Compulsive spending

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by richbdd01, Sep 20, 2014.

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  1. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    Hi guys

    I think some guys of you will hopefully relate to this. Do any guys feel you spend too much on your hobby? Have you even got into debt with it?

    Although staying relatively within in my means, i have spent more than id like recently.... I have found i am spending way too on music and feel it is starting to perhaps get to the stage where i have to say thats enough!

    Im talking about upgradeitis and also buying vinyl....it is incredibly addictive. For the past few years, my life has been pretty stressful one way or the other and i think music has been my outlet and has enriched my life. However, it can also be an obsession aswell and you want more and more of it.

    I find it hard at the moment to say no to buying music. Although i have plenty to satisfy my needs at the current time...its like a drug, i still want to collect more! And then i want to improve my system aswell...

    I think maybe i seem to spend a great deal more during times of stress and boredom.

    Anyone else experience this and how do you control your spending? Do you have a set budget?
     
  2. Peter Pyle

    Peter Pyle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario CAN
    Spent too much? Probably. Gotten into debt over it?......admittedly yes.

    You only live once, however. So if I want it, I buy it.
     
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  3. ElizabethH

    ElizabethH Forum Resident

    Location:
    SE Wisconsin,USA
    It is only a problem IMO when guys buy stuff so expensive they have to hid it from the Wife.
    Now if both parties to the marriage are doing the same sort of hiding.. And they both know it, not a problem.

    My friends thought I was insane to take $30,000 (this is after taxes). And blow it totally on new stereo equipment when I retired.
    I actually needed a new car, but knew I could buy one anytime with a loan. Asking for a loan to buy $30K worth of stereo stuff would have been impossible!
    Plus I listen every day all day to the music, and ony drive a few miles twice a week, usually.
    Later I did buy a new car (My old one was only worth $800 as scrap to the dealer, so I sold it to the managers brother, who still drives it. LOL)

    I used to live far more hand to mouth and bought whatever trinket I wanted on impulse. Now I have stopped spending all my money and have an actual positive bank balance. It is really nice as I now can buy stuff when I really want it. And can easily resist the urge to buy any little bit of junk I used to grab without thought. Now I have to really want it to buy it.

    Total sea change in attitude. Just old age maybe? Finally grew up financially?
     
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  4. vinyl_puppy

    vinyl_puppy Der Weaselschnitzel

    Location:
    Santa Rosa, CA
    For me, it's becoming difficult stifling that upgradeitis. So, I recently said the hell with it and I bought a new speaker system for my home theatre setup. Not the whole shebang, mind you. Just 5 speakers for now, which I don't need. My current theatre speaker system is 17 years old. Bought the new set without hearing them, and I ordered some b-stock or slightly blemished product to save a few hundred dollars, and used my credit card which I was trying to pay off. I've also got a turntable speed controller coming in about a week. I do wish I could spend way more.

    I still buy a few records every so often because I like to. No need to use the credit card for those as I do have some extra pennies to use after paying bills and buying food.
     
  5. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    I typically am looking for something specific and then usually have some sort of limit in price I'm prepared to spend. But I still buy stuff I usually don't need, so even though I don't spend a lot on gear these days I do tend to spend for stuff that I should probably put to better use.
     
  6. 2xUeL

    2xUeL Forum Philosopher

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    Great idea for a post, and I give the OP a lot of credit for tackling such a personal topic. I think collecting just about anything is addictive. One of the ways I have come to terms with my hobby is to accept the fact that I will never be finished: my stereo will never be "complete" and neither will my record collection. (Even if there were such a thing as a "complete set" of something, one could get caught up in an endless string of upgrading the condition of each item.) I think the realization that there will always be something else I want has actually encouraged me to budget my money and pace myself. I'm still working on the budgeting thing, but this alleviates a lot of anxiety that might come from collecting and feeling the desire to "keep going" or "finish what I started" as soon as possible.
     
  7. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I wouldn't say compulsive for me, but...... my spending decades back when I was a low income person although it was very deliberately planned could be considered quite excessive at the time for me.

    I had several low cost systems as a kid, but my first serious one was put together quite carefully and deliberately over time when I was about 16, in 1975. Total cost was around $2k, about 8 months of wages for me. A LOT of money back then, that's what I had also paid for a good low mile used car.

    System was an Empire 698 turntable with 2000z cartridge, Dynaco ST 416 amp, PAT 5 preamp, FM5 tuner, all kits. Homebuilt speakers with 2x15" EV bass drivers, their best midrange horn and their coveted T350 tweeters all housed in larger than Altec's Voice of the Theater ducted port homebuilt cabinets. Not very accurate, but live concert level playback WAS a reality.

    As I grew up I was and still am very deliberate in my purchases, looking for a sale, always searching for the best price.

    Recently when putting together a low cost digital front end for a secondary system I scoured the net for days until I found the Teac UD-H01 DAC I wanted for the rock bottom price of $189, 60% off, and paired it with the budget Onkyo C 7030 CD player for $130, 45 % off. I did not compulsively buy them, I researched and got the best price possible. In fact, those low prices are not available right now.

    I usually don't compulsively buy much of anything, let alone audio stuff.

    I do my homework, check prices and try to get the best possible price.

    Heck, I make a shopping list every week before I go to the food store, I check store ads and coupons, rarely will I grab something that is not on the list.

    The only things I have bought compulsively on occasion is to buy stuff either audio or other stuff that is vintage from my past growing up. I recently was in a store and saw a lovely all metal and glass repro vintage style gumball machine, I had to have it and I bought it right there. Not sure why. I had some Minimus 2 speakers as a kid, on a compulsive whim one late night I bought a set on E Bay. They are in my attic, never used. :shrug:

    I keep a long wish list on Amazon, I look at it often and decide carefully what I really want to buy, but yes, I've bought a few CD's and movies on a compulsive whim, and when they came I wondered why the heck I purchased them.

    But for the most part if I need it, I research it, and scour until I find the best deal.
     
    BuddhaBob likes this.
  8. Bolero

    Bolero Senior Member

    Location:
    North America
    I've been going over the edge with vinyl lately

    I'll go to the store with an album or two in mind, and come home with 10. so I guess that's compulsive

    even though I have most of it already on CD....I get absolutely TRANSFIXED listening to records through my stereo system

    so not only is it $$......but I can't get anything done around the house!!

    when there are records playing, I just have to sit & listen

    I guess there are worse problems to have.

    but I have not been going into debt to buy the stuff
     
    BuddhaBob likes this.
  9. Jupiter

    Jupiter Forum Resident

  10. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    Thanks for the comments. It is something that i have definitely experienced myself and probably experiencing right now in fact. Despite the fact i am happy with what i have, i have a desire to keep spending...its getting to the stage where i dont feel happy unless i am carrying home some more vinyl.

    Also, i wonder sometimes if we spend excessively to make up for perceived deficiencies in other areas of our lives. Its a bit becoming addictive to alcohol...sometimes its intended to fill a gap? From my own point of view, i have definitely used it as an outlet during times of stress and maybe at times where my levels of self control are compromised?

    Im sure there are many others like me. Ordering items and vinyl online, in particular, is a very quick and easy way of racking up debt. Unfortunately, i have overspent a little recently but am above board with it... but i do need to reign things in for sure to ensure itdoesn't spiral out of control!
     
  11. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    Yep i completely identify with that...i can never just buy one record, i have to have at least 4-5 generally and am probably buying about 40 a month at the moment.
     
  12. badsneakers

    badsneakers Well-Known Member

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Collecting music is possibly as addictive as this forum...sorry, must stop posting now as I need to pre-order a limited edition LP before it sells out.
     
  13. The Good Guy

    The Good Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I guess my hifi compulsion started because of my international film star career & having any woman I wanted didn't go quite to plan!!! Very true I have spent far more than I thought I ever would but it's a good hobby , not violent or descend into right wing politics!
     
    timind likes this.
  14. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    Last time I checked you can't take it with you.
     
  15. Stone Turntable

    Stone Turntable Independent Head

    Location:
    New Mexico USA
    Trying to sell a few items can be a good way to get real about how easy and frictionless it is to acquire, and how difficult and unremunerative it can be to try and recoup any fraction of your investment.
     
    DigMyGroove, googlymoogly and 2xUeL like this.
  16. Jack

    Jack Senior Member

    Oh Clanceman.....
     
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  17. TommyTunes

    TommyTunes Senior Member

    When I was young and not earning as much, I would charge the gear and pay it off before the next item. Now if I don't have the cash I'll wait. I keep no debt on CC's. Thankfully I've been able to do it.
     
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  18. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    My rule is simple. If there is something that I want and I can afford it, I'll buy it. If I cannot afford it, I won't.
     
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  19. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape"

    Sounds familiar except for a positive bank balance in my case. :shrug::realmad::laugh: Take care, John M.
     
  20. 2xUeL

    2xUeL Forum Philosopher

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    Spot on. And yes, this forum is a double-dose of individuals with obsessive compulsive tendencies (myself included)! ;) ;)
     
  21. razerx

    razerx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sonoma California
    Anybody know what was the first ever box set? Even if I already own 90% of the materials I would still buy the box set. The record companies must have psychiatrists on payroll to take advantage of of our completist urges.
     
  22. utahusker

    utahusker Senior Member

    I love R. Crumb's stuff.
     
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  23. 2xUeL

    2xUeL Forum Philosopher

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    Good point, but I think this popular sentiment oversimplifies things in a way. One could follow this line of reasoning all the way to, "Life i.e. the ego i.e. this pile of memories and experiences won't last forever, therefore life isn't worth living". So the "you can't take it with you" approach to collecting certainly doesn't work for me.

    I identify with what is happening in the video below and I think it's relevant to this conversation. I think the creation and subsequent destruction of the sand art is symbolic: just because the world will vanish/be forgotten at some point doesn't mean we shouldn't participate in it. I know the first thought when thinking about buddhist philosophy and collecting anything is that "material possessions aren't important" etc., but to live is to possess/desire in some way, shape or form (there are a lot of seeming contradictions in buddhist philosophy as I know it). Above all, I believe balance is more important than abstinence is most situations, but maybe not all. For example, I can't smoke in moderation so luckily I've reached a point where I've realized I shouldn't smoke at all and I don't.

     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2014
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  24. 2xUeL

    2xUeL Forum Philosopher

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    I wish it was that simple with me!
     
  25. Stone Turntable

    Stone Turntable Independent Head

    Location:
    New Mexico USA
    Damn it, Spock, I'm human, not Vulcan!
     
    5-String and 2xUeL like this.
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