Gear Lust: Tips on Saving Money

[theposterkid]

So anyway, I have some fun, usable gear. But one thing I have never really done is save up for something big, sweet, expensive, realllly nice (insert other adjectives here). Expensive in my mind is a few grand. I want a true recording console.

Anyone got any fun/odd tips on saving money when there is a concrete goal in mind? I would rather have a fun recording-oriented money disccusion than do a search on google and flood my computer with ads and adware. Mainly because I just did that.

I don't sound bored do I? I really am busy, I swear

[Rodgre]

For me, it's about will power. I have a hard time not "nickel and diming", which is to say, instead of buying that one awesome piece of gear for $2000, I buy ten pieces of usable but not as good stuff for $200.

I have a hard time getting to the point where I have the kind of money to buy high ticket gear outright. When I have an extra $80, it's easy to pick up the latest Musician's Friend closeout deal to satisfy my gearlust, but it gets me no closer to picking up an 1176.

I'm in that boat now.... desparate for some high-end holy grails but there's no way I'll have that money any time soon. On the other hand, I have a house and a relatively reliable car.

I see two options to the same end, sort of. Either I purchase gear on a credit card and pay it off, plus interest over the next few years, or else, I put as much away, every week, at least as much as I'd be paying to a credit card bill, if not a lot more, and set that aside, say in an Orange account, just for gear purchases.

A lot of people sell gear to feed their habit to buy new stuff. I have a problem with that, as I just can't part with stuff.... someday I'll wish I still had it... like that MXR Flanger I never used.... Wish I had that back. I'd still probably not use it, but I wish I could say I had one... but that's just stupid...

Roger

[Meriphew]

Kick your caffeine/ciggie/alcohol/drug/fast food addiction for a few months.

[KennyLusk]

>Kick your caffeine/ciggie/alcohol/drug/fast food addiction for a few months<

Man, them's fightin' words. Just kidding.

I've never found a "fun" way to save money. Saving money's always been a little painful for me. But for my last purchase (a Martin OM-16GT 2 weeks ago) I looked around to see if I had any gear I could sell to lighten the load a little. Sure enough, I had a Fender Malibu I haven't touched in months. It's in excellent condition and even though I loved that guitar for 10 years, it was time to put it to better use.

And what could be better than buying that one guitar you thought you'd never be able to afford?

Nuttin'. Ain't nuttin' better.

Sell something man. And hey, what's wrong with a small personal loan from your bank or a lending institution? Nuttin'

[cgarges]

While I often fall into the same trap as Rodgre, I have to say that when you finally do save up and pick up something badass, you will completely understand what saving for something like that is all about. I'm really showing my gear snob side here, but having something really great in your signal chain, or better yet, a really great SIGNAL CHAIN will really make you appreciate what everyone who uses that stuff all the time is saying. That's not to say that there's not LOTS of cool gear out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but there's something to be said for making the effort to get some really nice pieces in your collection. The more of these you have, the less you'll want to buy something else to "fix" what you're not happy about. Of course, you'll still want to buy more great stuff and it never ends, so be prepared to enter Hell.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Meriphew]

It can also be good to save a portion of your $, then put the item on layaway. That's a pretty good incentive to save the rest when you know it's waiting for you at the store with your name on it.

[No Wave Casio Kitsch]

Credit cards are Satan.

-Giahni

[ryangobie]

coming from the person with barely any recording gear...but umm, if you aren't old...don't move out...mooch as much as you can...theres no way i coulda dropped 1400$ on gear in a week or twos time like i just did if i had to pay rent...also, social life, eliminate...it just eats up cash...but honestly, i think to start would be definitley to drop any habits...i don't smoke, but i know here, ciggs are 6$ a pack...and well, thats a buncha money...also, even though i break this habit a lot...i try to not look at craigslist and harmony central and ebay when i'm trying to save...that's just bad news...i'll go to the local shop and play some 3000$ guitar for 30 minutes to get my fix...i dunno...it's helped me...i honestly did drop 1400$...and i feel good i can...74 SG standard with a bigsby added and a 69 marshall 8x10 all stock that was just on the bay...

ohhh, and look for deals...stuff you can resell maybe? it's sorta shitty, but like, i've seen so many people dumping gear for relatively cheap that you could easily resell for much more.

[rfbutter]

A "fun" way to save loot is to put away any bills with a certain federal reserve letter on it. For instance since I live near Chicago, I saved any bill with the letter G on it. Just pick a letter and start putting them away. You'll be suprised how fast they accumulate. Between my girlfriend and myself, we had $1200 to spend on vacation in just 4 months (she is a waitress, so your results might vary just a little.) Now I'm working on a new mpc-1000, because I miss my 2000 so much.

[Milkmansound]

learn how to fix stuff and buy it broken - that has saved me a ton of money. Time I have plenty of!

[toothpastefordinner]

I'm short on time and money both (enough $ to live, but accumulating good recording gear slowly) and an awesome tip we have used lately is to peel a certain amount off each paycheck ($50, 100, 200, whatever you can afford) into savings. Don't do it by hand - have your direct deposit do it, or have your bank automatically transfer.

This keeps you from having to think about saving money, prevents you from spending it, and gets you on your way to saving for nice gear, nice instruments, a house, a car, a kid, whatever you want. The fact that three or four months goes by super-quickly helps too, cause you'll have a grand tucked away suddenly and not even realize.


drew
www.toothpastefordinner.com

[drew w]

build, make a bank you wouldn't dare break...until the big shopping trip of course. i once made my mom this crazy 3 foot tall mini wishing well complete with cedar shake roof, fake stone sides, crank handle, rope, tiny galvanized bucket, fake water (blue wax). the bucket had a hole in the bottom and sat/pretend floated in the water. you put money in the bucket and it dropped down in the walled "well". it was a pretty sweet gift if i do say so and it got a lot of attention when her friends came to visit...and they started tossing a little money in it too. "hey what's this?" "oh my son made it to help me save for my trip to Europe" "oh really? you're going to Europe" clink!
when it was time for the trip we smashed the thing and she had a load of spending money to bring along!

right now, i'm saving up for a trip to visit my freind in San Lucia (Carribean) in 2007! she's a great saver and saves years in advance. my friend who's a potter made me this really nice ceramic piece with a small slit in the top which sits in the window sill. i stick some $ in it when i can, but it is way to beautiful to break into...although come 2007, keerrraackkk!!!

good luck!!!!!!!

drew

[slowcolors]

uh kick/regulate your drug/cigarette habit...other tip: hot dogs, baked beans and cheap beer...the gastronomic distress is worth it. also like little things add up...like with me i buy like a bunch of cds and it's like at the end of the month the bill tallies up to 200 bucks or something...if you get in the mindset that the music that's stewing in your brain puts all those stupid cds to shame and just kinda quit that for a bit you'll be amazed...this like like the 3 point failsafe plan to be able to get that sweet UA 2-610 that'll enable you to put pet sounds and loveless to shame merely by plugging it in...all the best!

[Auxillary]

learn to make it yourself. You will end up with somethign awesome and absolutely perfect in the same amount of time if you saved up nickles and dimes... and it will cost much less most likely.

And the knowledge you gain is PRICELESS. save all the money you want, but you cant buy knowledge, you gotta do it to know it.

[nick_a]

yeah, i have to agree with everyone that suggested the piggy bank-esque idea. It's the only thing that enabled me to start buying high-end gear in the first place.