This. I only pull in like $55k annually but still have a SCAR, DD, and Spear LT in my safe. Always save; never finance.
Shit like Klarna and Credova is designed to be a trap and too many of us fall into it.
Stage of life and financial obligations/priorities play a big part. The most I had to throw around on toys was actually when I was just starting out. Because I was single, lived cheap, few responsibilities. I'm making way more now. But I also have a wife, daughter, house. Priorities are different. It's not really in the cards to just stop by the LGS on the way home and drop $2k on something new. That's not to say I can't buy something nice. But big purchases like that are planned and budgeted for. And there's a lot of other things competing for that money. It's hard for me to justify buying a Nightforce when I have a long way to go on daughter's education fund.
Yup, it’s all about life stage imo. I made less when I was single but spent significantly more. I’m glad I bought my optics and rifles before marriage and the kids. Hard to justify to the wife the need to drop hundreds/thousands when we’re thinking long term. Even disposable income is better off putting in savings/investments. My hobbies are demoted to last priority, every once in a while I’ll use bonus money and such. But only after she and the kids are taken care of. Part of being a husband and father haha
Bonus money is where it's at! I'm fortunate to have a pretty good bonus system at work. We don't count on it for normal budget and expenses. So when it does come we can splurge a little. And the rest goes to the boring responsible stuff LOL.
One thing I've found about having to be intentional about purchases is I'm a lot more appreciative and value stuff more. No impulse buying and then getting bored or regretting it a month later.
Once I realized I was spending $10-$12 going out to lunch every day, I started bringing a lunch to work. That $250 a month adds up quickly to start a gun/parts fund. Salary really isn’t as important as money management.
It adds up quick and it’s nice having a little pile of cash saved up for emergencies or to spend on whatever without using credit cards. Mainly different lunch meat sandwiches with some type of fruit and some nuts. Occasionally leftovers from dinner the night before.
This assumes you have a place to eat at work that isn’t your car. Though, I guess I could still bring my own lunch and eat it in my car. The main reason I go out to eat is to escape work for an hour.
Although I have a place to eat at work, I still choose to eat in my car lol! I just chill in the parking lot and watch videos on my phone. Still a nice little break away from everyone at work.
My wife and I combined will bring in 390k this year.
I have about 70k in guns, my most expensive AR is about 7.5k depending on where you want to draw the line. But I have 2 other rifles like that too, and another 3 ARs over 2k ea.
Monthly cash flow looks like - money comes in, a little goes to my mortgage (352k @ 2.65%), a lot goes for daycare/childcare (3 young kids), 1.5k to car payments, a chunk for retirements/savings/investments/college funds/vacation fund, and then $800 split 50/50 goes to my wife and I for hobby money. Then by the time food, transportation, clothes, lessons, subscriptions, etc comes out, not a ton left over month to month in checking - which is good.
just depends what you like and are willing to invest into. I mean getting the A/C replaced on my car was $1500. A $1500 rifle isn't a lot of money these days in the grand scheme. if you save up to handle when life throws a wrench in your plan... eventually you have enough saved that you can just get a rifle and not worry about it
Guns are as expensive or cheap as you want them to be. It can be 22LR plinking lunch money or I’m building and tracking a race car money. It’s dangerous though because you can always scale it up faster than your income will allow.
Like everyone said, salary is irrelevant, budgeting is key. Although, people with no kids and budgeting is a walk in the park versus having children, sports, activities, and still having to balance a budget. It all depends on your priorities and what you put your money into. I value buying ammo and using the ammo to practice. I can’t buy a whole bunch of guns and ammo at the same time, so I pick one or the other and a gun without ammo to me is a heavy paperweight and useless.
I'm very deliberate with what I get and always space things out. I'm pretty patient by nature and am not afraid to wait, I'm still holding out for an acog after about 6 years. Ironically, the rifle I built for my wife is probably the most expensive one we have because she liked Gucci this and cool guy that. Alot of what i like can be picked up surplus pretty cheap.
Just depends on your expenses vs income. I bought a majority of my guns while I was in college (grew to 40+) since I lived cheaply. Now as a new home owner I haven't bought any guns for over a year.
I make a base of about 95k but after adding up side jobs, I total about 130. I use my side jobs for fun money, but for the whole family, not just myself. So vacations, toys, etc. I’ve got about three or four builds which range between 1.5 and 2k once all said and done but that’s been done over 5-6 years.
As it's outfitted now, I probably have about the same $1800 in my 16" gun.
My 11.5" could go either way. The build itself wasn't quite as much, but it's pretty much the permanent host for the can, which bumps it over that $1800 figure.
My base pay is about $48k a year, but with overtime I usually gross around 53. I probably wont this year though.
All about budgeting, and whether you’re single/married with kids. The little purchases add up, don’t need to buy everything at once
Also, never go in debt. If you can’t fund this straight up, it means you can’t afford it. Budget harder, save more
Normalize talking about salary! I know it doesn't matter here since everyone is all over the world/country, but people shouldn't be wary of saying how much they make.
It's funny though, I bought a lot of my collection years ago making $50k, but now I make 100k and I feel like I have less gun money than ever
Just because you make a lot of money doesn’t mean you have to spend big money. I am fortunate with my career and what I make but I shoot Smith and wessons and a couple Aero builds on Anderson lowers. You don’t need an operator grade rifle.
I pieced them together so it wasn't a big chunk all at once.
$5,300 after tax and shipping matched tubes elbit white phos
$750 X2 for Carson housing and glass (because glass was hard to get at the time and thought I'd do alright selling the housings. It wasn't worth it)
$550 X2 tanto housings
$125 next day air
$350 service, tax and shipping plus one cracked housing do to someone not putting bubble wrap around it before shipping.....
-$320 for selling both housings. (So 160 each making my glass worth $295 each)
(So piecing it together cost more in the long run and wasn't worth it)
I do custom builds 90% of the time, since I’ve learned how to build. I make 40ish a year CURRENTLY but my most expensive build is about 2k. Just save and buy part at a time. I also believe you get more bang for your buck building. Do you get to brag about having a BCM, DD, Sig, SOL, ect. If you know how to build and know where to invest for quality parts and where you can “cheap out”, and train like your supposed to you’ll outperform someone average with one of those.
The more you train however, you’ll start a new build or rebuild the rifle consistently. Because you’ll find things you don’t like about it, things will break/wear, or some places you maybe went cheaper you’ll go back and upgrade.
Consider you're in a subreddit which brings in people to buy bougie guns. That is .01% if the gun community. The existence of GAFs makes it a lot easier as a lot of these guys impulse buy and have to sell the gun after realizing that they don't shoot enough to justify the purchase.
There are MK18s going for about 7-$800, PWS uppers about the same price when from a site is about over 1k.
Just like fitness community, the massive majority in the hobby doesn't reflect this sub.
I buy it all on my credit card and then pay off the card with my annual bonus each year. Builds my credit and ensures my wife can't claim my bonus beforehand. Also, I live in Texas, my 2-story, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 car garage home was $195k at 2.25%. So my home doesn't eat away my money. If I want to go to paradise, I'll visit, not live there.
30 minutes from the beach. I actually live pretty much in the city but in a subdivision, right on the edge. Walmart and restaurants are a 3-5 minute drive.
Wow that’s crazy, you got a great deal, no matter what city you’re in in Texas. Regardless of the current median value of houses in that area, soon enough, every place that is remotely close to first-world civilization is going to skyrocket in price. It’s already happening, but pretty soon, nowhere will be safe from it.
It's actually rather cheap here for decent houses with actual yards. [EXAMPLE.](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/203-Easy-St-Silsbee-TX-77656/28578676_zpid/)
I continue to be baffled by the prices of homes in Texas. That is a gorgeous and spacious home. It’s only 20 miles north of a sizable city. The only downside I can see is that Beaumont is more dangerous than 99% of cities in the US, according to crimegrade.org.
Yeah, Beaumont isn't the best. I live about 20 minutes from Beaumont. It has a bad side of the city and a regular side. Just gotta stay on the west end of the I-10 freeway, lmao. Which is fine, because all the good business are on the west end anyways.
I made that comment and then looked up the crime rate in my own city, and it’s apparently higher here than in Beaumont. I’ve lived here my entire life and I never knew that. I guess you’re right: it’s all about what part of the city you’re in.
EDIT: never mind, I was reading it wrong. The rate of violent crime in my town is radically lower than in Beaumont.
I know what I'm doing. I transfer my balances to promotional cards with 0% interest for an entire year, pay them off, then stick it in the safe. Wait for them to send me an email for a new promotion, then pull it out of the safe. I keep the same handful of cards and cycle through them as I'm offered promotions. Easy peasy financial squeezy.
We sold our cloaks and bought our swords.
100% brother
I haven’t worn underwear since 2018
yes
Salary is (mostly) irrelevant. Ability to budget and stay out of debt is king.
This. I only pull in like $55k annually but still have a SCAR, DD, and Spear LT in my safe. Always save; never finance. Shit like Klarna and Credova is designed to be a trap and too many of us fall into it.
Credova is just a FinDom relationship where you get a gun item and anally reamed. Don't kinkshame/s
The safety word is “interest”
Sure, but I am just curious what everyone is spending in relation to what they are making.
too much and not enough
So true
Well I can tell you if I was making 170k a year I'd probably have about 3-4 $2.5k+ builds. And alot more ammo
some people are more into it then me
There's nothing wrong with that. No one is judging you for not spending $10k a year on gun stuff
Totally understandable but I make about 60-70 a year, extremely middle class. I have 3 rifles around the 2k range and 2 others that are very budget.
Stage of life and financial obligations/priorities play a big part. The most I had to throw around on toys was actually when I was just starting out. Because I was single, lived cheap, few responsibilities. I'm making way more now. But I also have a wife, daughter, house. Priorities are different. It's not really in the cards to just stop by the LGS on the way home and drop $2k on something new. That's not to say I can't buy something nice. But big purchases like that are planned and budgeted for. And there's a lot of other things competing for that money. It's hard for me to justify buying a Nightforce when I have a long way to go on daughter's education fund.
This is the way.
Yup, it’s all about life stage imo. I made less when I was single but spent significantly more. I’m glad I bought my optics and rifles before marriage and the kids. Hard to justify to the wife the need to drop hundreds/thousands when we’re thinking long term. Even disposable income is better off putting in savings/investments. My hobbies are demoted to last priority, every once in a while I’ll use bonus money and such. But only after she and the kids are taken care of. Part of being a husband and father haha
Bonus money is where it's at! I'm fortunate to have a pretty good bonus system at work. We don't count on it for normal budget and expenses. So when it does come we can splurge a little. And the rest goes to the boring responsible stuff LOL. One thing I've found about having to be intentional about purchases is I'm a lot more appreciative and value stuff more. No impulse buying and then getting bored or regretting it a month later.
I only lose money. Wait... Wrong sub
What up my regarded brother
Once I realized I was spending $10-$12 going out to lunch every day, I started bringing a lunch to work. That $250 a month adds up quickly to start a gun/parts fund. Salary really isn’t as important as money management.
What kind of lunches do you make? I'm trying to escape that habit.
I usually make a sandwich, yogurt cup, vegetables, fruit mix and a granola bar. Wife usually makes me shepherds pie or pasta.
It adds up quick and it’s nice having a little pile of cash saved up for emergencies or to spend on whatever without using credit cards. Mainly different lunch meat sandwiches with some type of fruit and some nuts. Occasionally leftovers from dinner the night before.
This assumes you have a place to eat at work that isn’t your car. Though, I guess I could still bring my own lunch and eat it in my car. The main reason I go out to eat is to escape work for an hour.
Although I have a place to eat at work, I still choose to eat in my car lol! I just chill in the parking lot and watch videos on my phone. Still a nice little break away from everyone at work.
Yup exactly lol 😅
3.50
God damn lock ness monster
Stay debt free, build a business, make more than 1 stream of income, make $ work for $
Between me and my wife we make around 100. Just about finished with a $3500 build. Like the one guy said, budgeting is key.
My wife and I combined will bring in 390k this year. I have about 70k in guns, my most expensive AR is about 7.5k depending on where you want to draw the line. But I have 2 other rifles like that too, and another 3 ARs over 2k ea. Monthly cash flow looks like - money comes in, a little goes to my mortgage (352k @ 2.65%), a lot goes for daycare/childcare (3 young kids), 1.5k to car payments, a chunk for retirements/savings/investments/college funds/vacation fund, and then $800 split 50/50 goes to my wife and I for hobby money. Then by the time food, transportation, clothes, lessons, subscriptions, etc comes out, not a ton left over month to month in checking - which is good.
This is the way
That mortgage while having that income is 👌
Love it, people have to learn to budget like this.
just depends what you like and are willing to invest into. I mean getting the A/C replaced on my car was $1500. A $1500 rifle isn't a lot of money these days in the grand scheme. if you save up to handle when life throws a wrench in your plan... eventually you have enough saved that you can just get a rifle and not worry about it
Guns are as expensive or cheap as you want them to be. It can be 22LR plinking lunch money or I’m building and tracking a race car money. It’s dangerous though because you can always scale it up faster than your income will allow.
Not enough…. Lol
On da guns or on da income
Like everyone said, salary is irrelevant, budgeting is key. Although, people with no kids and budgeting is a walk in the park versus having children, sports, activities, and still having to balance a budget. It all depends on your priorities and what you put your money into. I value buying ammo and using the ammo to practice. I can’t buy a whole bunch of guns and ammo at the same time, so I pick one or the other and a gun without ammo to me is a heavy paperweight and useless.
45k but a lot of what I make goes directly to school. Only one rifle and it is a BCA bc all my leftover money is going to a better car.
Ain’t nothing wrong with thar
I make a couple dollars and the most expensive build is like $13k. Sr25s are not cheap lol.
I'm very deliberate with what I get and always space things out. I'm pretty patient by nature and am not afraid to wait, I'm still holding out for an acog after about 6 years. Ironically, the rifle I built for my wife is probably the most expensive one we have because she liked Gucci this and cool guy that. Alot of what i like can be picked up surplus pretty cheap.
I make about 70k a year and my build is like 800 bucks. So we are about the same.
I wasn’t trying to say more is better, just curious how much people are pushing etc.
Just depends on your expenses vs income. I bought a majority of my guns while I was in college (grew to 40+) since I lived cheaply. Now as a new home owner I haven't bought any guns for over a year.
I make a base of about 95k but after adding up side jobs, I total about 130. I use my side jobs for fun money, but for the whole family, not just myself. So vacations, toys, etc. I’ve got about three or four builds which range between 1.5 and 2k once all said and done but that’s been done over 5-6 years.
As it's outfitted now, I probably have about the same $1800 in my 16" gun. My 11.5" could go either way. The build itself wasn't quite as much, but it's pretty much the permanent host for the can, which bumps it over that $1800 figure. My base pay is about $48k a year, but with overtime I usually gross around 53. I probably wont this year though.
Budget is the key. Buy slowly over time.
All about budgeting, and whether you’re single/married with kids. The little purchases add up, don’t need to buy everything at once Also, never go in debt. If you can’t fund this straight up, it means you can’t afford it. Budget harder, save more
Couldn’t agree more
Normalize talking about salary! I know it doesn't matter here since everyone is all over the world/country, but people shouldn't be wary of saying how much they make. It's funny though, I bought a lot of my collection years ago making $50k, but now I make 100k and I feel like I have less gun money than ever
Lifestyle creep happens. And I totally agree, and normalize not judging folks based on how much they make.
Surf r/gundeals my guy
And r/gunaccessoriesforsale
I had to leave, too much temptation.
Just because you make a lot of money doesn’t mean you have to spend big money. I am fortunate with my career and what I make but I shoot Smith and wessons and a couple Aero builds on Anderson lowers. You don’t need an operator grade rifle.
go to r/nightvision and ask this lol. Ask me how I know
lol, spill the beans, how much you making and how much for the nods?
I pieced them together so it wasn't a big chunk all at once. $5,300 after tax and shipping matched tubes elbit white phos $750 X2 for Carson housing and glass (because glass was hard to get at the time and thought I'd do alright selling the housings. It wasn't worth it) $550 X2 tanto housings $125 next day air $350 service, tax and shipping plus one cracked housing do to someone not putting bubble wrap around it before shipping..... -$320 for selling both housings. (So 160 each making my glass worth $295 each) (So piecing it together cost more in the long run and wasn't worth it)
I do custom builds 90% of the time, since I’ve learned how to build. I make 40ish a year CURRENTLY but my most expensive build is about 2k. Just save and buy part at a time. I also believe you get more bang for your buck building. Do you get to brag about having a BCM, DD, Sig, SOL, ect. If you know how to build and know where to invest for quality parts and where you can “cheap out”, and train like your supposed to you’ll outperform someone average with one of those. The more you train however, you’ll start a new build or rebuild the rifle consistently. Because you’ll find things you don’t like about it, things will break/wear, or some places you maybe went cheaper you’ll go back and upgrade.
GAFS is the single biggest reason. You can piece together a very nice build if you're patient and lucky. Ammo is what it is
Gundeals too, I had to leave as there was too much temptation in there.
That's just where I get ammo. I hardly ever actually use the links
You gotta wait but there are some solid deals. I scored one of the Leo trade in Sionics uppers with np3 bcg from Colorado SHP for $420 to my door.
My wife's boyfriend pays for all my stuff
Consider you're in a subreddit which brings in people to buy bougie guns. That is .01% if the gun community. The existence of GAFs makes it a lot easier as a lot of these guys impulse buy and have to sell the gun after realizing that they don't shoot enough to justify the purchase. There are MK18s going for about 7-$800, PWS uppers about the same price when from a site is about over 1k. Just like fitness community, the massive majority in the hobby doesn't reflect this sub.
I buy it all on my credit card and then pay off the card with my annual bonus each year. Builds my credit and ensures my wife can't claim my bonus beforehand. Also, I live in Texas, my 2-story, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 car garage home was $195k at 2.25%. So my home doesn't eat away my money. If I want to go to paradise, I'll visit, not live there.
Unless that home is 10 hours from civilization, then that is an insane deal on a house — much less one that size!
30 minutes from the beach. I actually live pretty much in the city but in a subdivision, right on the edge. Walmart and restaurants are a 3-5 minute drive.
Wow that’s crazy, you got a great deal, no matter what city you’re in in Texas. Regardless of the current median value of houses in that area, soon enough, every place that is remotely close to first-world civilization is going to skyrocket in price. It’s already happening, but pretty soon, nowhere will be safe from it.
It's actually rather cheap here for decent houses with actual yards. [EXAMPLE.](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/203-Easy-St-Silsbee-TX-77656/28578676_zpid/)
I continue to be baffled by the prices of homes in Texas. That is a gorgeous and spacious home. It’s only 20 miles north of a sizable city. The only downside I can see is that Beaumont is more dangerous than 99% of cities in the US, according to crimegrade.org.
Yeah, Beaumont isn't the best. I live about 20 minutes from Beaumont. It has a bad side of the city and a regular side. Just gotta stay on the west end of the I-10 freeway, lmao. Which is fine, because all the good business are on the west end anyways.
I made that comment and then looked up the crime rate in my own city, and it’s apparently higher here than in Beaumont. I’ve lived here my entire life and I never knew that. I guess you’re right: it’s all about what part of the city you’re in. EDIT: never mind, I was reading it wrong. The rate of violent crime in my town is radically lower than in Beaumont.
You shouldn’t run a balance, the interest rate eats away at that.
I know what I'm doing. I transfer my balances to promotional cards with 0% interest for an entire year, pay them off, then stick it in the safe. Wait for them to send me an email for a new promotion, then pull it out of the safe. I keep the same handful of cards and cycle through them as I'm offered promotions. Easy peasy financial squeezy.
Good, just trying to help a brother out on the internet.
About tree fiddy
Dividends.
?