Shoutout to my old spreadsheet for showing me the real cost of my 'cheap' hobby

Everyone says to budget for a hobby, but I thought my $50 a month was fine. It took me a full year of tracking every single supply run to see I was actually spending over $800 annually because of all the small trips. Has anyone else had a hobby budget that looked fine until they added it all up?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_dixon23d ago

Man, can I ever relate to this. I used to be so sure my woodworking hobby was cheap because I only bought lumber when I had a project. What finally opened my eyes was adding up all those "quick trips" for sandpaper, glue, and a single clamp. Those twenty dollar stops add up so fast over a year. I had to completely change how I plan and buy supplies. Now I try to batch my purchases, and it's saved me a ton. Tracking it all was a real wake-up call.

grant.jade22d ago

Sounds like a lot of work for a hobby.