If you can save $20 per week, in 15 weeks you'll have enough for an hour with a well rated provider. That's three encounters per year.
Not as prolific as most, but enough to give you some wonderful memories. It can be done on a budget, but of course the more disposable income you have, the easier it gets.
In looking over the TER website, I notice that
some hobbyists have written over 100 reviews and
if they have given the typical $300 donation this
means they have spent a minimum of $30,000 in the
hobby. Does this mean the average guy who works the 9 to 5 job can't participate too extensively
in the hobby or do most hobbyist come up with a
monthly budget of what they really can afford to spend on the hobby? I realize the wealthy doctor
or movie star would not be concerned about the
financial aspects of the hobby but what about the
average everyday worker trying to pay the mortgage? Should they look for a new hobby and
better yet how do you keep the hobby money hidden
where your significnat other doesn't start
asking alot questions?
but it isn't a cheap hobby and I could never in good conscience recommend it to a married man trying to feed his family on a tight budget.
It's a lot cheaper than my last hobby (casino gambling) and if you can afford two rounds of golf a week, you can certainly afford to hobby occasionally.
No hobby is ever cheap-
Is it for the rich ? no..
Its for people with a disposable income...
With an income they can hide from the wife - S/O..
extra income as in, a side business-
Company bonus-
You have to remember- many of the men here have been here for as long as this site has been around.. Look at the dates of the reviews...
Or be single and an eligible bachelor 
I make around 60k a year myself, and I can do 6-10 romps a year, without worrying to much about what I'm spending. (again NO wife no SO .. with an SO/Wife, that number would have to be much more..) I couldn't do it if I was married though, no offense to you all that do!
I used to run down to Tijuana with about a grand before. I'm just getting sick of the drive, but let me tell you, if your close to Mexico, that's one way to get started. The girls are unbelievably hot in the clubs out there man, it's insane, and most don't offer any kind of BB services (hardly any) and are tested every 6 months according to laws.
Basically 200 bucks there would get you 3 girls or so (more or less depending..), drunk off your ass (dollar beers baby) and some cuban cigars. With all of that illegal stuff said, my name is uh fred. You can have alot of fun just have to be willing to a)save b)do your homework.
-m
in the sense that they get free membership -- 15 days per. So some may write reviews just to continue membership and actually only do occasional hobbying while writing many bogus reviews that are hard for staff here to know are bogus.
Someone too cheap to pay for TER membership probably doesn't do nearly as much hobbying as the number of reviews would suggest.
According to a TER poll, the majority of hobbyists on this site make over 100k/yr. It explains how some people can hobby so frequently or afford porn stars and doubles on a regular basis.
However, I don't make six figures and I'm able to hobby and see well-reviewed providers. Guys like us just have to budget, that's all.
BTW, the everyday worker does not own a home. Many do, but the majority are renters.
If you can save $20 per week, in 15 weeks you'll have enough for an hour with a well rated provider. That's three encounters per year.
Not as prolific as most, but enough to give you some wonderful memories. It can be done on a budget, but of course the more disposable income you have, the easier it gets.
I can afford to participate in this hobby once a month with a couple times a year for something extra special. The special would be a couple hours with 2 girls or an overnight or something like that.
b-
Your calculations don't really mean much on their own. I'm 50 and I've been hobbying and spending money in strip clubs since I was in my late 20's. I'd be willing to bet that I didn't spend 30 thousand in first ten years but certainly much more than that in the last ten. It's all relative. Spend what you can afford and what allows you to hobby without guilt. There are ladies available in many price ranges so your income doesn't have to be six figures in order for you to have a good time. Of course, your income is going to effect how often you can indulge in the hobby.
I'm self employed and keep separate accounts from my wife including Banking, credit cards, tax returns, mailing address and cell phone accounts. She sees none of it and honestly has no Idea what I make. Of course, you have to keep her happy if you don't want her poking around...
My situation may be unique but there are ways to set aside a few bucks a week and save for appointments. If you want to avoid suspicion it's best to avoid large ATM withdrawals and stick with storing away amounts of cash when you can.
Granted; bowling is MUCH cheaper than off-shore power boat racing; but then there is the visceral satisfaction level to factor.
In many respects the "Hobby" is about equal in cost as many popular avocations, and often many times cheaper than an extra marital affair (or simply having a girlfriend).
The big rub with the "hobby" is that unlike most hobbies that leave you with tangible assets such as golf clubs, a gun collection, a bass boat, etc that you can sell(or temporarily/indefinitely store)the "Hobby" leaves you with nothing but prurient memories.
Darn. I keep forgetting this is the newbie board.
If you hobby once a month, that is $3,000/yr. There are fun ladies in my area that are under $200, so that would be $2,000/yr.
I wouldn't take a survey result of "some guys" as being indicative of the "average guy".
It is an expensive hobby. I can afford to hobby once per month. If I want a longer date such as a dinner date, I have to skip a month.
I try to put a little money away here and there but it takes an awfully long time to save up when you can only put away a few bucks here and there. But, I've found it to be worth the effort.
I'm single so I can't speak to how to keep this hidden from an SO.
Runningman
Make sure that you start out young and invest in the market via retirement accounts and investments on your own. Many of the guys who are in the hobby have at least 100K in salary. I know a guy who spends 20K /year on the hobby 65 years old and has no retirement funds.
So many people in this country always try to live beyond their means even though they make a nice salary.
A book that I read, The Millionaire Next Door by Stanly Danko and William Stanly, is a book that a lot of young or even old people could benefit from.
It is never to late to start investing your money; but as you said the earlier the better.
-- Modified on 12/23/2007 5:44:18 PM
There are people who have disposable income and who put it toward their various interests. Sometimes those interests are traveling, sometimes they buy nice boats, sometimes they play poker, and sometimes they visit escorts. You have to figure out what you can afford, and then don't spend more than that. My own situation has been flush sometimes, and tight in others. When money is plentiful, I take care of what needs to be taken care of, and then I spend my "play money". When things are a little tighter, the playing gets cut back. Always make sure the bills get paid first; nothing will get you in deeper shit than someone saying, "We are having trouble making ends meet, so let's analyze our expenses to see what can get cut out".
Like others have said, don't let the outliers fool you into thinking the average is higher than it actually is. Just because some guys have plenty of cash to burn doesn't mean you can't have a really great time with less money; you just have to be more careful with how you spend it. "Taking one for the team" becomes rare, as you look for a sure thing. There are many, many threads about how to squirrel away money, but I will point out that establishing a pattern can get you in trouble, if the pattern is discovered. There's nothing like looking guilty to make people start digging -- the trick is to give them something that makes them stop digging. If it's discovered that you've been hiding cash, is it better if you're discovered to be playing poker and losing, or being nailed for visiting escorts?
so it makes it easier to come up with the funds without having to explain anything...
As was said in the many responses above, hobby within your financial comfort level...you do not need to be rich to enjoy this! Many of us hobby to the limits of our affordabilty, and a little beyond. While some of us are relatively well off, you need to realize there will always be others who are able to afford to pay and play more, and you will need to exercise self-control when dealing with that, especially if you have a mortgage to pay, and a family to feed, cloth, and fund for college. My suggestion: squirrel away a $20 whenever you get a chance, and when your stash reaches critical mass, pull the trigger and go for it!