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

[TEXMEX]

Actually sat down and totalled everything last month. Gear, peptides, bloodwork every quarter, food when pushing 4500 calories, gym membership, equipment. Hit just over 7k USD for the year and I am not even competing. Anyone else done the maths and had that number hit different than expected? Where are you cutting costs without cutting corners on health monitoring? Bloodwork alone is killing me at 300 bucks a quarter.

[Jock]

Never added it up properly but knowing my rough numbers I would be over 5k GBP. Bloodwork alone at 4 times a year private is 150-200 each time here. That adds up fast. The food bill on a proper bulk is the one that surprises people who have not done it. Quality protein 5-6 times a day is not cheap and there is no way around it if you are doing this seriously.

[Chi Guy]

I calculated it one year out of curiosity. Came to just under 8k USD and I compete locally so show fees, travel, and coach fees were in there. The bloodwork is the one I will not cut - quarterly panels are non-negotiable at my age. I cut costs on supplements, not on health monitoring or food quality. That is the order of priority.

[CapeTown CT]

Added mine up last year. About 4500 USD equivalent. Gear is actually not the biggest line item once you factor in food on a proper bulk. I cook in bulk every Sunday to keep costs manageable but quality protein 5 times a day still hits the budget hard. The lifestyle costs more than people admit when they are first starting out.

[SydneyFit]

Added mine up out of curiosity. Sitting at about 3200 AUD for the year and I am not competing, just training seriously. Gear is probably 40 percent of that, food is another 35 percent, bloodwork and gym make up the rest. It is a lot for a hobby but the lifestyle is the lifestyle. Not planning to change it.

[Geoff K]

Sat down and worked mine out last year. Came to about 2800 GBP for the year. I do not compete, just train hard and run a couple of cycles. The food bill surprises people - I cook everything from scratch to keep costs down but quality protein at the amounts I eat is still the biggest line item. Gear is cheaper than people think if you source sensibly.