Happiness, Hobbies, and Money - Fun that keeps going and going . . .

Money is a finite resource.  We all know that.  We all have only a certain number of hours in a day, so much energy, and so much creativity to put into acquiring it.  While I mainly think of money as a means to fulfill needs and to provide security, it has another purpose as well.  It allows us to do things that we enjoy.  I play a pretty good offensive game when it comes to spending my money so when I do spend it I want to make sure that I get as much bang-for-my-buck as possible. 

The easiest way I find to do that is to look for fun things to do that I will enjoy long after I’ve spent the money.  As a read-a-holic I know that if I buy every book I want to read I won’t have a red cent left in the bank.  Instead I buy books that I know I will read over and over again (usually because I’ve borrowed them at least 5 times from the local library.) Some of the books on my shelf I have literally read 20+ times since I bought them. 

I have hobbies that produce something useful.  When I go to my sewing machine often I will come away with a project that I know I will use over and over again.  I make a quilt because I need another blanket for one of my beds or to give as a gift to some one special.  Even the cross stitches are useful as they are cheaper then buying “good” art to hang on the wall. 

I spend money on learning things I enjoy, such as another language.  Sure it can be an expensive hobby, but once I learn the basics of a language I can build on it by myself with resources that are free on the web or from the local library.  Plus it opens amazing doors to communicating with others and making friends. 

Finally I spend money on travel, which does end when you get back home.  However, it builds memories and photographs often come home as mementos.  It teaches you about other places and cultures.  In some places you even get a glimpse into the past.  On the whole though travel is expensive it allows you to learn new things, expand as a person and build memories to last a lifetime. 

While a $10 movie is fun for 2 hours I much prefer to spend my hard earned cash on stuff that I will enjoy much, much longer.  What do you spend money on for fun?