Teresa Firelight Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 (edited) I been in SL for about 12 and a half years (all but the first few months on this avatar). I have owned a private region (where I host a RP group) for about 10 years and have a few premium accounts/homes and a couple of Horizons Parcels. When I was new, I tended to buy a lot of lindens so I could shop. Once I started getting stipends with premium avatars along with starting my own little SL business, I did mostly stopped buying lindens and bought premiums instead. Today I decided to go through all my accounts payment history and figure out how much I have spent on SL.. To my shock it added up to over $36,200 over the past 12.5 years! (Most of that is spent on Land and/or Linden homes) SL can certainly be an expensive hobby. Edited July 16, 2022 by Teresa Firelight clarify a statment 7 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Pancake Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 That's really not super bad for a primary hobby .. and the bulk of it will be the private region. It's also still cheaper than smoking a pack a day. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucia Nightfire Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 4 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said: It's also still cheaper than smoking a pack a day. Sounds like a new GD thread topic. "SL Is Expensive, but at Least It Is Cheaper Than..." 😆 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akane Nacht Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 It is indeed. I have been a homeless nomad several times in SL, but I do find I log in less when I have no homebase I can decorate to my liking. I have the use of a friend's house now, but if I want an epic cliff-top castle these days, I just build it in conan exiles. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 I find Second Life much less expensive than my previous alcohol, smoking, and "etcetera" habits. Guess I was spending $50 every 3-4 days just on tequila. When I went to bars, I spent more. 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 5 hours ago, Lucia Nightfire said: Sounds like a new GD thread topic. "SL Is Expensive, but at Least It Is Cheaper Than..." 😆 Irony: SL cheaper than therapy, but you need therapy because of SL. 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Pancake Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 On 7/17/2022 at 4:54 AM, Love Zhaoying said: Irony: SL cheaper than therapy, but you need therapy because of SL. Unless you can find a Mistress Mommy therapist in SL !! 1 2 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chic Aeon Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 (edited) And yet there are plenty of people who spend nothing and do well -- even taking money out to Paypal -- of course to do that you have to buy the minimum amount of lindens one time to prove you are "real"? At least I think that is still the rule. Not sure why :D. I have been here fourteen years or so and except for my one year in Belli where I think I had to use Paypal to pay for Premium since it was the first time, I have spent nothing and sent plenty of USDs into the corporeal world. I have never owned a sim but have rented them and even before I became a creator I earned my money rather than buying lindens. It was easier a decade or more ago than it is now, that is a given but you still CAN have a very full Second Life experience without buying linden dollars. So it is a choice how folks decide to "play" Edited July 24, 2022 by Chic Aeon grammar 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa Firelight Posted July 25, 2022 Author Share Posted July 25, 2022 yea, looking back, there might have been more cost effective ways I could have done my SL. I just never realized how much I was spending until I recently added it all up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liaa Nova Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 I think I'd have a heart attack if I saw how much I'd been spending over the years. Right now I am fortunate enough to have a job that pays enough to cover my two rents and shopping habit so have no need to buy in L$ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always Incognito Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 I dont see anything wrong in spending money on virtual stuff. Its Also Good for the environment. The same rules as in RL, decide how much money you want to spend each month and stick to it. Not much is for free in life, we are renting space on a server and get service from LL. I think its quite cheap if you compare to a lot of other stuff. So dont feel bad about it, think of all the fun u have had so far and just learn to watch your spending 👍🌻 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Venus Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 (edited) I've never kept track of what I've spent in SL but I suspect the last couple of years I've spent more than I ever have on premium membership. I've not really been a huge landowner and would rent places a lot back in the day. I had premium on and off before Belli but I just used the old LH as a set to home really. The three stipends I get basically pay for one of my premiums. I sometimes get tips when playing music at places but that's just for fun and a bonus. I've never earnt any money inworld, I'm not a creator or anything like that. My main interests inworld are vehicles, boats and planes etc so I've probably spent a fair bit on those. I think as long as you have the budget for it and it's something you enjoy being a part of then it's not such a big deal what you spend. I probably spent three times as much in my 20s when I was down the pub every weekend 🤣 I just see it as a fun hobby with the bonus of getting to know people and making friends. Edited July 26, 2022 by Madonna666 Silly me 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabid Cheetah Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 The only thing that comes close to the amount of money I've spent on electrons that ultimately disappear into the ether (as that's all that Second Life is, once you stop paying for it) was my comic book collection. It was worth thousands, but I had to sell it for pennies on the dollar when I moved cross-country. At least with that, I got a few bucks for my bills. With Second Life, I'm left with nothing but an empty wallet, and an "I'm a sucker" t-shirt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always Incognito Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 (edited) On 7/26/2022 at 3:22 AM, Rabid Cheetah said: The only thing that comes close to the amount of money I've spent on electrons that ultimately disappear into the ether (as that's all that Second Life is, once you stop paying for it) was my comic book collection. It was worth thousands, but I had to sell it for pennies on the dollar when I moved cross-country. At least with that, I got a few bucks for my bills. With Second Life, I'm left with nothing but an empty wallet, and an "I'm a sucker" t-shirt. Im so sorry you feel that way 😞 I dont think i regret more than maybee a little of the money Iv spent on games and SL. Maybee tho iv spent too much time on it in the past… It has been an adventure even if i dont have any physical furnitures or houses left if i stop playing (thank god for that it would be a mountain ). What i personally regret is all the time and money i spent on horses irl… I guess we can all find something to punish ourselves with if we try. But what is the point? We Will only feel miserable if we dwell in mistakes ( real or imagined) we think we made in the past. Instead I try to be wiser of how i spend my money and time in the future, learn of past mistakes But Also understand why i did it and also that I even had a lot of fun while doing it ❤️ Edited July 27, 2022 by Always Incognito Spelling 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polenth Yue Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 Second Life pays for itself most of the time, but I've been careful not to expand too much and to shrink down the land I own when needed. A private region would change that, because it's a big investment and you can't suddenly decide that you only want half of it (without trying to rent it out or something). I'd need to sell a lot more mushrooms to justify that sort of expense. Or become a rich and famous author. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Emerald Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 (edited) On 7/25/2022 at 6:22 PM, Rabid Cheetah said: The only thing that comes close to the amount of money I've spent on electrons that ultimately disappear into the ether (as that's all that Second Life is, once you stop paying for it) was my comic book collection. It was worth thousands, but I had to sell it for pennies on the dollar when I moved cross-country. At least with that, I got a few bucks for my bills. With Second Life, I'm left with nothing but an empty wallet, and an "I'm a sucker" t-shirt. If you use streaming services, that's also paying for electrons that disappear into the ether. The only thing that remains with us ultimately is memory, and even that fades and gets distorted. Edited August 1, 2022 by Persephone Emerald 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabid Cheetah Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 Kanopy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Emerald Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Rabid Cheetah said: Kanopy Kanopy is great if you can get it, but not all libraries use it. With a Roku device there are actually many good free services. SOMA FM also has listener supported, commercial free streaming music, that people used to be able to stream into SL, but now have to get it online instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahala Roviana Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 On 7/25/2022 at 7:43 AM, Teresa Firelight said: yea, looking back, there might have been more cost effective ways I could have done my SL. I just never realized how much I was spending until I recently added it all up. There's no way I'd go back and look at how much I've spent. I'm sure it would lead to sleepless nights and a fresh bout of depression lol. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Jaxxon Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 Ugh, just figured mine out...in almost 15 years, $56,000 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leora Greenwood Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 33 minutes ago, Kylie Jaxxon said: Ugh, just figured mine out...in almost 15 years, $56,000 Honestly, Kylie, if I compare SL costs to other things I love: coffee, books, music, etc. it does not look that costly. How much pleasure and friendship did you enjoy over those 15 years? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Jaxxon Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 2 hours ago, Leora Greenwood said: Honestly, Kylie, if I compare SL costs to other things I love: coffee, books, music, etc. it does not look that costly. How much pleasure and friendship did you enjoy over those 15 years? Even though I was a little surprised how much it added up to, I am forever grateful for all the years, experiences & friends I've met. SL was, and still is at times, a life saver for me ❤️ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Emerald Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 I don't think I spent more than $ 240/ year on average. $20/ month isn't bad. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Pancake Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 The cost outstripping my meager finances was the motivation for making my first store back in 06, and I've had something going on ever since. SL did for a time pay my RL bills and rent and was a primary income, but the stress and pressure to keep the momentum up just burnt me out .. I ended up routinely putting in 16 hour days to both make content, manage the store and customer service, and make time for social stuff .. which predictably took quite a toll on my mental health. These days I just aim to cover my costs, it's a hobby and it needs to stay fun one. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalthanis Steverus Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 I probably spend about 20/30 USD a month, some others I do spend about 10... it does depend. SL can be as expensive as you let it be imo. As with anything else in life, there's always a balance and self control. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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