Filling the gun coffers?

[Caimlas]

I do a number of things. I'm a "cash for toys and hobbies" kind of person as well. If I don't have the money, I don't spend it.

I've got a separate savings account where I put all my "toy" money so that I can spend it as needed. If I want to spend it, I'll have to go to the bank and make a transfer to prevent me from splurging randomly on things I don't really need and don't want all that badly. It usually takes a while to save up to "enough to purchase a gun", so that's a good policy to prevent its loss.

 

[MarshallDodge]

For guns I have used mostly side job or bonus money. I have made some investments that paid off and used it.

Now that I have a pretty good collection I look for really good deals, buy them, shoot them, then if they sit around I sell them. I typically make at least 30% profit on them.

Ammo and accessories come out of my "fun" budget that I allocate monthly toward purchases.

 

[waterhouse]

I can't say that I really have a gun coffer, but a lot of times when I am thinking about spending money on something extraneous (dinner out, new pair of boots, etc.) I think, "How many boxes of ammo could I buy with this money?" or "If I don't spend this $65 then XXXX gun will cost $65 less, sort of . . ." It's sort of a coffer in my mind.

 

[renegade1alpha]

I have a jug that I throw my spare change in. You would be surprised how much money you can accumulate in a couple of months just from your spare change. I also periodically throw a dollar or two or five into the same jug.

My drill check from the National Guard is basically my "allowance" for the month so how I spend it is my business. I usually spend it on stuff like gas for my motorcycle and lunch and the occasional latte at the local coffee shop, but every once in awhile I will take $20 or $50 and add it to my jug. Then one day... TA DAH! NEW GUN!!!

Makes the wait all worth it!

 

[lee n. field]

I'm interested in how, if at all, people save up or allocate "gun money" in an orderly fashion.

Money from side jobs goes into one of several jars. One of those jars is for gun stuff.

Money is quite tight, getting tighter. I am sole support for this family and my income hasn't changed in close to 10 years. The last couple guns have come by trades, and I've about got things where I want them. I suspect I won't be buying anything new for a while.

 

[joshk-k]

"Money is quite tight, getting tighter."

Understood. I'm just finishing college, and have worked my ass of throughout to be able to graduate with no debt, but I'm still going to not have enough income coming in for a while. That's a big part of why I started this thread: to see if any other budget-concious people had useful suggestions.

-Josh

 

[PistolNewbie]

This is a good question. I just chalk it up to entertainment expense. We have friends/family who practically live at the casinos, play golf, own boats, snowmobiles, etc. My vices are antiques and guns. I figure at least when you spend money on this stuff, it is always worth something and you could get a good share of your money back. My wife of 33 years and I have always agreed we pay our bills, pay ourselves, then blow what is left over on whatever the hell we want. My wife buys clothes and girlie sh*t and I buy gun stuff and antiques. I have learned never to question the cost of a new dress and she never asks what I paid for a gun, etc. The only probem is there isn't a lot left to blow on whatever the hell we want anymore. Gas was $3.26 a gallon this AM in Cedar Rapids, Iowa! Yikes! The change jar or a special little account is starting to sound like an excellent idea!

 

[WolfMansDad]

I don't have a "gun" budget per se, but I do track my spending. In a typical year, all outdoor hobbies put together account for 1 to 2% of my annual income. Last year it was more like 6%, but that was unusual. You don't need a lot of money to have fun at this. I have a membership at the local range and reload, and I go shooting about once a week except during hunting season.

Pay cash for everything. Build up a good-sized savings account. Spend more on your wife than you spend on your guns, and all will be well.

 

[GlowinPontiac]

scrap metal. you would be amazed at how much copper and brass people throw away or sell for next to nothing at yard sales.

 

[MD_Willington]

I'm going to suggest scrap metal too, a friend of ours cleaned out all the areas around their farm, took the metal to the metal dealer and drove home with $1500.00

Not bad... We have literally tons of rusting scrap in our areas in the form of abandoned farming implements, they used it and then park it for eternity.

Of course I do not advocate the illegal removal of someone else's used farm implements.

 

[tradja]

Great thread. I love threads about the various ways we finance this hobby.

Mrs. Tradja and I have modest income and ambitious financial goals, so I actually don't spend any of my normal wages on guns/ammo/knives. It's a deal that I have with Mrs. Tradja, to check what would otherwise be very compulsive spending on my part! I just got a new job that pays 3x what I was making before, but still, I will save that income.

I maintain an Excel spreadsheet that tallies my guns/knives spending against my modest eBay and forum selling income (selling off camping gear, clothes, shoes, gun accessories, knives), holiday/b-day gift money, etc. I have made a very modest profit on a few knives and electronics I've bought and sold.

I just made $200 over the past few weeks helping a guy put in a flagstone patio, and this went into the "gun accounting" as well. A few times a year I help someone with their computer for some money or barter.

I'm really running out of eBay inventory, so I really need to figure out a new source of gun income.

EDIT: I really need to figure out the scrap metal racket.

 

[helpless]

Barter.

 

[blackhills]

I go the change route. Side jobs help. I do not smoke and I have cut drink down to once a month, if at all.

Another thing that helps is if they ask for overtime, I am the first one in line. Most of my overtime pay goes into the me fund.

Aluminum cans work, the price per pound keeps going up on that.

 

[Big Calhoun]

Gun Jar, which is nothing more than a Simply Limeade bottle. Once that's full, as long as there are no pressing issues, that money becomes the downpayment to put a gun on layaway and then I usually just pay the rest off within two weeks.