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Is it possible to have more than one expensive, time consuming hobby?


troopertom

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I ask this question because I also like to homebrew, and I have a pretty kick an impolite person system for brewing beer on, but ever since I started researching armor and building a TK someday I have kind of put it on the back burner.  I am at the point now where it doesn't have to be expensive because I have all the equipment I need.  It is similar to building armor it sounds like, you are never really ever done with building a brewing system, just like you are never really done building armor. 

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Er, you are asking the wrong group. Everyone here will nod their head.  You think beer or armor is expensive?  Try golf.  Or, ask someone with a boat.  Or a private pilot's license.  

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Is it possible to have more than one expensive, time consuming hobby?

 

Not according to my wife.  :laugh1:

Edited by Mongoose
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Let's see I used to be a dive master, amateur film director, reenactors for 14th century, sword fighting for battle of nations, got bored with sky diving after I chickened out of a BASE jump, I did beer brewing and cupcake making. Making some armour for me to make kids smile isn't a cost in my mind, it's just what I can do when I have spare time

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How about 2 kids also with the same hobby :)

 

I am not only working on my own TK armor but helping my son with his Scout armor and my daughter with her Sabine armor ;)

 

By helping, that means helping build and PAY for their armor :)

 

It is awesome though being able to share this hobby with them!

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I like to homebrew too! For me It was a pretty cheap hobby, but I only make a gallon at a time. Various Gun or paintball/airsoft hobbying rack up the money quick, (especially in the blue states like me). and HAHA my wife has many expensive hobbies, like taking money shopping for hours and changing it into clothes and shoes. I'm pretty sure it's some sort of alchemy, that's how she takes so long turning money into other objects.

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Flying (flew in the Military and now for fun)

 

Scuba diving (I agree, gear is expensive but worth it!)

 

Running (Yes, its not just strapping on a pair of hoes...its entry fees, plane tickets, hotels, food, rental car possibly. Not mention the supplements and hours training)

 

R/C vehicles (Cars, trucks, boats, drones, and even submarines!)

 

KIDS!!!!!

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Stormtrooping has actually saved me money by diverting my attention away from model aviation. The buy-in for a beginner plane with radio, batteries, and charger can be pretty steep. Once you have doubled your investment on "crash and repair", you finally know a little bit about the hobby. Unfortunately, what you know is that the "cool" plane you own is not that cool. The electronics in the plane are garbage. The radio is weak and lacks function. The charger is crap.

 

The buy-in for your "next level" plane is even steeper. I need a 4-channel plane instead of a three-channel beginner model. That means I will need at least a five-channel radio with the capability to do channel mixing or reversing. My "next level" plane requires bigger and more expensive batteries. My charger, which can only be used when plugged into my car's 12V outlet, is not up to the task. So, there you have it. Gotta have a new plane. Gotta have a new radio. Gotta have new batteries. Gotta have a new charger, and it must be able to charge batteries of different chemical makeups, balance a battery's internal cells, have a programmable charge and discharge rate, automatic shut-off and heat sensor. Cha-ching! The "next level" plane is bigger, faster and less stable. Which is cool, because now you can finally do all of those insane maneuvers you saw on that WWII dogfighting documentary. You don't crash as much, but when you do, repairs are more extensive (read, expensive).

 

I am truly master of the skies! I can fly anything, which means I must fly everything. I need a slow flyer that self-rights for those lazy days when I just want to relax. I need a warbird for those days when I need an adrenaline fix. I need a sport plane or high-wing with ailerons and flaps for precision pattern flying. I need a thermal duration glider, at least 2 meters wingspan, because there is something unexplainably cool about flying unpowered for over an hour after a 30 second motor burn to 600 feet. I need a large dedicated aerial photography platform. I'll start with a plane, but will eventually require a quadcopter or drone that will carry a 2 pound payload (camera, 3-axis brushless gimbal, GPS, video transmitter for FPV, etc.). Oh, and I need a micro model for those times I can't get to a big field and want to fly in my yard. And a micro copter or multirotor if it's raining outside and I need to fly indoors.

 

Each vehicle will require different batteries. At least three of them, so you can fly for at least half an hour before packing it all up to go recharge. And since I now own 10+ models, I want a single radio that will control all of them. Now, we are talking computer radio, at least nine channels. Model memory and the ability to custom program each model setup. Not cheap.

 

Model aviation is a cruel addiction that can never be satisfied until every imaginable type of plane has been flown, crashed, repaired, and flown again. Just when you think you are there, the new product announcements come out and the must-have cycle starts all over again! So you see, when you think about it, armor building and costuming is relatively inexpensive. And at the same time, infinitely cool!

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Very much in the same boat!  I try to limit to one vice at a time but it doesn't always work.  Flying, running, brewing, RC cars, RC planes, RC helicopters, virtual reality, video games, costumes/armor.....  I guess I just figured out why I don't ever seem to have any money.

 

All of these seem to bring me closer to family and friends so it's all worth it.

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..and we Austriians complain about fees about 200...

 

Even cheap daycare (the kind you don't want your child to go to) is $1000/month, easily.  Many couples are finding it less expensive to get an au pair if they have multiple kids.

 

But, you Europeans pay more in taxes.  That is what most Americans seem to miss.  Yes, in Europe (and Canada for instance) you pay way more in taxes, but you get more benefits too.  In any event, the end take home pay is probably the same, so the joke is on us.  The other major difference is that the US tax laws are really heavily favored for the wealthy. EU seems to be nicer to the middle class.  But, that's a different topic, and not one that belongs on FISD.

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TRY ARCHERY! The target variety is not too expensive. In fact as long as I am on the subject I might add that I teach introductory archery every Sat. am in Pasadena CA.

Talk about cost to get you started!!!! $0.00 ... Zip....nuttin'' ...as in 100% free!!!

 

Just google Archery in Pasadena for info. If you think you like shooting target archery a nice set of equipment can be as low as $250 or even less if your a crafty shopper.

 

It's outdoors, as relaxing as fishing and quite satisfying hitting a coffee cup lid from 20 yards ( this is recurve equipment for all you compound fellows (your cheating! ).

 

So hunt down an archery club in your area and see what they offer. If you are in the LosAngeles area come to Pasadena and take our early Sat. am class. We provide all you need so just show up by 7am!!! And it's FREE!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Automobiles and Star Wars costuming.

 

But how many hobbies will give you the opportunity to meet celebrities from your favorite movies, send you to wear your costume to high profile events, etc.

 

501st membership has its benefits.

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Other than Star Wars & GI Joe costuming taking up a majority of my money, my amateur radio hobby takes up a good chunk of my $$$ (more money gets involved when I go tornado chasing)

Edited by thechosenhitman
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