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

[beachbum]

Sperm and blood donor. Figured, why waste it when I can make money off of it and offset the cost of my rc hobby. Now I have more money than I can spend on rc stuff, just a little weak kneed and pale but hey, got a better grip on the controller and if I cut myself working on them I don't bleed on them as bad as I used to.

 

[siuvinson]

I make very few cash purchases...hobby-related or not. I don't really have an LHS, so most purchases are from online retailers or B/s/t forums...in which paypal is generally used.

If you're financially responsible and pay off the balance each month, there really are no cons to using credit cards. I mean, unless you're a financially responsible person that doesn't like free shit like money back or mileage rewards. If you're that person, you deserve a swift kick in the ass.

My wife and I have chase sapphire cards...double points on dining and travel with single rewards on all other purchases. We used it to pay my last 2 tuition payments last year...there's 12,000 points. Most of our wedding was paid with it...the caterer alone got us about 10,000 points (dining related, double points "thumbsup"). Just got back from Jamaica last Saturday, where we used the credit card to pay for the excursions we charged to our room...double points again! Right now we're looking at enough points to pay for about $2500 in airfare, which we're planning on using for a trip in the fall.

 

[gbean]

Recycling the scrap I get while out on job sites.
Lead acid batteries get $.15-.18/lb.
I can get 50-$120/week just with those.

 

[1/4milecrazy]

I work my butt off to pay for what I have, credit cards or cash, whatever I have on hand. I usually only use credit for online stuff. Between me and my GF we make enough money to support our spending, without touching our savings.

I race motorcycles when the season comes, so during that time R/C usually gets put on hold. So the money I save during the winter months goes into motorcycle improvements/repairs or R/C.

All of my hobbies through the years have always been expensive, luckily my GF is very understanding. Maybe it's because I keep buying her Coach purses and wallets.

 

[RiceBurner]

Take a starved baby calf to the local bar and set up a glory hole on weekends:shock: just kidding, I personally try to be as resourceful as possible, patient, and creative. I got a LOT of hobbies so I can't do the buy-builds some do on here. Don't get me wrong, they look awesome pimped. I'm just a tight ass. Don't wanna assemble a build, I wanna build a build.
As stated above, there is money in recycling. Made 400-500$ last year and 700+ this year selling brass(spent ammo) at a gun show from a 35$ table.

 

[rik]

sell or trade the old for the new. i rarely spend hard earned money on this hobby. like most, once you in this for a while you accumulate a lot.

 

[SmokeeJay]

I usually sell my old stuff to fund new stuff, at least big purchases like my Axial. I have no credit cards to tempt me as my wife and I recently became debt free and plan on staying that way. For parts or upgrades, I just usually save until I can pay cash for what I want.

 

[drywallguy]

Recycling the scrap I get while out on job sites.
Lead acid batteries get $.15-.18/lb.
I can get 50-$120/week just with those.

Last time I took some in it was .10 X 900 lbs put me off of that. ( But they want a $8 core charge when you buy a new one WTF? )
Have to use hard earned $ now.

 

[ceedawwg]

Food stamps and a welfare check, Thanks Barrack:lmao:

 

[romulus22]

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.

While although you are technically charging on your CC you don't over extend your budget each month. So this is the same as a cash purchase just paid once a month instead. I think what the OP was saying is some people go over what they can afford and put stuff on CC just so they can have it.

 

[JeremyH]

Yes, that was the point that I was making....just because a credit card is used doesn't imply that the user is being irresponsible.

 

[xCoolHandLukex]

I get on an airplane and fly 2000km away from home and work 24 12h days in the cold, the rain and the heat. Then halfway threw my shift I go online and order my stuff up to my $400 allowance I set for myself on my visa then pay it off right away. My wife picks up my packages and there all sitting on my work bench when I get home for my 12 days off. I could spend more but I have a lot of other expensive hobbies and I don't want to work like a dog for my whole life. I don't think buying stuff on credit is wrong if its reasonable but there are too many people who can't use credit responsibly. I work in one if the highest income areas in the world and most people here don't have any more extra money than the average Joe just a lot more payments. A guy I work with who makes over 200k a year just sold his 6 month old street bike for $2500 to make up the other half of his mortgage payment. The best advice I ever got in life was "Live within your means or else your just pretending"

 

[street.terror]

You don't work in fort MCMurry by chance do you? Hahahaha

 

[ElBandito]

While although you are technically charging on your CC you don't over extend your budget each month. So this is the same as a cash purchase just paid once a month instead. I think what the OP was saying is some people go over what they can afford and put stuff on CC just so they can have it.

That's exactly my point. I use my Visa for online purchases too, but since they get paid off every month, it's basically the same as using cash. It's really hard to go through life using just cash now-a-days.

Credit cards, if used responsibly can be a great asset. But if the user is not responsible, well that turns into a differant story. I know, I used to be one of those people who lived beyond their means. I always had decent paying jobs, but I always seemed to get in over my head. It's almost like an addiction to spend.

 

[Drail]

any way i can:mrgreen::mrgreen:"thumbsup""thumbsup" Drail

 

[dropstep]

If i order offline wich is 99.9% of the time i use a credit card, they have alot better theft protection then the bank that issued my debit card.

 

[JeremyH]

That's exactly my point. I use my Visa for online purchases too, but since they get paid off every month, it's basically the same as using cash. It's really hard to go through life using just cash now-a-days.

Well hell, that's not what I got from your original post....I thought you were asking what method of payment and said you only used cash.

 

[C*H*U*D]

While although you are technically charging on your CC you don't over extend your budget each month. So this is the same as a cash purchase just paid once a month instead. I think what the OP was saying is some people go over what they can afford and put stuff on CC just so they can have it.

Yeah, I did get that he was talking about how to fund rather than what payment I used, but I figured since Jeremy opened the door I would also walk through it :mrgreen:

 

[JeremyH]

Yeah, I did get that he was talking about how to fund rather than what payment I used, but I figured since Jeremy opened the door I would also walk through it :mrgreen:

A good rule of thumb....dont follow me, you'll probably get lost and then I'll ask you where we go now.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

You are looking at how I pay for my hobby, just like many other vendors here I started the company just to help offset the very bad addiction, but after a few years it was clear I had to either quit my day job or let somebody else take over the business. I quit the day job. Fortunately I don't want for more hobby items these days, my old habits could have paid for a nice mortgage. These days I just keep a roof over my head and over my shop.