lethalenforcer Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Since I'm getting married this year I decided to try not to spend a single dollar on a record for as long as I could. I've sold dozens and dozens of items I just didn't listen to enough to warrant keeping and I'm on a strict only-use-Paypal-funds regimen. It's gone well. I've trimmed the fat from my collection and obtained some sought-after white elephant items while not spending a dime of "new" money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Finn Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Not really since I'm 16 and don't have cost of living expenses, but that also means I don't make a ton and if I spent all my income then my account would look pathetic. I'll maybe spend about $60 a month but if something special comes up I need to buy then I'll spend more, I also collect other things too so I have to kinda of split up my spending money to different collections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Ives Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Also take into account the 50/30/20 rule. 50% of your monthly income should go to essentials (rent/mortgage/groceries). 30% should go towards lifestyle expenses (vinyl/nights out/beer). 20% should go towards debt/retirement/savings. ...I think you may have just changed my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdwell Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I've heard $200 a month as a baseline a couple of times and that seems to work well. Also take into account the 50/30/20 rule. 50% of your monthly income should go to essentials (rent/mortgage/groceries). 30% should go towards lifestyle expenses (vinyl/nights out/beer). 20% should go towards debt/retirement/savings. You can use that as a baseline, plus your numbers in and see where you fall. Bend the numbers around that 30% as much as you can I wish I made enough money to do this 50/30/20. I think I bought a total of maybe 7-8 LPs last year and maybe 3 7"s Well over 50% of my income goes towards essentials...probably closer to 75ish% and the remaining 25ish% just gets left in my account "just in case"......like this past week when my transmission dropped out of my 15 year old vehicle, I can't afford a new car payment, but I also can't afford to outright buy a new transmission....I don't have credit nor savings, so I'm having to do inhouse financing (signing over the title to my vehicle with 90 days to have it paid in full). Attempting to sell guitars and probably records to pay for it. All of that said, I've been actually listening to almost nothing but records at the house. We have Netflix and cable internet and a decent Hi-Fi set up.....that's all we have for entertainment at the house, no video games, no cable/sattelite, I don't even own a computer......since I've been Jammin my records non-stop I'm actually a lot more content with the ones I already own versus perpetually digging (which I do love to do) and excessively pre-ordering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throughbeingcruel Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I went outta town this weekend and bought around a dozen records. Spent too much money but looked at it like I was saving on shipping since I probably wouldn't find all these releases from the same distro/online store. Now I won't be buying anything for at least a week or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plarocks Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 It needs to get under control, for sure. I'm just scared of putting a number on it. Also I'm tired of smuggling records into the house. I've had 3 sitting on my desk at work for a week and just put 3 more there. I'll be able to bring all 6 home tomorrow when she's out of town for a week. OMG, this is so funny This is exactly what I did when I was living at home with my parents twenty years ago. These days I could never afford an original "Mellon Collie," my Mo-Fi collection, my Porcupine Tree records...etc, had I not done this. Glad I "snuck so many in." Do your research. Get what you love, and ROCK ON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandwichRecords Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 If I'm tight on cash, it's only more inspiration to get up early for a flea market or to make it to a garage/estate sale. There are plenty of records for less than a dollar if you put in the time and effort. And in a couple weeks, I'm going to get up early and spend a crazy amount of money on RSD. So I guess times change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefoxUSSR Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 ......like this past week when my transmission dropped out of my 15 year old vehicle, I can't afford a new car payment, but I also can't afford to outright buy a new transmission....I don't have credit nor savings, ... Kind word of advice: Learn to drive a manual. I've driven my 17 year old vehicle for 6 years now. I might.... just might have to replace the clutch this year... that's after autocrossing it and regular hooning (it's a Miata). Now let me get off my high-horse and tell you about the 12th pro-level RC car I bought last week.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfiend Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I probably spend $100 a month or so on my habit. When I first started collecting I was a little outta control but never to the point where I had trouble paying bills. The only time I came close was around 2008 when the company I work for was losing money and I almost lost my job. My wife and I have separate checking accounts, she doesn't know what I spend and I don't know what she spends on a daily basis. So far, we've been married for a little over 3 years and as long as all the bills are paid we have no reason not to trust each other when it comes to finances. The bills are split 50/50 and we also have a joint "vacation account" we use for trips. She never questions my record purchases and has even talked me into getting some items that were pretty expensive. I think she's a keeper. danthemjfan23 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFuzzedOut Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Oh man, sneaking records in is my life. Hate it. Now he is catching on, like when I am taking the shrink off new records, or taking pictures of variants and stuff. I also get stuff shipped to work, and wait until Thursday, which is when his office is open late. Right now I have a pile of used mailers in the front closet. Feel like I'm in a "tell-tale heart" scenario sometimes with them. Our place doesn't recycle, so I try to bring what I can to work. As far as a budget, I stick to $200 per bi-weekly check, but that is also my movie/video game/eating out/concert fund. So if I buy too many records, then I can't go to shows or go out until I get paid again. I generally try to do one pre-order per check. I do save a lot, but that's gonna be for a house, so I don't ever really dip into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdwell Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Kind word of advice: Learn to drive a manual. I've driven my 17 year old vehicle for 6 years now. I might.... just might have to replace the clutch this year... that's after autocrossing it and regular hooning (it's a Miata). Now let me get off my high-horse and tell you about the 12th pro-level RC car I bought last week.... Funny story: this vehicle was a "gift" for graduating high school....that I was then asked to pay for half of. I was 17 at the time and didn't think anything about needing to be on the bill of sale or anything. So I've paid for half of the vehicle without earning credit or anything of like. When they asked what I might be interested in, I said a jeep....and I also said only of its a manual. When I asked my parents why they got an auto transmission they said "you don't know how to drive one yet" and I said "I would've learned pretty quickly don't you think?". Basically, it's what I wanted but since I had little to no say, this is where I'm at. Also the title never got transferred over to me, so my vehicle is sitting at a shop waiting on the mail for the title so I can do the financing. Long and the short, I've brought up the fact about manual transmission with my folks while attempting to get the title to the vehicle. danthemjfan23 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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