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

[fishoholic]

With it being Christmas and all, I've been looking through fliers and thinking about how I view money. For example: I'd like a Wii but I wont pay $260 for one, I would also like a treadmill but I wont pay $400+ for one either.

However I just spent $1100 on a skimmer and didn't have any issues with paying that whatsoever, also I plan on buying a Tunze stream pump at about $400+ one, and again I have no problem spending that much money on an item I want for my tank.

Funny how that works eh? Anyone else notice this?

[lastlight]

I spent $2800 on a treadmill I barely use and over $3000 on an empty 400 gallon in-wall I tore down when my wife wanted to move. That's something entirely different than what you're talking about but we can all use a good laugh =)

[awa1979]

I have no issues in general spending on my aquariums and fish, but I tend to not spend any money on other things without alot of thought put in. When I spent 300 bucks on my TV it took me over a week to finally decide to buy it, yet I spent over 500 on impulse at a fish store when I decided I needed a new 40 gallon.

[christyf5]

Bwahah I totally hear you on that. I spent $500+ on my aquatronica but didn't want to spend that much on a wedding dress. My sister-in-law-to-be was horrified that I wasn't immediately slapping my credit card down on THE dress (which was $800) yet I would spend big bucks on my fish tank.

I wouldn't spend $1100 on a skimmer (never say never :wink:), hell I wasn't even going to spend $450 on a chiller but I sucked it up on that one when my tank hit 92 one summer. Over the last few years my thoughts on the tank and the amount I spend on it certainly have changed. I like to think its my little piece of financial insanity that keeps me sane and sometimes drives me insane. That makes no sense, yet it does :razz:

[Aquattro]

I do this all the time. I won't buy home accesories. You know, prints for the wall, that nice vase with the bamboo, etc. Too much money. what?? !00 bucks for a picture of something? No way. but that pretty fish....hmm, only 100 you say?
I spent 3500 on one of my bikes. But try and catch me spending more than 50 on jeans!
It's funny what some things are worth to each individual....

[fishoholic]

Bwahah I totally hear you on that. I spent $500+ on my aquatronica but didn't want to spend that much on a wedding dress. My sister-in-law-to-be was horrified that I wasn't immediately slapping my credit card down on THE dress (which was $800) yet I would spend big bucks on my fish tank.

I wouldn't spend $1100 on a skimmer (never say never :wink:), hell I wasn't even going to spend $450 on a chiller but I sucked it up on that one when my tank hit 92 one summer. Over the last few years my thoughts on the tank and the amount I spend on it certainly have changed. I like to think its my little piece of financial insanity that keeps me sane and sometimes drives me insane. That makes no sense, yet it does :razz:

Makes perfect sense to me. I needed a bigger skimmer to run my whole system which will be about 500g once everything is plumbed together. The one I bought should do the trick, it's rated for 700g. I actually went with the $1100 one instead of the $1600, the more expensive one might not of fit in the space I need it to go into, so the cheaper one won out.

I do this all the time. I won't buy home accesories. You know, prints for the wall, that nice vase with the bamboo, etc. Too much money. what?? !00 bucks for a picture of something? No way. but that pretty fish....hmm, only 100 you say?
I spent 3500 on one of my bikes. But try and catch me spending more than 50 on jeans!
It's funny what some things are worth to each individual....

So true, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[Keri]

Purchases made on our aquarium I justify as not spent on me but them (the inhabitants) ;)


And with that, I can rationalize anything...even going from an 8g to a 65g then a 120g...in just over a year lol

[Chin_Lee]

This is the exact reason why I'm having big doubts about setting another big tank to replace my 300g. I'm looking to cut back and spend my money elsewhere BUT....... then again another tank would be really nice........

[Cameron]

people are interesting about their money, so much thought for materialistic items, yet when it comes to quality of life and retirement, not to many put the time or effort in.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I go shopping at Superstore or T&T for human food & usually spend $30-40. Pop in at an LFS & drop over a $100 if they just got in a nice shipment.

I spend at least $200 per month on my tanks, yet I spend at most $150 a year on clothing & that's only if what I normally wear is completely wearing out.

If a used tank system comes up for sale at a good price, I can easily justify dropping several hundred immediately, yet I spent about 8 months hemming & hawing before I finally upgraded my television set.

Seems like most of us are all in the same boat as far as our spending habits are concerned. Woohooo, Boxing Day sales coming up:biggrin:

Anthony

[argan]

I think its because its something we are passionate about, and other things are just passing fancies. This hobby has me obsessed like nothing else I do.

[Ken]

I just spend for the fish.... and not actually for myself. Regards Ken

[whatcaneyedo]

My car needs new headlight covers because my old ones are so discolored and yellowed I can hardly see when I drive at night. It would cost $400+ because I have to buy the whole damn units. Needless to say I wont spend the money.

On an unrelated note I just spent $900 last month for my new bluewave ballast and lumenmax pendants... :wink:

[Mrfish55]

I try to look at the cost as an investment over time, I think if you break it down far enough over the 18 years I've been doing this it's only $0.16 an hour. Thats pretty cheap for a hobby these days right?

[michika]

I suddenly feel really cheap....

I am starting to have a hard time spending a lot on my tank. I never spend on my tank though until all the bills are paid, and I've put my savings away. Although now its harder to spend the extra money I have. Its like the longer I've been in the hobby the cheaper I get. Last year I picked up the RKE without a thought, and this year, I would definitely think it over for a week or two.

[Parker]

Spend it... spend it all! You only live once.

That's seems to be my philisophy as of late. I used to be pretty tight with my smaller tanks, but I swore to myself I wasn't cheaping out on the big tank. The only problem is I have more then one expensive hobbie!

[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]

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 :mrgreen:

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 :razz:

[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.

[fishoholic]

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.

Trust me if I had kids I probably couldn't afford this hobby, at least not to the degree I spend on it now!

[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 :p

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:lol:

[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]

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 :wink:

[Snaz]

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

[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

[Skimmerking]

Hmmmmmmmmm. lets see with me, Since I have been back from Afghanistan,
new lighting 1400
Corals 300
Cal Reactor 400
Bubble king 1300
Frags 300
:lol:


and I have not got the misses her gift yet.. and Im looking at a 6100 transformer for my tunze and a multicontroller I can't speak.;

[rocketlily]

Hmmmmmmmmm. lets see with me, Since I have been back from Afghanistan,
new lighting 1400
Corals 300
Cal Reactor 400
Bubble king 1300
Frags 300
:lol:


and I have not got the misses her gift yet.. and Im looking at a 6100 transformer for my tunze and a multicontroller I can't speak.;

You'd better get out shopping for her and by the look of your list it looks like she deserves a big one.

[Skimmerking]

Hey no one asked you, dont u have a tank to finish off:mrgreen:

[Parker]

The Misses doesn't want a 6100 transformer for X-mas? Weird..

[Skimmerking]

well that is what i was hoping for i guess i will get her the front load washer and dryer.

[karazy]

asmodeus, why dont you just set up a pico in her favorite spot of the house?
like, she can enjoy the ocean, and you get another tank :lol:

[PoonTang]

I dont have any trouble spending money on my fish. But, dam my wife sure does!

[Cameron]

With a new baby this year and Irene without Mat. leave since she's considered "self-employed", mortgage & such, paying more bills than ever.

There is a loop hole around this, which I have prepared for. My wife is self employed, and when we decide to have kids she will receive EI.

Trick to this is to own a company in your name, her contractors pay my company and I am the only shareholder. I pay her a salary, deduct taxes, EI premiums. This must be done for at least 6 months for her to go on EI leave.


Tada!

[fishoholic]

Hey no one asked you, dont u have a tank to finish off:mrgreen:

The Misses doesn't want a 6100 transformer for X-mas? Weird..

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[EmilyB]

The hobby is a serious addiction, and it took me about ten years to figure out it wasn't much different than going to the casino.....:lol:

I know I spent upwards of $20k.

[fishoholic]

The hobby is a serious addiction, and it took me about ten years to figure out it wasn't much different than going to the casino.....:lol:

I know I spent upwards of $20k.

Never quite thought of it that way, but now that you mention it.... I'm sure I'm over the $20k mark as well. Just setting up our new 230g has cost us $3500.00 so far and we still need to buy a tunze stream and multi controller! That's just money we spent on the equipment, and LR, never mind the cost of the fish and corals that will be going into it! That is if it ever cycles :twised:

[Matt]

The hobby is a serious addiction, and it took me about ten years to figure out it wasn't much different than going to the casino.....:lol:

I know I spent upwards of $20k.
No, the difference is that reefing isn't addictive.... er...
No, the difference is that reefing isn't as ruinously expensive... er...
No, the difference is that it doesn't eat up all your time... er...
No, the difference is that ... um... the difference is... um... the diff.. hmmm.

More seriously, I make a point of never trying to figure out how much it all costs.

[Lydia]

I can't bring myself to spend money on new clothes (I love Value Village!), but dropped $250 at the LFS today just picking up supplies (o.k., and LR for a 6th tank, which I dragged in outta the garage - LOL).

My hubby bought a Harley 2 years ago, and we're having fun spending money on our 'toys' now that our children are grown (our youngest turned 18 this summer). After setting up the 6th tank today, I told him I was now up to about a quarter of the Harley cost, and still had a ways to go :)

[marie]

..., I told him I was now up to about a quarter of the Harley cost, and still had a ways to go :)

And he believed you??

Maybe I should try that :lol:

[chevyjaxon]

just setting up my new hobby since last january has run me 15000 dollars and the bad part is i spent some of it on junk equipment so i am slowly upgrading everything to the highest quality i learned that more money spent today will save you more tommorow ie: a skimmer for 100 dollars will soon be replaced by a 1300 dollar model so now it has cost you 1400 for a skimmer the sad part is i only have 5 pairs of pants and do my shopping in the frozen section of walmart so i can fund my hobby but who dosent like to have a living breathing ocean in their house:mrgreen:

[Lance]

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.

[chevyjaxon]

dont forget kids make great snowblowers and dishwashers too!:lol:

[KennyKen]

edited for drunken rambling reasons.

[fishoholic]

edited for drunken rambling reasons.

Ok, but now I'm curious!

[Lydia]

And he believed you??

Maybe I should try that :lol:

Oh yes, he believes me. He knows that I know that all those parcels that come in the mail/Fedex are toys for his Harley. In fact, every time one comes in now, I say "ooooh, I see a trip to the LFS this weekend" - LOL

[bullit67]

Sounds like competitive spending to me ;)

I look at it this way the guys from work go to the bar at least twice a week after work and I can tell you from experience they spend more then I do on my tank. And I just dropped 400+ on Zeo additives just to stock up.

[Lydia]

Sounds like competitive spending to me ;)

I look at it this way the guys from work go to the bar at least twice a week after work and I can tell you from experience they spend more then I do on my tank. And I just dropped 400+ on Zeo additives just to stock up.

Not really competitive - just plain fun :) When the kids were little our money went on shoes, clothes, snow pants, mittens, more shoes, more mittens, etc. Now that they are old enough to buy their own clothes (and they no longer outgrow them - LOL), we are spending it on ourselves :) Neither of us have been to a bar in many, many years (I don't drink at all, actually), so this is how we amuse ourselves. Once the grandchildren start coming along, we may spend our money on them ;)

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I never thought much about spending on the aquarium until this year. We have had to cut back a bit on spending on not only the hobby but just in general. I took a $20,000 pay cut this year :neutral: because of the Canadian dollar reaching par with the US dollar (I get paid in USD and based on US economy).

We were just talking the other night though and think its been good...for one year :mrgreen: Even with a decent amount of my salary missing, we live very comfortably and buy all kind of luxury items which made us realize how much money we wasted the past few years...expensive dinners, nights out, trips, ridiculously expensive furniture, ect. Oh and the aquarium :)

We finally USE our kitchen!

I am trying to buy used stuff now and am not really adding anymore livestock to the tank.

[Rbacchiega]

The economy both helped and hindered us this year. The other half buys properties and will either flip them or rent them out. He's been doing this for the last 5 years, so it wasn't a "oh, the markets up let's do this". But when the market did go high, it was great. Houses that we bought for 350,000.00 we were now selling for nearly double sometimes more. We sold our house on the lake in Auburn Bay for 1.2 mil. We've owned the property that we currently call home for 4 years and will keep it as our main house..but we do normally travel in the winter to our house in Surprise, Arizona and usually head down to Mexico for a month or so. Its nice.

Having said that. We don't spend our money like it's going out of style. Keep in mind that even though we currently have 5 houses under our name here in Alberta, 2 of them are being renovated, one is ours and 2 of them have been rented by the same people for the last three years. So it's a steady cashflow, but we also are paying for the renos, paying our utilities etc. Same with the house in Arizona. When we are not there it is rented out ... although the realestate market in the US isn't the greatest, the rental market is. We bought the house (1800 sqft bungalow with pool in back yard) for 185,000 USD when the dollar was par and now rent it out for 950USD a month including utilities based on a 6 month contract.

Wow...Ramble

Bottom line...we live well, we spend wisely and we always are saving for a rainy day. Right now not many people are getting tattooed, so that extra cash isn't coming in, but we're alright

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Rbacchiega-

My uncle flips homes down in LA and actually had one of his best years ever this year despite the economy and housing collapse. He does high end stuff though. I doubt he would love me sharing this info and I am not even suppose to know this but he made just under 3 mil this year flipping homes (my mom has a big mouth :D ).

I was lucky enough to have parents who paid for their kids mortgage down payments, so my monthly payments are very low. That helps out a lot. My parents figured they may as well spend some money on us while they are around to see us enjoy it rather than leave it all to us when they are gone.

Oh and I lived in Arizona for a year--Scottsdale. I miss it! Actually I miss Miami more (5 years) but I am happy to be in Canada right now!

[Rbacchiega]

The biggest flips we've done have actually been buildings and the like. A couple properties we've sold in Calgary have earned us over 2 mil this year alone, so it's nice.

I enjoy Scotsdale, love the art district there. Surprise is nice because it's close enough to Pheonix but not Pheonix...mind you it seems like it could be soon LOL. Miami is good for visiting I think. Same with LA. I've spent some time down there visiting tattoo buddies, but don't know if I could ever live there. Same goes for Detroit LOL.

Real Estate is a nice way for us to make money but it's neither of our passions really. Mine is tattooing/art obviously. The other half...likes his cars. In our quanset we've got a 2002 Vette convertable, 1992 Jag XJS v12 (last year they made it as far as I know), 66 Post Caddy, 56 Crown Vic with moon roof (his dream car)...and my summer baby, 51 Merc.

In the winter I've got my Jetta and he's got his truck

[Lydia]

Right now not many people are getting tattooed

Hmmm, sounds like an idea for a new thread - who's in the market for one, who has 'em, who always wanted one? LOL

P.S. I have 2...

[Boomboy]

I find that the reason i spend money on fish stuff rather than other things, its because i only get so much money to spend on myself, and because this is my main hobby which i enjoy, i have the choose, between getting a tim hortons coffee x30 or a new fish that will last longer than all of those coffees. im only given so much money and want to save the rest so i have to pick a choose what i spend it on. but everyone in a while i will splurge and so will my wife.

[my2rotties]

I dont even think of how much we spent... maybe $5000, or more already. I block out the total or I would throw up in my mouth just a little bit. I try to get deals if possible when I can, but if we need something essential for the tank build we buy it right away. Things like UV or phosban reactors I waited for deals on. I have been lucky the last couple of weeks for some stuff from Canreefers. God bless these people and when I need to sell something I will pass on the savings on Canreefers as well.

I look at equipment as a life saving and enhancing items for my livestock. Without it, they would all die or not have the quality of life they deserve. Spending the money on livestock is the reward for spending money on unfun equipment. Without one you cannot have the other.

I need clothing, shoes and other items. However I know I can make due without them. When it comes to my pets, both the dogs and the aquatic life I keep, they come first. I chose to bring them here and they get first priority of anything after bills. There have been times I set bills aside to put my pets first. With renos on this house, it is a hard decision to put aside the renos for fish stuff. However we do it. I probably would never embarked on this journey if I really had a clue of the price. I always thought the tank was the big expense... who knew rock would cost so much money.

I`m sure when things are done (if it is ever done), I will be much more frugal with funds. I am just so glad I don`t have children.

Never quite thought of it that way, but now that you mention it.... I'm sure I'm over the $20k mark as well. Just setting up our new 230g has cost us $3500.00 so far and we still need to buy a tunze stream and multi controller! That's just money we spent on the equipment, and LR, never mind the cost of the fish and corals that will be going into it! That is if it ever cycles :twised:

[robert J]

My2rotties, we should be best friends because every word you said above is exactly what I thought but just can not express clearly like you.

[my2rotties]

Well thank you so much. How can you tell I am broke, since I am at home with my hubby, and furry & aquatic pets for New Years eve.:lol: Why spend money on booze when I have three Canreefers to meet in the next couple days. I find buying livestock and equipment from Canreefers to be the most exciting since the knowledge they pass on is priceless.

Happy new year!

My2rotties, we should be best friends because every word you said above is exactly what I thought but just can not express clearly like you.

[robert J]

HAPPY NEW YEAR My2rotties !

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Well thank you so much. How can you tell I am broke, since I am at home with my hubby, and furry & aquatic pets for New Years eve.:lol: Why spend money on booze when I have three Canreefers to meet in the next couple days. I find buying livestock and equipment from Canreefers to be the most exciting since the knowledge they pass on is priceless.

Happy new year!

Money well saved...

Our New years cost like $400 (most of which my make up artist fiance made yesterday making people pretty but still :neutral: ) and I feel like crap today. I could have spent that at J&L this weekend instead and enjoyed a few fish for the next several new years!

I always regret spending so much on New Years and then seem to do it again the next year. So dumb.

[my2rotties]

I live out in the sticks now. I moved here a year ago. To haul myself out to the city for anything it had better be work, or fish related. Plus, I cannot even imagine how much a cab ride would cost to get out here from the city. The only time I have a bender these days is if my tank is crashing like my 55g did a month ago... I don't care to say how much rum I drank... it was bountiful.:wink:

Money well saved...

Our New years cost like $400 (most of which my make up artist fiance made yesterday making people pretty but still :neutral: ) and I feel like crap today. I could have spent that at J&L this weekend instead and enjoyed a few fish for the next several new years!

I always regret spending so much on New Years and then seem to do it again the next year. So dumb.

[Rbacchiega]

mmmm rum. And Jack, and sour puss, and tequilla....

No wonder I didn't wake up until noon..and then wasted the day on the couch LOL

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Yeah last night was all about Patron Tequila...which is why the cost added up fast :neutral:

Its great stuff but man the bottles are overpriced.

[my2rotties]

That's not the stuff you drink with salt and lemon.:wink:

Yeah last night was all about Patron Tequila...which is why the cost added up fast :neutral:

Its great stuff but man the bottles are overpriced.