Wifey B: When I found out what my hubby's boat he owned when we married cost and saw prices at shows and then the one we were looking to buy a few years later as an upgrade, I was shocked. $150K for a bowrider. Holy ^@@$. Oh, I was so young and naive. Thank god hubby got me addicted.
There's nothing that compares to cruising and boating. If you have to ask, you'll never understand. He talked about it, but that's not what convinced me. I was hooked the first time out on the lake. It was where we escaped all the world's troubles, our jobs, everything. It could turn frowns to smiles.
Today, for recreation, I could travel the world by plane, I could have the most magnificent motor home and travel, I could do anything I want but I want to be on the water, I want to be at the helm or on the flybridge or sleeping aboard. I want to be sometimes with just hubby but more often with friends. Most of our friends and family work and I see what joining us aboard for a week or two or three does for them and that makes me so unbelievably happy to be there with them.
Our next planned cruise is to Bermuda, if hurricanes don't prevent it this fall. We could fly there cheaper and faster, stay in the finest luxury resorts there. That doesn't turn me on. Going by boat does. When we got into larger boats and ocean cruising we had no idea how it would be. We figured we're get tired of sleeping on a boat so made a deal that once a week we'd stay in a fine resort type hotel when cruising. First week, "nah.....why lug our things to a hotel when we're happy where we are." 1600 or 1700 nights later, we've still said no and never once done it. When we had guests join us in distant locations and too many for the boat, we put some of them in resort hotels, but we stayed in our cabin on board.
I don't know any hobbies that aren't expensive and most do seem silly to those who don't do them. We have family and friends who are avid golfers. Look what they spend to chase those little dimpled balls around. Clubs, green fees, carts. Well, Dena and Renee do ok because idiot men just love to bet these two cute girls, knowing they won't lose. These two girls are scratch golfers.
Art? Bought any recently. What about Music? A concert for two will run you $500 for stars and prime front seats $1000. Opera? You think it's not popular, price the tickets. There are coin collectors with huge amounts invested and easy to say "but they're worth far more". However, they are not selling so it's money in a hobby, plain and simple.
The entire concept of commenting on how anyone else spends their money is what's stupid unless it affects you personally somehow.
I do sometimes think if I was a better person I'd give it all up and give the money all to those in need. That's the only argument I can see against boating and other hobbies. I'm not willing to go that far, not willing to forsake all wealth. We do a lot but always think it's not enough and question if we should we do more and generally we do but not about to go all the way.
We all work and save to be able to have hobbies and enjoy recreation and especially good times with family and friends. No one has a right to question our choices in hobbies. If you want to spend it on strippers at clubs and it doesn't hurt anyone else, your business. You may be helping feed their young child, just like boat dollars may be feeding the dock hands or the families of the yard workers. Let's eliminate tourism, it's a waste of money. Oh, and while we're thinking about it, let's recognize over $1.5 Trillion spent per year on tourism. Just put a lot of people out of work and destroyed a lot of businesses.
So, is boating really a waste of money of just a means of shifting it? Why don't you toss that one back to the non-believer? Hubby now supplying me numbers. In Ship and boat building in the US alone, 135,000 employees. 30,000 in marinas. Oh, and no more eating out. You just put 11 million out of work.
Enough numbers, but the point is spend your money where you want and for us a large chunk is on boating.
