It seems like I spend a lot more time taking care of mine than I actually spend using it. This is mostly because we are in full shade by late afternoon. We generally use ours once per week from late May to early September. If I divide up our expenses related to pool ownership we are probably paying $50 each time we swim once a week for a few months. Surprisingly though I am still really glad to have a pool. I get a certain amount of enjoyment just from looking at it.