Too many Hobbies... how do you balance ( long term )
- Thread starter Magnum Wheel Man
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Rifleman1776
New member
Only solution is to get divorced. Then find a not very bright girl friend who will put up with anything but doesn't have the right to complain about how you spend money. 
My hobbies include: road bicycling, kayaking, photography, martial arts, and guns/shooting (duh). I have a passion for sports cars, but have managed to work up to my 2 dream cars for day drivers - and don't need to do much to keep them on the road.
I'm lucky (?) in that I don't sleep very much...chronic insomnia gives me an average of 3-4 hours of sleep per night - with some brief periods of NO sleep for days on end (not chemically induced). Makes it easy to take care of "honey do's" and misc chores when others are sleeping - or go for a nice bike ride. The "extra" hours each day certainly help me balance things
I'm lucky (?) in that I don't sleep very much...chronic insomnia gives me an average of 3-4 hours of sleep per night - with some brief periods of NO sleep for days on end (not chemically induced). Makes it easy to take care of "honey do's" and misc chores when others are sleeping - or go for a nice bike ride. The "extra" hours each day certainly help me balance things
I don't have that many hobbies. But for me the essence of the hobby is that it's a vehicle for interacting with other hobbyists. That's a fancy way of saying I like to shoot the breeze and the hobby gives us something in common to talk about. Or post about.
So, I have a muzzle loader that hasn't fired a shot since the hole plug screw fell out and got lost years ago. But that doesn't mean I can't talk about muzzle loaders with folks.
So I don't worry about swinging through every hobby (or sub-parts of a a hobby) periodically. When I have the time and the inclination, I lay my hands on it. If not, I can talk about it.
P.S. About a month ago I got on the computer and figured out what that screw was called. Then I got on the phone with Smith & Wesson / Thompson Centerfire and ordered the part. They sent me two and refused to take my money.
So, I have a muzzle loader that hasn't fired a shot since the hole plug screw fell out and got lost years ago. But that doesn't mean I can't talk about muzzle loaders with folks.
So I don't worry about swinging through every hobby (or sub-parts of a a hobby) periodically. When I have the time and the inclination, I lay my hands on it. If not, I can talk about it.
P.S. About a month ago I got on the computer and figured out what that screw was called. Then I got on the phone with Smith & Wesson / Thompson Centerfire and ordered the part. They sent me two and refused to take my money.
Stevie-Ray
New member
Man that's for sure. I once borrowed a pair of Skyscreens to work up loads for .45 ACP. Already had thousands of cases and at least 3K of SWCs in both 185 and 200 gr. The whirring of my case cleaner was a constant at home. That was so much fun for so many weeks that I boxed up the chrono and gave it back to the guy. That was over 20 years ago, and I've not purchased a chrono to this day. Doubt I ever will as I'll devote too much time to it again, I'm sure. Still got my data, somewhere. I suppose I'll find it when I move.
I'm going to set up a reloading room in my new garage. Just not a handloading room.Justice06RR
New member
Unless you have a lot of money or free time, its hard to balance multiple hobbies. Myself i'm into firearms, motorcycles/sportbikes, longboard skating, music, art/drawing, video games etc.
I think the key if you don't have unlimited time and money is to prioritize them based on your resources and try not to do all of them at the same time. at least thats what I do.
I think the key if you don't have unlimited time and money is to prioritize them based on your resources and try not to do all of them at the same time. at least thats what I do.
Between work and sleep, idont have much free time. Some days I'll leave at 8 and back at 6, sometimes I'm not getting home till 8. And on a rare occasion, even later. When I get home, all I really want to do anymore when I'm home is spend time with my wife. And now we're moving, so we're spending every spare second fixing up our next home. But it also has a spacious garage with a building attached. So that means I got more room for my crap. My hobbies are pretty much guns and vehicles. I own a few guns, try to shoot as much as I can. And I own a GMC truck and two Jeeps. balancing time for them is difficult. But a place to work on them right outside is gonna make it so much easier. If theres spare money, that's a big if, I'm going to save up for reloading equipment. I need to get into it. I can't even imagine the cash I'll save. And working up some accurate loads for hunting will be a major plus. Shelling out $30 a box for the cheap stuff gets old real quick.
Past:
snowmobiling, Jeep / offroading, atv, observed motorcycle trials competitor, playing electric bass / keyboards, riding a street bike, mountain biking
Present:
pistol / rifle / shotgun / crossbow shooting, off roading in Rhino side by side UTV with son, 35mm film photography
These will probably never go away:
listening to vinyl records (since 1980), off road exploring in / on some type of vehicle (since 1980), and drinking beer (since 1986)
Many of my hobbies have two things in common - socializing with other people and being outdoors
There's no need to 'balance' hobbies in my view. Just do what you enjoy and don't be surprised if your interests change over time.
snowmobiling, Jeep / offroading, atv, observed motorcycle trials competitor, playing electric bass / keyboards, riding a street bike, mountain biking
Present:
pistol / rifle / shotgun / crossbow shooting, off roading in Rhino side by side UTV with son, 35mm film photography
These will probably never go away:
listening to vinyl records (since 1980), off road exploring in / on some type of vehicle (since 1980), and drinking beer (since 1986)
Many of my hobbies have two things in common - socializing with other people and being outdoors
There's no need to 'balance' hobbies in my view. Just do what you enjoy and don't be surprised if your interests change over time.
Besides going to the range a few times a week I am also an avid fisherman. I have even fished and placed in several Kansas Striper Association tournaments held at Wilson Lake and Milford Lake.
I used to be a fairly avid off-road enthusiast but after breaking the 14 bolt rear end in my truck for the 3rd time I called it quits. Now my truck (a 1996 Silverado w/6.5" Dick Cepek Stage II lift and 35" Micky Thompson MTZs) is no longer a mud runner but a garage queen. I fixed her up really nice and she looks almost factory good now.
A longer term hobby of mine has been the manipulation of butterfly (balisong) knives. Over the years I've learned some pretty cool looking tricks.
I used to be a fairly avid off-road enthusiast but after breaking the 14 bolt rear end in my truck for the 3rd time I called it quits. Now my truck (a 1996 Silverado w/6.5" Dick Cepek Stage II lift and 35" Micky Thompson MTZs) is no longer a mud runner but a garage queen. I fixed her up really nice and she looks almost factory good now.
A longer term hobby of mine has been the manipulation of butterfly (balisong) knives. Over the years I've learned some pretty cool looking tricks.
My hobbies, as my wife is eager to point out as she's ordering a pile of clothes online, are expensive ... Been a motorcyclist for 45 years and my current ride, a Harley, cost a lot and is expensive to maintain when it needs maintenance. I have thousands tied up in my handgun collection, far less, I'm sure, than many folks who populate these pages. I thought about taking up golf, but then when would I ride or shoot? I didn't mention my knife collection because most are not expensive, just fun to own ... I could collect old newspapers, I guess ... that would be cheap, but then I'd probably wind up on "Hoarders."
Some hobbies, interests, activities and other pursuits follow the seasons. I don't know if you'd call hunting a hobby or not, at least if you're not a subsistance hunter and I suspect no one here is. Somehow being a subsistance hunter and having internet access don't seem to go together, though some contributors here do live in Alaska. So I guess it's possible but hunting still has seasons.
Other hobbies are for the long winter nights and rainy days. Some become obsessions, while others serve mostly to irritate all your friends and relatives. Currently, I've been acquiring (direct from Austria) a lot of German and Swiss music and believe me, not a lot of people like yodeling and accordians. But it makes me happy, if somewhat eccentric (jodeln ist cool!). There's even one CD available that features a German hunter on the cover with a deer carcass in his pack and rifle in hand.
Some of my past pursuits included four-wheeling when I still lived in West Virginia. I owned a 1965 Land-Rover (this was in the 1960s) and all those strip mines made great places for both semi-off-road driving and for shooting. I did more rifle shooting then than I have since then. So it is possible to combine interests and activities now and then. I did discover, however, that neither shooting nor off-road driving were good ways to meed girls.
Other hobbies are for the long winter nights and rainy days. Some become obsessions, while others serve mostly to irritate all your friends and relatives. Currently, I've been acquiring (direct from Austria) a lot of German and Swiss music and believe me, not a lot of people like yodeling and accordians. But it makes me happy, if somewhat eccentric (jodeln ist cool!). There's even one CD available that features a German hunter on the cover with a deer carcass in his pack and rifle in hand.
Some of my past pursuits included four-wheeling when I still lived in West Virginia. I owned a 1965 Land-Rover (this was in the 1960s) and all those strip mines made great places for both semi-off-road driving and for shooting. I did more rifle shooting then than I have since then. So it is possible to combine interests and activities now and then. I did discover, however, that neither shooting nor off-road driving were good ways to meed girls.
Oh so many hobbies, so little time!
I too have many hobbies:
Painting and drawing ,more like an avocation, I do make a bit of $ with my artwork.
Guitar playing
Harmonica
Model Railroading
Darts
Chess, got quite serious about this in the past with tournament play and even won the state class C in the mid 90s. Haven't played many tournaments lately, more recreational.
Disc golf
Bicycle riding
And last but not least acquiring guns and shooting.
I kind of divide my time between these hobbies with some being seasonal such as bike riding and disc golf. I work on my model railroading a bit in the winter. I do more shooting in the summer of course but do get out a bit in the winter as well as go to an indoor range.
My biggest problem is my job takes up so much of my hobby time. I have to take some comfort that my paycheck allows me to buy more stuff for my hobbies!
I too have many hobbies:
Painting and drawing ,more like an avocation, I do make a bit of $ with my artwork.
Guitar playing
Harmonica
Model Railroading
Darts
Chess, got quite serious about this in the past with tournament play and even won the state class C in the mid 90s. Haven't played many tournaments lately, more recreational.
Disc golf
Bicycle riding
And last but not least acquiring guns and shooting.
I kind of divide my time between these hobbies with some being seasonal such as bike riding and disc golf. I work on my model railroading a bit in the winter. I do more shooting in the summer of course but do get out a bit in the winter as well as go to an indoor range.
My biggest problem is my job takes up so much of my hobby time. I have to take some comfort that my paycheck allows me to buy more stuff for my hobbies!
Just to complete the circle, so to say, I left activities like four-wheeling (and left West Virginia, too), and got involved in things where I met other people. But once I got married, I discovered that I could no longer do many of those things (where I met other people). So at that point, I got back into shooting.
The Land-Rover wasn't old when I had it but most of my guns were.
The first gun I owned that wasn't older than I was, was an FN-1949 in .30-06. That is one of about a dozen guns I wish I still had. Better than an M1 but not an M14.
Later, I owned two Rover sedans, one of which had a V-8 (the ex-Buick V-8). It would easily do a hundred. That was just after buying my first two new guns. One a .45-70, the other my second Browning Hi-Power. It has been more years since then than I had lived through when I acquired all that stuff. I am presently living without them.
The first gun I owned that wasn't older than I was, was an FN-1949 in .30-06. That is one of about a dozen guns I wish I still had. Better than an M1 but not an M14.
Later, I owned two Rover sedans, one of which had a V-8 (the ex-Buick V-8). It would easily do a hundred. That was just after buying my first two new guns. One a .45-70, the other my second Browning Hi-Power. It has been more years since then than I had lived through when I acquired all that stuff. I am presently living without them.