How do you afford the things you love?

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I make my wife work 2 jobs and sell her spare organs from time to time. You'd be surprised how hard she can work with one kidney, one eye and one lung.
 
I've been tight fisted all my life. I reserve my money for necessities and the things i want most, and stretch my money as best i can. On learning the costs of being a driver, i decided that it wasn't worth it. I've never even gotten a driver's license. This doesn't work for everybody, but sure saves a lot of money. Better still, a long bus ride can be a nice bit of free time. Needless to say, i don't have a significant other :).

I also tend to stick to the cheaper side of guns. Collecting surplus and shooting 9mm Luger and imported 7.62×39 or 5.45×39 is a good stretch of one's money, IMO.
 
Scholarships help as well. Doing well in middle and high school, keeping your GPA up, volunteering, etc do pay benefits later on down the road. For me, as a college student, I don't spend money on the other two departments of the ATF. I drive a crappy-looking old car, have a pitifully small wardrobe, and only purchase perhaps two or three video/computer games a year, if that (there's plenty of free games online). My (first and only) cell phone is about four years old..I'll replace it when it dies, and probably just use a hand-me-down when that happens.

Even so, I think a few of the posters may underestimate how difficult it can be, in the present economy, to save much of anything at all. Around here, an apartment runs at least $500/month, gas is $3.25/gallon, and minimum wage is about $6.79/hour. Add in $100/month for food, another hundred or two for insurance, and maybe $50 for a cell phone. So 500 rent+50 gas+100 food+150 insurance+50 cell means you're spending $850 each month just on living expenses, without any emergencies or disposable income. At $7 per hour, that's about 36 hours per week working. But then you have to factor in school, and time for classes, driving, homework, group projects, practice, etc. All of which means less time for work, and less time for anything else. Add onto that the prospect of several thousand dollars for books and tuition each semester, and that eats up even more.

Realistically, the only solutions are scholarships, parental assistance, student loans, or some sort of financial aid from employers (such as the military). Or somehow scoring a really nicely-paying job from the get-go. One of my friends is earning $30k/year working behind a desk while going to school, and spending quite a bit of time partying and vacationing. The catch is, jobs like that tend to require years of prior experience leading up to that point, something that most 18-year-old college students just don't have.
 
I bought most of my collection in the time between leaving college, and buying a house. You'd be amazed at how much gun stuff you can afford if you really want to with a full time job and a $340/month rent bill.

Now with the house, things are changing, but luckily I've got enough stuff prior to now to keep me happy for quite a while, and I'm fine with "incremental" purchases now. Besides, once the safe is full, you've got to sell something to make space if you want something new anyway. I use that rule to keep a "reasonable" cap on the whole thing, and it makes you think long and hard about whether you really need that new gun, if it has to replace one of your existing ones. Otherwise, I'd likely have to support my retirement one day by selling off guns bit by bit. :uhoh:

I didn't buy my first firearm for myself until I was interning in college, making quasi-real money while still on a college student set of living expenses.

Just give it time. Dedicate yourself to shooting as well as possible with what you've got for now.
 
I mitigate the costs by being RUTHLESS about selling off any firearm that I'm not actively using. Firearms hold their value pretty well so I'm able to get back 80% to 90% of what I paid. So while I've owned hundreds of firearms, I never own more than five or so at any given time. My turnover has slowed in the past few years because I've found a set of firearms that are close to ideal.

Also, I almost never buy new firearms from dealers. I mostly look for deals on local swap boards or buy from friends or pawnshops.

Handloading can help reduce costs, as can bullet casting. Picking cheaper platforms to feed is a big factor. My Mosins run on extremely cheap surplus ball. A handgun will be a lot cheaper to reload than a rifle due to the much smaller powder demands. Also the lower FPS allows you to use cheaper plated or cast lead bullets.
 
Dynasty:

My wishlist keeps growing, and I know the feeling. Buying my first gun was one of the most satisfying things I did once I was employed.

I am not generally a fan of books sold as "inspirational," but one notable exception when it comes to life/money philosophy is the classic from George Clason called "The Richest Man in Babylon." Read that, and you'll be on your way to saving for those things you want to do or have.

I do not strictly adhere to its principles, which has bit me a few times -- for instance, to go to law school, I had to borrow more money than I preferred, because I didn't save as much as should have over the preceding years. I am about to be employed again, though, and will try to act more wisely.

timothy
 
I started shooting late in life. I'm established/self employed...NO KIDS.
Just do the best you can. Buy only what you can afford. If you own only a 22LR
enjoy that. You have the rest of your life.
Find a part time job for funding the hobbies/interests you have. Pay your insurances and priority bills first. Play second.
 
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One more (easy?) method

Dynasty:

With guns in particular, one way to afford what you love is to love things that are affordable.

If someone offered me a $2000 sculpture that did nothing but sit on a pedastal, or a $2000 custom 1911, I'd take the 1911. But outside of such flights of fancy, I like guns that are utilitarian, plain, and common. I don't think I could ever feel good about buying a gun that costs thousands of dollars -- shotgun collector snobbery / fastidiousness ("look -- now with even more luuuuustrous burlwood!") results in some beautiful weapons, but not ones I personally care to own. I have an 870, and like the aesthetics of it :)

Likewise my other guns -- all relative bargains for what they are, none of the kind that I'd be afraid to use because they might get scratched. I treasure guns that I've gotten for what I think are good prices in part because of their price -- that's why I like to gloat about my sale-priced Cz-75 :)

Oh, and I would like a 1911, and so far think the Taurus 1911 in stainless is the best deal going on those.

timothy
 
I like keeping costs down and often end up drinking water

If you're like me, you purchase at least one meal a day at some sort of restaurant. When your server asks if you want something from the bar, order a glass of water and sip it instead of a mixed drink or beer.

Most restaurants serve lemon slices with water. I usually, like many others, squeeze a little lemon juice into the glass. This tends to make the water a little more palatable.
 
For those who have a large collection of firearms...how exactly did you go about funding your love? Maybe some have a great story to share?
Click to expand...

Hard work. I got my first job (summer) at age 15, went into the Air Force before I turned 18, spent 37 years there. Retired now, working part-time looking for full-time.

Not a great story, just a lot of hard work.
 
Dynasty, damn, you are 18 years old. My advice, get a good education. Get a well paying job. Don`t get married early. I dated her for 6 years before we got married. Two kids, married 24 years, she works, I work, we both make good money.

In other words, it takes time.

Be smart, keep looking for a better paying job, and stay out of trouble.
 
I don't care so much about guns that I'd demand my wife work. I care about ammo and survival supplies. Once you have a few dozen weapons you have more than enough, since you need to focus on ammo and supplies. If I can make between 70-100k per year and my wife/wives can do part-time work and make even just 10-20k per year (per wife, or just one wife, whatever floats your boat, if you're into that thing), then that's a good thing and you don't need anything beyond it.

I'd rather my wife/wives be able to decide if they want to work or not. Ideally I will work full-time, my first wife will do what she wants, the second wife will likewise do as she wants, and if I decide to pursue a third wife (not sure about this, we'll see), will do as she wants. Ideally one would decide to work, the other would stay at home, and we could all rotate as needed.

If I was with a woman for six years and she wouldn't marry me, I'd move along. People who take that long have commitment issues and are clearly showing them via hesitation. While the exception (probably) my dad knows somebody who married a woman after knowing her for two weeks, and 20 years later they are very happy together. So the 6 years vs 2 weeks is really a situation where neither anecdote sets the rule, both are probably abnormal.


Oh, and no this post's references to wife/wives is not a joke, I am a very firm by the bible only Christian, I have read the entire book, the entire book applies to Christians (nothing from the law shall EVER pass), and I am a firm believer in the legitimacy of polygyny (a man having as many wives as he wants, his first wife will agree to, and he can reasonably support/care for/handle/etc, and that agree to be with him). So that was just to clarify, this is not a joke post... If you do not agree with me, that is your right, but I am not here to debate the nature of polygamy. If you want to debate, PM me or track me down online and we'll talk on IM or something, otherwise, read the entire bible (which I have done) and you may just conclude as I've concluded.
 
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Well...

From the beginning I´m used to living under simple conditions, and that´s a great help.

I live in a small rented apartment for about $280 a month, cook all my food and bring the left-overs to work. Not much fancy clothing, very few trips to bars and clubs, and a lot of overtime work...

I have a really great significant other, who is a mirror reflection of me regarding economy. Works a lot, enjoys nature and shooting more than partying, and finds satisfaction in beeing economically independent. We support each other, have fun together and share the costs.

NO KIDS!!! :barf:

Also great to sell off the typical junk you have at home, on ebay or similar.. It adds up...

This way I have been able to shoot my guns a lot, buy a lot of ammo for future needs (you never know), and in a couple of months I will buy a Mercedes SLK230 K cash, so I can get to the shooting range much faster than before... :D

/ Erik from Sweden (the land of commies and bad weather)
 
After reading this thread, including my own post, i have got to say, Dont let firearms run your life.

money comes and goes. so do guns. every once in a great while stuff will come up and you just might have to spend some money that you were saving for a new gun. sometimes you even have to sell a gun(*gasp*). Guns are fun, but life is about making memories.

Maybe you're birthday will come around and instead of your 4th Glock, you'll just have to buy a big box of ammo and a few drinks for your 200 closest friends. Maybe you'll have to invest $600 of gun money in a new suit to get the job that will pay you $50,000 over the next year.

Just don't get deer-in-headlights over a particular gun. Patience and wise decisions are everything.
 
Apartments are not my style; I've never lived in one and could never see myself living in one. I want to live on a farm and handle most of my own food situation. I'd also like to have perhaps 10-20 kids, at least 6-8 kids, no less than 6, maybe as many as, well, as many as I wind up having. What good is having hobbies if I cannot pass them along? What good is having possessions if I cannot pass them along? What good is it to have values, knowledge, wisdom, truth, virtues, if I cannot impart these things in others (ie- my children) and assure that in some capacity they will be carried into future generations.

I cannot control what others decide to believe, I cannot impact policy, but I can have an impact by virtue of having as many as my own children as possible, and raising them the way that I want to raise them.

Make no mistake about it, the gun culture in the USA is slowly dying and being phased out. If we do nothing, gun rights will be entirely eroded by 2020 or 2030 at the latest... I honestly have no concept of future gun ownership rights, I cannot even imagine people in the USA owning guns by 2200 (if the USA is even still around). Freedom is something that is gradually lost overtime, much like the sides of hills, worn down by the ravages of time, the wind and the water doing their work. In the case of freedoms, they are worn down by liberals, so-called progressives who hop on board the wagon of any new thing, new law, new idea, or the neo-con tyrants and globalists who want total power, unchallenged power.

Freedom is on the way out. :(

I cannot stop the flow of the tides, nor can I hold back an inevitable river, but I can do my part by having a dozen or two dozen children, raising them to value themselves, treat others well, value freedom, and hold the scriptures and gospel above all things, and then send them out into the world to do what they can do to combat the evils the world is faced with. Fifteen could do more work than one... Freedom is lost overtime, gradually, and it will be retaken in such a fashion... It will not be an easy road though...
 
Lots of good advice here about not wasting money, taking your time, etc., and most of it is good.

I'm in my mid-fifties, and I think like a lot of people here, I've just accumulated my guns over time. That's what it takes for the average Joe.

Now, here's the different part of my advice, and I say it knowing there's a high degree of probability that you won't believe it.

Looking back later in life, you'll enjoy the journey more than you will having a large collection. Learning what you like, seeing how your tastes change with time and experience, expanding your knowledge and confidence in your own tastes, it's very rewarding. You'll regret some decisions, but it's part of the learning process.

In guns as in everything else, enjoy what you have, aspire to more, but don't let the wanting drive you crazy, or to rash decisions.

That's it, except I was kidding about having a large collection not being as good as the journey - a pile o' guns is great!
 
Some good stuff here. The main thrust seems to be that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

I was raised by parents who survived the Depression and WWII, and who passed on the lessons they learned to me. Sometimes verbally, mostly by their actions. Growing up in the prairie Midwest was a generally frugal business. As the old saying went, "We weren't poor--we just didn't have any money".

When I got interested in pistol shooting in my late teens, I was helped along by a Border Patrolman who was a competitive shot. He had quite a gun collection for those days--three guns.

I guess I have a lot of guns nowadays, and some of them are pretty nice. Some are just about beaters but they serve my purposes. I picked them up as I went along, but always as an afterthought and only when I wouldn't miss the money. Passed up on a lot of stuff in my military years and the first ten years I was married pickings were mighty slim.

Saved like crazy, retired at 51, figuring that I could get along very well with my old duty .357, a couple of .22s, and an '06 if I had to. Built and paid for two new houses and put two kids through college, no &^$%% student loans involved.

My safe is pretty well filled up. But it took almost fifty years to get it that way.

One of these days I will reverse the process and start thinning it out, and be grateful that I was able to enjoy what I had. We're all just passing through and at most we're just custodians of this stuff anyhow.

There's more to life than guns, that's for sure.
 
There is no substitute for hard work. Pay attention to the basics and lay a firm foundation now -- study hard, get a good education, and stay out of trouble. I can almost hear my Dad saying that to me! With the basics in line you can find a career that you can stick with and pay the bills with enough left over for retirement and toys. I am 57 and retired in 2006. I followed my Dad's advice. Things won't always go smoothly -- life happens and you'll have to deal with the unexpected. Just don't lose sight of your goal and never give up.
 
Plus, there is always selling plasma.

It may not be a lot, but it takes some of the sting away from ammo prices if you shoot every week.
Click to expand...

Ya know, there is a certain other thing you can give for money... unless it's against your religion :evil:

One word: Overtime.
Click to expand...

This is also good advice. I don't have a large collection at all, but what I do have is from working 6 days a week - sometimes seven. Electrical work isn't really that bad, though. It's fun.

Also, I don't know if you drink or smoke, but if you do, cut back on the drinking and quit smoking. You'll be happy you did and the money you can save is tremendous. I quit smoking in January and I've already saved about $300 in cigarette costs alone. I like to have a nice glass of whiskey from time to time, but I don't drink beer anymore (went from a couple 12 packs a week to zero). That has saved me big $$$ already.

EDIT: Oh yeah, another thing. If you want to be able to amass a big collection of ANYTHING other than diapers, don't go and get some girl pregnant. My cousin did this at 18 and he lives in poverty while working 80 hours a week.
 
you could always sell insurance. good racket.


and don't take up with women who expect you to pay for things. seriously. if they won't pay their own way, show them the door. :banghead:
 
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