand. In fact I am fairly sure some of the name brand ones come from the same factory. I buy hoists / lifts, cut off wheels, sanding disks, welding supplies, parts bins, tarps, etc. from there. The only thing I had shyed away from is their electric motor stuff, drills, etc., but that was years ago and maybe their stuff is better. Some other stuff is still jenky, like some of their wood clamps, which when I bought them were basically useless.

Albert

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #35 on: October 16, 2014, 12:26:06 PM »
What's expensive? Depends how much $$$ you have available for non-necessities. I don't have any obviously expensive hobbies, but still I travel extensively during my vacation (I have a lot of it), hike in the mountains, cycle, play badminton once a week. All that is not for free, but it is part of living a good life now not just in some distant future.

FreeWheel

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #36 on: October 16, 2014, 01:40:06 PM »
Harbor freight is ok as long as you understand how to evaluate tool quality and don't buy the cheapest junk they sell.

If you buy their 10 piece screwdriver set for $3 or a 50 piece socket set for 6... Then  yeah, it's gonna be garbage!

ivyhedge

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #37 on: October 16, 2014, 01:51:32 PM »
Audio.
Travel.
Cooking.

Mr. Frugalwoods

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #38 on: October 16, 2014, 02:32:38 PM »
Amateur Astronomy.  Looking up is free, but you can spend 10's of thousands of dollars getting a better view.  I don't get to do much of it these days, but I look forward to re-igniting it when I'm FIRE.

Ham Radio.  Similar to astronomy, you can get started real cheap but the potential for gear obsession is high.

The good thing about both of these hobbies is that there is a robust used market for the gear.  Buying nicely cared for hobby gear for 50% of the new price is a magic thing.  Plus when something else inevitably catches your eye, you can re-sell your old stuff and often recuperate your total investment.  Telescopes don't really depreciate much after the first year :-)

eil

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #39 on: October 16, 2014, 02:50:25 PM »
I'm into vintage motorcycles. The Mustachian inside me knows this is wrong on a certain level. But it's not so much owning the bikes that brings me joy, it's riding them. I have no attachment to the machines themselves, no sense of nostalgia, any of that. But if I couldn't ride, I'd need some other kind of outlet. Bicycling is a fun and efficient way to get around locally, but it's no substitute for piloting a 2-wheel machine gracefully through a tight curve at high speed. Flying would be fun but is waaaay expensive if you're not making a living at it. And if you stick to older reliable bikes, that's where you get the most bang for your buck. Fools and idiots buy anything newer than 10 years old.

Although I'd love a fun and flashy new FZ6R, the realist in me understands that I'll get about 90% of the fun out of a bike that costs 1/5 as much. I like the late 70's to early 80's Suzuki GSes because they're cheap, plentiful on craigslist, easy to work on, bulletproof-reliable and Suzuki still makes tons of parts for them. I have a 1980 GS850GL that bought for $250 in fairly crappy condition that runs like a champ now. I also have a 1981 GS750E in near-mint condition that I regret buying because although it is low-mileage and very pretty, it's not as much fun to ride as the GS850. I'm going to sell it in the spring.

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My hobby is buying, fixing, and flipping motorcycles. I've had literally hundreds of bikes. It is so satisfying to buy a piece of junk for $500, put $200 and 5 hours fun garage time into it, and then sell it for $2k as a reliable bike.

How do you get away with only spending $200 and five hours??? Most old bikes have been sitting for dog-knows-how-long and previous owners lie about everything. There's a certain minimum of maintenance that must be done before you can declare a bike as reliable with a straight face. On the forum I hang out on (full of old motorcycling geezers), most of us estimate at least $1000 and about a month to bring a bike back to safety and relative road-worthiness if it's been sitting for a while. And that's considered cheap and easy relative to most brands. This figure includes things like new brake seals, new brake lines, rebuilding the carbs, cleaning and sealing up the air box, replacing carb boots, checking the valve clearance, new oil, new brake fluid, rebuilding the forks, replacing the tires (tires are good for a max of 5 years if you don't know their history), and so on. All of the required maintenance that has been neglected over the last 20-30 years that the bike has been sitting. If you're not doing all of these things, you're not really fixing up the bike, you're just getting it to run. And then passing the soon-to-be-apparent problems onto the new owner. If you've really done this with hundreds of bikes, it's a miracle you haven't been sued yet.

Also, Harbor Freight often gets a bad rep. Yes, a lot of their tools are poorly-made crap. But if you do your research, there are great deals to be had. I'm a fan of a lot of their hand tools (their ratchets and wrenches are as good as anything else for the home mechanic and come with a lifetime warranty) and some of their air tools.

Terrestrial

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #40 on: October 16, 2014, 06:24:02 PM »
I have too many expensive hobbies -

golf.  no further explaination needed.  at least a fair ammt of the time i pay for it as a 'work expense'.

bicycles.  can be a cheap hobby, but not when you have a penchant for nice bikes (i do).

muscle car restoration.  I drive a crappy 4-banger saturn ion and bike a ton, so i feel okay about this haha.  still expensive.

football.  season tix and tailgating supplies is expensive.

house renovations.  thankfully almost done with this...and did it as cost effectively as possible, all my own labor. 

i agree in general with what has been said though...i am frugal in other ares of my life so i can afford these things.  and i am okay working a few more years to pay for it.

Goldielocks

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #41 on: October 16, 2014, 09:54:11 PM »
Re.. Tools

Don't forget that woodworking tools require space to use them.

We ended up with a 500 sqft workshop on our current house because of a need to accommodate the tools.  E.g it greatly limited our viable housing choices during our last move.    Probably right decision for us as we rebuilt our home mostly ourselves, but please add the space factor toyour consideration set.

Oh, yeah, tools and saws use a fair amount of electricity.  Enough to notice anyway...

Villanelle

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #42 on: October 17, 2014, 12:03:56 AM »
Traveling.  Our travel budget right now is insane, even though most of the trips themselves are done fairly frugally. 

Also, reading.  I know, that one doesn't seem expensive, but I am overseas so my access to libraries with English books is limited.  I read a ton (100-175 books per year, on average).  Plenty of what I read is free, much is low cost, but I still spend a decent amount on books because so often, the books I am excited to read aren't available cheap or free, and I refuse to limit myself too much. 

In the past, I've spent a decent amount on scuba diving.  That's dropped to nothing as we are traveling Europe instead. 

To me, hobbies are one of the things that make life worth living.  I try to be reasonable and keep frugality in mind, but working an extra 5 years to have those hobbies?  Fine by me.

former player

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #43 on: October 17, 2014, 01:43:59 AM »
I agree with goldilocks: the $600 cost of the tool OP wants is vastly outweighed by the cost of the space to use those tools in.

I've done some expensive hobbies and some which ended up cheaper than they might.  I got good enough to be paid to ride horses, which helped a lot.  Scuba diving was not cheap, but was awesome.  The MG TF convertible sports car I kept for 23 years ended up cheaper than a standard modern car bought at the same time for the same money, which would have been scrapped long before I sold the TF.  The dog repays his costs every morning when I am greeted with a wagging tail.

Richard3

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #44 on: October 17, 2014, 02:08:14 AM »
We have a lot of equipment for rock climbing and rappelling too from when it was our job, and that can be expensive ...walking into an REI can get dangerous.  want it all. Most of the stuff lasts a long time if maintained well so over time it's not too bad.


I know this feeling. REI is like disneyworld for me (and can be as expensive). I dropped eight hundred bucks last time I went into an outdoors store and it was like a sixth the size of the REI I went to in the states. But, it's not expensive if it could save your life. At least that's what I tell myself (and I am doing something outdoors four to seven days most weeks so I get value for money out of it).

I'm pretty much geared up for everything now though.... or so I thought until I decided to get into trad climbing...

Dicey

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #45 on: October 17, 2014, 02:12:54 AM »
Interesting thread. As with anything, there's the stupid way to do it vs. the mustachian way. Nothing wrong with anyone's hobbies, just how they go about it. Do you flit from activity to activity, acquiring all the brand-name accouterments with a credit card that you don't even pay off before you've lost interest and moved on to something else? Or do you find ways to make your hobby more affordable or even pay for itself? It's not really what you do, but how you go about doing it that matters. Maximum enjoyment for minimum dollars out of pocket.

Jesus Christ

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #46 on: October 17, 2014, 03:30:40 AM »
Motor boating for me, I try and keep the hobby cheap. I have a smaller aluminium boat which can be towed with a car. Don't need a large engine to get the sucker on plane.

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #47 on: October 17, 2014, 05:40:54 AM »
I would say travel, but since learning about Mr Money Mustache, I have put that on hold for now until I get my finances well up where I want it to be. So I would have to go with my gym membership which costs me 140$ every month (which includes gym access + personal trainer). Sure I could go DIY on it, but I don't think I would have the same motivation without a personal trainer, he helps me motivate to go at the gym on a regular basis. I figure the 140$/month is an investment on my health.

boarder42

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #48 on: October 17, 2014, 05:46:38 AM »
Boating - just the equipment cost me 19k - yearly cost is ~ 2k
Travel - we spend 4-5k / year on this

factor what you enjoy in life into your budget and just have fun.  This isnt about doing absolutely nothing not everyone here is 100% mustacian.  If i were i'd be retired in 5 years.  Its gonna take me 10 - i'll work 5 extra years to enjoy traveling and wakeboarding. its all give and take.

cavewoman

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Re: Any expensive hobbies among mustachians?
« Reply #49 on: October 17, 2014, 07:05:42 AM »
We have a lot of equipment for rock climbing and rappelling too from when it was our job, and that can be expensive ...walking into an REI can get dangerous.  want it all. Most of the stuff lasts a long time if maintained well so over time it's not too bad.


I know this feeling. REI is like disneyworld for me (and can be as expensive). I dropped eight hundred bucks last time I went into an outdoors store and it was like a sixth the size of the REI I went to in the states. But, it's not expensive if it could save your life. At least that's what I tell myself (and I am doing something outdoors four to seven days most weeks so I get value for money out of it).

I'm pretty much geared up for everything now though.... or so I thought until I decided to get into trad climbing...

This post made me chuckle, and that bolded part is going to become my new justification for buying gear!