Is an outdoor sauna a good investment? Is it worth it?

For me, building a sauna was a great investment. No, I don't mean financial. A sauna does not raise the price of your home. But the return on my investment has been huge I believe. 

Bragging Rights:

Back in 2015, I spent about $10000 in materials on this sauna build. The rest was free labor of myself and my friends which I paid for with pizza and beer :) The fact that I can say I did everything from pouring the foundation to roofing, electrical, finishing work and so one is a big bragging right.

Family Pride:

My children are proud of me. They tell their friends that dad built the sauna. They are also proud of the little things they helped with in the sauna build. They're happy they have a special tradition they grew up with, and the hot saunas they've had during cold winter months. I can tell that even my wife is proud of me when she says "You built a whole sauna out there and you can't hang this shelf I've been asking you for months?"

Common Interest:

When you meet other people who enjoy using saunas you have a common interest. It's fun to share photos or share your sauna with them and hear how great of a job you did in the layout and the whole sauna experience you created.

Weekly Use:

I use my sauna every week. I have friends that come once per week to socialize, share stories over drinks and sauna rounds, eat food and laugh. Just as much as I enjoy the socializing, I also enjoy the preparation. To prepare for the sauna night, I need to start the fire and get the room up to temp. I need to figure out what we'll have for food for that night. Sometimes I order out. Sometimes I ask my friends to bring food. Sometimes when I want to make it interesting, I cook myself. I've made chicken wings, cray fish, seafood boil and more. Every week it gives me something to look forward to.

Convenience:

The sauna sits just steps away from my house. It's far enough that the family can't hear the sauna activity, but close enough that if I'm needed at home, I'm there. As an extra selfish bonus, I don't have to drive. Whether being very relaxed after sauna or with the addition of a few alcoholic beverages, I don't  need to get behind the wheel. I'm home in 30 seconds and in the shower before bed.

Stability:

With the chaos of everyday life, you never know what the next day brings. My once per week sauna night is something I look forward to and motivates me all week.

Is a sauna a good investment? For me, the return on investment has been one of the best I've ever had. 5 years after building it, it still gets the frequent use and I still look forward to each upcoming sauna session. In fact, it has been so good that we ended up buying a pre-built barrel sauna for our cabin.