High Maintenance Hobbies?

[FIREmenow]

Boats.
"B.O.A.T. - Break Out Another Thousand"

Trying to mitigate this by turning our current boat from "Hobby Expenses" into "Primary Living Expenses" starting next year!

It's all in how you look at it.

[SAtoUS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdlerth I have been trying to write a novel. Some writers can work at it for 10 minutes a day, leave it to tend to their day j*bs and families. I can't. It takes me an hour of staring at the blank page before I gain any traction. Once I have some momentum, the prose flows. However, one interruption and the hour clock starts again. So I would call writing fiction high maintenance. I either have to devote a huge block of time to it or nothing gets written.

My uncle wrote a book in his retirement... Took him 28 years. After all that time, still not worth reading too.

[jjquantz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R In retirement, I don't have any hobbies at all that require practice or "less fun" times, because to me that is too much like work. I used to have hobbies like that when I was still working. Right now, my main hobby is playing video games and I don't play them competitively. This is a relatively cheap hobby, that costs me about $500-$600/year. As for time commitment, I just kick back and play for my own enjoyment so this hobby creates no constraints on my time.

I get what you are saying about it sometimes feeling like work. BUT, and for me this is the big thing, the feeling that I get when I am able to perform at a high level on the flute - playing Bach with a group of professional musicians and just nailing the performance is worth a lot of practice time. There are very, very few things in the world that bring me as much joy as playing music that I love at a high level. Heck, even singing 19th century American music and accompanying myself on the piano brings a smile to my face. But these things require practice and it does feel like work, sometimes. This is one of the reasons I retired when I did - to make time to find this feeling of joy through music.

On a lesser, but similar note. On the golf course, it really feels good to be able to step up and hit a little cut fade with the hybrid on one hole and at the next hole be able to hit a low draw with a driver. That is a lot more fun than hitting the same old weak slice time after time. I've done both and I know which one is more fun for me. But... it requires a commitment that feels like work.

I guess for me it is the resulting feeling of mastery that makes the practice tolerable (usually). I do worry about how this plays out as I age and that, eventually, no matter how much I practice, the results just won't be there.

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kite_rider Was watching other pilots with great envy at Lake Annecy, France. ..

We just got there. What an amazing and beautiful place. The drive reminded us of many mountainous drives back home but with more old cities!

[aja8888]

Quote:

I was definitely thinking more along the lines of the time commitment and, even more, the feeling that one has to put in some time doing something that is "less fun" (i.e. practice) so that one can have "more fun" later. I do get the other interpretations of "high maintenance,"

Restoring antique cars.........Time+$$$=Fun later (after the frustration of finding parts).

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjquantz I get what you are saying about it sometimes feeling like work. BUT, and for me this is the big thing, the feeling that I get when I am able to perform at a high level on the flute - playing Bach with a group of professional musicians and just nailing the performance is worth a lot of practice time. There are very, very few things in the world that bring me as much joy as playing music that I love at a high level. Heck, even singing 19th century American music and accompanying myself on the piano brings a smile to my face. But these things require practice and it does feel like work, sometimes. This is one of the reasons I retired when I did - to make time to find this feeling of joy through music.

I could have written the above...although I don't play with real professionals, I do play with people at the semi-pro level. It requires regular practice on my part, but I enjoy the practice because it helps me become a better bassist able to play at a higher level and that increases the enjoyment I get out of music.

Quote:

On a lesser, but similar note. On the golf course, it really feels good to be able to step up and hit a little cut fade with the hybrid on one hole and at the next hole be able to hit a low draw with a driver. That is a lot more fun than hitting the same old weak slice time after time. I've done both and I know which one is more fun for me. But... it requires a commitment that feels like work.

Again, I could have written that. I took a few golf lessons and was able to hit either a fade or a draw whenever I wanted. But, I simply didn't want to put the work into it on a regular basis and since then I've lost some of that ability. I still make great shots, but also hit too many poor shots due to the lack of practice. It doesn't really bother me because golf isn't my passion.

[ncbill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Owning and flying an airplane. We joked around the airport that modifications/maintenance/etc. is talked about in the terms of "AMUs"...a single AMU is $1,000...so modification X might set you back 9 or 10 AMUs. I enjoyed owning an airplane, but it was expensive and I am glad to not have that expense anymore.

Yeah, paying over an AMU annually just to insure my youngest student pilot, still in high school.

Not counting the AMUs spent on flight lessons since they were 15.

Hope they're successful in getting Uncle Sam to recruit them since I'm not paying for anything more than the basic license.

[Winemaker]

I spend about $3000/yr on grapes/juice/amenities to keep DW, myself and family stocked in vino. We spend another $4000 on booze related travel; Napa, Lodi, Finger Lakes, and Louisville KY.

[doneat54]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Restoring antique cars.........Time+$$$=Fun later (after the frustration of finding parts).

I get it. I spent nearly 8 years restoring this VW... but then the next 17 putting ear to ear grinning miles on it (about $1k a year). (slowly) restoring another now...

Off to VW Day at Lars Anderson outside of Boston in it Saturday if the weather holds!!!

[Breedlove]

We went through the bug restoring years ago , joined a club here in Houston and done all the shows . It was fun!
We used to ride in a 4th of July parade in the Woodlands Texas and other car clubs would also show up .
The corvette clubs hated us because we had scouts that would get there early and get parking places before the parade in the shade. The corvette clubs treated us like we were dirt but we always got more cheers because everyone has had a bug in their life . They used to be cheap to fix up unless you got one of the old vans.

[pjigar]

I call my self a builder so all my hobbies should be cheap if I can sell what build. If I can’t sell then it could get expensive real quick. My dream is to build a plane. Can experienced fliers chime in if it is a good idea?

[FIREmenow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by doneat54 I get it. I spent nearly 8 years restoring this VW... but then the next 17 putting ear to ear grinning miles on it (about $1k a year). (slowly) restoring another now... Off to VW Day at Lars Anderson outside of Boston in it Saturday if the weather holds!!!

That's hawt.

[Souschef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjigar I call my self a builder so all my hobbies should be cheap if I can sell what build. If I can’t sell then it could get expensive real quick. My dream is to build a plane. Can experienced fliers chime in if it is a good idea?

It is a good idea if you have the time, the money and the space. One popular kit plane is the RV6, but I know there are many others. You might contact the Experimental Aircraft Association for more information

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DatumPoint5 I have been a pilot for 30 years and I have never heard this quote!?!? VERY funny!!

Heh, heh, I always heard it a slightly different way - back in the day when I owned my own aircraft. YMMV

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjigar My dream is to build a plane. Can experienced fliers chime in if it is a good idea?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Souschef It is a good idea if you have the time, the money and the space. One popular kit plane is the RV6, but I know there are many others. You might contact the Experimental Aircraft Association for more information

What Souschef said. I helped a friend build a Pitts S-1 (not a whole lot different than the R/C models I'm used to, just different materials). Yes, it is cheaper than buying one complete, but only if you place no value on your time, or count the building time as part of the experience. And believe me, it takes a LOT of time!

The EAA is a fountain of information for homebuilders, much as ER.org is for early retirees. BTW, that's me sitting in the fuselage making engine noises. The guy who owns the airplane is in the white t-shirt.

[Pilot2013]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjigar I call my self a builder so all my hobbies should be cheap if I can sell what build. If I can’t sell then it could get expensive real quick. My dream is to build a plane. Can experienced fliers chime in if it is a good idea?

I'd build it.... but wouldn't fly it.

[SheitlQueen]

I enjoy target shooting, especially competitive shooting. It can be expensive and you have to keep up practice to do decently. I make sure to compete at least once a week.

I'm learning to play the banjo, and although it doesn't take a lot of money, it does take time. Fortunately I have plenty of that, so it comes down to being disciplined enough to make sure I practice.

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

Triathlon. Just came back from a tri in Mexico, been training all year and hurt my hip (well at least that's what I'm saying) and ended up just doing the swim. I'm afraid I'm done with longer races. So I've also taken up sailing since I retired, and ukulele torturing. Been doing the wine drinking for many years now, so I've got that down. Oh and lots of travel, just finished booking a trip to Tasmania. What the devil was I thinking?

[teejayevans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjigar I call my self a builder so all my hobbies should be cheap if I can sell what build. If I can’t sell then it could get expensive real quick. My dream is to build a plane. Can experienced fliers chime in if it is a good idea?

You can build it, but don't expect to make money when you sell it. Most people are not too keen on buying a plane built but someone with no expertise, so if you build, plan on flying it.
You can save some money on maintenance and parts. You still have to have it inspected annually. Gas costs the same. Hangar space costs the same.
I think the average build time is something like 12 years. Personally I prefer to fly for those 12 years. One guy said he worked on it full time and finished in 2 years.

[teejayevans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack Golf and sailing, both high maintenance IME.

Golf, sailboat, airplane....but no house!