The Cost of Having Fun

Jerryc41

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One nice thing about the ukulele is that you can buy a moderately-priced uke, join a group, and play your heart out.

In real life, you will find new ukes that you simply must have - brands you had never even heard of, but you believe they are essential for any serious player. Buying those ukuleles can add up to a lot of money.

Another consideration is all the peripheral expenses associated with owning and playing the ukulele. I just took a look at Quicken and saw how much I have spent on books, cases, humidifiers, instruction, stands, strings, "stuff," and tuners. Add in all the events I have attended, and the total is an intimidating figure.

Yet, I have no regrets because ukuleles make me happy, and that's all that matters. :D
 
I take solace when I look at the numbers spent by others on cars, high end watches, guitars, photography.
Ukulele's minimum bar for having fun is a lot lower and is correlated with how social you want to be.
 
I take solace when I look at the numbers spent by others on cars, high end watches, guitars, photography.
Ukulele's minimum bar for having fun is a lot lower and is correlated with how social you want to be.

You can add alcohol, cigarettes, and designer coffee to that list. : )
 
Well, that is your experience and I think it is fine, but I would question how typical it is? I think that a lot of people play and enjoy the ukulele without spending their children's inheritance. But two things, first of all, I don't think that UAS is necessarily typical, and second is that I don't think that the people represented here on UU are the typical ukulele players. Just saying.
 
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My first ukulele cost $40. I just spent $60 on lunch at an Indian vegetarian buffet. The uke has given me almost ten years of enjoyment. Lunch is already gone and I am hungry again.
 
I think that a lot of people play and enjoy the ukulele without spending their children's inheritance. But two things, first of all, I don't think that UAS is necessarily typical, and second is that I don't think that the people represented here on UU are the typical ukulele players. Just saying.

My uke group has about 60 regular members, of them I would say maybe five of us have more than two ukes. I'm certainly steeped in UAS with eight ukes and eighteen bass ukes/mini bass guitars, our leader, Cali Rose has 21 between her and husband Craig Brandau (both true pros), the rest of the members always bring just one uke. In addition, only I'm on UU.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
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My uke group has about 60 regular members, of them I would say maybe five of us have more than two ukes.


In addition, only I'm on UU.

The group that I belong to approaches the same size but, to my surprise, the percentage owning more than two Ukes is much higher (say 50%). It’s unusual to see what I’d recognise as high end or expensive Ukes there though and members seem to play instruments that cost around the same as a Kala Concert - the leaders play more expensive Ukes.

Subs are relatively low and I think that the biggest expense of the evening will be my petrol to get there; in total it costs me about $7 for several hours of fun, good value I think.

My Ukes cost me between $200 and $20 each, the cheaper one is a second hand Dolphin and it does get used at the Uke Club. If I keep playing for even another forty years - may I live that long - I’ll never need to replace a worn out Uke, but I might choose to do some upgrading or gift instruments instead, and my ongoing costs will be the likes of strings at about $10 a packet (here in the UK). No one bothers what you play and no one gets too fussed if you make mistakes. As one of the other members said to me about our Makala Concerts: ‘they’re all you need really’. These days I much prefer the ten chord songs but folk are just as happy to play two chord ones; the simple joys of singing, strumming and sharing companionship need not cost anything much at all.

I believe that I’m the only member on UU.
 
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I think all of us would have fun no matter if the Ukes we play only cost $100. The thing I love the most is playing with other people. Since picking up the Uke my circle of friends has expanded and my life has become fuller and more enjoyable. I have played a few different instruments in my life, trumpet, guitar, dulcimer and now the Uke. For me, the added enjoyment that playing a fine instrument gives me is worth paying what I still consider to be a very reasonable price, even for my most expensive Uke. This is a most interesting topic for me as I have always been fascinated by how different people assign different values to the same things.
 
I think all of us would have fun no matter if the Ukes we play only cost $100. The thing I love the most is playing with other people. Since picking up the Uke my circle of friends has expanded and my life has become fuller and more enjoyable. I have played a few different instruments in my life, trumpet, guitar, dulcimer and now the Uke. For me, the added enjoyment that playing a fine instrument gives me is worth paying what I still consider to be a very reasonable price, even for my most expensive Uke. This is a most interesting topic for me as I have always been fascinated by how different people assign different values to the same things.

It could not have been said any better than this. As the Master Card commercial use to say "The cost of a ukulele $100-$3000 the amount of enjoyment it brings, priceless"
 
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Other than friends who I have made on UU, I don't know anyone personally who is here. And I recommend this site to everyone I know who starts playing the ukulele. The thing is that every one of the people who I've introduced to the ukulele probably lasted a month before they decided to give it up. Most never even got started.
 
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Other than friends who I have made on UU, I don't know anyone personally who are here. And I recommend this site to everyone I know who starts playing the ukulele. The thing is that every one of the people who I've introduced to the ukulele probably lasted a month before they decided to give it up. Most never even got started.

That’s an interesting angle. Someone else mentioned the different value people put on things but I think that that concept was based in monetary terms. However there is another cost in playing the Uke, you have to put in the time and effort to learn; if I’m realistic about it then we are talking significant time and significant effort for most people. I’m lucky to have had the time to learn to play to a basic club standard but not everyone is able to make that investment.

Edit. Whilst out working in the garden it occurred to me that there are costs involved in going to the Uke Club besides subs. There are the emotional costs involved in attempting to join any group - though not everyone feels them - and then there is the transport factor. I’m lucky in being able to drive to Uke Club, there isn’t any public transport here to speak of but if there was would I both be and feel safe using it, waiting for it, walking to it, etc? If the weather was foul / extreme could I cope with the walk to and from the little public transport we have and the wait at bus stops and stations? Wonder if there is such a thing as a virtual Ukulele Club ......?
 
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Lots of people in our club have one uke and some don't know for sure what size it is, but they have just as much fun as anybody else. I'm one of the biggest "collectors" in the group, but there's probably 10-12 of us with several...
 
That’s an interesting angle. Someone else mentioned the different value people put on things but I think that that concept was based in monetary terms. However there is another cost in playing the Uke, you have to put in the time and effort to learn; if I’m realistic about it then we are talking significant time and significant effort for most people. I’m lucky to have had the time to learn to play to a basic club standard but not everyone is able to make that investment.

I had not thought of it from that angle when I wrote that post, but you are right, there is a cost in time and effort. I think that a lot of people realize quickly that it is going to take a lot of commitment to play What a Wonderful World like Izz and when they do they aren't willing to pay the price to get there.
 
Wonder if there is such a thing as a virtual Ukulele Club ......?

No uke clubs around here, not much in the way of public transport either, so I joined in on the Seasons thread, had a great time whilst I was joining in, but I went back to my harmonicas, & find I really enjoy them more.

So, I only occasionally join in with the Seasons now, but I have a place to post my efforts with my harmonicas, so I'm fine.

Without an online presence, I wouldn't be able to integrate with others. :)

Regarding cost - no worries for me there - I gave up smoking, I gave up drinking, & I've never been a gambler. I don't go out for meals - I don't even take holidays. :cool:

So I look at the cost of my ukes/harmonicas/etc as my pleasure expenditure. :D

As an aside, I'm into keyless flute & (tin) whistles lately - I just enjoy learning to play different instruments. :cheers:
 
Every penny we earn are supposed to be spent, on the things that we value.

Jerry, looking at your list, seems you haven't spent much on amplifiers? Even as a beginner I'm thinking to try to get some fun out of them. Though I've just realized that'll be lots of money, but I'm also pretty sure they'll absolutely bring me and my family some fun, so, why not?
 
Our instruments bring us fun and enjoyment.
We only have one life.
If you want it and can afford it with detriment to yourself or others, go buy it.
You can’t put a price on happiness.
One life. Make it count.

Just offering my two’pence worth! lol
 
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