OK, most of us have stereo systems that tally in the five-figure range -- more than many peoples' automobiles, inlcuding perhaps our own. ;-)
Last week in an attempt to self-justify recent hobby expenditures, I started drawing up a list of things that more "normal" people would own or spend money on, but which I choose not own. To wit, I am 34 and married and do not have a:
TV Cable Bill Blu-ray player Ipod Smart phone PS3/Xbox/Wii Car payment on my '03 Mazda Child
I drive old cars (the new one is a 1995 and the old one 1970) My house is paid off I don't take expensive vacations No stinkin cell phone No internet or computer at home No wife, kids, or dogs Prepare my own meals Don't need fancy clothes Don't go to movies Don't pay big bucks for sports events
No cable TV No car repair bills - I borrow my kids used car when I need it, but I pay for the car insurance. No Blue-ray No movies No expensive clothes or furniture No gold or diamond jewelry
But I do spend money on: Audio good food, wine and cigars travels
Wow, this does not sound like the sophisticated playboy image we are all supposed to have does it? Maybe the audio industry is not catering to the right audience. Kinda like selling chainsaws at the opera maybe?
Other than the new Rega DAC I bought in January, I stopped spending money on audio gear about 2 years ago. And my system is nothing like what seems like the majority of what people have here. It's far more than 'good enough' for me though - Bryston B60, Audio Physic Yara Evolution Bookshelves.
What do I spend money on? Rent, food, day care (couldn't afford the Mrs. staying home any longer than 3 months), and whatever our little bundle of joy needs. One car payment because I had to finally replace my '97 Volvo that had 250k miles on it. Cable and internet are the only entertainment we have other than watching our daughter grow up.
No drug habit to satisfy. Save lots of money not drinking expensive wine, or smoking expensive cigars. No kids. No mistress. No pets right now. No gardener, (I do my own yard). No expensive sports car to maintain. No private plane. No boat. No social club dues. Don't have to buy clothes for work, (I'm a UPS driver and uniforms are provided). Don't gamble. Don't eat out very much. Not into jewelery. Don't CHASE AFTER all the latest, newest, hottest technology, (not an early adopter). Keep all my gear in tip top condition- clean, dust free, smoke free environment and get many years of use out of my shit...unlike most of my audiophile buddies who buy and sell off their audio gear like it's toilet paper. I got $200,000 invested in my audio system and it totally kicks ass. I buy used c.d.'s online and used vinyl too. That's where my money goes and I have NO REGRETS. My life is filled with great music all the time and I'm happy as can be!! Oh, and I got a hot looking wife to boot.
No fancy amp yet--sticking with McIntosh 6900 integrated and miniwatt tube. Cheap speakers. Haven't bought any music in years. Over 12000 tunes on ipod ripped from CD and vinyl collection. Spend most on awesome guitars.
No car, don't really need it in NYC area. No cable or Blu-ray. No expensive vacations. Not much eating out. No expensive drinks or cigars. But I do buy designer clothing and good shoes on ebay from time to time; And I do have some money for prostitutes.
Tvad - you should investigate those smokeless combuster units made in Germany for healthy extraction of THC molecules!
I agree that many do trade off stuff for investment in good sound. Usually those things aren't in our value system anyway, so we don't miss them. For me, for example, a fancy expensive car or big fancy home or designer clothes. I would say the one area where spending money on audio has cut into my lifestyle is reduced travel. I do feel like my priorities are shifting a bit - now that I've got $$$ invested into audio, I'm finding that I can get more satisfaction for the next dollar spent on some other home improvement projects: bathroom, garden...
Body guards, cosmetic surgery, servants, luxury automobiles/privately owned aircraft, life coaches/personal trainers, Pernod-Ricard champagne and La Perla undies to name a few.
Funny, Dekay. I had to look up La Perla. Out of my price range as well. The Comfort Line thong for men had me shaking my head. Oh well, I guess there's something for everybody to blow money on.
I can't find a clapper that has been rebuilt with no internal nickel parts, upgraded Ag wiring, gold plated contacts and most importantly- has been cyro' treated.
Lunch- Paying $7 to $9 per day adds up. I'd rather just brown bag it and eat a bit healthier.
Dry cleaning - Not unless I have to. My Khakis and shirts will be washed and I'll press them while listening to my system.
CLothing - I don't need the latest and greatest fashions. Unless the item of clothing has a hole or is so worn down I won't buy something new.
Gasoline - I deal with my old car and keep filling it up with 87 Octane gas. Gas prices close to $4/gallon by me.
Vinyl - Some may see this as blasphemy but I primarily listen to CDs. I'm just dabbling in vinyl. I get a majority of my vinyl from thrift stores. I've been lucky that a lot of it is in really good condition.
I'll also try to by generics whenever I can. Unless the premium brands are on sale.
I spend money on about everything mentioned in this thread... Why the hell not, we're only on this planet once! Might as well enjoy it. Though like Feil, I don't lose money on finance charges! Except the car loan on the Audi S - gotta sacrifice values for fast revs!
No hookers either - but maybe I should see what the audio pimp is up to...
Well some of the above responses are quite interesting. I still have a cell phone from work even though I haven't worked for a while due to the building market here in Central Florida. Thankfully we are blessed in that we have no debt and don't have to make many of the sacrifices other families do.
I DO have Satellite TV as I am a passionate sports fan and always have been. I also spend on gardening and woodworking and maintainence of the house much of which I do myself. We both love community theater and live music shows. Unfortunately my wife will only attend classical music concerts which I love as well but others as well too.
I DON'T care about clothes but my wife does so she does much of the mixing and matching for me in that area. This fulfills one of her passions and I don't object.
The house and car 1999 Toyota, and truck 2005 Ford F-150 are paid for, no debt, we take many mini vacations and are planning for a 1 month vacation this June to her home country.
I have pretty much stopped spending on audio other than a few things here and there to tweek the system as I am quite satisfied with what I have although I probably will update the speakers in the near future and have some work to do on my analog, other than that I'm done.
I have come to the conclusion over time that less is more. We have started clearing out the house of things which are not necessary and giving it away where it can do better good.
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