The Cost of Living an Active Lifestyle

As I mentioned in this post, I used to be a serious couch potato until two years ago. In June 2016, I discovered a few activities that transformed my life, and now I am a much happier person for it. Recently I started wondering what the cost of that happiness is in terms of dollars. To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to go back through all of my online order histories and itemize the transactions. Luckily I only shop at a few stores, so the process wasn’t too tedious. I probably missed some little things here and there, but I think the numbers are in the right ballpark and provide a good lower bound on how much I’ve spent over the past two years on my active lifestyle.

I divided my costs by hobby into six categories: climbing, cycling, hiking, skiing, sailing (J is a sailor and he's been trying to get me into it), and miscellaneous. Climbing includes my monthly gym membership, climbing shoes, belay devices, harness, and other assorted equipment. Cycling includes the cost of my bike, bike parts/accessories, and cycling clothes. Hiking covers my backpacking backpack, daypack, and hiking boots. Skiing (a notoriously expensive hobby) includes my ski jacket, pants, boots, helmet, goggles, and base layers. So far sailing only consists of UPF clothing. Miscellaneous is the catch-all for everything else that doesn’t fall specifically into one of the other categories. For example, this includes activewear such as my Patagonia packable down coat, my beloved Patagonia fleece, and my Mammut rain jacket (50% off right now), which I wear for a wide variety of activities.

The total amount of money I have spent on my active hobbies between June 2016 to present is $5,198.16, which comes out to approximately $216.59 per month. Whew, that’s a pretty penny! For reference, a Chanel boy bag costs about $5,200. When I dive into the data, I see that my single most expensive purchase was my carbon fiber road bike at $1,053.92. It would have cost about $3,000 brand new, but I got an older model second-hand from an authorized dealer to “save” some money. Luckily, it’s just a one-time upfront cost, and now the more I ride it, the less it costs per mile. It also brings me a lot of joy, more than I would get from a handbag (even a Chanel one).

When I separate out the costs by hobby, it’s no surprise that cycling comes in at number one since the bike was so expensive. However, I was surprised that climbing was my second most expensive hobby, because the upfront costs aren’t particularly high (although it does start adding up when you climb outdoors since it requires additional safety gear that the gym usually provides). It makes sense though when I look at the break-down of upfront versus recurring costs. Over time, my gym membership dominates the overall cost and is actually more than the cost of the equipment and hardware that I own, and that percentage will only increase with time.

I also wanted to look at which stores were getting my money. The main retailers were REI, Backcountry, Evo, and Amazon. The ‘other’ category encompassed one-off purchases from specialty stores, including the dealer I bought my bike from. Apparently I spend most of my dollars at REI. No surprise since they have an amazing return policy, where you can return anything (even if you’ve used it) for up to a year with no questions asked. Backcountry gets the next biggest slice, because they frequently have the best prices on gear. Next is Evo, which is a great place to buy discount ski gear. Finally, Amazon is my go-to place for everything else.

I also did an analysis of how much I spent each month. As you can see, my most expensive month was June 2016 when I bought my bike. There was another spike in November of that year when I bought my first wave of climbing gear. I waited until I had been climbing long enough to be sure that I liked the sport. Then in Spring 2017, I started hiking more and going on outdoor climbing trips, so I bought two backpacks and a pair of hiking boots for that. In the winter, I went skiing for the first time with J (who is a fantastic skier). I needed ski clothes for the two trips we took last season, which included a week-long family ski vacation in Canada. Then in early 2018, I bought some cold-weather stuff that was super discounted, which I'm putting away for next ski season. In May 2018, I bought some more outdoor climbing gear as a birthday present for myself.

Hopefully I am mostly set now in terms of major equipment (unless I decide to buy my own skis later this year), and I won’t be spending too much more on new stuff going forward. I know this may seem like an enormous amount of money to spend on hobbies, but I consider it an investment in my mental and physical health. As I mentioned in this post about my financial situation, I don’t carry any debt, I have zero dependents, and I have savings. Also my expenses at the moment are relatively low (which I may talk about in a future post). I feel like at this point in my life, I can afford to spend some money on activities that are good for me which also bring me joy.

What’s your most expensive hobby? How much do you think you spend on it per year?

How I Stopped Being a Couch Potato and Learned to Love Climbing

Today's sale picks: my favorite leggings for working out (or just lounging at home), this cute strappy sports bra (I like how it's not basic black), and this drapey muscle tank (I frequently wear airy tanks like this because they help me stay cool).

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I was a couch potato for years. I blame it on having grown up in the Midwest, where there isn't much outdoorsy stuff to do and where the weather is only nice for 6 months out of the year. Also my parents are couch potatoes, so I didn't exactly have good (physically active) role models to pattern myself after. Another problem was that I kept trying to force myself to do activities that I simply don't enjoy. I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Just keep trying until you learned to like it. For example, I hate running. For years I would periodically force myself to start running, do it for a couple weeks, and then go back to being a couch potato. Turns out it's hard to make yourself do something you don't want to do. No wonder I could never stick with it for long.

In April 2016, I accidentally discovered what is now my cardio of choice: cycling. J, one of my best friends at the time (now my boyfriend), was an avid cyclist and convinced me to go with him on his then-girlfriend's road bike. I almost said no (because I felt overly anxious) but ultimately decided to go, because I had always enjoyed biking as a kid. I was instantly hooked (on cycling, not him... yet). Cycling is even more fun than regular biking! You can go way faster with less effort! (Mountain biking is fun too but in a different and kinda scary way.) I became so obsessed that I started looking for a bike right away, and I bought a new-to-me carbon bike less than two months later. To this day, I never get tired of looking at it. I find it beautiful. Is it odd to be this enamored with a bike? Probably (haha), but I don't care. To me, it symbolizes freedom. No matter how stressed I am or how bad of a week I've had, I feel free the moment I go out for a ride, and my cares just melt away as I zip down the streets and trails.

My love and I (haha)

In September 2016, I discovered my current greatest passion: rock climbing. For years, my friends had been indoor climbing and invited me to join them. I always made up some excuse to avoid going, because honestly I was too afraid. For one, I had a terrible fear of heights, and also I was just super anxious about doing new activities that I had never done before. Even the idea of climbing made my stomach clench into knots. The one time I worked up the nerve to go in 2015 was so awful that I almost never went back (the "friend" I went with was a terrible teacher and didn't prepare me at all for my first climb). One day, almost on a whim, I decided to give it a second chance, this time with a much more sensitive and trustworthy climbing partner/teacher. In the back of my mind, I remembered how afraid I had been to go cycling that first time and how surprised I was to find that I loved it. (I didn't know it then, but I would later use the cycling example time and time again to push myself to try new things that were out of my comfort zone, because I felt like they would be good for my personal growth.)

I thought maybe the same could happen for climbing. And my wish came true. It has become one of the greatest joys of my life. It's a sanctuary for me, where I retreat to build myself up after the world knocks me down. What I love most about climbing is that you have to give it your all, sometimes more than your all, strength that you didn't even know you had. Also, when you're working on a route or a problem, the entire world shrinks to just that moment, that next move. It requires laser focus. And when you finally finish what you've been working on, there's a feeling of personal triumph that I've never found in any other activity.

It's really satisfying to overcome your limits, both mental and physical. When I first started climbing, I felt vertigo every time I looked down from the top of a route, so I decided to just stop looking down and only look up. Over time it ceased to bother me, and now I'm totally fine, even from the top of a 60 ft wall! So if you're interested in climbing but are afraid of heights, don't let that stop you! It definitely gets easier, and the fear will eventually go away. Also, climbing has noticeably changed the shape of my body. My biceps, triceps, shoulders, upper back, and core are all much stronger than they used to be, so it's a great workout. Best of all, it feels more like fun than exercise!

Another thing I love about climbing is the amazing community. Rock climbers are the friendliest, most helpful group of people you will ever meet! They are so encouraging, so willing to share tips, and just stop to chat. It probably helps that you see the same group of people around the gym or at the crag (outdoor climbing area) all the time. I met some of my current best friends through climbing, who I would literally trust with my life and who trust me with their lives. (I mean, you actually hold each other's lives in your hands when you climb together.) How's that for friendship?

My first outdoor climbing trip ever

So I'm completely obsessed with the sport. Right now I go to the climbing gym a couple times a week, usually for 2+ hours at a time. In the past, I've gone as often as 3-4 times a week, although now I find that to be too time-consuming, and it also makes me more susceptible to repetitive stress injuries. Since spring is here, I am planning to do some outdoor climbing trips too. In order to climb harder (i.e. complete harder routes), I've started focusing on better nutrition and working on my flexibility (via regular stretching and yoga). Anyway, I hope you will consider climbing the next time you want to try something new and fun, and that you enjoyed following my journey from couch potato to athletic woman! 

Are you or were you a couch potato? What do you do to work out? Have you ever tried climbing? If not, would you consider it?

Personal Resolutions for 2015

I know, I know. It's already the middle of January, so why am I still talking about New Year's resolutions? Well, things have been pretty hectic lately. I re-injured the pulled muscle in my neck, my grandfather passed away, and school started up again, so I'm only just getting around to blogging about them now. For what it's worth, I did make them on New Year's Eve and have already started putting them into action.

So I know a lot of people detest this annual tradition, but in the past I've had good luck with sticking to my resolutions. Plus the start of a new year is usually the kick in the pants I need to make a major change in my life. A few examples of things I've managed to change over the years include no longer biting my nails (a terrible stress-related habit I've had since I was 4 years old!) and learning to cook so that I can eat more healthily and save money at the same time.

From my own experience, there are a few important things to keep in mind if you want to make resolutions that you can stick to:

1. Set only a few (realistic) goals.
I think a common mistake for most people is that they set too many goals for one year. If you have 10-20 goals, it's impossible to achieve all of them. Worse yet, you may become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work and just give up on them altogether. My suggestion is to focus on only a handful (or even better, 2-3) and really apply yourself in those areas. Pick the ones that will have the greatest impact on your life, but also keep them realistic so that you don't set yourself up for failure and feel discouraged when you can't meet your own expectations.

2. Have a solid plan of attack as to how you can achieve those goals.
Try to break down your big-picture goal into a series of smaller tasks, and just focus on doing well at each small task. This way you feel like you're making progress step by step toward ultimately achieving your goal.

3. Keep track of your progress and constantly reward yourself.
Define your own milestones and metrics for success. As you meet each one, treat yourself to something nice. Maybe it's a dinner at your favorite restaurant or a new skirt or a massage. Any incentive for your continued good behavior.

4. Forgive yourself if (when) you fall off the bandwagon.
This is an issue that I personally struggle with a lot and still need to learn to cope with. Whenever I fall off the bandwagon, I get discouraged and have a hard time pressing on. But I need to remember that failure is a natural part of the learning process. The important thing isn't that you fell off, but that you picked yourself up again and got back on it.

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For 2015, I have only two resolutions. Both focus on different aspects of health. The first deals with physical health and the second with mental health.

1. Exercise a minimum of 4 times a month.
This sounds like a laughably small amount of physical activity, but it's already a great improvement over last year's 0 times a month. Honestly I'm probably in terrible cardiovascular health. I sit all day in front of a computer at school, and when I get home, I continue to sit in front of a computer. That's the life of a grad student in engineering. But as I get older, I notice that I'm not as "fresh" as I used to be, and I have little niggling pains and aches (like how I've randomly pulled muscles in my neck/back several times this year from bad ergonomics). Four times a month is a bare minimum for me. I would love to work out 2-3 times a week, but from past experience, I know that goal is a little too ambitious right now. I think my current target is very doable, and also the flexibility of a monthly goal instead of a weekly goal is just much more manageable. So far I've already gone running twice this month!

2. Live more in the moment.
My grad school career hasn't been the smoothest, and as such, it's caused me a lot of existential stress over the past few years. When I started grad school, I didn't really have good stress management techniques, so I carried around a lot of anxiety, which worsened into a series of panic attacks. I found myself constantly worrying about my thesis topic, my career path after graduation, and the future in general. Because I'm a perfectionist by nature, I wanted to optimize every step so that I could end up exactly where I wanted. However, instead of working on my research, I felt paralyzed and couldn't move forward, because I was worried that whatever step I took next would cause me to "fail."  Maybe my perfectionism helped me get this far, but now it's become more toxic than helpful. What I want to do going forward is to focus more on the tasks at hand and less on unlikely future eventualities.

What are your personal resolutions for 2015?