Hobbies you're making money from

Anything to do with the traditional world of get a degree, get a job as well as its alternatives
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champ0608
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:09 am

Hobbies you're making money from

Post by champ0608 »

Forgive me if this has been done already, but I don't remember seeing it.

My intent is to create a list of hobbies that ERE types are involved in and making a profit from. Perhaps it will provide ideas to those who need some. The idea of making money from your hobbies is one Jacob mentions a few places, and its one that can be used to pad your nest egg while in retirement.

For me they are:

Bowling - This is not necessarily a cheap hobby to get involved in. You have to buy your own bowling balls, shoes, miscellaneous equipment, and you have to pay the money to practice. There's a lot to learn and it takes years, but millions of folks across the country love the game of bowling as a hobby, and once you reach a certain level of competence, you can turn a generous profit. It took me about four years for my hobby to sustain itself, and maybe another two to three years before it generated a profit. I now have one savings account dedicated solely to "bowling money" and it increases every year.

Guitar - This hobby doesn't have to be expensive to get started in, but you'll have to put in a lot of hours practicing if you want to make a profit. I play bluegrass guitar and live in a city that is friendly to "busking." A few times a month I'll walk downtown, find a nice busy walkway, and play a few tunes on my guitar. I always make sure to put on a suit, so people don't think I'm just a beggar (people are more willing to give you money if they assume you're not simply begging) and with an hour or two of playing I always make at least 20 bucks. On a few occasions I've made more than $100 for an hour of playing. You don't even have to be all that good, but the better you are, the more they think you're a professional, the more they give you. Buy an acoustic guitar, learn to play, learn to sing, and get out there and your hobby will make a profit within a few outings. It is also a marketable skill that can be turned into "employment" should you need to get a job at some point.

Dragline
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Re: Hobbies you're making money from

Post by Dragline »

I've bowled most of my life, but didn't know that the average person could make any money at it, at least without traveling extensively to various tournaments. How do you make money at it (or do you travel)?

Just call me "The Big Dragowski" ;)

jacob
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Re: Hobbies you're making money from

Post by jacob »


champ0608
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:09 am

Re: Hobbies you're making money from

Post by champ0608 »

Dragline wrote:I've bowled most of my life, but didn't know that the average person could make any money at it, at least without traveling extensively to various tournaments. How do you make money at it (or do you travel)?

Just call me "The Big Dragowski" ;)
I've done pretty well for myself just in league winnings and brackets alone. For example, in the 2012-2013 season for my main league I bowled:

Expenses:
Weekly dues: $16 x 32 weeks = $512
Bracket entries: $5 x 3 brackets weekly x 32 weeks = $480
Total annual cost: $992

Winnings:
39 bracket 1st place finishes x $30 each = $1370
20 bracket 2nd place finishes x $20 each = $200
League winning for 4th place team = $380
300 game bonus = $100
800 series bonus = $100
Total winnings = $1950

Total profit = $958

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