How do y'all afford the hobby?

mcgallagherc

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Understood that (often expensive) hobbies are important to me early on and set upon a career path that would pay enough to afford them (while not jeopardizing bills/family spending/retirement savings) while also allowing me the free time to enjoy said hobbies.

Well, that, and being totally averse to spending more than $100 on any single frag. If it's something I really want, I'll purchase from a fellow hobbyist instead of paying retail. Which isn't terribly hard. I prefer frags to colonies. A big part of the allure is watching frags grow and flourish.
Being said, I believe in supporting local business and spending money with who I trust, even if that means spending more. I understand everyone has a budget but always support your local "trusted" business.
 

gbru316

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Being said, I believe in supporting local business and spending money with who I trust, even if that means spending more. I understand everyone has a budget but always support your local "trusted" business.

Wholeheartedly agree. I purchase plenty from my LFS (just bought an Apex, Trident, Sky, and 2x DOS there). Just not spending hundreds/thousands on the latest bouncy-triple nitro-rainbow-fairydust unicorn-glitter acro.

WWC, TSA, and Living Reef are about an hour away, and there are 2 LFS that are about 15 minutes away. There are plenty of <$100 retail corals at my disposal, even if it means I wait until a sale. Generally, if it's >$150 retail I'll look for a hobbyist with frags to trade/sell.
 
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mcgallagherc

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Wholeheartedly agree. I purchase plenty from my LFS (just bought an Apex, Trident, Sky, and 2x DOS there). Just not spending hundreds/thousands on the latest bouncy-triple nitro-rainbow-fairydust unicorn-glitter acro.

WWC, TSA, and Living Reef are about an hour away, and there are 2 LFS that are about 15 minutes away. There are plenty of <$100 retail corals at my disposal. Generally, if it's >$150 retail I'll look for a hobbyist with frags to trade/sell.
Completely understand, it's not an inexpensive hobby. Very green to this and told my guy who set me up I wish I would have just spend the extra money and bought all new equipment. In 4 months and having new lights ordered with what I want to accomplish
 

NeedAReef

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The crack cocaine of the hobby it is.....lewrn to be happy y with what you have and what you can afford. Don't chase the next biggest thing or the new tech etc. Unless you have an idea ndless wallet it will make you hate the hobby eventually as all things that cause greed and envy do. Find the joy in keeping it simple, keeping it alive and keeping it yours. You define what you want ant and what you enjoy not some folks showing off pictures photos hopped and taken with expensive filters etc. There are plenty of hobbyists who love a simple pair of clowns hanging in a nano tank and the look on the heir friends faces when they come over and marvel at how successful you are in such a difficult hobby. Shhh don't tell them our secret.
 

gbru316

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Completely understand, it's not an inexpensive hobby. Very green to this and told my guy who set me up I wish I would have just spend the extra money and bought all new equipment. In 4 months and having new lights ordered with what I want to accomplish

This is my 5th tank over almost 20 years. I've finally adopted the "buy once, cry once" attitude and just bought what I really wanted. I'm going on $7k for my 40 breeder (livestock included), but I want for nothing -- and I realize it can be done for much, much cheaper. I started out doing everything as cheap as possible out of necessity (as a teenager) and that just kind of became habit until now. But if I'm being honest, this latest tank has been magnitudes easier to care for than any of my previous ones. Probably equally due to experience and buying what I want instead of trying to DIY and jury rig things to work the way I want (with mixed results).
 

mcgallagherc

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The crack cocaine of the hobby it is.....lewrn to be happy y with what you have and what you can afford. Don't chase the next biggest thing or the new tech etc. Unless you have an idea ndless wallet it will make you hate the hobby eventually as all things that cause greed and envy do. Find the joy in keeping it simple, keeping it alive and keeping it yours. You define what you want ant and what you enjoy not some folks showing off pictures photos hopped and taken with expensive filters etc. There are plenty of hobbyists who love a simple pair of clowns hanging in a nano tank and the look on the heir friends faces when they come over and marvel at how successful you are in such a difficult hobby. Shhh don't tell them our secret.
I was doomed, almost 7 years of walking by and staring at a 500g tank professionally kept I finally gave in. I originally told him I wanted 5ft long but after measuring, it wouldn't fit where I wanted it placed and I settled for a 48x24x24... 4 months in and I want bigger. Please help me lol
 

mcgallagherc

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Trust me the therapy bill will be cheaper... And tax deductible...
If money was the issue I would have got a nano tank! Way I see it, it's therapeutic and lowers the blood pressure after work. Don't want this to come off wrong but my brother got the brains and I got the looks and athleticism. I'm no idiot but there is so much to learn, I want to be good at this as if it's a form of athletics. I want to excel and be good at what I do, whatever it may be
 

mcgallagherc

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Drive up your blood pressure, show that your blood pressure falls when you're enjoying your tank, and write it off as a medical expense :face-with-tears-of-joy:
All I need to do is go to work for it to go up!!! Lol seriously, it's my zen garden. I want it to be perfect but dang there is so much that goes along with it.
 

gbru316

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All I need to do is go to work for it to go up!!! Lol seriously, it's my zen garden. I want it to be perfect but dang there is so much that goes along with it.

In this hobby, it's really easy to let "perfect" be the enemy of "good enough." Constant tinkering in the pursuit of perfection will only end badly.
 

mcgallagherc

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In this hobby, it's really easy to let "perfect" be the enemy of "good enough." Constant tinkering in the pursuit of perfection will only end badly.
Understood, I was a pretty good golfer in my prime and always remembered a quote from the movie Tin Cup. "Tempo is everything, perfection unobtainable " I think this can relate
 

Gtinnel

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GIF by Jess

Seriously though I play (well test technically) slot machines for a living.

I haven’t read all of the posts, but I know at least some of this has already been said, but buy used and buy a little at a time. Ive bought several items that I plan on using but they’re still sitting around unused. I went ahead and bought when I found them for a good price. Also, you can sometimes find someone who is selling a entire tank setup because they’re getting out of the hobby, and you can get some amazing deals that way.
 

bigbugoutfitters

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Looks like i win the cheapest electricity game with 7 cents, with a giant dam about 15 miles away and 2 smaller ones within 20. I have not bought anything new or full price. I trade fishing trips for store credit at a lfs.
 

Islandvib3s

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Tbh idk! Lol honestly tho if you are successful in growing nice corals and a big reef community to share/sale/trade .the hobby can support itself. I say that but yet I sell plasma sometimes for reef crap lol
 

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