Expensive hobbies can be fun, but not everyone can partake. Here are ten pastimes that bring lots of pleasure, but are too pricey for many to do.
Recreational Flying
Recreational flying can be fun, but it costs thousands of dollars to even get a license. That’s not to mention the hours of practice it takes.
“I’ve logged a bunch of hours when I was in high school. The owner of the airport had a deal where if you went to the local high school ground school was free you just had to pay for flight time. $60 an hour back then. I grew up poor and baled hay for cash and when I had enough money for an hour flight I would schedule a quick rip. Life got in the way and I have only flew a few times since. Two of those times have been commercial flights but I love it so much I count them. I miss it dearly,” says one Redditor.
If you have the resources, flying is fun but it costs a pretty penny.
Stained Glass
Stained glass is beautiful to look at. It’s also very artistic. Unfortunately, it can have a costly barrier to entry.
“I love stained glass, but those supplies aren’t cheap. Plus, I have a young kid in the house, so I’d need dedicated space for it since you’re basically working with sharp objects. I did find a class locally, but it’s still rather pricey. I may suck it up and go for it anyway though,” says one person.
You might be able to find an affordable class via a local community college to see if it’s for you.
Snowboarding
If you live in a skiing community you know how fun it is to snowboard. There’s something to enjoying the snow and go downhill. But, it’s not cheap.
“I’d like to be able to keep snowboarding but despite having all the equipment, lift tickets being $160 a day isn’t reasonable anymore. Over $300 for my husband and I to go on any given day,” notes one person.
Perhaps some locales will offer a season pass to help you save money. Even at that it can be quite costly.
Racing Formula Cars
Racing formula cars is exhilarating, but it’s not cheap.
“I raced formula cars in the SCCA for a few years in the late 1990s. To do it with any ability to win requires a budget that would make NASA or the DoD jealous,” says one Redditor.
If you don’t have a generous budget, this may not be a hobby for you.
Falconry
Falcons are beautiful animals, but caring for them as a hobby is not without cost.
“I thought about getting into falconry, did a bunch of studying, then purposefully failed the test bc I was wasn’t willing to commit to caring for a bird for the next 10 years of my life. No clue was the financial costs are like nowadays, but the time commitment is MASSIVE,” says one person.
Falcons can cost thousands of dollars. That doesn’t include care for the bird or food. It’s also an expensive hobby, time wise.
Glass Blowing
Glass blowing is quite majestic, but it’s also a pricey hobby.
“Honestly it’s very expensive, but even just a first experience class can be worth it just to try. As someone trying to make this my career, would definitely advise to only do it as a hobby,” notes one person.
Classes alone can cost several hundred dollars. Having a personal studio costs thousands of dollars.
Mountain Biking
Are you a fan of extreme sports? You may enjoy mountain biking. It’s not a cheap hobby.
“Not only are the bikes really expensive but it seems like they need repairs all the time,” notes one Redditor. Another says, “Even mid-level full suspension mountain bikes are pushing $4k these days. Add in the gear and it gets pretty ridiculous. It is fun though.”
That’s significantly more expensive than a basic bike to ride around the neighborhood with your kids.
Golfing
There’s something about getting out in the fresh air and enjoying a round on the links. It’s not cheap though.
“Just bought a set of irons for like 800 dollars. I get this. Not to mention it’s 30 bucks anytime you wanna play.
I was spoiled having played disc golf for years that the discs costs 15-20 bucks and the courses are mostly free,” says one person.
Not everyone lives in a location where they can golf in the offseason. You can use daily deal websites though to try and find discounts.
Boating
Being out on the open water can be intoxicating. It’s not a cheap endeavor though.
“I have an old truck pulling a cheap boat. It goes where I need to go and the boat floats. Altogether less than 10k and I can fish. Seen bass boats that are over 30k and new trucks are about 50k,” says one person.
Another notes, “My budget setup gets the family out on the water and we make MEMORIES… But boy would it be fun to be able buy a really nice boat for once that’s reliable and legally holds us all.”
There’s no saying you can’t go affordable on this hobby.
Collecting High End Watches
Do you love a good watch? It’s easy for costs to get quite exorbitant.
“I genuinely love the watches of Patek Phillipe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, A Lange & Sohne, etc but their entry level watches are like 20-30 grand and the ones I really like are well into the 6 figures,” says one person.
Another notes, “You also have the problem of buying them. Some of those brands (well, dealers) won’t consider selling to you unless you’ve already got an extensive purchase history of Rolexes or whatnot. ”
Maybe this is just a hobby you dream about without pursuing.
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