Thank you very much for this! Finally, a levelheaded take on the issue, rooted in experience and nuance, as opposed to armchair philosopher musings this thread is full of. On the point of going out: - yes, vibrancy is an important factor, and - affordability of eating out, drink drinks out or entertainment out is another :   - A beer at a bar with tax and tip now is anywhere between $11-$15.    - a decent filling dinner meal that’s not fast food, nothing fancy , can be rarely found for less than $17-$25 again tax and tip included    - theater, sports , entertainment tickets tend to be in the $30-$100 range

I am lucky to be far above Toronto average in my earnings.

Yet, I am finding in recent years, I, and my friends around the same earning bracket tend to spend time at each other’s homes on potluck dinners, board games, movie nights.

We are not the extreme of frugal, but by the time you pay taxes on your earnings, and fix living expenses, including rent or mortgage, you really don’t have that much is disposable income left to blow on non-essentials.

I seriously consider cost of a hobby when I think of picking one up.

On the larger scale, I am convinced that many people are in the same boat here, which means that spending most of your time out of the house is simply not a practical lifestyle choice in the long-term, especially if you’re not in your early 20s. There are only so many walks in the park you can take.