It is easy to over do the hobby.  Any responsible hobbyist has to keep a budget and keep track of what you spend (Use a coded system where necessary.)

If you know before hand what you plan to spend and are OK with it, then you should not have a problem.

So now ask yourself this:  Would any of those alternates you mention make you happier right now?

Remember, life is short, and you'll be dead for a very long time.

What value is there in what anyone else thinks?

It's over and done with. No one else knows your financial situation or anything else about you.
You decide for yourself if it was worth it or not...and you decide for yourself what to do with your money in the future.

There is a tremendous amount of peace and happiness in not giving a rat's ass what anyone else thinks.

In the end, we don't remember the days, only the moments.

In true mick fashion, when I die, I will make damn sure my last check bounces.

We all have the same decisions to make, should we or shouldn't we?  So why should we care if you are bailing out?   No on would give a shit if anyone else bailed, except maybe the regs we visited....


Swim

In the hobby for 16 months, the financial situation has changed. After 33 ladies and over 40 dates and 12 grand I'm done, not by choice. Was it all worht it? What do you think. What else could I have done, paid off the car loan, tuition, student loan or banked it for a rainy day.

Sometimes I think about the Corvette I've been rebuilding forever.
Or the 10 second Grand National I sold just prior to hobby entry.
And how I could be driving either right now.

BUT, then I remember the inevitable, endless dirtnap we'll all be taking shortly (in geological time).
I want it all before I go (no regrets) and plan to see 'our ladies' (in controled moderation) for as long as they'll have me!

No regrets on this end!!
Truly wish I had more to 'invest'!!!

I remember one date early in my hobby career saying to myself on the way out "if I get killed by a bus on the way back to my car, at least I will die with a smile on my face."

A few dates were not worth the time/money, but you can't expect to get a ringer every time.

Hobby definitely worth if for me.  Wish I had started earlier.

as if MP67 quit drinking, can you say CATASTROPHIC??? rofl

Truth is, everything is relative. I have probably outspent the OP by a factor of ten over the last 16 months, I don't regret a single penny. Even if I were to go broke tomorrow and be unable to hobby, I still would look back fondly on the choices I have made.

I guess some people will always second guess themselves. I believe in making decisions and living with the consequences, life is too short to beat yourself up over "could ofs, and shouldofs, and ifs" The OP needs to man up and take ownership of his decisions.

It's up to to decide whether it was worth it.    Even if you had other competing obligations such as you described, would you have scored with 33 different ladies playing the game in civvie world?   Would you have been able to score with five, without having to sell your soul somewhere along the way?    In my experience over the past thirty years, don't think so...

The fork is in you at the moment of "I do."

"Wish I had started earlier."

AB-so-friggin'-lutely!!!!!!
My only regret!!
(and not being born into wealth so I could 'indulge' more!!)

...both in entry date and number of contacts.  (I haven't figured the $ cost yet.  Avoidance, I'm sure.)  Though I've clearly had some shit experiences, I've also had some really nice ones.  Overall, I still find it fun.  The concept of finding and finally fucking a dream-girl is just too compelling.

funds.  If you are using the rent money or money from any other necessity, you need to scale back.  There are creative financing ways to build a hobby fund without going without necessities.

Hell, now you've got something to talk about and you're quitting?  That money was just burning a hole in your pocket.  Now that you don't have any money left, you can hobby in a more sensible way.  Slow down, and save up for each date.  You just had to get over indulged at first.  The first time I did this, I waited until my wife went out of town, and I set up 3 dates within 5 days.  I was sex starved, and needed that very bad.  Now I take it slow.  I decide on a certain provider I've had my eye on, and save up and plan it out.  That's half the fun.  If I had 12K to start with, I'd be divorced and in jail by now.

It's not just the economy, our society has changed, focus has changed, needs have changed.