An observation re. "leisure spending" from real life.
Yesterday I went fishing (nothing unusual there).
The fishing was poor but I had a great time being on the water. Cost was minimal; gas for the truck and boat. Everything else was "sunk cost", or for you
accountant types "fully depreciated". Then, in the evening we attended a musical at a nearby theater
(my culture "fix" for the year). Cost $84.00 for 2 tickets in the nosebleed section and the production was so-so.
We didn't dine out as part of this, but I had gas of maybe $5.00, so let's say total cost of $90 for the evening. The point is that the fishing was (almost)
free and much more enjoyable than the stage show.
I have found that free entertainment is all around you
if you just look for it. I used to buy about whatever I wanted, pick up huge dinner and bar tabs at over-
priced locations routinely. A lot of it was miserable.
But, I seldom have had a bad time fishing, or browsing
at Barnes and Noble, or killing time at the library, or
talking to a neighbor, or kicking tires at the local
motorocycle shop, or e-mailing friends, spending time
with my kids and grandkids. I still like my toys, but
I could cut leisure expenses to the bone and miss very little.
John Galt