How do you save money with your firearm hobby?

[arakboss]

For those who consider firearms a serious hobby, how do you save money or offset the cost of the hobby?


The most enjoyable part of the firearm hobby for me is shopping for firearm related items. That makes it tough to save money. I do a few main things to try and save money but still get the shopping experience.

One, I limit most of my shopping to online, that saves fuel and wear and tear on the old corolla.

Two I look for good deals that others are wanting to find. That gives me the shopping experience and pleasure from helping somebody else out and it doesn't cost anything out of pocket.

Three, if I see a really good deal, I try to sleep on it. Sometimes for multiple days. It gives me a cool off period and usually the item sells out.

Four, I don't shoot very often which saves tons of money.

Five, I try to only buy things that I won't lose much value on if I decide to sell or trade it.


Here are some examples of other things I am doing to save money.

I am experimenting with lots of different ways to make my firearms cheaper to shoot and reloading cheaper to load.

I rationalize accuracy with value in mind. I do not want to spend 500% more money to improve groups by 100%.

To get variety in my firearm hobby diet, I change up firearm configurations instead of adding a new firearm to the mix.

I use optics and mounting systems that are more easily transferred from firearm to firearm instead of buying a dedicated optic for each rifle

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[Alexx1401]

Not to be a smart a$$ but for me? I don't.
Seriously though for me its been they are something that is not "perishable" so never go to waste so to speak. It must be possible to wear one out but I never have managed too. Have told the story before but long ago Wife would gripe now and then about the outlay. I would go with her and look at her "hobbies" that came and went. Things sitting in boxes or in shed. How much we pay for this? How much is it worth now that its no longer used or broken? Then say I can open the safe, tell you pretty well what I paid for every gun in there. Also tell you what I could easily sell them for now. That would be the end of that. Now of course I have to use common sense. I would really like to have a few I do not own. Like one of those nice double stack 10mm's that cost a few K. I could just go buy one if I wanted. Wife at this point would raise an eyebrow at that but would not get over the top mad. If I did it's not like it too would not be able to be sold later if needed. Now I am all over getting a best price for something if I can. When some new gun hits and is selling for well over MSRP I can wait a while. Not easy but I will.

 

[TTSX]

By not having children

 

[TTSX]

Not to be a smart a$$ but for me? I don't.
Seriously though for me its been they are something that is not "perishable" so never go to waste so to speak. It must be possible to wear one out but I never have managed too. Have told the story before but long ago Wife would gripe now and then about the outlay. I would go with her and look at her "hobbies" that came and went. Things sitting in boxes or in shed. How much we pay for this? How much is it worth now that its no longer used or broken? Then say I can open the safe, tell you pretty well what I paid for every gun in there. Also tell you what I could easily sell them for now. That would be the end of that. Now of course I have to use common sense. I would really like to have a few I do not own. Like one of those nice double stack 10mm's that cost a few K. I could just go buy one if I wanted. Wife at this point would raise an eyebrow at that but would not get over the top mad. If I did it's not like it too would not be able to be sold later if needed. Now I am all over getting a best price for something if I can. When some new gun hits and is selling for well over MSRP I can wait a while. Not easy but I will.

I bought and paid for my Barrett and very VERY few people see it in person because of the eyebrow raises I'd get. They just wouldn't understand the parallel to their far more expensive and depreciating vehicles. In fact, I've flatly denied owning one many many times when asked. Just don't wanna deal with it

 

[arakboss]

By not having children

This would have saved me a ton of money.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Never buy a Taurus.

 

[arakboss]

Never buy a Taurus.

I bought a couple of older PT92s recently for $250 each. I have only fired one of the two but it went bang and they both seem like well built pistols.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Making or re-purposing items as well as gifting items....
Are two ways to save money .

Being selective in what I shoot , collect or buy....is another way to save money.

Being happy / satisfied with what I own and actually use is a way to save money.
Two concepts I have that are tied into this are :

Selling or trading something that own....but don't use / have a use for / or no longer have a interest in ...
Even at a dollar loss to me , in order to get something that I will actually use..is a way to save money
Since that item is being used and not just sitting in a safe , doing nothing.
And...
Understanding that the cost of an item may not be what it once was...and that the price , may not reflect the items true worth / value to me.
Andy

 

[Alexx1401]

I bought and paid for my Barrett and very VERY few people see it in person because of the eyebrow raises I'd get. They just wouldn't understand the parallel to their far more expensive and depreciating vehicles. In fact, I've flatly denied owning one many many times when asked. Just don't wanna deal with it

I would have a hard time being "nice" to someone who wanted to complain about my choice of firearms. There are a LOT of guns I have zero interest in owning but, never have I dreamed of telling another shooter how they should choose to spend their money. You like it? You paid for it with your money? F them if they do like it.

 

[Alexx1401]

I bought a couple of older PT92s recently for $250 each. I have only fired one of the two but it went bang and they both seem like well built pistols.

I "think" he is poking fun here. Taurus is one of several brands that get a LOT, and I do mean a LOT of hate. I too have had enough of them over the life that I am not sure how many I have owned. So far never had a problem. All of them were sold still working fine.

 

[BBQ Guy]

I am shooting my 22's these days. These are fun and relatively cheap to shoot.

Meanwhile i am putting my reloading bench to work on other stuff.

 

[BBQ Guy]

I bought and paid for my Barrett and very VERY few people see it in person because of the eyebrow raises I'd get. They just wouldn't understand the parallel to their far more expensive and depreciating vehicles. In fact, I've flatly denied owning one many many times when asked. Just don't wanna deal with it

I dont quite understand that but i dont need to either.

I hear what you're saying. I think i can relate as my dad said something to me recently about a new purchase i made. It about sent me into the KMA realm.
He has spent a life time of acquiring half broken down POS vehicle's(mostly motorcycles) with intent to fix and restore. They are all still broken down and POS. He thought it was okay to make a passive swipe about the money i spent on a new motorcycle.

 

[arakboss]

I am shooting my 22's these days. These are cheap, fun, and relatively cheap to shoot.

Meanwhile i am putting my reloading bench to work on other stuff.

I almost always take a 22 with me to the range so I don't have to shoot expensive stuff the entire visit and it can be used most widely at TCGC.

 

[oremike]

I don't worry about saving money with this or any other hobby. I guess if I had to make an equation it would be dollars to enjoyment. Basically if don't enjoy what I'm doing no matter what the hobby is I'm probably not going to spend much money on it.

 

[gryghin]

How do I save $$ in this or any hobby...

I have my direct deposit at my company set up to the maximum allowed. Besides the account where the bills get paid out of, one of these designated accounts is just for my hobbies. When my wife went back to full time after the kids were all out of elementary school, I had her mirror the split with the exception of designating her own hobbies account.

No questions about each other's hobbies as it will never affect our bills.

Other things I do to save, I use the DCA dollar cost average way of thinking when buying ammo. Every month buy the caliber that I'm shooting, same amount each month regardless if I need it.

As for firearms... either buy on sale from online retailer, watch the forum or check LGS for deals.

 

[Longwalkhome]

save money?

 

[slimmer13]

For those who consider firearms a serious hobby, how do you save money or offset the cost of the hobby?


The most enjoyable part of the firearm hobby for me is shopping for firearm related items. That makes it tough to save money. I do a few main things to try and save money but still get the shopping experience.

One, I limit most of my shopping to online, that saves fuel and wear and tear on the old corolla.

Two I look for good deals that others are wanting to find. That gives me the shopping experience and pleasure from helping somebody else out and it doesn't cost anything out of pocket.

Three, if I see a really good deal, I try to sleep on it. Sometimes for multiple days. It gives me a cool off period and usually the item sells out.

Four, I don't shoot very often which saves tons of money.

Five, I try to only buy things that I won't lose much value on if I decide to sell or trade it.


Here are some examples of other things I am doing to save money.

I am experimenting with lots of different ways to make my firearms cheaper to shoot and reloading cheaper to load.

I rationalize accuracy with value in mind. I do not want to spend 500% more money to improve groups by 100%.

To get variety in my firearm hobby diet, I change up firearm configurations instead of adding a new firearm to the mix.

I use optics and mounting systems that are more easily transferred from firearm to firearm instead of buying a dedicated optic for each rifle

Based on this thread and others you've started, it seems like you have a shopping hobby/addiction more than a firearms hobby. It seems like the high is opening something new then it wears off as soon as you put it away and it's on to the next thing.

Can't really help you with that.

 

[ma96782]

Well.......
Hummmmmm.......
I'd have to also consider the other sorts of TROUBLE, that I could be/might be getting myself into if it weren't for this hobby.

Aloha, Mark

 

[Taylormade]

Is this a trick question?

 

[CountryGent]

This has never really been an issue for us, though our gun collecting picked up dramatically in the late twenty-teens, but then back to a slower pace the last couple years or so, and with some refocusing/jettisoning happening.

Random thoughts:

• Keep to a budget. Yes, that is cliché sounding, but it is still true. (I've always been very fastidious about tracking our finances, both for day-to-day processes, and longer term goals, so the data is easy enough to find. Knowing all of what is going where and why is of major import.)
• A method I learned years ago, albeit was not directly related to firearms hobby, was asking the question is Y expenditure of money and time for X thing going to provide Y worth of help, enjoyment, other benefit? Sometimes it is a yes, often the answer is no. Very few folks have inexhaustible finances and none of us can create more time, so it is just resource management.
• Closely related to that is would these funds be providing better things for us, now or in the future, in our investment portfolio? If it is a piddly sum, probably not, but bigger ticket items probably, yes. Automating investments to the various funds (e.g., taxed portfolio, various retirement vehicles, kid's education funds, et al.) makes it easier and temptation less.
• With some notable exceptions, firearms are not a great investment. Yes, they, generally, hold their value and one can resell them. Yes, there are some niche items (and we've invested in at least two such) that, historically, only go up in value. But compared to other means of building wealth, they generally aren't all that great. And they have to be stored, maintained, fed, etc.
• It will most likely provide a mental boost, but also can off-set expenses, is selling something (or several somethings) when acquiring a new item, even if the figures don't exactly match up. Out with the old, in with the new, and don't look back kind of thing. Spending time and money on fun experiences, rather than clutter, is almost always a wiser investment.
• Stop caring. I don't mean to be flippant, but so many things in life just aren't all that important. If I had any doubts, events in recent memory provided even more evidence of this, albeit at times in a jarring fashion.

Good luck.