I had the same issues with 2'sister inlaws ,,,I stood my ground with them and my fiance and reminded her that our lives together Would forever mean we make our decisions with out our families input. The first time was tough ,,, once they saw no matter what I spent hunting I always took good care of there sis they left me alone!
Not long after I was married, my wife got to beechin about the cost of my hunting. In her assessment deer meat is way too expensive. She said, with what I spend on hunting, deer meat must be $1000 or more per pound. I said, "Yes dear, you're right. But its cheap compared to what I'm having to pay for P***Y"!
One of the best stories/statements I've ever heard on this subject, of women questioning how much money we spend on hunting. I think it was Chris Eberhart on the MeatEater podcast, who said he was in the process of having a new home built, and he told his wife that he would make a deal with her - she could take 15% of the total cost of the home to spend on whatever furnishings for the house she wanted, but he never wanted to have another conversation about how much he spent on deer hunting. She took the deal with no questions asked.
I reload 7.62 x 54R. Free brass from the range, free lead from work.Primers on sale $4.99 per 100 =.05 cents.Powder 7000gr divided by how any grains used for various cartridges.
I don't think about it. When my wife and I got married we structured our budget so that we both get a weekly "allowance" that we transfer from our joint account into our individual personal accounts. We can do what ever we want with our personal accounts, mine is spent nearly entirely on hunting, fishing, tractor, and shop stuff. I have no clue what my yearly total is and I don't want to know. It makes me happy, relieves stress, and my son loves to go with me. Basically its priceless.
I have bought some land that we are both paying for, but she understands that there is timber value, and its an asset we can leave for our children so she is good with it.
I told mine a long long time before we got married that hunting and fishing were my life and if she ever wanted rid of me to just nag me about it or tell me I couldn't go. She has never said a single bad word about me going hunting or fishing or what I spend on it. She also knows that if I didn't hunt or fish, I wouldn't have anything else to do other than sit around and be an asshole.
You should have went Doyle Hargreaves on her sister when they were distastefully talking about your therapeutic pasttime. Let em know you mean business and they will bury those bad thoughts deep inside and never let them out again.