too poor for my own good

[Garth Wilson]

I'm an avid cyclist, but I don't race and I don't go wild over all the latest equipment (much of which does not constitute an improvement over the old anyway). About ten years ago, I saw a topic on a cycling forum where the man started it with "How much money do you spend in a year on your habit? I ask because my accountant wife confronted me last night with the fact that I had already spent $18,000 this year, on race fees, travel, hotels, equipment, clothes, etc." (and there were still three months left of the year). I nearly swallowed my tongue. Answers were incredible, with many more in the range of $10,000-$20,000! Then someone posted, "Hey, it could be a yacht instead [and cost far more]; but I enjoy this!" I guess interests and their prices span a wide range, and I don't see much correlation between price and enjoyment. If I were to sell my HP-41 and 71's and all my related equipment, I could get thousands of dollars for it all. It's not for sale though, and I'm glad I bought it when I could.