How do you budget for audio purchases?
Comments
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I just wish I wouldn't be so hard on myself for saying I don't need it but get it any way. Yeah a budget needs to happen real soon not just in this hobby but all of them! I need to learn to just say no! Starting now.Home Theater
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My income is treated as purely family funds. My play money is all from poker winnings, gifts, and flips. When I come into more play money, I throw it in the family funds.
I'm very similar to this as far as how my wife and I view our money. No poker winnings for me and very little profit from flipping, but I have a rewards credit card that I use for audio. Plus, most of what I buy are minimal upgrades so usually very little out of pocket to try something new.
Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
My income is treated as purely family funds. My play money is all from poker winnings, gifts, and flips. When I come into more play money, I throw it in the family funds.
I'm very similar to this as far as how my wife and I view our money. No poker winnings for me and very little profit from flipping, but I have a rewards credit card that I use for audio. Plus, most of what I buy are minimal upgrades so usually very little out of pocket to try something new.
My wife and I view our money as a combo. But I get a leeway to get stuff I want as long as I don't dip into savings. Don't have a hard budget, more self imposed than not. Initially the side gig was to fund my audio habit, but I find it more fun to fund the kid's savings account than to buy new gear.
Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
My wife and I view our money as a combo. But I get a leeway to get stuff I want as long as I don't dip into savings. Don't have a hard budget, more self imposed than not. Initially the side gig was to fund my audio habit, but I find it more fun to fund the kid's savings account than to buy new gear.
Most of sound pretty similar in that we are fairly responsible with the family funds so that our audio habit isn't running up credit card bills or causing us to cut back on necessities.
Very cool about adding to your kids savings. I do it every once in a while, but not nearly enoughThings work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
My wife and I view our money as a combo. But I get a leeway to get stuff I want as long as I don't dip into savings. Don't have a hard budget, more self imposed than not. Initially the side gig was to fund my audio habit, but I find it more fun to fund the kid's savings account than to buy new gear.
Most of sound pretty similar in that we are fairly responsible with the family funds so that our audio habit isn't running up credit card bills or causing us to cut back on necessities.
Very cool about adding to your kids savings. I do it every once in a while, but not not nearly enough
Top Ramen isn't so bad...
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My wife and I view our money as a combo. But I get a leeway to get stuff I want as long as I don't dip into savings. Don't have a hard budget, more self imposed than not. Initially the side gig was to fund my audio habit, but I find it more fun to fund the kid's savings account than to buy new gear.
Most of sound pretty similar in that we are fairly responsible with the family funds so that our audio habit isn't running up credit card bills or causing us to cut back on necessities.
Very cool about adding to your kids savings. I do it every once in a while, but not not nearly enough
Thanks man... I'm trying to add more. Don't want her to have too much but I want her to know that her dad tried. It's grown to a hefty sum. It probably took me till age 30 to get to where she's at at 11 months... lol.... she's definitely got her dad beat by far.Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
not not????* Typing is tougher than saving
*from my post that Joey quotedThings work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
I told you Dan, I am NOT interested in your remaining kidney!
You dont pay good enough anyway..... and to think I was gonna sell you BOTH of em"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »
BwahahahaMagico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
That may be all he has left to sell. His wife has other parts hidden away in a bank vault somewhere...I told you Dan, I am NOT interested in your remaining kidney!
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“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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On stuff that will not lose value such as amps/preamps/cables etc I watch the used market closely and when a really good deal for a very well cared for piece comes up I buy it. Later on I know it will fetch about the same price so long as I don't damage it. I put no real limits on these type of purchases. New items or digital I put a lot of thought into whether or not I'm willing to lose most of its value. I have a "toy" budget of 5K a year for things I want but do not need.Vinyl, the final frontier...
Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... -
Tax return baby!
My yearly seed money is on the way.
My wife and i have been married for 25 years and i started from the beginning thta we split tax refunds down the middle for mad money for the year unless of course it's needed for something like food, water, and elctricity.
It's worked very well.
We both have some scratch to do as we wish.
Between the cash and flipping gear i can usually get one sweet piece of gear and a couple other less expensive pieces through the year.Main Rig-Realistic AM/FM Record player 8 track boasting 4 WPC
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I’M OFFENDED!!!! -
I put aside TAX REFUNDS. Which are pretty consistent from year to year. And also have to clear "my portion of the return with the wife"? And I occasionally sell off gear like Skip, but I'm more of a "hoarder" than he is! lol
I like to be able to sample a LOT of different sounding rigs and equipment because my ears are VERY fickle. And what sounds GOOD one day might sound like Axx a few days later?Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
I shop around on line, see something I like and then go to the UPS site and punch in the weight and dimensions and look at the shipping rate. I then close the window on the computer and tell myself, 'One day". For fun I like to contact sellers who promise free shipping and then listen to them explain why it is that they can't send me a 150 pound sub for free when it will cost them +$500 to ship it to me.
That is the main reason I don't have Krells sitting in the house at this time either.
That is how I budget for audio purchases.
NathanHome Rig
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Monitor 4, 5, 7, 10's, SDA 1B's, 2B's, 2.3TL's, RTA 15TL's all in storage waiting for me.
Sales Rating #1!! -
Tax return baby!
My yearly seed money is on the way.
My wife and i have been married for 25 years and i started from the beginning thta we split tax refunds down the middle for mad money for the year unless of course it's needed for something like food, water, and elctricity.
It's worked very well.
We both have some scratch to do as we wish.
Between the cash and flipping gear i can usually get one sweet piece of gear and a couple other less expensive pieces through the year.
I hate tax season.... it definitely is a hindrance to more audio gear for me.Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
I try to do the tax thing so it is a wash at tax time. This year was pretty close, pay the Feds $500, get $100 back from CA. No sense in letting them use my money interest free during the year.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
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Three 20 amp circuits. -
I try to do the tax thing so it is a wash at tax time. This year was pretty close, pay the Feds $500, get $100 back from CA. No sense in letting them use my money interest free during the year.
I wish that was the case with me. I just get brutalized at tax time....
... to the point where I just want to punch that guy on the HR block commercial.
"It's not tax season... it's refund season!"
Yeah.. right.Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
Joey,
This is a very loaded question, unfortunately, it has been asked before in many ways and forms. If you really want to know. I suggest...
During your free time, learn more about finance. Ask yourself. What is the minimum I could live with on this income or budget. This is radically different for everyone and very easy to equate.
If you asked yourself the right questions, you will have the right answers. Too often, I see the question asked only to lead to self gratification and promotion.
But if you are sincerely honest. Then you are asking the wrong question. There are many things that you must budget for before your audio. Now, if you want to loop back to that self gratification part..... It is up to you. Lol.
It is not complicated.
Halen
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halenhoang wrote: »Joey,
This is a very loaded question, unfortunately, it has been asked before in many ways and forms. If you really want to know. I suggest...
During your free time, learn more about finance. Ask yourself. What is the minimum I could live with on this income or budget. This is radically different for everyone and very easy to equate.
If you asked yourself the right questions, you will have the right answers. Too often, I see the question asked only to lead to self gratification and promotion.
But if you are sincerely honest. Then you are asking the wrong question. There are many things that you must budget for before your audio. Now, if you want to loop back to that self gratification part..... It is up to you. Lol.
It is not complicated.
Halen
Yeah, what spurred the thread was that I realized that I didn't have a hard figure budget and that I kinda just winged it. So I started thinking that perhaps I should start a budget and stick to it. In doing so, I figured might ask the group and see if people have a hard budget for it or if they have separate accounts where they save up for gear or if they just winged it also.Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
Actually Joey, I hope your not getting your taxes done at H&R Block. You need a regular accountant/cpa type. They may cost you more for the filing, but they will save you thousands.
I remember when the wife and I were in between houses and renting for a couple years. Unfortunately we were also at the top of our earnings cycle of life. A 10g tax bill at the end of the year was enough for me to switch gears and do something different. I just couldn't understand how paying over 20g's in taxes out of your paychecks and you STILL owe another 10g's at the end ? Screw that....
Now I get money back every year, due to some personal changes and accountant doing the returns, not the blockheads at Block.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
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Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
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Kitchen
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Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Actually Joey, I hope your not getting your taxes done at H&R Block. You need a regular accountant/cpa type. They may cost you more for the filing, but they will save you thousands.
I remember when the wife and I were in between houses and renting for a couple years. Unfortunately we were also at the top of our earnings cycle of life. A 10g tax bill at the end of the year was enough for me to switch gears and do something different. I just couldn't understand how paying over 20g's in taxes out of your paychecks and you STILL owe another 10g's at the end ? Screw that....
Now I get money back every year, due to some personal changes and accountant doing the returns, not the blockheads at Block.
Nah I got my own accountant.... seems like all they want is money from me. Same thing with my lawyer and financial guy.
You paid 20 in paycheck and then another 10? Screw that!!
But yeah, I don't do well during tax season. If not for the taxes I owe, I'd have a massive system right now. Or maybe a new car. I had to create a bank account just for taxes and I take money away from my monthly income to fund it so I'm prepared for what I owe every year.
This year, I owed enough to buy a Wilson Sasha 2... at full price , brand new, with tax. And that was AFTER I already had taxes taken out of my paycheck with 0 deductions.
Yep, I hate tax season.
Which by the way, I have to cut the check tomorrow...Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
I use other people's money.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I budget by performance. I tend to like an awesome picture, so the projector always gets a higher budget. I don't upgrade speakers/audio gear much so I tend to stick with a one time purchase there. Max I'll spend on a PJ is 5K, after that I'm just being nit picky about video quality.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
I tend to purchase mostly used hardware and media. I will budget maybe $50.00 a month for new media usually CD's and SACD's. Have a great weekend!
Post edited by aprazer402 on -
Driving a car is considered a luxury too in most parts of the world. Won't get me to feel guilty about it though.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Deleted
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I have no budget. I'm the voice of reason in our household when it comes to audio purchases. I recently talked to her about buying the Rogue Atlas Magnum amp and her reply was when are we picking it up. That was 2 months ago I've yet to buy it.
Because I am The Pumpkinking
A Kind Word Is An Easy Gift To Give -
You know I am pretty savvy financially and here is how I planned my latest purchase...... beep beep beep beep..... Mom!!!!!! theres a guy blah blah who is selling ...... you dont even love me you old Btch!!!!!!! blah blah... I swear it I'm gona eat the whole bottle of pills you make me take, you make me take them mom!!!..blah blah blah .. thanks mom your the best, yep yep I promise I will get up there every weekend and help out.Post edited by polkfarmboy on
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polkfarmboy wrote: »You know I am pretty savvy financially and here is how I planned my latest purchase...... beep beep beep beep..... Mom!!!!!! theres a guy blah blah who is selling ...... you dont even love me you old Btch!!!!!!! blah blah... I swear it I'm gona eat the whole bottle of pills you make me take, you make me take them mom!!!..blah blah blah .. thanks mom your the best, yep yep I promise I will get up there every weekend and help out.
If your mom only knew........Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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