How to save money on expensive hobbies
Do you or your significant other like to golf? Does either one of you have a video game problem? How do you save money on the poker table? Saving money on expensive hobbies can be done – you just need to know how.
Expensive hobbies can be budgeted like cheap hobbies
The key to sustaining expensive hobbies is budgeting. Remember, you can budget your money and your time.
If you focus on budgeting and being frugal in how you practice the hobby, you can still achieve your wealth building goals while having fun.
On the other hand, minimizing the noise in your life so you can focus more on your hobby is a key tenant of minimalism.
Think of expensive hobbies like this. Expensive hobbies are only expensive because you have a bunch of other hobbies in your life you don’t care much about. In other words, you might be spending your time and money in the wrong places.
To find out what really matters to you, find a quiet place to think. Your quiet place doesn’t have to be in your house. If you prefer to be in nature, find yourself a nice park bench.
Once you’ve found it, ask yourself what makes you happiest. Do you feel the most relaxed while out on the golf course? Do you find your stress melting away when you turn on a new video game? Maybe you recognize your mind can totally relax while shuffling chips at the poker table.
To give you an idea, you should read through these three examples of how an expensive hobby can be done cheap.
Golf
Golf can easily be the most expensive hobby on the planet. If you don’t know, memberships to the most prestigious golf courses can be $250,000 on top of annual membership dues.
On top of that, golf clubs can be expensive if you’re not careful. And if you’re not very good like me, you’ll lose a lot of golf balls and continue buying more.
However, golf doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t have to play 18 holes every day.
With websites like Golf Now, you can find discounted rounds of golf between $10-$30 per round.
If you use marketplaces like eBay or peruse local garage and estate sales, you can find reasonably priced used golf clubs. Since most of us aren’t turning professional anytime soon, used golf clubs will perform just fine.
Once you have a good set of clubs, they’ll last for years.
Use self discipline to avoid buying new golf equipment each year
With a potentially expensive hobby like golf, self discipline is important. Golf equipment manufactures spend tens of millions on marketing and advertising. When golf manufacturers put their logos on the top golfers, it works.
That’s why you need to be self aware. If you find yourself wanting the brand new driver, take a moment to tell yourself you don’t need it. Your used driver is working just fine.
By being smart about it, a golf budget of $100 per month can get you quite far. If you already have a set of golf clubs, $100 could mean at least 4 rounds of golf.
If you choose to walk instead of ride a cart, $100 could be stretched even farther.
Finally, try to golf when the course is not quite as busy. Weekend rounds of golf are the most expensive. If golf is your favorite activity, try to go during the week when discount tee times are available.
Video Games
For some, video games can consume an entire life. Video games can certainly be at the top of the list of expensive hobbies.
When staying up to date on the latest console and routine upgrades of your gaming PC, video games can consume lots of time and money. On the other hand, video games can serve as a type of meditation and relaxation for people across the globe.
If you love video games and also want to avoid spending large sums of money, try to find your video game niche. What games do you tend to love the most?
By focusing on what you love, you can dedicate more time and be more satisfied with the money you spend.
For example, if you’re not a fan of racing games, don’t buy one simply because some of your friends want you to play. After awhile, your friends will likely move on and you’ll be left with a $60 DVD case.
Find game deals by using Steam and Humble Bundle
With the rise of Steam, indie game developers have been given a chance to better distribute their games. If you pay close attention, indie game developers typically developer smaller, lower budget games which can be purchased at more affordable prices.
Routinely, Steam promotes sales on many different games. There are lots of options between $1-$10.
Without the price tag of large game studios, you might find yourself better enjoying your gaming experience. It’s hard to have buyer’s remorse when you only paid $5 for a game.
If you’ve never heard of Humble Bundle, give them a shot, too. Humble Bundle offers bundles of games for one price. After you pay the amount, you receive all games in the bundle. Better yet, Humble Bundle sometimes offers ‘Pay What You Want’ pricing.
And if Humble Bundle doesn’t suit you, subscribe to /r/GameDeals. When a game that you like goes on sale, you’ll be sure to know about it.
Finally, always check reviews before you buy. And trust the reviews. Reviews are out there to save your ass. If you still aren’t sure, read through forums and places like Reddit.
Chances are, there are people out there similar to you. If a bunch of people don’t like the game, you might not like it either.
Poker
Poker is a tough one. Inherently, poker requires money. If you tried to sit down at your local casino with no money and ask to play, everyone at the table would instantly face palm.
For me, poker isn’t about winning money. On one hand, winning money is nice; but it’s not why I play.
Since we’re talking about expensive hobbies, you should continue to treat poker as such. Here’s the dictionary.com definition:
hobby, noun: an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation
For most of us, our main occupation is not poker player. And if you like to play poker, you’re playing it for fun. Then why do you think you need to play for lots of money? There are cheaper poker options available to you.
Find some friends, family, or co-workers, and play micro stakes poker. Instead of betting $1 and $2, bet with dimes and quarters.
Sure, you won’t win much money, but that’s probably not the main reason you’re playing. If you’re playing with friends, you want to have fun and hang out.
If you don’t have any interested poker player friends, look into charity gaming. Many states have laws in place to allow charity gambling. If you have a charity casino near you, you may be able to find a low stakes poker tournament for around $40.
Conclusion
- Expensive hobbies can be managed if you budget your time and money.
- Stop wasting time and money on things you don’t like. Use the time and money you’ve saved to dedicate to things that you love to do.
- Golf can be cheap with used clubs and discount tee times.
- Save money on video games by finding game deals and avoiding the hype.
- If you like poker, play micro stakes games with friends or find a local charity casino to play smaller stakes poker tournaments.
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