I always read a lot. 100+ books a year, plus magazines. Then I got a job in the boonies and got home only on weekends. All of a sudden I was reading a book a day. Even with the library and used book stores, that was financially ruinous for our young family. So I bought a VIC-20, a used b&w tv, and the programmer's reference manual to take out to the work camps.. The savings on books paid for the system in just a few months.

One thing led to another and a decade or so later I made the transition from hobby to career. Now I'm retired and looking to reboot as a hobbyist.