How do y'all pay for all the cool toys?

[MrSmitty]

This is a question I have been wondering for a while. I see on here, guys, and gals constantly buying this gun, or that gun and parts, and some sweet stuff. I can usually scrimp up some money every so often, or try to work a trade. How is it, y'all seem to have piles of cash? My money goes to housing, gas, utilities, food.. Am I doing something wrong, are my priorities wrong? I've always worked as a welder, til the great Biden economy hit my company, and let me go. This is not a woe-is-me story, I was just wondering.

 

[Creedmoor]

I would suggest with you having a welding background that you start with the
Union Skilled Trades across the river from you.
Like Local 20 Elevators.

Elevator Mechanic Apprenticeship Opportunities at IUEC Locals

Check out the elevator mechanic apprenticeship opportunities available at various IUEC Locals and elevator employers served by the NEIEP educational trust fund.

www.neiep.org

Or look here.

Louisville unions | Cause IQ

Directory of 102 labor unions in Louisville, KY.

www.causeiq.com

 

[jwamplerusa]

Well, from my early 30's till approximately 2016 I didn't buy s***, and did not want to take time away from my children for a hobby. I worked enough hours that those I had off I wanted to be with them and be present in their lives. I rarely competed and shot very little. Every dime went toward my wife and children.

After out oldest child graduated college I was willing to spend some on myself. Primarily the spend was funded from "bonuses" and overtime. After our youngest last college payment was made, I uncorked and informed SWMBO'd that bonuses and OT were mine. The collection has grown a bit since then and the shooting time (and cost) has risen by multiples.

I am mostly a buy once, cry once type. I do however want value, by my calculation, over all other things and try to economize where I can.

I know some who work side gigs, and that is there hobby money.

 

[Brandon]

Side gigs are nice. Sadly for me any side work isnwhen work wants me and I dont want to mess with it.

 

[red_zr24x4]

I rob banks
seriously though, I usually save up

 

[red_zr24x4]

I would suggest with you having a welding background that you start with the
Union Skilled Trades across the river from you.
Like Local 20 Elevators.

Elevator Mechanic Apprenticeship Opportunities at IUEC Locals

Check out the elevator mechanic apprenticeship opportunities available at various IUEC Locals and elevator employers served by the NEIEP educational trust fund.

www.neiep.org

Or look here.

Louisville unions | Cause IQ

Directory of 102 labor unions in Louisville, KY.

www.causeiq.com

Or the local pipefitters, always looking for welders.
Even more of a demand if you have your own welding rig (truck). you'll get your scale plus rig rental.

 

[Slow Hand]

I am super lucky and my wife agreed years ago that my OT money was mine to play with. Sometimes it’s a lot and sometimes it’s not. So, I’ve bought stupid stuff I didn’t need and had to miss out on great deals because I didn’t have extra money.

I used to do kydex work but I didn’t charge enough, according to my customers and it was really more of a time filler than a profitable deal.

I don’t know what kind of welding you did but I’m In Local 440 plumbers and pipe fitter and they are always looking for good welders we make pretty good money too. I’m sure whatever local is out of Louisville would be happy to talk to you.

 

[firecadet613]

Increase income and reduce expenses, is the name of the game. "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else". We took a basic Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course shortly after we were married (and no, I didn't sell my 100k boat) which helped us get the right mindset and track every penny in (and out). Even though we don't need to track everything anymore, we still do (it's good to see where the money goes).

While others kept upgrading houses with every promotion, we stretched and bought too much house early on and grew into it, saving a lot of $$$ along the way, and paid it off well in advance. The Mrs and I make a decent living, but we don't attempt to "keep up with the Jones's". Neither of us have the latest smartphone (or have any interest in it). Neither of us are big on shopping (aside from finding projects to do and keeping Menards afloat or buying stuff from the classifieds). Looking at my siblings, we eat out a lot less than they do, which certainly helps as well!

Increasing our means (and living beneath them) has been our secret to success and it seems to be working. Now we try to share our knowledge with younger siblings and cousins - watching them learn and succeed is a great way to find joy.

That said, new trucks used to be my weakness (it helped I had an allowance from work). 3 new ones in 6 years was fun, but the wife pointed out I buy a new truck more often than I bought new socks! I came out ahead with each one and the current one is paid off and rarely leaves the garage.

With the way expenses have gone up recently, we don't know how the average family with a mortgage and car payments are keeping up.

I have a cousin who's a welder, making right at 6 figures. IMO, the trades are where it's at today (and I'm not in the trades).

 

[flightsimmer]

You know I've been wondering that myself.

 

[edwea]

As stated above, the regular income goes into regular expenses etc and the side gigs go into fun stuff.

 

[BE Mike]

Guns, reloading and competitive shooting have been my only hobbies for many decades. I've never owned a boat, golf clubs, tennis racket, bowling ball, etc. We've always lived within our means and often below. Being debt free and empty nesters, gives us a chance to splurge, once in a while, without worry. You'd be surprised just how much people spend on booze, entertainment, electronics, subscriptions and eating out (coffee too). I used to limit myself to one gun a year (I still stick pretty close to that) and I do sell guns and gun stuff that I don't use anymore. Some of it I really did want to keep, but I wanted that new gun more.

 

[doddg]

This is a question I have been wondering for a while. I see on here, guys, and gals constantly buying this gun, or that gun and parts, and some sweet stuff. I can usually scrimp up some money every so often, or try to work a trade. How is it, y'all seem to have piles of cash? My money goes to housing, gas, utilities, food.. Am I doing something wrong, are my priorities wrong? I've always worked as a welder, til the great Biden economy hit my company, and let me go. This is not a woe-is-me story, I was just wondering.

Yes, expressions like, "It's only money," drive me nuts!
I've always lived below my means just to make ends meet w/o debt.
I didn't become "rich," until I was able to pay the house off.
That did open the door for some discretionary hobby spending.

I enjoyed the hobby a little from after college till about 30 yrs. old, then walked away from it b/c of having to work an extra job for decades to supplement my teacher income.
Taking up the hobby again less than 10 yrs ago was really invigorating, having a decent income at the time with a 2nd job in my field that paid well.

I started out happy with a handful of guns but began indulging and always trying to sell down to get under XX number of guns, haha!
I'm as many as 18 guns over what used to be my limit just 2-3 yrs ago.
I got down to only two .22LR rifles after having a couple of dozen, then this year ended up with 5 by mistake , but sold 2 yesterday and will soon get back to 2 rifles, behaving myself.
I have done much the same with higher caliber guns but not so much with .22LR handguns, my weakness.

This hobby has truly been a joy right before retirement when my income was healthy and didn't slow down in Retirement (2019) until the economy went crazy!

 

[Expat]

I had a pretty good job and worked there for 34 years. Kids are grown up and gone. My house has been paid off for around 5-10 years. My wife is dead, so it is just me and the dog and cat. I have a big garden. I eat out of it all summer and fall and will have enough put up to provide most of my vittles for the year, outside meat, bread, milk, fruit. I do not pay for any TV. I never go anywhere or do anything other church on Sunday. I will eat Sunday lunch out most weeks. But I don’t get the high dollar stuff. As an example, I will fix a roast and eat dinner from it, then I make soup from it and eat soup for supper the next 3-4 days. I fixed tacos this past Monday and ate them 3 days. So I am fairly frugal outside of my gun habit.

 

[Nugget]

I'm probably gonna catch some flack for this, but... Don't have kids. Get a decent job. Marry a smart gal with a decent job. Don't buy boats, RVs, expensive cars, motorcycles, ATVs, golf carts, and all the other stuff people spend money on. Next thing you know, all your income is discretionary.

 

[Hkindiana]

Credit cards, lots of credit cards

 

[COOPADUP]

After retiring, I have held off buying any new toys and at this point live frugally and will sell something to fund something else. It’s expensive enough to feed the toys freedom seeds.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I’ll tell ya: getting the house paid off and the kids out of the house has helped tremendously.

 

[model1994]

I barter a lot. I may have a new thing frequently, but that just means I let go of another thing

 

[woowoo2]

Onlyfans,
Gotta shake that moneymaker.

 

[spencer rifle]

Hmm. Where to begin...
We have inexpensive tastes. No lattes, no cable, only one streaming service, used cars, finally got a boat (canoe) last year, no expensive phones, only one credit card that we pay off every month, and an emergency fund that covers 6 months of expenses (and surprises like car/appliance repair/replacement).

SWMBO grew up in a house where her dad drank all the money away, so she pinches pennies so hard they scream. We wash and reuse almost everything, skip the brand names, get food from the garden and hunting, and save $ by reloading and doing our own repairs when possible.

We were Crown Ministries instructors for many years, and know how to keep and stick to a budget. Doesn't necessarily mean more money, but at least we know where it went. We paid $100 extra on the mortgage per month, and cut 13 years off of it. Got a good sized inheritance from my mom, but almost all of that went into the kids' 529s. The small amount left over paid off the mortgage.

Having kids that make more money than you do helps. They never need anything financial from us, and sometimes pay for our vacations.

I never have any chance of bonuses or overtime in my field. Due to good investments we will make more in retirement that we do now (barring the gov completing their destruction of our currency). So for now the money just seems to accumulate in the checking account until it's spent or transferred into the emergency fund (that's making 5.31% currently). Since we might be moving in the next few years, we are in the unloading things stage, and that includes firearms. Lose it or move it.

I have everything I need and most of what I want. More than that is just greed.