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What has Geocaching cost YOU?!


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quote:
Originally posted by 2oldfarts (the rockhounders):

I think I'm coming out ahead in this game. I already had the 4x4, the GPSr, topo maps, ammo boxes. So what little bit we've spent has been offset by fewer weekend trips to Las Vegas and Mesquite. Those savings have paid for everything else associated with Geocaching.

We used to get to Vegas about once a month, now it's about every 8 to 10 weeks or more.

 

It's a win, win situation for us.

 

2oldfarts

 


 

Ya know, I spent more time caching in Nevada than anything else this year. (Mom lives in Laughlin.) I play poker and I'm pretty darn good at it. I'll have to count missed time from the poker rooms among my losses due to Geocaching. Sometimes poker finances my whole trip. This year I left just $5 bucks ahead after three days. Oh well....

 

Snicon_razz.gificon_razz.gifgans

texasgeocaching_sm.gif Sacred cows make the best hamburger....Mark Twain.

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We sell all of the stuff we get out of the cache boxes on E-bay so we're actually making money by Geo-caching icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Seriously: I bought the GPS for less than $100. Ther is some cost in gasoline which would have been spent driving somewhere interesting anyway.

 

We could not have taken up another sport (skiing, etc.) for less of an investment and gotten so much out of it.

 

"Now may every living thing, young or old, weak or strong, living near or far, known or unknown, living or departed or yet unborn, may every living thing know happiness!"

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Well when I get the hospital bill I will post again. Tore my ACL in a small jump done at a cache, but I don't think I would say that caching caused it... I think my somewhat early mid-life crisis talked me into thinking I was 20 instead of twice that.... and I felt I could just hop down..

 

other than that...

 

gpsr (s) 300

gas close to 500

gear 1000

swag 100

 

feeling I get when I find the cache and esp. if I am FTF,

 

priceless...

 

It doesn't matter what it costs, what matters is how much you enjoy what you are doing and who you are with...

 

Not all who wander are lost

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The usual -- $150 for a GPS, a couple hundred more for items to stash in caches, and my wife is constantly pissed off at me for 'only talking about two things -- geocaching and trucks.'

 

These costs are nothing compared to the gains -- hikes in many places never visited before, fresh air, exercise, ...... etc.

 

icon_cool.gif

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What has it cost , lets see.

 

Garmin map175-- nothing found it on the highway 6 yrs ago

 

stuff for caches-- marbles found in yard-- nothing

 

gas-- first two finds only 2 miles from home0.35$

 

writing utensil-- nothing there was one there

 

uh oh

 

more gas , second trip back to second cache to put in more marbles I forgot, this one had to be waded too now, so I added some old marbles from my collection ( i have over 7,000 of them)

 

more gas for trip up mountain to first night cache

 

more gas for second trip to find one I couldn't find at night

 

Batteries for flashlights and gps also for watch I put in cache so that it wasn'ytbroke

 

give away more junk from around house

 

More gas to drive to cache and find out it is on the other side of swollen creek and have to drive around and walk 3 miles in to get to it.

 

salts to soak in after hike and wine to drimk while soaking

 

$50 for cool dollar stuff to put in caches

 

$10 for ammo cans

 

$80 dollars for stuff for my own caches

$200 or more for a new gps to down load maps and a pda

a new suzuki samuri ( my 4x4 supercab longbed is too long to turn around on dead end roads )

 

OH NO! :P I think i'm addicted now I'll need money for cachaholics anonymous and divorce lawyers , half my retirement and child support ! :)

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What has it cost , lets see.

 

Garmin map175-- nothing found it on the highway 6 yrs ago...

 

...OH NO!  I think i'm addicted now I'll need money for cachaholics anonymous and divorce lawyers , half my retirement and child support !

 

 

That seem like a pretty accurate progression of things.

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In the grand scheme of things?

I won't be doing some of the planned upgrades to my Land Cruiser since I spend more time caching than wheelin'. Found geocaching while I was researching GPS units to use offroad so the Legand dosen't really count, I would have got it anyway.

 

Wait I just remembered there is a cache on Fordyce creek trail! ;) I'll have to add the gear doubler, spring over and 37" MTR's.

 

Never mind, I thought I was saving money by geocaching. So much for that idea.

And I have to add ammo boxes and trade stuff! But my wife likes that I actually stop on the trail once in a while to look for a cache so I guess it all evens out.

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In the past year, "my first year caching".

 

1. $50 Used GPS from a friend :lol:

 

2. Bought a Used Jeep Wrangler, "justified to wife so I don't get stuck when going hiking" B)

 

3. New Backpack, flashlight, compass, etc...... :P

 

4. New Magellan Meridian Platinum, "justified to wife by accidently winning it bidding on ebay!!" :rolleyes:

 

5. Waaay outrageous gas bills....... :D

 

6. Significant reduction of bonding time with my big screen TV and leather couch...!

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In my short geocaching time, it has cost me:

 

1. Extra gas

2. 175 for the GPS, 8 for my first bug, 30 in cache items (so far lol!), 30 for a new backpack and 10 in batteries (so far).

3. A cut leg from bushwhacking when I didn't even need to (I could have gone around but NOOOOOOO! :lol:)

4. A bruised knee from slipping in snow on the side of a hill. Luckily no one was around to see me fall so I just pretend it never happened. :D

 

But what it has done for me:

 

1. Let me find new places I have never been to.

2. The chance to show a friend my new hobby and then finding out she's into it too and wants a GPS now!

3. A chance to get some more exercise.

4. The thrill of finding a cache on my own (remember your FIRST find?) :P

5. The opportunity to meet new people (like all the friendly folks on this site)

 

It's all been worth it! :rolleyes:

Edited by Imajika
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$200 - cache stuff, still have most of it.

$100 - geko 101 (don't laugh, it's paid for)

$50 - zanfel (it was really bad)

$50 - rubbermaid & spray paint

$20 - new 'lumbar pack' - used to be fanny packs back when

$20 - led flashlight, cheep

$10 - tb tags

 

I don't count gas, and i already have a car. so, about $450. I've seen much more expensive hobbies. Lots of people pay that so they can park near a 'health club' and watch Oprah while on a treadmill. I hate Oprah. (nothing personal honey)

 

On a per-cache basis (assuming 120 caches) it works out to around $3.75 each, and that stat will lower as I find more since most of those expenses are capital and not recurring. (I have LOTS of cache crap in a box here...)

 

I would like to see per-cache stats for other folk.

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$208 - Garmin Legend

$50 - backpack

$30 - TB tags

$50 - geoloot

$30 - lock 'n locks, Rubbermaids, etc.

$10 - topo maps

hours and hours of time

much gas

 

But the time spent with my children in the outdoors and fostering a love for adventure, exercise, and learning to go off the "beaten track" in all areas of life.....................

 

PRICELESS

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What has it cost me? Hmm, interesting question. Balboagirl found out about this activity, and decided that I needed a GPSr for Christmas, early, on November 29, 2003. You see, we tried to find our first cache without benefit of GPSr, map, or compass--we were 1/4 mile off. I'm going to try that again someday, but that's another story. Incidentally, I was laid off my job on December 12. That's when bad things have started happening.

 

Anyhow, we got the Geko 101 on sale at Target for $80. It really hasn't steered me wrong yet, and I look at fancier ones, but have no overwhelming desire to purchase one. Yet. I'm young still. Went through a 12 pack of AAA batteries. That was about, oh I don't know, let's call it $8. Bought 4 NiMH AAA batteries. That was $14. They work great. Last just about as long, and I don't worry about leaving the thing on, you know. Already had the charger for the digital camera.

 

There's the gas cost, now. Which is fairly impossible to calculate accurately. I've found pretty much all the ones that are close. I'm saving three for some special occasion, company or something, which are less than 30 minutes drive. So now, I'm into at least a 40-45 min. drive one way now to find new ones. The rusty S-10 still gets 25+ mpg. The Cornbinder (required if I'm taking my son *and* the dog) gets about 12. Bummer. I'm guessing that I've spent under $100 on extra gas so far, probably a lot less.

 

I've bought five Rubbermaid containers (one of which disappeared almost immediately, go figure) at a cost of $15. I still have two for future hides. I have hidden one semi-micro, a 1/2 cup round Rubbermaid container, and still have one left. Those were like 72¢ though.

 

I always leave $1 coins for trades (probably given out $25 worth of those so far), and my own caches haven't cost me exactly anything to fill, as I have found stuff around the house.

 

So when you add it all up, Balboagirl is absolutely right--I need to back off for a while. Not to mention that I've gotten into night raids, dodging the muggle police, bloodying myself on stickers, being out late, that sort of thing. The cost is high that way. Luckily, I'm a good cook. :unsure:

 

So what is that, $242? $162 of it after I've been laid off? Geesh, I better get busy making some of that money back. We've got the house down to less than 60° trying to save money on the gas bill. Yikes!

 

James

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Here's my list so far:

 

Magellan SporTrak Map - $160 (birthday present)

Used Handspring Neo - had it already

Cachemate - $7

Premium sub: $3/mo

TB 4-pack - $20

 

And in preparation for a future hide:

Geocaching stencils for ammo cans: $2

Ammo cans: $5 or so each (bought them months ago and finally have a use!)

Paint - not purchased yet, $6-8?

Lawnmower Man on DVD - $5 at Wal Mart

Disposable cameras - $10 for 4pack

Old computer parts - free, already have plenty scattered around

Blank CD-R's - $18 for a spindle.

(going to include a few Linux and BSD distributions in my "geek cache")

 

This is one of those hobbies that can be as inexpensive or as costly as you make it. An old used GPS will work for most beginners, and trinkets can often be found around the house. I think someone can get started quite easily for under $300, even if going paperless.

 

The benefits definitely outweigh the costs. My first full day geocaching would have been spent in front of the tube otherwise.

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