Just wondering where you live that you have 'quite a few cheap MTT's <50'.
I live in the L.A. area and while there are usually daily MTT's in that range, I can't say quiet a few. You also suggest that on those days when you do play, you might do what I do, which is to start with an MTT and if things go south too soon, you stop over at the ring tables. Here in the L.A. area there are even occasional guaranteed freerolls. However they always have lots of add-ons and rebuys and a freeroll like that can easily cost $100. Never seen one that didn't easily cover the (typical) $5K guarantee.
So I will suggest that you do a more thorough job of understanding the structure of your tourney's. There is one at the Bicycle Club, called the Quantum Reload, that is the most convoluted structure I can imagine. Crazier than anything I have seen online.
I have sort of changed my mindset tho. On any day that I do a live MTT, I feel satisfied if I make the 2nd break, which is usually 4 hours of play. Last 3 times I was satisfied, and did not make the stop at the ring tables.
This plays into a developing concept about EBR (emotional bankroll). It is still fuzzy, but it involves my desire to play live in a way similar to my ability ($ wise) to play live. There is no doubt in my mind that if I could afford it, I would play an live MTT a day for the rest of my life. At least I would have that mental stimulus.
And because we all are meddling idiots, What does hubby think about your passion?
I'm actually in San Diego. I'm still in the process of checking out all of the local poker rooms. I'm willing to drive as far away as Lake Elsinore, so that gives me quite a few options. Usually, I'll play in an evening tourney. Since most of the buy-ins are so cheap, the structures are pretty crappy and play out fast. I like to stick around until 10-11 most nights. Even when I've chopped I've still had time to play. Most of the places don't have their structures online, so I'm giving everyplace a chance and getting a feel for each of the different rooms. Eventually, I will settle on 1-2 to make my poker home.
The freerolls I've seen around here require a minimum number of hours of cash game play. I would actually need more saved up to play the cash games to qualify then I would to just play the cheap tournaments.
I'm like you, in that I would love to play a live MTT everyday. If I didn't have to drive so far to play, I would be happy just playing my MTT and going home. Rake is so ridiculous here that I should be skipping the cash games anyways and just wait until I'm in Vegas.
My husband and I have a great thing going. He loves playing video games, and I love playing poker. So, we can sit on the couch next to each other for hours each doing our own gaming, spending time with each other, and we never worry about a spouse nagging us for our hobby!! 12 hour session on my day off?? No problem!!
He has reservations when it comes to how much I spend and time that I spend
gambling that I could be spending with him. He's all for the way I play online, since I've built it from freerolls, but wouldn't support me making a big deposit.
He doesn't enjoy poker or gambling like I do, so he won't go to a casino with me unless we're in Vegas.
As far as money goes, I don't think he would be comfortable with me losing more than 200-300/mo of what I earn out of my paycheck. He also wouldn't want me giving up a day with him to play poker more than once every 2-3 months. He works until midnight on weeknights, so that actually leaves me plenty of time to sneak away and play while he's at work.
It just means I have to skip the bigger weekend tournaments. If I were to build a bankroll that I kept separate from the rest of my finances, he wouldn't care if it was in the 1-3k range. Any more than that, and I think he would start wanting me to use it to pay off debt or put it towards a down payment for a house.