Hourly cost of hobbies

[familydocPA]

I did not like this tip.

Like many on this forum, my problem is more with not letting myself spend money than with needing to save. Calculating every last dollar is a surefire way for me to suck joy out of the hobby.

I hate that I have an expensive hobby (flying airplanes), but the $7k I spend per year gives me lots of hours of daydreaming, internet research, etc. than just the hours spent flying. And if I get one short flight in per week, I'm a much better husband/friend/doctor and happier in general.

I think the vast majority of physicians are not like me, however, and would benefit from this tip.

[VentAlarm]

I can only imagine that most of the other bikers I see with the spandex clothing and padded shorts have outfits that cost more then my bike. And their bikes cost more then my car!!!

Even the same hobby can cost a very different amount.

There’s also an unquantifiable cost associated with wearing spandex both to the person wearing it and to all within line of sight…..

[HikingDO]

I’m kinda surprised you’re not tubeless

Sorry, I misspoke, I am, not sure why I wrote gel in the tubes, just meant gel. In the desert if you’re not tubeless it’s ************************ with constantly changing tubes. I still get so many cactus thorns in my tires that I go through a container of gel every couple of months.

[Zaphod]

Besides being dumb and negative, it could cause you to try to devote more time to said hobby to decrease average price, which may not be the best use of time or a good idea.

[burritos]

MTB ((($1600+$800(maintenance))/17 yrs)/(12mo)/10hr/(mo)=$1.1/hr. Re upped with a new MTB this year, so need to reset the value amortization cycle again.
Cycling ($1000+$300(maintenance)/450hr last 2 years = $2.89/hr
Climbing ($68/mo)/(4hr/mo)=$12/hr
Gardening $1000/20yr/12mo/4hr/mo=$1.04/hr
Piano $2750/4yr/52wk/3hr/wk=$4.41/hr-->This was the most surprising, didn't expect how expensive this was.
Clash of Clans $10yr/180hr/yr=$.06/hr
Geocaching $20yr/20hr/year=$1/hr(though I double dip this with mtbing)

[Lordosis]

Drive to Colorado, go glamping, seems easy to me. I suspect it's easy to underestimate what you spend on your fun. I am stunned by what the soccer parents are spending on a sport that is so popular worldwide partly because it can be played with rubber bands and no shoes.

For us it is about$100 a kid a season. That includes the uniform and a ball but not cleats or shin guards. My wife sometimes can find cheap used stuff but we have to buy new sometimes. Hand downs helps. But we have to multiply it by 3 this year. X4 down the line. It adds up quick. We can easily afford it but I am not sure how everyone else does.

That is just soccer. Double it for baseball season.

We don't even do the expensive sports like hockey or martial arts or gymnastics. Or anything horse related. Crazy what some people can spend.

[Shant]

$3k for summer goaltender soccer camp...

[The White Coat Investor]

I applaud the effort, but I wonder how WCI came up with some of his cost estimates. I know mountain biking doesn’t cost me $25 an hour, but I am way cheaper than he is.

Aside from the cost of driving to the trailhead, hiking is basically free.

It's really about the cost of your bike and the distance from trailheads. It's a half tank for me to go to Park City and back. That's $25 right there.

Now, let's assume you have a $10,000 bike that you ride for 500 hours before getting a new one. That's $20 an hour. We haven't even started into clothing, accessories, and maintenance.

Hiking isn't free. Those shoes have to be replaced eventually. But I agree, it's far cheaper than mountain biking!

I'm sure there are things you can do to make any given sport cheaper. That's why it is a personal calculation. My cost to go canoeing is quite high since I first have to fly to Minnesota. But if you live down the road from Boundary Waters, it's probably a pretty cheap hobby.

[ticker]

I like it. One more excuse to call my wife from the river and tell her I'm going to have to stay and fish a little longer. "Just trying to save money by driving down the hourly cost, my love."

[Lithium]

It's really about the cost of your bike and the distance from trailheads. It's a half tank for me to go to Park City and back. That's $25 right there.

Now, let's assume you have a $10,000 bike that you ride for 500 hours before getting a new one. That's $20 an hour. We haven't even started into clothing, accessories, and maintenance.

Hiking isn't free. Those shoes have to be replaced eventually. But I agree, it's far cheaper than mountain biking!

I'm sure there are things you can do to make any given sport cheaper. That's why it is a personal calculation. My cost to go canoeing is quite high since I first have to fly to Minnesota. But if you live down the road from Boundary Waters, it's probably a pretty cheap hobby.

can’t even fathom getting a $10k mountain bike. That’s three times what my car is worth. I guess id be laughed at if I admitted what I paid for my mountain bike (twice what I paid for my road bike which I’ve taken on ride the Rockies twice).

[abds]

Golf is certainly expensive for me.

Cycling is high.

Depending on the gun, shooting targets at the range is probably the worst though.

[Kamban]

One would think that gardening would be a cheap hobby

But between buying endless tools ( they get lost / lose sharpness etc easily) , buying plants, seeds, bulbs and water/ hose / sprayer and fertilizer. soil and other enhancements the costs add up rapidly. And this does not even take into account the $6.5K zero turn mower and its maintenance. It approaches golf territory.

But the immense physical and mental satisfaction gained is priceless. Worth every penny spent on all those bushes and bulbs trying to attract the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds / other birds.

[uptoolate]

Podcasts and eBooks are free from the library.
Gardening can be expensive with annuals but more and more my gardens are full of perennials that can be divided and exchanged or even provide income.
Tennis is very inexpensive. Go through socks and shoes faster when playing. Public courts. Tennis balls are 24 canisters for 30 bucks at costco.
Ice hockey is a bit more expensive due to ice rental but I'm not one to replace equipment often and my last set of pants came off craigslist. With my booming slapshot the new composite sticks last about a hundred years.
Hiking is pretty much free.
Had the same Hobie Wave for 14 years and is 'berthed' at the cottage.
We have a pool at home that doesn't get much use but costs a fair bit in time and dollars so I would say it is my most expensive 'hobby' in the summer.
In the winter it would be skiing despite my sons' constant ribbing me about my 'antique' equipment. Lift tickets seem crazy expensive and cost of getting to quality hills is also relatively expensive.
Repairing things is probably a net positive on cost.

[G]

The cost per hour is the rabbit hole that I try to avoid, it really brings out my neuroticism if I let it go unchecked.

The heliski thing hit hard. I like to value it on a per-run basis, or a per-vertical foot basis. Makes the lift ticket/season pass seem like a screaming deal if you are able to get a couple sessions of first tracks on a handful of pow days.

[JBME]

I haven't seen anyone mention playing an instrument. Those costs can also vary widely and also how often you're able to play. But some instruments can last a lifetime. Of course then there will be some ongoing maintenance costs