# What do you spend $ on?



## awesomeame (Nov 15, 2011)

So this site is all about making money and being frugal. But what do CMF members spend money on, when not investing or saving?

Me, I blew $3500 last weekend for some carbon wheels for my roadbike, and $610 for a cycling GPS unit. They're amazing!

What was the last thing you bought that is not an investment, and has nothing to do with making more or saving money??

Matt


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Travel. Two big trips a year-usually 8-12 weeks each.

Last thing (July) was a 2007 Solara convertable in like new condition. It will be our summer vehicle.

Today I am going to replace my 10 year flat screen computer monitor with a new 27" monitor. Cannot believe how the prices have dropped.


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## bds (Aug 13, 2013)

Travel. 1-2 trips a year, unfortunately not 8-12 weeks each!

I also mountain bike and just spent $6k on a new bike. Retail was $10k, that's being frugal, right?


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Travel around North America including a couple of cruises from the US ports.

I am looking to buy a new Chevrolet Camaro convertible to drive next year. I would prefer a Mustang but can't turn down the price I get on a GM as a retiree.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

I've got my eye on a new fishing boat for the coast, lol


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## atrp2biz (Sep 22, 2010)

I think DW wants to get a Tesla to replace her Hyundai Sonata. I say do it, but she finds it tough to pull the trigger.

I have a road bike and a commuter bike. I have my eye on a touring bike as I'd like to do a credit card tour from Calgary to Vancouver.


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## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

Just came back from an Alaska Cruise. We saw a good deal, and booked at the last minute.


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## WGZ (Feb 3, 2017)

1 vacation
Set of wheels for my car (Enkei RPF1 with summer tires)
Cobb access port tuner for car
Workout supplements from GNC (40% off plus a lot of free samples, the $300 I spent went a long way)
Need to get a winter beater, budget around $1500, something automatic + comfy for a change.


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## 319905 (Mar 7, 2016)

Re-powered the boat this spring and upgraded to hydraulic steering ... the old beater was getting a bit iffy last season ... never let me down but no luck with the usual fixes, and the steering was getting to be a bit too much of a workout for the torn tendon shoulders. Could have gone the haul out, wait for the mechanic to take a look, give it a try, maybe it's fixed maybe not route but decided keep it simple ... and besides, Mercury had a $600 rebate ... woohoo ... $600 is $600!!! And I also spend a few $$s on pool and beer ... now and then ... like in about an hour ... beer, cold beer, mmmmm :victorious:


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

Travel and golf, mostly. Experiences, not things.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Today I bought a 27" colour Hp flatscreen monitor. I was $200. The first terminal I sold when I started in the IT business was $3200. It was a 15" monochrome CRT w/attached keyboard..... heavy and took up lots of room. Had to 'sysgen' the computer to add the terminal. Took this one out of the box, plugged it in, and a minute later I was in business.

Got to love technology.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Well we are headed to Europe for a month after I get back from visiting the Grandkids for 10 days. Then in November, we go to PV for 5.5 months and from there we go to the Copper Canyon for 10 days. There will probably be more trips. I don't count electronics because that is continuous. We will buy a newer car in Vancouver next spring. Been retired for 15 years and totally relaxed with spending whatever we need thanks to a great run.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

Travel! Travel! Travel! Every year 20-40K.... and yummy Russian food


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## Jaberwock (Aug 22, 2012)

Our discretionary spending goes mostly on travel


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

I've spent $12k this year on travel, and it's only August! :eek2: $500 for the hotel room on July 1st in Ottawa...

Really struggling not to pull the plug on a big 65" 4k TV, but I'm resisting. Also dying to buy a 2018 Mustang but that's a pipe dream.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Estimates for so far this year...

Car parts... $750
Tools... $200
Mountain bike... $200
Computer speakers... $160
Books & Music... $150
Clothes... $280
Odds & ends... $200

No travel aside from a 2 night camping trip... probably about $100 there. I'm sure there's stuff I'm forgetting, but nothing big.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Travel, at least one international trip per year. Other trips closer to home, around Canada or U.S.

Golf, festivals, sporting events like football and hockey games.

Like some others, experiences vs. crap 

Would love to have the cash flow like kcowan and others to go to PV for multiple months during the year. Sweet living.


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## SW20 MR2 (Dec 18, 2010)

I spend about $3k a year on golf and softball/hockey. We will spend about $7-10k on a vacation and a few weekend getaways for our family of 4.


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## Koogie (Dec 15, 2014)

25.5K on travel this year up to and including next month but it might go a bit higher. Georgia (US), Paris, Wales, Muskoka, northern ontario RV trip, NY Finger Lakes and maybe another short getaway in the fall to somewhere in the US so that might get to 27 or 28k. A total of 7 or 8 weeks.

Generally we spend about 15k a year on travel and 10k on the house but decided to go a little nuts on high end travel this year and spend nothing on the house. Been well worth it so far.


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

awesomeame said:


> So this site is all about making money and being frugal. But what do CMF members spend money on, when not investing or saving?
> 
> Me, I blew $3500 last weekend for some carbon wheels for my roadbike, and $610 for a cycling GPS unit. They're amazing!
> 
> ...


My hobby is 2 channel stereo ( vinyl),i retired a couple of months ago,purchased

2 Bryston 7 B3 amplifiers
1 McIntosh C 2500 preamp
1 VPI classic 3 turntable and a couple of clearaudio cartridges 
2 Focus audio speakers FP88SE
1 OPPO UDP-205
Lots of Bryston cables and more albums

This is a retirement gift to myself


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

Vacation about $2,000 to explore Canada (just finished Newfoundland, now to start the west coast next year).
Curling ($550/yr plus prize funds and locker fee so, $675).
Rarely buy stuff nowadays. It's all about experience.


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## Jimmy (May 19, 2017)

Whatever you buy I find it is really worthwhile and more interesting to be very organized and analytical to evaluate every possible item for purchase like you would any investment.

Read as many reviews as possible. Set up a spreadsheet listing details like the store, item, features, sale price, regular price,warranty, received favorable reviews in magazines etc . Then grade all the options and track them for a while. You literally can't keep track of all of the details any other way. Everything from golf shorts to paint to cupboards to 55" TVs etc. It really helps.

It is fun too. Treating little mundane household purchases like they were large capital project items in a business and saving $ is always fun. Makes you more frugal too and eliminates impulsive shopping as sometimes you even tire of the item after sweating the study and learn whether it is really a need or a want.

Boxing week is a good time for electronics or whenever the end of model lines are. Saved some big $ on a Vizio TV. Recently also there were some great shorts and swimsuit sales earlier in August when retailers were practically giving them away but waited too long.:crushed:


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## tavogl (Oct 1, 2014)

Travelling and computers (gaming is my hobby) i just built a new computer yesterday, o boy gaming in 4k is incredibly fun.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

1980z28 said:


> My hobby is 2 channel stereo ( vinyl),i retired a couple of months ago,purchased
> 
> 2 Bryston 7 B3 amplifiers
> 1 McIntosh C 2500 preamp
> ...


What's the word on modern produced vinyl and record players? Albums cost like $30-40 a pop in the store. Are they really better sound quality than CDs? What about Multi channel loss-less digital? How good of a system does one need to buy to experience the difference? Can you tell from a midrange AV receiver and floor speakers, or do you need a dedicated preamp/amps and high end >$2,000 speakers?


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Since my money and my spouses money is the same and he spends a lot more I thought I would post

He spends money on vehicles (grrrr, he doesn't like used) 
Hockey - started playing this year for the first time in his forties, and has changed out his equiptment twice
Electronics - he is in the tech industry so he says it's for work, it I have seen more video games than work. 

Me- 
Primary family vacations and activities like skiing 
For solely me, high end exotic foods or ingredients. It could be a really rare peach, meats, flavoured oils, salts, etc. Okay that's not just for me either, the family gets that too.

Hmmm... need to go and find some more expensive hobbies. J/k. For me, it's less about stuff and all about experience. We just planning our first Overseas family vacation next year to Europe. The budget is $50k, and I am not sure I will be able to keep it, even though I am general frugal, I will not pass up the experiences, which are becoming expensive


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Hmm... I manage to have hobbies and not spend ridiculous amounts of money.

Of course, if you have to have the top-end gear, your hobby is going to be expensive, whether it's photography, hi-fi, cars, whatever. But I find that you can get "good" or "very good" for a fraction of the price.

I always see people who are just picking up a new hobby, and thinking they need thousands of dollars worth of gear because they read on some forum that that's what people experienced in that hobby are using. But someone who is new to a hobby won't necessarily be able to tell the difference or unlock all the power of the top end stuff. Even if they could, the difference won't always justify the expense.


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

peterk said:


> What's the word on modern produced vinyl and record players? Albums cost like $30-40 a pop in the store. Are they really better sound quality than CDs? What about Multi channel loss-less digital? How good of a system does one need to buy to experience the difference? Can you tell from a midrange AV receiver and floor speakers, or do you need a dedicated preamp/amps and high end >$2,000 speakers?


When i move out of my home in 1978 and started to work,i did not buy a car,my first purchase was a stereo,only 8 track,cassettes and vinyl at that time

Like any hobby that is enjoyable i have purchased vinyl from 1978,i have collected appox 3000 plus albums,all are well cared for,,,there are some that get played a lot when i was younger,,,i have a few turntables,i only play my worn albums on a direct drive TT,I love the album art and notes also the physical part
It is a chore to look after albums,especially cleaning after every play i use a okki nokki machine to clean my albums

As for sound,vinyl is analog that it how we hear,digital is not,there is compression and it has to be converted to analog

If you where close to me and could listen to some of you favorite music on vinyl i believe you would be very impressed ,,,,

If one was to start at vinyl today is would be very expensive

I do use the OPPO 205) for all my digital(background music) i only use it for audio,it is a very good player,,,all my files are FLAC,,i have lots on SSD for easy access

Speakers are just a way to move air,,,cheaper speakers are not design to be accurate,cabinets vibrate also magnets and cones are of lower quality, there are many opinions out there on what is good,,,everyone has different hearing and that is why what is great to someone is not so great to someone else

Get what is best to you,budget is also a big part of it

Just like buying a car or house

I dont do multi channel audio

As i am retired i do now enjoy a good album and a cold drink


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

+1, funny - I too, use a Technics SL1200 M5G DD for older LPs and for 45's and a Linn for everything else. Nor do I go with more than two channels. Surround belongs in the HT!


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## DigginDoc (Sep 17, 2015)

I traded down in 2014 and moved to Lower Mainland. Last Year was my spending time. New townhouse, smart 55 inch 4k tv for my man cave, new Honda CRV. Carpets, furniture, etc with more to come. Can't travel for a while so maybe next year.
Cheers 
Doc


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Trips to see the band PHISH- always my one outlay for the year. Just about to head back to Vancouver from Denver, where they finished their summer tour.


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