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

[sapper83]

There were a lot of people at one of the steel mills (U.S. Steel or Bethlehem??) that lost their pension and benefits. My husband had two cousins that had worked their whole life there and retired. Both had health issues and were depending on the insurance. Both had their pension cut in half and all insurance benefits just gone. They both had to go back to work at other jobs just to survive.

I knew a few as well, LTV or ever it was at the time. Only received pennies on the dollar! Shouldn't be legal at all!! Reform is needed to stop the misappropriation of retirement funds.

Im glad I have what's called a cash balance account so they cannot touch it once the funds are there.

 

[Hoosier8]

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.

My story most of my life. It’s normal.

 

[racegunz]

I enjoyed the laughs today my friend.
That was money well spent.
Too much fun.

Yeah man nice chat always great meeting another veteran patriot!

 

[JoeSig]

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.

For me it was always being minimalist with firearms. I never saw the draw of owning dozens of guns that never get used, especially in a wide range of cartridges. It drove me nuts supplying 8 different types of ammunition. Not sure how those guys do it... but to each their own. I put my money into each of my guns rather than having a number of cheap/mediocre guns. I only have a couple of "stupid" guns that I got cheap or free.

I load my own ammo, especially subsonic or precision rifle stuff.

I would also think about how few people you see buying the nice stuff vs how many gun owners are out there. Don't feel left out or that you are behind! For the few hundred members you probably see running suppressed high end stuff, optics worth more than a used car, latest and greatest gear, that is far from "everyone." I wouldn't let it discourage you or make you wonder if you are doing something wrong. It sounds like you are fiscally responsible so if anything, I'd say you are doing it right.

I worked in the industry so that is how I got most of my "higher end" products. Industry discounts can be 20-40% for most companies. I used to get Eotechs, Surefire, Vortex, etc for almost half price. You also network and get to know people, so you get a lot of good deals buying/selling with each other. Nothing wrong with buying used!!! I rarely buy anything new.

Also, consolidate hobbies. Fishing, golfing, hunting, competitive shooting, boating, RVs, cars, etc etc will drown you. Keep it to two or three. Realistically, how much time do most of us have for a dozen little hobbies?

My advice (I work in finance) is to generate your discretionary income with a side hustle or passive income. Work the occasional remote customer service job part time or seasonally, learn another skill as others have suggested or start a little company you can manage. Although I work in banking, I do the occasional tree service job on the side. If you own a pickup, trailer, tractor or land in Indiana there is a lot you can do with it to generate some cash! Especially if you can weld. See if you can do the occasional contract job for auto repair, fab shops, equipment repair/rental places, etc. Personal networking is your best bet to find work.

 

[DragonGunner]

Live within your means. My first house was $10k, on $7 a hour who wants a huge debt? Even back then working 2-3 jobs supporting wife and kids, barely making it. Then wife ran out on me, again, and that was it. After divorce I had all kinds of $$$. Turns out found out she been stealing it all along and found out how she did it. A few years later stuff paid off, car all fixed up, got into ultra light flying, more guns and toys even though not making much more than $8-9 a hour. Guy at work asked if I sold drugs!? He said you got cool guns, cool car, house paid for, got a flying machine how you doing that on $8 a hour here!!!???

I said I don’t smoke, that saves $50 a week, I don’t drink that saves me $50 a week, and don’t do drugs so that saves another $50 a week. Now take $150 a week I’m saving and in a year that’s over $5000. In 10 years that’s over $50,000. Now you know. His hamster cage was spinning and he just looked at me and said, “I never thought of that.”

By the way the divorce I didn’t want and hated the most in life was the best thing for me. Blessing come disquised sometimes.

 

[Creedmoor]

I knew a few as well, LTV or ever it was at the time. Only received pennies on the dollar! Shouldn't be legal at all!! Reform is needed to stop the misappropriation of retirement funds.

Im glad I have what's called a cash balance account so they cannot touch it once the funds are there.

Uncle Sam really got involved with pension fund over watch, I want to say in the 90's? Our Union used to be before that you needed a 20 year work to be vested for a pension, it changed to 10 years I believe over a new Federal Law being passed.
You dont hear much anymore over pensions being absconded by bad people.
I know our fund assets are still growing each year, last I looked it was growing at 122% I believe.
I can't move my Union pension, but I did move my Union Annuity and my 401 I had through United Technologies to my money man a few years ago.

 

[flightsimmer]

You know I've been wondering that myself.

I mean I look at my collection and say to myself, self where did I get the money?

The dollar is constantly losing value but firearms aren't.

 

[Brian Ski]

I said I don’t smoke, that saves $50 a week, I don’t drink that saves me $50 a week, and don’t do drugs so that saves another $50 a week.

My nephew is 20, keeps getting fired from jobs. He can barely last more than several weeks. His mother (my sister) is a loser with a capital L. His father is just as bad. His was in jail down south and they extradited him here to see a judge. Nothing major all just losers. Nephew living with my Mom because she does not want him living on the streets. He is bored so he took up cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Anymore $50 each does not even cut it. A carton of smokes is getting close to $100.

 

[DragonGunner]

My nephew is 20, keeps getting fired from jobs. He can barely last more than several weeks. His mother (my sister) is a loser with a capital L. His father is just as bad. His was in jail down south and they extradited him here to see a judge. Nothing major all just losers. Nephew living with my Mom because she does not want him living on the streets. He is bored so he took up cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Anymore $50 each does not even cut it. A carton of smokes is getting close to $100.

Yup, then they can’t figure out why they don’t have $$$. We won’t even mention all the ones I have known making big bucks for decades only to find out they don’t own a house or even their car! They were blowing it all on gambling! Paycheck straight to gas station blowing it on scratch offs! Had one guy say look I just won $100!!! I said how much did you spend to get that $100????? A smirk and no answer. I rest my case.

 

[Magyars]

I'm a hand model. You wouldn't believe the extra money it brings in !

 

[Leo]

Part of the appearance is the scale of participating members of INGO. If half of the members buy only one item per year, that adds up multiple hundreds of purchases.

I am in the past purchase category. It was difficult to have anything when I was raising a family, but that was close to 3 decades ago. I was able to buy stuff after that, but not so much now.

Life has seasons, some are ok, some maybe a little less than that.

 

[Brian Ski]

Yep, and sometimes I have not bought firearms for years.

 

[sapper83]

My nephew is 20, keeps getting fired from jobs. He can barely last more than several weeks. His mother (my sister) is a loser with a capital L. His father is just as bad. His was in jail down south and they extradited him here to see a judge. Nothing major all just losers. Nephew living with my Mom because she does not want him living on the streets. He is bored so he took up cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Anymore $50 each does not even cut it. A carton of smokes is getting close to $100.

Smoking kept my parents poor at 3 packs a day each, coupled with bingo and the horse track. I told myself i will NEVER spend money and make my family suffer bc of it. I save probably 45% of what i earn into many avenues and broke into millionaire status. Compounding investments pay off and now I enjoy my money.

 

[GarrisonsGuns]

My business as a home based FFL helps to feed my hobby.

 

[KokomoDave]

Donate plasma plus sell stuff I am no longer enamored.

 

[RobertIN]

I'm still working off the "revolving fun fund" that i had worked up some years ago. I buy and sell, trade and add in some cash to recoup once in a while. My spending habits have been under a significant crunch here lately, but that's okay. I have my wife, family, pets, and friends. Everything a man needs in his life and am satisfied.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I trade sex for firearms. I've got two Highpoints and a Jennings so far!

 

[Brian Ski]

Donate plasma ....

I tried that... To many questions... Whose plasma is this?? Where did you get it from??

Geez, you would think they would be happy??

 

[OutdoorDad]

My girlfriend is a VERY successful Lawyer in Kentucky.

She buys me whatever I want.









I am so sorry. I couldn't let that just sit there. I have a personality defect.

 

[Leo]

Side gigs in a gun store are great,

That did not work for me, I spent way too much on firearms when I was around them all the time. I was too weak to resist the temptation.

I had the same problem when I worked at the motorcycle dealer. I had a GREAT week, closed on at least 2 sales a day for 6 days in a row. The boss had a policy that you could just sign your name for anything in the store and he would take it out of your next paycheck. Even with record sales commissions, I owed the boss over $100 on that payday.