How do you pay for your hobby (or obsession)?

[ElBandito]

I got into a slight discussion in another thread about using credit cards vs. paying cash for our hobby. This is just a little discussion of how people pay for this hobby. The intent of this thread is to not bash anyone, but just give your thoughts.

I personnaly set aside a little money in my personal bank account every paycheck to fund my hobby. If that means I have to wait a month or so to save up for one specific item, then so-be-it.

My personal though is that this is one of our problems with our economy. We live in a society that believes if we want something, but can't afford it, we just pay for it with credit. This continues on until eventually, the person is living paycheck to paycheck just to pay off debt. I've been there before and it's not a good place to be.

So now if there is something that someone of the family wants, and we don't have the money for it, we simply wait until we have the money for it, or save for it. It gives me more satisfaction to pay for something, knowing I won't have to pay for it for the next couple months or years. I think this is a good lesson that I am teaching my children as well. Sure, our family has a credit card or two, but they are used for true emergencies, not just because we want to go out to dinner or need some other useless gadget around the house.

[hank the crank]

One of our local hobby shops took his card reader out. Cash or check only. While this may be inconvenient for some folks I can see and understand his point. The card reader rental and percentage of sales he loses when he makes a sale cut into his overhead and end up as higher prices for all of us. I personally support him more because of it. Yes, sometimes I have to wait until I can pay cash. Oh well, I can handle that. Our instant society may not always be a good thing. Although I think the drivethru should be for me only. LOL

[simpson1550]

I normally pay cash for anything I get RC related or try to trade for it. There havs been a couple times when a deal was just to good to pass up and i've put it on my paypal buyer credit account and then pay it down within a month or two. Towers 3 pay has also been good to me.

[HONCHO22]

i like to stick back a 20 here, and a 20 there, until i have the cash for it, but my friends and i, in our crawler club, do buy and trade off of each other, on credit at times, when we need a part, or a rig comes up for sale in the club, we are a close group of friends, and have been doing this for months now,with no problems. When it comes to new parts i like to save the cash, never have used a credit card

[DRV KRAWLER]

Male Prostitution !

[WHITE-TRASH]

Cash only. If I want something and I don't have the cash on hand I'll find a way to make the cash to buy it. Usually I'll sell some of my 1:1 parts or haul in a load of scrap metal I've been hoarding for just such an occasion.

[Phins Fan]

Having quite smoking about 1 1/2 years ago has allotted me about $50 a week on top of my "Allowance" from the misses. All together I have the capabilities to drop about $100 a week into the obsession if I so choose too and still have lunch and beer cash for the balance of the week. I would like to train myself to save this up to buy new rigs once or so a month but I keep going to places like the classifieds and spending the cash upgrading. Sooner or later I wont have anymore upgrades to perform and maybe I can get that Wraith or Unimog Ive been wanting.

[JeremyH]

Who says that using a credit card to pay for something means you can't afford that item? I get rewards for items purchased (recently got $800 in cash) and double the manufacturer warranty on anything I buy as well as the knowledge that my purchase is backed up by a company that will immediately give me back my money if I am not happy with the product and having trouble with the seller. My CC always has and always will be paid off in full at the end of every month...

[docsrcrepair]

I quit buying hobby stuff on credit cards, I use my debit card like pop orn because I get money back plus I don't spend my money nearly as quickly if its not in my pocket. But I work a lot of OT(42 weekends last year) and I am kinda like a local rc pawn shop. If people need cash they usually sell it quick and cheap, a few times I give loans on it and they have a couple months to pick it up. The lhs calls me for parts for oddball stuff or if there are some deals that he can't swing. Its not unusual to have people call when they hear I just bought a lot from someone who's getting out of the hobby.
The biggest problem I see in this hobby is people who don't have money are walls deep in buying the biggest and most expensive only to loose sight of the true fun of the hobby. Too many times I've been behind the counter (both when I owned my own shop and help at the lhs) people come in dirty and stinkin,kids look like ragamuffins and laying out their whole paychecks on a rc.. its almost disheartening to see that and actually sell it to them. You just want to oops up side the head them an lay it out in common sense. But hey, rule #1 can't fix stupid..

[street.terror]

Originally Posted by JeremyH

Who says that using a credit card to pay for something means you can't afford that item? I get rewards for items purchased (recently got $800 in cash) and double the manufacturer warranty on anything I buy as well as the knowledge that my purchase is backed up by a company that will immediately give me back my money if I am not happy with the product and having trouble with the seller. My CC always has and always will be paid off in full at the end of every month...

I'm the same. I try to get as much locally as I can but I would say 90% of what I buy used comes from the US and I use my credit card with PayPal.

However I fund my really expensive hobby with cash. Mainly because I know I would just sell the farm on super moto stuff if I didn't approach it cash only hahaha

Also my cc limit is like 25% of my net monthly income and I like it like that because I can max it and pay it without blinking.

[johnnyh66]

Cash!

[CiLyX]

Every week I allow myself 100 dollars and 1 part, if it's over 100 it goes in my PayPal till I can afford it

[EverettY]

I usually pay with Paypal or Credit card... I use my dad's credit card since I don't have my own... He has never spent more money than there is in the bank. It's really lame when people aren't that rich and than they go in debt to buy their kids a huge TV... I spend most of my money on RC stuff right now as I'm only 15. When I get the money than I buy whatever I need... sometimes if something is a really good deal my dad will loan me some money to buy it but I usually try and spend only what I have...

[Hoosierdady]

Body and paint work

[Hunter711]

Hippy Honey and pimp the wife.

[baconCHDDRchips]

I rebuilt my berg from overtime hours at work. I have been trying real hard to not spent lately, saving for a trip to Iceland.




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[C*H*U*D]

Originally Posted by JeremyH

Who says that using a credit card to pay for something means you can't afford that item? I get rewards for items purchased (recently got $800 in cash) and double the manufacturer warranty on anything I buy as well as the knowledge that my purchase is backed up by a company that will immediately give me back my money if I am not happy with the product and having trouble with the seller. My CC always has and always will be paid off in full at the end of every month...

You beat me to it. I use my credit card for everything. It's an REI Visa that gives me 1% for every purchase I make. I usually get about $350 - $400 back each year. The card is paid every month so there is never a balance or finance charge.

I used to use my debit card for everything which pulled it straight from my checking account, but I didn't like the danger of that card being compromised. If it was, my cash is gone, but the Visa reimburses any fraudulent charges. My cash is safe, and I get money back...win-win for me.

[Trixxx]

I am constantly selling old for new... And do work on other peoples RC cars for $. Building battery packs, custom parts or chassis etc. if i spent my hard earned $ on the hobby id be in debt, my kids would have no cloths and my wife would kill me.

[budhatrain]

Walter White is my inspiration

[dieselmudder]

99% of my purchases are paypal. direct withdrawl from my checking account. so im not going in debt over it. but like now i'm laid off for a few weeks since construction is slow an the shop closes up. happens every year and i prepare for it. got a good amount in savings and ill run the credit card up a bit, knowing i can pay it off within the first couple paychecks when we start back up. ive got good credit and plan to keep it that way. actually bought the girlfriend a new phone and got her own contract this summer. i paid it while she was unemployed to help her build credit since hers had been ruined by a useless waste of oxygen ex. now shes self supporting and doesnt need my money.