Views on money (fish/tank purchases vs other purchases)

[Delphinus]

Actually I'm sort of with Michika on this. There was a time I wouldn't have batted an eye at some of things you can buy, now I measure every decision carefully. I still make mistake purchases too (the last $200 of SPS for example ... nicely converted into a collection of calcium reactor media now). And some of the costs of things nowadays compared to 5 years ago. Holy crap. There was a time that $800 gave you a high end skimmer to end all skimmer purchases. Not so anymore. With a family now my household net income is the same as what it's been for the last 8 years but now it's stretched out over 2 adults, 2 kids and the cost of everything during this time has not similarly stayed the same. I find the situation just brutal. Maybe if I didn't have kids I'd feel differently but personally I'm finding myself more and more shut out of the hobby as time goes on.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

I'm a cheap bastard 90% of the time. Then I'll go and spend $2K in one week on camera equipment. Oops!

I can also spend some good money on this hobby, though I ALWAYS think long and hard before I do. What I cannot ever conceive buying is a fish over $200 (Black Tang, Gem Tang, Crosshatch Trigger, etc.), and spending $2K on a Clarion Angelfish is mind-bogglingly insane.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Der_Iron_Chef

I'm a cheap bastard 90% of the time. Then I'll go and spend $2K in one week on camera equipment. Oops!

I can also spend some good money on this hobby, though I ALWAYS think long and hard before I do. What I cannot ever conceive buying is a fish over $200 (Black Tang, Gem Tang, Crosshatch Trigger, etc.), and spending $2K on a Clarion Angelfish is mind-bogglingly insane.

But you take some damned fine pictures

Its one thing to spend money in this hobby and know how to use it and its another to have a tank of hair algae

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yeah, although I still spend a lot on this addiction, I don't buy unless its a good deal & I try to recycle the funds by selling/trading equipment, tanks, frags, etc. With a new baby this year and Irene without Mat. leave since she's considered "self-employed", mortgage & such, paying more bills than ever.

[karazy]

you are so right.

just a few weeks ago when i was making a big order from J&L i was like "i could buy an ipod touch, or spend that money on a part of my system" ofcourse i bought the fish stuff

i sorta have a plan for getting into fragging once my tanks are up.
You buy high-end beautiful frags and then they multiply so over time they pay for themselves.

e.g. 100$ 3 polyp zoanthus frag. 1 year later, your looking at bout 20 polyps (depending on the zoa). by then prices would have gone down to about 20$ a polyp. take 15 polyps, sell them, thats 300 dollars.minus maintenance and the original investment, you still made atleast 100 bucks.

its deffinatly hard to do on an allowance though

[Keri]

How bad is it that one of my major holdups on not having a baby yet is that I won't be able to also afford my SW hobby?

[Mrfish55]

Originally Posted by Keri

How bad is it that one of my major holdups on not having a baby yet is that I won't be able to also afford my SW hobby?

Kids help keep you in check, I have two kids and still manage 300 gallons, can't imagine how big I would have gone if the extra cash was there

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by Keri

How bad is it that one of my major holdups on not having a baby yet is that I won't be able to also afford my SW hobby?

Downsize the tank and upsize the family!

I can run my little nano for pennies and I probably get just as much enjoyment as the big reefers. I still fiddle and poke and make everything just right, I still shop around for livestock and add to my collections etc. It's the same hobby other than I am limited to the fish I can keep, but who isn't?
Keith

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Keri

How bad is it that one of my major holdups on not having a baby yet is that I won't be able to also afford my SW hobby?

Keri, you've got to look at the baby as a future investment. Babies become kids, and kids become great little tank maintenance workers who can do the water changes, algae scraping, etc. And kids become teens who can test and dose and watch your tank while your vacationing in Hawaii.

[superduperwesman]

I haven't spent that much on my tank seeing it's only a 10 gallon and I don't want to go bigger until I have a more permanent place but my problem is that I try to have it all. Most people have their tank, or their cloths, or their car, but I try to have the tank and the nice jeans and the paintings on the wall and the turbo kit and the big tv