what a hobby huh?

[rickztahone]

so i was looking at all the equipment and fish and all the related discus items and i started thinking about cost. just so you guys/gals know, i'm also a car guy and i was somewhat comparing both in my head and it broke down like this. with all the little things and major things i have bought since i started the hobby i could have easily have done some heavy stuff on my car. it's funny because the two hobbies have similarities and many differences. one major difference is that when you buy something for discus you always convince yourself that it is a necessity, while with my car i always second-guess myself and i ask if it justifies the means in the end (never do that with discus :p). i also started thinking about all you other hobbyists that have so many more tanks than myself and ponder how much you members could buy with that money, or rather save. i'm not being negative about this in any way, i'm just astounded with such stats and experiences people have over the years with buying discus-related (and discus themselves) items that would have been used to buy something else entirely had you not been into the hobby. i love the hobby, and i love the forum so i guess that's what keeps us all going. i'm also a member on another forum for my car and i have had complaints about me not posting over there, lol. imagine if we paid retail for everything? i know i get a lot of stuff from ebay which helps with costs. well that's my brain-storming put to good use for one night, lol

[Roxanne]

...I think...If something gives you great joy, it's never about the dollars...:)

[nickmcmechan]

i could easily afford a house twice the size that i live in if it wasn't for my hobbies....would i give them up...sod that...quality not quantity.....

[rickztahone]

...I think...If something gives you great joy, it's never about the dollars...:)

agreed for sure


i could easily afford a house twice the size that i live in if it wasn't for my hobbies....would i give them up...sod that...quality not quantity.....

i wouldn't give my hobbies up either, i'm trying photography as well now

[Fons_van_der_Hart]

When you're asking you can't afford it.

[brewmaster15]

I try not to think about what my many Hobbies cost me... Discus in particular has been an expensive one between the fish and the forum....but my photography hobby is not that far off at times..:)


Way I look at it is that they are just part of who I am and what I enjoy doing with the time I have.... It's been a running joke now that I have so many hobbies that my real hobby is collecting Hobbies.:D:D:D:D

-al

[FLGirl1977]

...I think...If something gives you great joy, it's never about the dollars...:)

VERY true Rox! It's never been about the money for me, until of course I didn't have it! lol... but now, GAME ON! :D

[jerbear]

I have been in this for a very short time of 5 months and I have some how managed to purchase 5 tanks without even knowing how they jumped in my truck...Don't know what it is about these Discus, but I am mesmerized by them. A friend came over the other day and was surprised by my new meditation room/fish room. He thought I was done but their are so many avenues in this hobby that I want to venture into such as a planted tank and breeding and none of these things I want to try for financial gains which is not how I usually think.. Since I started, their have been small changes around the house. The TV has been turned off and cable disconnect, since I no longer find the drama in other people’s life interesting. My spouse and I are talking more. In fact, while I was changing the water he read a book out loud and we discussed our beliefs about the topic something we had never done and we have been together 13 years. This hobby has cost us financially however the quality of life has increase exponentially.

[korbi_doc]

:D Well guys'ngals....all I can add is: what would you do if you weren't doin' that?? Jean & I showed Arabian horses for many yrs all round the country (dogs too, lol)...comments were made (my family esp, lol) why are you spending so much money on horses?? My answer at the time was what would I be doing if I wasn't doin' that? We worked long hard hours in my vet hospital & "work hard, play just as hard" was my motto then; "I want to do all I can while I can".....today, many yrs later in my "retirement", a neuromuscular disease has robbed me of my "gusto" & I am so glad I did that when I did!! We have many wonderful memories from those yrs to hold onto...So.....keep those hobbies goin'!!!

KEEP ON TRUCKIN' & ENJOY EVERY DAY!! Dottie ;);)

[Ed13]

Since you are a car guy Ricardo, Just shy of a brand new import car or I could have done an engine swap on one and then added a turbo which would have given me that "sleeper" import that I've always wanted.:(

[mench]

As long as I have been in the fish thing,I could have built a sweet 32 roadster and most likley had enough left for a good start on a rat rod...I also have been collecting MJ stuff since he was a college guy,that stuff isn't cheap either...also have gotten into the photo stuff..and of course I am a old car guy so there isn't a lot left over....but if it wasn't for my toys and hobbies I would be sitting in a rocker and drooling on myself

Mench

[Scribbles]

Money is only paper that we trade for stuff that we like or need. The happiness our hobbies bring us is priceless. A bum wouldn't want my clothing and I don't own a house but time spent with my discus/dogs/cockatiels/ballpark is worth more to me than any mansion or designer clothes. But, that's just me.

Chris

[rickztahone]

When you're asking you can't afford it.

again, it's not about me not having the money, i have enough to provide the necessities and then some. what i'm trying to convey here is that the money spent on this hobby could have (in my experience) bought me some sweet stuff for my car. nowhere on my original post was i complaining about the financial strain, so your comment was from left field really, but i'll give you the benefit of the doubt ;)


I try not to think about what my many Hobbies cost me... Discus in particular has been an expensive one between the fish and the forum....but my photography hobby is not that far off at times..:)


Way I look at it is that they are just part of who I am and what I enjoy doing with the time I have.... It's been a running joke now that I have so many hobbies that my real hobby is collecting Hobbies.:D:D:D:D

-al

i'm just getting into the photography hobby as well. i just picked up a olympus e-410 which isn't the best single lens reflex camera but it's good in my eyes for a beginner trying to get into the hobby. i'm reading a few books on aperture, shutter speed and a whole bunch of other stuff that i need to know when shooting different shots. i also want to buy a better zoom lens.



:D Well guys'ngals....all I can add is: what would you do if you weren't doin' that?? Jean & I showed Arabian horses for many yrs all round the country (dogs too, lol)...comments were made (my family esp, lol) why are you spending so much money on horses?? My answer at the time was what would I be doing if I wasn't doin' that? We worked long hard hours in my vet hospital & "work hard, play just as hard" was my motto then; "I want to do all I can while I can".....today, many yrs later in my "retirement", a neuromuscular disease has robbed me of my "gusto" & I am so glad I did that when I did!! We have many wonderful memories from those yrs to hold onto...So.....keep those hobbies goin'!!!

KEEP ON TRUCKIN' & ENJOY EVERY DAY!! Dottie ;);)


I'm sorry to hear about neuromuscular disease Dottie but from the looks of it you are adjusting well to it and i'm glad of it. one day at a time my friend :D



Since you are a car guy Ricardo, Just shy of a brand new import car or I could have done an engine swap on one and then added a turbo which would have given me that "sleeper" import that I've always wanted.:(

i love sleepers, my car in reality is a good sleeper since not a lot of people would think it hauls due to it being a 4dr. i have a Lincoln LS V8 and it's ok in the hp department but there is almost no after-market support for it so everything is pretty much custom. there is only one guy who has an LS that has supercharged it which is something that i initially wanted to do but have given up on that dream long ago.


As long as I have been in the fish thing,I could have built a sweet 32 roadster and most likley had enough left for a good start on a rat rod...I also have been collecting MJ stuff since he was a college guy,that stuff isn't cheap either...also have gotten into the photo stuff..and of course I am a old car guy so there isn't a lot left over....but if it wasn't for my toys and hobbies I would be sitting in a rocker and drooling on myself

Mench

i love old cars but a roadster would just be over my head Mench :p. my favorite old-school car has to be a 68-69 SS el camino. i once had a chance to pick up a 65 impala with no body rust and no body damage and a workable engine but it got bought right under me, bummer. that would have been a money pit for sure though so in a way i'm kind of glad i didn't get it. you have to be a full-blown grease monkey to even try to restore a 32 roadster, much props to you if you would be able to tackle such a task.