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The fight for your finances

SebringMGB

Monkey
Feb 6, 2004
482
1
Washington
My money is split between buying parts for my car and bike, and a little here and there for things like food and other arbitrary stuff. I spend most of my time that im not eating sleeping working driving or riding, trying to decide if the $400 shock kit for my car is more important than the $400 set of wheels for my bike. Whos got hobbies interests that seem to jive with biking purchases?
 

SebringMGB

Monkey
Feb 6, 2004
482
1
Washington
reflux said:
Trying to save enough money to move out of the parent's home is pretty high on my list.

i did that, and it ran out REAL fast. :) not to mention, my bike sat broken for at least 75% of the time i was out. then, like an ass, i moved back for a few months, and this august im headed out again. i dont know what im gonna do.... start wasting all the money i have now on backup parts, and live paycheck to pay check through school for the next 4 years? dammit.
 

reflux

Turbo Monkey
Mar 18, 2002
4,617
2
G14 Classified
SebringMGB said:
start wasting all the money i have now on backup parts, and live paycheck to pay check through school for the next 4 years? dammit.
Ha ha, back in the day when I was in school (uhh, finished last June) I rode one bike for the 4 years. If sh1t broke or wasn't quite working right, I'd either learn to ride it like that or buy something cheap and used (although Fox did hook me up big a few years back). I worked a couple small jobs to pay for some stuff, but the key to making it work was one word, "FAFSA." My stupid friends blew it on crap while my smart ones used it for tuition and rent (hmm, student loans being used for school? wow).
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Heh!

Right now is a rough time for me. I get out of the Marines in a couple weeks, and I start school full time in august. Luckily I have the GI Bill to at least make sure of tuition and rent i guess. But Im prolly gunna hafta work for riding, bike parts and food i guess....oh and my jeep stuff too, which aint too high on my priority list these days. Anyway, Ive tride to save up alot of money, but I know that it wont matter cause mu DH frame will break or my jeep's engine will fall out on the interstate or something. Paycheck to paycheck for another few years....
 

SebringMGB

Monkey
Feb 6, 2004
482
1
Washington
school in september will be round 2. coincendentally thats when i have to start making payments for my last collegic endeavor. First school ended up being around 35 g's, this one, close to the century mark. im in for a world of hurt in i dont get where i plan to.... makes bike stuff look like buying cotton swabs......
 

The Kadvang

I rule
Apr 13, 2004
3,499
0
six five oh
Well luckily I dont hafta deal with tuition or rent quite yet, but surfing is costing me quite a bit of money. I just snapped my almost brand-new, $ 500 custom board. I was going to get a new frame but now it just doesn't seem in the cards.
 

reflux

Turbo Monkey
Mar 18, 2002
4,617
2
G14 Classified
SebringMGB said:
school in september will be round 2. coincendentally thats when i have to start making payments for my last collegic endeavor. First school ended up being around 35 g's, this one, close to the century mark. im in for a world of hurt in i dont get where i plan to.... makes bike stuff look like buying cotton swabs......
if i'm not mistaken, can't you put off college loan payments if you go back to school full time? aren't loans the sh1t? the american way: buy now, pay later (or never).
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,649
9,644
I have a VW habit. I am looking for something like this:

An older bus or single/double cab pickup would be expensive.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,973
12,893
In a van.... down by the river
SebringMGB said:
,<snip>trying to decide if the $400 shock kit for my car is more important than the $400 set of wheels for my bike. Whos got hobbies interests that seem to jive with biking purchases?
Oh, tough life you've got, mate. ;)

My hobby that jives is 2 kids under 4. I don't buy *anything* for my bike unless it's broken.

-S.S.-
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,973
12,893
In a van.... down by the river
brock said:
Separate bank accounts are the key to happy marriage and play money.
What do you do if she doesn't work and her account would be empty all the time? Hmm? Wouldn't work real well, I suspect.

Remember - credit card bills are yours too, even if you didn't buy any of the $hite. :D

-S.S.-
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
SebringMGB said:
My money is split between buying parts for my car and bike, and a little here and there for things like food and other arbitrary stuff. I spend most of my time that im not eating sleeping working driving or riding, trying to decide if the $400 shock kit for my car is more important than the $400 set of wheels for my bike. Whos got hobbies interests that seem to jive with biking purchases?

Stop spending money on Cars! (as a hobby) Probably one of the best things that ever happened to me was when my "project car" an ~11 second eagle talon caught fire in my friend's shop and everything burned to the ground. I collected the insurance $ and haven't spent a penny on anything other than maintenance and gas on a vehicle in probably 3 years. I miss it a little every now and then but NOT THAT MUCH!
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,111
1,166
NC
Moving out of my parents house a few years ago caused me to need to pick a hobby and stick with it. I find I still have money for bike parts (even with rent, bills, and a car payment - all on a not-that-well-paying job), but I don't have money for bike parts AND, say, a bunch of add-ons for my camera.

So I alternate. I bought a nice digital camera, and that put the kibosh on any bike parts being bought for a while. Just don't try to support both habits (bike and car), or you really will be eating Ramen all the time.

Having my own place, though, is worth any amount of bike parts.
 

pixelninja

Turbo Monkey
Jun 14, 2003
2,131
0
Denver, CO
SebringMGB said:
Whos got hobbies interests that seem to jive with biking purchases?
Well, this little "hobby" of mine takes pretty much all of my money right now...and will continue to do so for the next 18-24 years...
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,973
12,893
In a van.... down by the river
pixelninja said:
Well, this little "hobby" of mine takes pretty much all of my money right now...and will continue to do so for the next 18-24 years...
Really? I've found kids are cheap. It's the wives that are expensive........ ;)

-S.S.-

P.S. The damn wine takes its toll, too.
 

pixelninja

Turbo Monkey
Jun 14, 2003
2,131
0
Denver, CO
SkaredShtles said:
It's the wives that are expensive........ ;)
Yeah, I forgot about that "hobby" also ;)

Actually, she has more of a right to complain about me than I do of her. She's pretty low maintenance when it comes to material things. I'm the one who has expensive tastes...
 

reflux

Turbo Monkey
Mar 18, 2002
4,617
2
G14 Classified
Mtb_Rob_FL said:
Stop spending money on Cars! (as a hobby) Probably one of the best things that ever happened to me was when my "project car" an ~11 second eagle talon caught fire in my friend's shop and everything burned to the ground. I collected the insurance $ and haven't spent a penny on anything other than maintenance and gas on a vehicle in probably 3 years. I miss it a little every now and then but NOT THAT MUCH!
But do you miss living your life a quarter mile at a time?
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,973
12,893
In a van.... down by the river
pixelninja said:
Yeah, I forgot about that "hobby" also ;)

Actually, she has more of a right to complain about me than I do of her. She's pretty low maintenance when it comes to material things. I'm the one who has expensive tastes...
Hehehehe. Yeah. I give her crap, but she's uber-low maintenance. Our expensive tastes tend to run in things we both like - such as nice dinners out, ski trips, etc......

We're more into spending $$ on experiences rather than stuff......

Although the new, bigger house I guess could be considered "stuff" :D

-S.S.-
 

Archslater

Monkey
Mar 6, 2003
154
0
Indianapolis
brock said:
Separate bank accounts are the key to happy marriage and play money.
How do you work this? I am getting married soon and hear that the way to go is to have a combined savings account where both people put 90% of each of their incomes for bills, savings,etc... and they each keep 10% in separate accounts for personal things, such as clothes, hobbies (bikes) etc.... Anyone know anything about this?
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,973
12,893
In a van.... down by the river
Archslater said:
How do you work this? I am getting married soon and hear that the way to go is to have a combined savings account where both people put 90% of each of their incomes for bills, savings,etc... and they each keep 10% in separate accounts for personal things, such as clothes, hobbies (bikes) etc.... Anyone know anything about this?
You're gonna have two incomes? You lucky bahstid! :D

-S.S.-
 

Cursor

Chimp
Mar 26, 2003
88
0
can't find on mapquest
Archslater said:
How do you work this? I am getting married soon and hear that the way to go is to have a combined savings account where both people put 90% of each of their incomes for bills, savings,etc... and they each keep 10% in separate accounts for personal things, such as clothes, hobbies (bikes) etc.... Anyone know anything about this?
my wife and i also keep separate accounts and just split the bills. usually, one person is paying for the mortgage while the other covers everything else. so whatever is left over in your own account is your play money/savings. we don't really spend a lot and she makes a ton more money than i do.
 

Craw

Monkey
Mar 17, 2002
715
-1
I wish I had more money...
Right now most of my major purchases are bike and climbing related. Although climbing is less expensive for me since I just boulder, so other than shoes and a crashpad and chalk, the expenses are relatively low.

I just built a new frame, so that drained the funds...

I spent a month in Australia, that drained the funds too. Although I got a wicked deal..

The rest of my money goes to booze.

I rarely buy clothes, but I need to start...

My truck is eating my gas funds.

My plan of making 30 million dollars by the time I'm 25 isn't working out. I have until Aug. 16th of this year. So there's still hope.
 

brock

Monkey
Sep 6, 2001
391
0
Tacoma, WA
Archslater said:
How do you work this? I am getting married soon and hear that the way to go is to have a combined savings account where both people put 90% of each of their incomes for bills, savings,etc... and they each keep 10% in separate accounts for personal things, such as clothes, hobbies (bikes) etc.... Anyone know anything about this?

That scenario is close.

Here is how we work this:

First off, make a good household budget (without one these, people rarely get ahead) that includes everything, short-term savings, retirement savings, mortgage, cable, utilities, weekly food budget, etc. A simple excel spreadsheet works great for this.

Now figure out who makes what as a percentage. In our case it’s about 60/40. Each person is responsible for contributing that percentage of the budget.

We each have our own totally separate checking accounts that our checks get deposited into and one joint account that all of the budget items comes out of. On payday we each transfer our set amount into the joint account. What’s left over is already in our own account and is ours to spend on whatever the hell we want. Then if one of us ends up with a bonus or works OT the money is ours to keep. If one of us decides we want to use said bonus or OT money on something for the both of us, it is actually recognized as a gift to one another and is more appreciated.

I never hear stuff like “you spent how much on that fork?” and she never hears “how much was that pedicure?”

Money seems to be a big source of problems in people’s relationships. This type of scenario removes that possibility of one person feeling like the other is always spending more than their fair share on their own frivolous crap and eliminates potential fights.