45+ How Do You Have Fun

#1

Thought I’d create this one to find out, How do you have fun? What do you do to keep your sanity? And, what does it cost you to do said thing?

Ill go first: Motorcycles
I don’t get to ride across country or for that matter every week. But I love it. I can jump on and take the back roads for a few hours. I meet people who wanna ask about the bike and what Ive done to it and so forth. Seeing the roads from the seat of a bike makes thing so much more real than looking out of a windshield.
Bikes: HD, Triumph, BMW are expensive to buy and maintain. Your metric bikes tend to be a lot cheaper. Buy used instead of new and you’ll save few bucks.
Customizing: Yea, ehem, I’ve spent a little on mine… This can skyrocket price wise. How deep is your pockets?
Clothing: gotta have leathers or protective gear. Get a helmet please! ((yea I don’t always wear one either so I’m not lecturing you on it)) What about cold weather or rainy season gear? Yea, it adds up quick.
Insurance, fuel, maintenance: I use an insurance broker for our insurance so every year he finds me the cheapest. Fuel expense is just like any other. Just depends on how much and how hard you ride it. Maintenance is fairly cheap as long as you’re doing most of it yourself. Like a car, taking it to the dealer can be cost prohibitive. Learn to do it yourself and you’ll have knowledge that no one can take from you and you’ll save a few bucks.
You can drop a lot of $$ on this. A LOT!!.. Bike (new) 9-35k initial, gear 200-1500 initial, other 100+/-(monthly)

Ok peeps, who’s next?

#2

Short and sweet: Taking day hikes in the mountains with my wife and 4 dogs.

Cost: $0
Benefit: Priceless.

#3

Me: Roleplaying - tabletop RPGs, Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Fantasy Age etc. Initial outlay for the books, but the group shares, and once you are past the core rulebook, all of the rest is optional. It can get pretty insane if you want it all, though! Other than that, dice, paper, pencils and you’re done (OK, a lot of it is on devices now as well - but it’s so much easier than lugging bags full of hardcover books around).

Mr. ETT: Exactly the same as you @whiskey - motorcycles. Everything you’ve said above is pretty much what he has said. We are trying to get me on the back of the bike so it can become something we do together. I’m incredibly cautious, though (and a slow learner) but we’ll keep plugging away.

#4

Wife and I like hiking, walking, biking and running. Luckily, non of those activities cost much. And health benefits are great. In addition, we like any kind of live events that don’t cost too much. :wink:

#5

When I’m not at the gym, I like to make homebrew beer. I’m doing it the ‘easy’ way, ie using kits, although kits these days produce pretty decent quality beers (according to my friends and colleagues who enjoy my samples!).

Until recently, I was really big into my MMORPG gaming (World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic) but I now spend the rest of my spare time reading fiction, matched betting and watching tv (mostly Netflix originals).

I also like to attend music festivals and gigs - didn’t get to go to a festival this year so that’s very much on the agenda next year.

The gym and the festivals are my expensive hobbies, however the matched betting brings a little money in to offset the costs.

The homebrewing = cheap beer! :slight_smile:

#6

All you exercisers make me jealous. In my younger days, I competed in power lifting. Wasn’t to bad for a 148lb class. Now 20yrs later Im paying for all the lifting with joints that just don’t want to work as well. Course I could lose a few lbs or more which would help…lol. Walking is good but I dont need a gym for that. Lots of countryside here to see.
Making beer is a good hobby. I was reading Kings Distillery on how to make whiskey. Thought I could try my hand at that some day.
Being so far out in the country, music festivals are relegated to the Fiddler’s Reunion once a year and maybe a local band at the bar several miles away.
All good hobbies folks…

#7

Hike, bike, x-country ski, snowshoe, get together with friends for dinner and cards. My perfect day would be a x-country ski with my husband and friends followed by dinner at one of their houses, cocktails and cards. Ahhh, I need to plan a day like this!

#8

I decorate my planner. I usually spend $35 a month on stamps stickers etc. I love doing it and don’t care that people think I spend too much money. I get a lot of use out of this hobby and it’s well worth it to me. :slight_smile:

#9

Any adventure sport or outdoor sport is my fun. Running, cycling, paddling, climbing, hiking, mountaineering, or just plain car camping.

#10

I’m having more fun being retired than I ever did working!

Learning a musical instrument, learning a foreign language, yoga classes, growing food in the garden, having lunch with friends, belonging to a few clubs, blogging, reading. ETC!

#11

Indoor Basketball in the colder months and golf from Spring-Fall.

#12

I lift weights, have a hobby farm, ride motorcycle, play tabletop games, have a street rod, and race with the sports car club of America.