Your other interests:

[ExpectedValue]

I also enjoy cheap grocery shopping. I like that my local grocery store includes a cost per ounce for most items.  I always get a good laugh when I see how in certain instances they charge you more for buying in bulk. I noticed this happened frequently with Red Bulls, they were cheaper per can than on a 4 pack basis.

[Parsad]

Yeah Tariq...that happens often.  Also, the bulk foods section is often more expensive per 100g than many packaged products.  You would think that without the packaging they would almost always be able to pass on the savings...not so.  That's Sanj's grocery shopping tip # 134...I feel like I should have a blog on MSN Money or write one of those articles "How You Can Save Big on Your Grocery Bill During The Next Market Crash!"  ;D  Cheers!

[valuecfa]

I am a traveling fool. That is my big vice and hobby. Member of the million miler club, but am a train fanatic too. Used to be a hardcore backpacker back in my younger days, traveling for months on end.

 

About to soon embark on another 43 day trip to Asia with an old friend who has a phd in finance and used to work for Goldman, but believe it or not he is a technical trader (he loves the currencies too). Will make for interesting conversation on long transit journeys.

 

I love to experience new cultures. I am a big foodie too, but not that great a cook. Enjoy golf, but am terrible at it. Enjoy fishing, but haven't been in a long time. I run 3 miles a day. I am a movie fanatic. Like to watch Jersey Shore (i can't help it). Perhaps even more fun than traveling is hanging out with my 2 nieces, that bring me incredible joy. I don't get into sports as much as i used to, except for the rare pickup game in basketball or tennis with a few ex co-workers.

 

Other than that, i tend to only read books nowadays that are travel or finance related. Like to keep up with current events in the financial media. Like to pour over the Q's and K's. I manage a friend and family account on the side with about $4-5million in AUM. I was recently laid off as an investment analyst at a middle bracket firm, covering the REITS. Have also held brief positions as a banker, and a corporate trust officer. Former half-owner of a small gym/tanning salon, which failed miserably when a massive gym opened up nearby. Might soon be a new part owner of a small spa and/or pharmacy in Lima, Peru with my best friend and his Peruvian wife (so might have another little side business to keep me busy, still looking into it).

 

I like to read the investment related message boards, but find very few that are worth my time.

[alwaysinvert]

Going to write a bit about me, even though I don't post nearly as much as I'd like to.

 

I am an avid golfer (hcp 4), though winters in cold Sweden are too long to get enough consistency in my game. Hopefully I'll have a house in Spain in 15 years or so :) I also play football (soccer, that is, although I enjoy watching NFL) and am a huge Man Utd fan, who barely misses any games at all. I guess I'm one of very few non-North Americans on the board.

 

I have had a huge interest in poker (played professionally for the last 3 years, since I finished high school) which is now fading since I've gotten more and more into investing. Due to my investments having limited value to you (100% Stockholm OMX at the moment) I mostly lurk the forums. Always great food for thought, though.

[ericd1]

Like many here I'm a market junkie and avid reader of financial and scientific stuff...My lifelong hobby has been performing magic. I'm a member of local magic club and we perform benefit shows for local charities. I also make wine and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I retired early from a major US company four years ago and we are waiting for the teenager to graduate so we can travel!

 

 

[EdWatchesBoxing]

Besides this forum, I'm also a regular on the 2 plus 2 poker forum. Poker is my main hobby. I still like watching it on TV. The first time I went to the casino, I played blackjack and someone tried to teach me how craps worked. To try to develop an edge, I studied how to count cards with blackjack. I stopped playing craps when I found out I could never gain an edge. A few years later, I found poker.

 

I also like to watch boxing and to a lesser extent MMA. I really like football movies.

 

Main thing is to spend my free time with my wife.

[twacowfca]

Yeah Tariq...that happens often.  Also, the bulk foods section is often more expensive per 100g than many packaged products.  You would think that without the packaging they would almost always be able to pass on the savings...not so.  That's Sanj's grocery shopping tip # 134...I feel like I should have a blog on MSN Money or write one of those articles "How You Can Save Big on Your Grocery Bill During The Next Market Crash!"   ;D  Cheers!

 

 

Sanj, we publish a lot of "how to" books.  If you really have something like 134 coupon saving tips, this might make a nice section in our next book. We might even pay you something for them.  :)

[Guest]

speaking of coupons. i got around 40 bottles of Gillette body wash for around $6. :)

[beerbaron]

Woodworking, Hockey and Home Renovations are usually my other interests. Investing has been taking a bigger chuck of my time in the last two years but I intend to go back to a more normal level when the market is less attractive.

 

BeerBaron

[Smazz]

Woodworking, Hockey and Home Renovations are usually my other interests. Investing has been taking a bigger chuck of my time in the last two years but I intend to go back to a more normal level when the market is less attractive.

 

BeerBaron

 

I thought for sure one of your hobbies would be making or drinking beer :D

 

 

[beerbaron]

Woodworking, Hockey and Home Renovations are usually my other interests. Investing has been taking a bigger chuck of my time in the last two years but I intend to go back to a more normal level when the market is less attractive.

 

BeerBaron

 

I thought for sure one of your hobbies would be making or drinking beer :D

 

 

 

Beer Drinking is a lifestyle not a hobby  :)

 

Not nearly drinking as much as when I took this nickname, university has this strange habbit of making you party all the time.

 

BeerBaron

[ragnarisapirate]

Woodworking, Hockey and Home Renovations are usually my other interests. Investing has been taking a bigger chuck of my time in the last two years but I intend to go back to a more normal level when the market is less attractive.

 

BeerBaron

 

I thought for sure one of your hobbies would be making or drinking beer :D

 

 

 

Beer Drinking is a lifestyle not a hobby  :)

 

Not nearly drinking as much as when I took this nickname, university has this strange habbit of making you party all the time.

 

BeerBaron

 

Quitter... :P

 

Have you ever been to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver? I went last year and it was crazy awesome.

[ragnarisapirate]

We help support and spend time with many Christian missionary organizations that spread the good news to people about how much God loves them and help meet needs such as medical care in isolated places in poor countries. Sometimes, we go on these medical mission trips.  They call me "the sterilizer" because I sterilize the medical and dental instruments.

 

You should outsource that to Food Technology Services (VIFL)... ;P

 

Obviously I read a ton of stuff on the internet.

 

I try to be responsibly irresponsible. I figure that traveling to a new place every few months, playing in a gigging band, doing the investment/landlord thing, and going to bars with my friends fits that bill pretty well.

 

On more of a naturalist/H.D. Thoreau note, I have also taken a liking to canoeing as of late.

[Crip1]

Great thread!

 

Working in Supply Chain Management and Mortgage, which would require a long explaination, so I'll get to the personal time.

 

Married with two boys. There's a commonly used term here in the states for those of us who over-acheived as it relates to those whom we have married..."I've outkicked my coverage". Guys all agree, some women do as well!

 

Being within a few years of 50, I've recently started running and working out (Highly recommended...doing so helps clear the mind nicely).

 

It's been a long time since I last did this, but I'm starting to get back to playing music. As a bass player, I was a huge Geddy Lee fan and still am a rocker at heart.

 

With both boys playing football, and living in Texas, football is pretty big in our household. And, of course, as one can see from the icon, my Chicago roots are on full display as I follow (in this order) the Blackhawks, White Sox, Bears and Bulls...and whoever is playing the Cubs!

 

Regarding the shopping thing, I think coupons and sales are the essance of value investing...buying an asset for less than it is worth. Costco is a GREAT place! I absolutely love it when I can use a coupon on an item which is on sale (have gotten some things for pennies on occasion).

 

-Crip

 

[Smazz]

I know some posters have mentioned their philanthropy and or charity work.

 

I havent done as much as I would have liked or expect to in the future.

 

My favourite activity i do throughout the year is a family and friend Boxing Day skate party where we collect can goods for the local food bank. In addition proceeds from the cash donations are used to purchased needy items for the local breakfast club situated in the most hard done by parts of the city.

[Eric50]

I have four children so I'm pretty a family man. :-)

 

I'm surprised few people have mentioned their families here. BTW, I just discovered a great site for teaching maths, science, history and pretty everything else on the internet. My oldest child already loves it and so do I. Here is the link to the story of its founder - a must read.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/23/technology/sal_khan_academy.fortune/index.htm

 

and the site is

 

http://www.khanacademy.org/

[CONeal]

We are supposed to have interest other than investing?  At times it seems like between reading books and research it sucks up most of my free time  :D

 

My day job consists of working in Marketing for a Drug company.  Also help manage the family farm on the side.

 

For fun I love watching football, Arkansas Razorbacks for college and the Carolina Panthers for the NFL (gotta root for the home team).

 

Every chance I get I head to the mountains for camping and hiking.

 

[beerbaron]

 

Quitter... :P

 

Have you ever been to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver? I went last year and it was crazy awesome.

 

No I have never visited. I hope it's better then the ones we have in Montreal, they are overpriced with a selection resembling to what I could find in a good convenience store.

 

I'll put Denver on my todo list.

 

BeerBaron

[SharperDingaan]

 

Beyond wife & nephews, we spend most of our free time physically active; hiking, biking, canoeing, x-country skiing, & some volunteering. Time is short, so we use a list as to where we'd like to hike/bike & how we're going to do it. Works fairly well; so far we've done the Klondike Trail (Yukon), West Coast Trail (BC), Bruce & Grand Valley Trails (Ontario), & the Route Vert (Quebec). East Coast is a work in process.

 

Vacations we travel. Another list of the 7 ancient (& modern) wonders, & we're pretty much following the old silk road as the various national conflicts die down. In the old days we'd have done London-Kathmandu on the back of a truck - but alas we don't have 6 month chunks of time anymore.

 

Learning to fly & work tall ships. Have in mind crossing the south pacific in a tall ship, & flying around Africa (esp around the pyramids) in an old bi-plane.

 

Investing is pretty far down the list!

 

SD

[smw397]

I'm in my mid-40's with three grown children so have hung onto my youth with a vengeance to make sure I still get to use it since I was working ridiculous hours at low-paying jobs just to survive through my 20's.  Got to college late and didn't finish until 12 years ago, then spent a short time as an employee before starting my own consulting firm in the energy efficiency and machine reliability field.  My main passion is surfing, which I did almost daily up until the last year but I'm currently trying to get over a nagging rotator cuff issue from years of intense paddling without doing much else to stay in shape.  Just recently joined a gym for the first time and am enjoying yoga, gradually working my way into a weight program so I don't overdo it or burn out on it.  Also do a good bit of wakeboarding and just got started with kiteboarding.  Used to SCUBA dive quite a bit, not much lately but two of my kids are now more experienced divers than I am and I expect I'll dive a lot more when they're around.

 

Beyond all the mostly water-related physical stuff, we're very into food and fortunate to live in a rural area where virtually any high quality ingredients you could ever want are readily available.  Local organic produce, abundant fresh seafood, all manner of international cuisine - most big cities should have it so good and we get it without the crime and traffic.  It's albacore tuna season right now and for the next month or six weeks I'll be buying 20 to 40 pounds of fish every weekend and freezing and canning like crazy so we've got enough to last the year, including some big feeds where we'll have a couple dozen people at the table.  Sometimes I'm able to do work trades with commercial boat owners for large quantities of fish or dungeness crab. 

 

I'm a hack musician too, and love to accumulate and trade for all manner of sound equipment, especially guitars and vintage tube amps.  If any board members have any such old gear collecting dust in the back of their closet or up in the attic let me know!

[Guest broxburnboy]

I may be the oldest poster on this board ; late 50's so I've done a lot in my checkered career. -teacher, excavation contractor, commercial real estate broker, amateur investor since 1982. Back to school in 1989 -graduated as computer programmer, opened a computer repair shop, collected some Honeywell, Unix, Novell and Microsoft certifications. Opened my best and last business as a dealer for an American IS company assembling, building, installing local area networks and training staff on accounting and business process systems.

Dropped out from the burn-out world 4 years ago (i hate the term "retire"), trusting that I could continue to finance my comfortable lifestyle with investment gains - the jury is out on that one.

Have taken up golf full time (100+ rounds a year) golf - I still walk and carry. I spend my winter months in Bucerias, Mexico (outside of Puerto Vallarta) and heartily recommend the lifestyle and the people. My wife and I study Spanish one hour a day / 5 days a week as a great way to expand your horizons and point of view. We have timeshared a Hobie Cat with others in our Condo complex and sail amongst the dolphins and whales a few times a week.  Do a bit of fishing, love to cook and entertain and am trying to break my red wine habit. Enjoy this board, especially appreciate the civility of the discussions, a rare attribute these days.

Cheers to all.

[beerbaron]

There does not seem to have any women in the group... interesting.

 

BeerBaron

[Guest broxburnboy]

There does not seem to have any women in the group... interesting.

 

BeerBaron

 

I once was a member of a software users group- the kind that were everywhere in the early 90's and I asked a female colleague why there were no women in ANY of these groups.

 

She replied that it was baffling to most women why men insisted on starting these things, after all women don't spontaneously form toaster or hair dryer users group to discuss exciting new features.

[turar]

There does not seem to have any women in the group... interesting.

 

This reminded me of a comic I used to read:

 

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive/phd1105.gif

 

But on a serious note, investing and finance is almost completely male-dominated. There was a list of value investors in another thread, guess what the most common thing about people on that list.  :)

[Guest Bronco]

Bronxburnout,

 

That sounds great and all, but there are more important things in life.  Like adopting a 40 year old white male who is tired of working, but does like dolphins, eating and red wine.