Why are hobbies so expensive?!

[Blondie]

It's just...GAH! D:

I'm so down for making a legit latex tail, I have a list of everything I need and the site/shop to get it at. But the only thing that's holding me back is cash Dx Grrr... I can't wait till the summer so I can start lifeguarding again and make some money! But then I remember college around the corner >.>

And that's my little vent session...I figured I'm not the only one out there who's bothered by this...

Why are the most loved things in life either fattening or too expensive? Dx

[SireniaSolaris]

That's just the nature of hobbies. Unless you turn it into something that makes you profit (and then you are mostly just breaking even because you are ALWAYS putting more money into it), hobbies will always cost.

Examples:

Music - Instruments are NOT cheap. Unless you find free sheet music here and there, you usually need to buy books, buying or renting equipment to record, etc.

Painting - Buying paints, brushes, Canvas (and omg stretched canvas is horribly overpriced!), and other mediums.

Dance - paying for lessons, work shops, costuming. My last intensive cost me over $400, and as for belly dance wear, a pair of pants usually starts at $60, tribal necklaces usually start around $70, all in all for a simple base outfit, you're easily spending $200. And that is just the base. Add several pieces to that ranging from $20-$150 each, each total ensemble is thousands of dollars.

Sports - paying for playing on teams, sports equipment, uniforms

And us mermaids of course - there's the tail, tops, accessories.

So, the nature of hobbies is just that - a money suck. While not thrilled about it, I accepted that fact some time ago. And it is frustrating at times. It is why I can't do everything I use to. (I do music, dance, art, gourmet cooking, circus arts, interior construction & design, costuming, balloon art, face pinting, other kid's entertainment, and of course mermaiding.

So, I get to do very little of the things I love and even when focusing on only one thing, progress is very slow. Once a baby is introduced to the picture, hobbies are no longer the biggest money suck :(

No worries. Just do your thing at the pace in which you can. Try to maybe get little gigs here and there for some extra cash to help move things along a little faster when possible. I'm in your boat for creating my silicone tail.

[taom]

I dunno about that exactly. My hobbies include sewing and costuming. I go to garage sales and consignment stores to get dresses and things for fabric which ends up being really cheap. I use that hobby to pay for my other ones.

[Mermaid Saphira]

I feel ya, mermaiding is my most expensive hobby but it's well worth it in the end :)