What do you blow your money on?

[Andrew Jackson]

What hobby/interest do you blow your money on that others most likely would not?

For me it is the Buffalo Bills.

As a life long Bills fan who lives in California, I have splurged on Sunday Ticket for the last four years. About $300. Also, four years ago my brother and I made an agreement to go to a Bills game in a different city every year. This year we will be able to save some cash because the Bills play in San Diego. But we have spent a lot on trips to Buffalo, North Carolina, Kansas City and Arizona already. Actually, the Arizona trip was pretty cheap too because we stayed at our aunts house. We love it though.

[disneysteve]

Casino gambling would be on our list. We both enjoy going to the casino for a couple of hours or a couple of days depending on where and when. Of course, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Over time, it is always negative, though.

How much this costs is very variable. The past 2 visits were winning trips. Saturday I won $125. A couple of weeks before that, I lost $20 but my wife won $75. Previous trips have ranged anywhere from winning several hundred dollars to losing several hundred dollars.

[Andrew Jackson]

I was on a casino binge about 3-4 years ago. The first six times I played black jack I walked away up at least $100. And that was all within about a 10 day period. Then I lost $100 the next three times I went. I was still up overall but felt like a wounded dog and have never really had the desire to play again.

[seen]

My car. It's a piece of crap that I bought for long commutes and good gas mileage, so it's given me a chance to learn a lot about DIY projects. I started doing my own repairs as a way of saving money, but in the short term (tools, jacks, hoses, etc.) I'm spending just as much if not more since I'm also learning from my mistakes and in some cases having to re-purchase parts to re-do the work.

It'll save me money in the long run though...at least that's what I keep telling myself

[maat55]

[quote]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Casino gambling would be on our list. We both enjoy going to the casino for a couple of hours or a couple of days depending on where and when. Of course, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Over time, it is always negative, though.

Wow, finally an honest gambler.

[maat55]

I blow money on the occational tall budlight draft.

[gambler2075]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Casino gambling would be on our list. We both enjoy going to the casino for a couple of hours or a couple of days depending on where and when. Of course, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Over time, it is always negative, though.

How much this costs is very variable. The past 2 visits were winning trips. Saturday I won $125. A couple of weeks before that, I lost $20 but my wife won $75. Previous trips have ranged anywhere from winning several hundred dollars to losing several hundred dollars.

I think my extensive involvement in the stock market has permanently affected how I view casinos. For some reason, despite taking big bets in the stock market, I cannot get the same excitement in a casino. I just look at a casino as somewhere where I am mathematically bound to lose money, over a large enough sample size, so why even bother going in? I think when I was in Vegas a couple of times, a few years back, I might have spent like 20$ in the casino.

Maybe the stock market somehow satisfies my gambling urge... each stock 'investment' is really a gamble, I guess, and I have placed many thousands of trades over the years.

The last time I really gambled I was backpacking through Vietnam a couple of summers ago and it was so hot that the only place with A/C was a casino... I think I spent 20$ there over an hour, just getting a couple of free drinks and enjoying the air conditioning. And half of that was on a tip (lol).

As far as blowing my money, I don't really have any expensive hobbies other than travel. Maybe snowboarding, usually about 50-70$ per day, for lift tickets and getting up to the mountain, and paying 10$ for lunch.

g

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by gambler2075

I just look at a casino as somewhere where I am mathematically bound to lose money, over a large enough sample size, so why even bother going in?

I know that I am bound to lose money when I go to the movie theater so why even bother going in? Because it is entertaining. We enjoy the experience.

[goldensun]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I know that I am bound to lose money when I go to the movie theater so why even bother going in? Because it is entertaining. We enjoy the experience.

The difference is that with gambling you generally need a much bigger amount of money to get the excitement level from it. It is just not as exciting to bet $1 as it is to bet $100.

I would say for many people betting on the stock market is pretty much gambling, and it has the added benefit that it does not have the legal problems associated with traditional gambling.

[gf1723]

For me, it's things like hunting and shooting. But it's recreational and I like it, so I'll continue to spend money. It's nice going out with the friends on a hunting trip a couple times a year, especially since we're getting older and don't see each other as much as we used to.

[woodie96]

One of our guilty pleasures is camping. But I can't get her to go unless the campground has all the amenities of home...LOL
It used to be auto racing, but after spending over 75K on the car, engines, pit passes, just couldnt justify that anymore. Ohhhh to go back and invest that money, hmmm.....what could have been....

[GREENBACK]

Dogs, firearms and boats but not neccesarily in that order.

[gambler2075]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I know that I am bound to lose money when I go to the movie theater so why even bother going in? Because it is entertaining. We enjoy the experience.

Well, speaking for myself (as I always do), I find it kind of silly to bet 100$ in the casino where I am mathematically at a disadvantage, rather than betting 100$ in a calculated risk on a biotech stock I think is underpriced. In the former situation, I am basically guaranteed to lose if I play enough times. In the latter situation, I would feel comfortable betting 100, 1000$, or orders of magnitude more, if I have studied the situation and feel the odds are in my favor.

So, unfortunately, my stock market success (up to now) has taken away casino visits as a source of entertainment for me...

g

[khosta]

I used to blow all of money on shopping!! Not anymore.... not enough money these days to do that.

[ukgaz]

I spend my money on Sports-betting. I do well apart from when I step away from my specialized area. In the early years this was common but now with experience behind me I very rarely do this. However with the US government trying to ban all online gambling I am considering walking away from it. Why do it when you cant be sure you will ever get your money. I can drive a couple of hours to Reno/ Tahoe but I should not need to do that

I also like to spend my money going to MMA events. I try to go to 4 or 5 a year

The wife and I like to go to the movies as well but one could argue this is quality time spend with one another so it's not really blowing money

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by goldensun

The difference is that with gambling you generally need a much bigger amount of money to get the excitement level from it. It is just not as exciting to bet $1 as it is to bet $100.

All depends on the individual. I enjoy the experience. Heck, I enjoy playing for play money on internet sites. My wife is very satisfied to play penny slots for $0.30/spin for an hour or two, never risking more than about $50 and almost always less than that.

Originally Posted by gambler2075

Well, speaking for myself (as I always do), I find it kind of silly to bet 100$ in the casino where I am mathematically at a disadvantage, rather than betting 100$ in a calculated risk on a biotech stock I think is underpriced.

my stock market success (up to now) has taken away casino visits as a source of entertainment for me

Understood. Not everyone enjoys gambling, just as not everyone enjoys football, reality shows, fishing or gardening. We're all different. Keeps life interesting. My SIL and BIL used to have a boat. Almost every weekend, they took the boat out and spent the day on the water. We went with them one time. I was bored out of my mind. We never went out with them again. They love it. Me, couldn't stand it.

[DebbieL]

I like to travel, buy clothes (sometimes) and get my hair done. Those would be my extravagences. Gambling holds no appeal to me (casinos bore and depress me). My mom on the other hand loves to go down to Laughlin for a week and play the slots. I'd be bored (and angry about losing money) within 1/2 an hour.

[nick__45]

I blow money on keeping myself happy. It only costs 200 dollars a month that I stash away and spend it when I am on travel. The real blow-out is the money I pay myself each paycheck. I pay myself almost 1000 dollars each paycheck by not feeling the needs to have nice cars, fancy vacations, or wasteful things.

[Shaabenanizer]

Lately it's been furnitures/interior decorating. I brought my first condo and even though it's bigger than my rental, the floorplan is different and as a result some of my furnitures look awkward due to unproportioned scale. There's nothing wrong with my furnitures, they're solid and well made but lately I just don't like how they look in my new home. Oh man I'm turning into one of those people who wigs out because things don't match or coordinate.

[Ima saver]

I can speak for my dear husband; it is cars!! We have 5. One is his work van, which is needed. (He is a licensed builder) But the other four are 3 corvettes and a 1933 ford victoria hot rod.