Added it all up and this hobby costs me over 6k a year - anyone else done the maths

[Jock]

Sat down last week and actually tallied everything from the last 12 months. Compounds and peptides 2,200 quid. Bloodwork 4 panels at around 180 each so 720. Gym membership 840. Food - eating 4,500 cals at this weight is not cheap, rough estimate around 1,800 on top of what a normal person eats. Supplements another 400. Total came out just over 6k and that is without factoring in any kit or travel. Anyone else actually done this calculation?

[Davo]

Did this calculation two years ago and stopped doing it. Mine came out at just under 8k including a show entry, 12 weeks of coaching, and the prep diet food costs. When you treat it like a professional sport budget rather than a casual gym habit it is easier to accept. Would not change it but I do not recommend telling your partner exactly what the annual number is.

[Beantown Rick]

Food is the one that catches people out. Bloodwork and compounds are one-off purchases you plan for. But quality protein at 250g a day plus the overall calorie target adds up to something significant every single week. I spend more on food than on gear most months. The hidden cost nobody mentions is contest prep travel if you compete - hotel, registration, tan, suits. Add another 1,500 to 2,000 for a proper show weekend.

[Mick AU]

AUD pricing makes this even worse here. Bloodwork out of pocket is expensive, quality protein sources cost more, and sourcing adds import logistics. Rough estimate for me last year was around AUD 12k all in which is probably 6k GBP equivalent. Most years I just do not add it up. The lifestyle is expensive but most serious people here would say they would not change it.

[BERLINER]

In Germany the bloodwork situation is slightly better if your doctor is cooperative - some of my hormone panels get covered by insurance under a longevity monitoring justification. But compounds and peptides are still full out of pocket. My estimate was around 5,500 EUR last year. The thing I did not budget for was the GH - adding 2IU per day added significantly to the monthly cost versus just running AAS.

[MunichMarc]

I am just getting started properly so my costs are much lower but this is useful to see what the long term picture looks like. The bloodwork cost is the one I was not expecting - I thought you just tested once in a while but reading threads here it sounds like quarterly panels are the minimum if you are doing this seriously. That alone is 600 to 700 EUR a year before anything else.

[Marc NL]

Never added it all up but after reading this thread I probably should. My gut feeling is around 4 to 5k GBP equivalent last year. The one area I refuse to cut costs is bloodwork - seen what happens when people skip it for a year and then get a nasty surprise on lipids or PSA. Whatever the number comes out to it is the last thing to trim.

[FLbodybuilder]

Florida living cuts some costs - weather means I can train outdoors half the year which knocks out part of the gym cost. But the food bill is brutal regardless of where you live when you are eating for mass. I track macros carefully and even buying in bulk my protein spend alone is around $400 a month. Did not think about it that way before but that is $4,800 a year just in protein sources.

[NYCgains]

NYC prices make everything worse. My gym alone is $280 a month. Quality food in this city costs twice what it costs anywhere else. Compounds and peptides, bloods four times a year, gym, food - I am probably at 10k USD easy. Not complaining, this is my hobby and it is what I prioritise the money on. But yeah the number is not small.