How much do you spend each month?

[Delphinus]

Ok, everytime I buy something new, I find myself thinking, "Ok this will be it for a while." And yet .. we all know, it never is..

So this has my (perhaps morbid) curiousity picqued ... how much do we spend on this hobby per month, buying, y'know... "stuff"? This could be pumps, skimmers, lights, livestock. Obviously most of us don't buy a new pump each and every month, but mind you, when you do, it puts a dent in our "average" monthly costs.

Let's exclude things like electricity and utilities since that will push the numbers way over the edge.

[muck]

I have no clue.
Really don't want to start adding it up though.. :eek:

[Delphinus]

I know, and most of us probably don't want to know.

But on the other hand.. maybe this is good information. How much do you expect to spend in a year, and divide that by 12 to give you an accurate idea how much to budget off each paycheque.

Lights need replacin' .. reactor media needs toppin' up ... ooh look at that lovely frag.. ... Oho, look at this cool pump! :lol:

[muck]

I got a feeling that this year I will be spending a fortune on stuff.. :wink:

[Invigor]

as little as possible :D damn those impulse buys

[digital-audiophile]

$200+ a month without even trying.

[Paverdude]

How much do you expect to spend in a year, and divide that by 12 to give you an accurate idea how much to budget off each paycheque.

That works out to more than my paycheck!:surprise: :surprise:

[Ruth]

lalalalalalalalalalalalal - I don't hear you. Don't want to know - just know it's lots.

[Beverly]

Good question.....

I buy a lot of dry goods (salt, light bulbs/lightbulbs :wink: , additives, RO filters, etc.) in bulk, so it would be hard to calculate that part. For fish and corals, though, I'm pretty well stocked to my personal limit, so I rarely buy livestock. Not even going to hazard a guess.

[Tom R]

I have to make a conscious decision to stay away from MLFS as it si very easy to spend $100 to $200. I try to buy most of my major supplies on the J&L christmas sales. I also look for their monthly specials as this helps when it comes to replacing lights, salt, filter and additives.

Tom R

[marie]

Grrrr, You had to make me add it up didn't you :twised: . I hope my husband never looks at this poll :redface: :lol:

[Psyire]

My electrical bill nears $100 alone, lol

Well if we ignore utilities, I still need a 7th option. "Way to much"

[TheReefGeek]

You capped out the poll at $151+

I think you vastly underestimate my ability to blow my money on reef stuff. :)

[Xtasia]

Tha values for this poll were too low :P

[christyf5]

Ugh you just had to go and remind me didn't you? :razz: Last year was pretty rough but this year has been smooth sailing so far (shh, don't let my tank know that :wink:)

[Joe Reefer]

This is a bad poll.

[Snappy]

I wish I only spent $150 per month:twised:. It's not easy being a cronic "reefer addict".

[Jaws]

I hate to say it but because Im still in the process of setting everything up, I've been spending minimum $500 to $1000 a month between equipment and livestock. This has been going on for about 7 or 8 months now too.

[Samw]

Great. Now that I've figured out what I've been spending (way past the highest choice), I've decided that I have to quit the hobby.

[StirCrazy]

My electrical bill nears $100 alone, lol

Well if we ignore utilities, I still need a 7th option. "Way to much"

what are you running??? My power bill only went up 25.00/month and that is running two HQI 250s, 1 400, two 36" VHO and a tone of pumps and such.

Steve

[fortheloveofcrabs]

Way to make us feel bad... 150 is way to low a number... I guess I should get out of reefing a get a 'more cost effective pet'..

Here boy! Here boy!!

(The pet rock just sits there)

[Aquaholic]

I think im gonna take up drugs now, and leave the reef behind.

bout the same cost, eh

:wink:

[Tom R]

Oh let me clarify the amount entered into the poll is only the amount i tell my wife about and shows on my Visa card. The rest is strictly cash, which of course doesn't count.

Tom R

[Kase]

Well i dug up all of last years recipts (that I still have) and find that i spend *OUCH* per month

[clipperfish]

Well i started back into reefing last nov. And i decided then it was not worth keeping all the receipts . I don't want the taxs man to know LOL . But i did have 5000.00 in the bank and thats all gone .and i still have not put one drop of water in the tank yet .soon I hope .

[StirCrazy]

maybe we should do the same poll for established tanks.. I suspect most of the over 151.00 is from ongoing set up.

Steve

[Funky_Fish14]

Well, im probably at about 100 a month on stuff that the tank needs, then, since im constantly upgrading anyways....

Tha values for this poll were too low :P

[Xtasia]

$151 a month is approximately 38 dollars A WEEK. CMON! That's barely 1 fish. That's not even a coral colony.

And what about light maintenance/replacements? Sure you drop $200 bucks on boxing day but that's gotta be amortized over a year.. what about Salt mixes? Food? Additives? Nori? Cleaning pads, the little this and that you just NEED to get the job done like brutes to hold your RO? The power it costs to keep your water aerated until you need it? Carbon? Frag glue..?

oh it adds up. I ENVY crack addicts for their restraint.

[danny zubot]

I voted 75/month for 2005, but in past years I've topped 1800.00 in 1 year. I keep all of my reciepts for aquarium purchases.

Lately I've been doing really well by not spendng a tonne of money, mainly because I've pretty much maxed out the 65 tank.....uhoh.......upgrade time!:wink: I ended up making money at the last frag swap.:mrgreen:

[JHG]

I don't want to tell myself how much I spend or I may go into shock. Actually, I'm quite careful, however after delving into the marine side of the hobby, freshwater seems SOOOO cheap!

[niloc16]

this has got to be the worst poll yet. i actually take out $50 a payday in a budget and the first time i go to the LFS i blow it and then some. this is truly an addiction and i need an intervention.......bad thing is i am already looking 5 years down the road and planning my next bloody tank. everytime i get something that is over budget, i say ok i'll hold off for a couple weeks and make up for it, then the next day i go to OA or hidden reef, J&L and its game over with the same darn speech......ok well that will be the last. it never is