Adding it all up -- $$$$$

[jackstrat]

Have you ever added up all of your music-related expenses?

I have a running Excel Spreadsheet. Yesterday evening I added my 2007/2008 expenses and absolutely could not believe the bottom line. Ouch!!!

I have not paid more than $800-$900 for a guitar (three guitars in that range) in my life (yet recently sold my 70s strat for almost twice that amount). Mostly I have $200-$500 guitars.

I had a difficult time sleeping last night as I mulled over the bottom line. I promptly threw out all of my music gear catalogs this morning and swore to not visit this forum.

Oh well, 1 for 2 ain't bad in my book, or baseball (go Cubs).

Jack

[mishmannah]

Originally Posted by jackstrat

Have you ever added up all of your music-related expenses?

No. I don't add all my luthiery-related expenses either. In other areas I am low maintenance (don't drink, smoke, go out much, buy shoes, girlie stuff, etc), so I don't feel any remorse. Darn sight healthier too.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by jackstrat

Have you ever added up all of your music-related expenses?

Hi Jack...
Every year - for the sake of taxes.

I have a box on a shelf in a closet where all my receipts immediately go. I have file folders in my e-mail program, and all purchases are logged there as well.

I do this for all three of my entrepreneurial ventures, and for my main business as well.

[banpreso]

it's always wise not to buy things that you're not gonna use

but the bottom line is, i think guitar is a pretty cheap hobby in general. i mean any other hobby, shooting, cars, motocycle, nice vacations, fancy clothe, golf, almost anything cost more.

the only cheaper hobbies i can think of are sports related. tennis, basketball, running, which is practically free.

[L20A]

If I want to worry about costs of something, I'll add up what it cost me for gas for my 2 vehichles last year.

In truth though.
I have been to some big Bluegrass Festivals and wondered what the net worth was for all the instruments that were there.

[GuitarVlog]

I maintain a separate online bank account and a separate credit card for all my guitar-related expenses. Online accounts are easy to set-up and no-fee credit cards were always being offered. I treat my credit card like a debit card. It gets paid in full at the end of the month.

I had originally set-aside a large amount on the assumption that I would buy just one higher-end guitar but I discovered that new and used guitars averaging $300 were adequate for my needs as a beginner. That allowed me to get four guitars and still have funds left over. Those funds can instead go to study materials and lessons.

My account gets funded with just a small fraction of my salary bonus (if we get one). It hasn't grown much. Most of the bonus goes to the family.

To me, the monetary expenses are less relevant than the large amount of time spent in learning and enjoying the instrument. There was also a lot of time spent shopping for my four guitars but I think it was well-spent since I got a good education regarding (1) what tone I prefer for certain styles of music, (2) what I've compromised in buying less expensive instruments, and (3) what instruments I'll potentially reward myself when I improve.

[flip33]

I was a little disgusted with my high total $$$$. Many thousands of dollars if you include PA , amps, bass, drums and electric stuff. I have 6 acoustics that cost $1150, $760, $600, $525, $350, and $240. Two of them must go. Six is too many for me. I'm selling my first guitar ever right now on Craigslist. It will not be the two most expensive ones.

But yet GAS cries out like a mutant monster on my stomach (think kwatro on Total Recall).

[Ken C]

Originally Posted by jackstrat

Have you ever added up all of your music-related expenses?

I have a running Excel Spreadsheet. Yesterday evening I added my 2007/2008 expenses and absolutely could not believe the bottom line. Ouch!!! ...

I promptly threw out all of my music gear catalogs this morning and swore to not visit this forum.
Jack

WRONG! Keep catalogs; throw out spread sheets. Don't blame the forum.

Ken C. (The best way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. [Not original.])

[fatt-dad]

I had a bout of mandolin buying where I had convinced myself it was a form of investing. I kept spreadsheets and the like for my purchses, shipping repairs, sales and the like. I moved through a fair bit of money, learned alot about mandolins and made a few hundred dollars (lots of work though). Now I don't bother with all that. I do, however, keep insurance on all my keepers and when I look at that list, I'm comforted by the knowledge that I was able to buy these fine instruments without any real sacrifice to the family.

Now when I talley up the money spent on lessons and play a few chords, that's where I go, "wow!" (ha).

f-d

[cotten]

Originally Posted by jackstrat

Have you ever added up all of your music-related expenses?...

My wife and I earn our living as musicians, and our music stuff is our tool kit.



Ain't rationalization wonderful!

cotten

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by banpreso

...the only cheaper hobbies i can think of are sports related. tennis, basketball, running, which is practically free.

Hi bp...
My brother-in-law is a serious runner (8-12 miles a day) and he buys a new pair of running shoes per month at over $100 or his feet suffer.

[mcphersonnut]

I have never but i am sure i would have a heart attack.

[Glennwillow]

When my wife and I were in the music business keeping track of our investment in music gear and depreciating the whole thing for tax purposes, including the van we were using, you bet we kept track of the total cost. It was a lot of money then, 20 years ago.

I don't wanna know what it is now!

Thanks, Glenn

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi bp...
My brother-in-law is a serious runner (8-12 miles a day) and he buys a new pair of running shoes per month at over $100 or his feet suffer.

That will pale in comparison to the dollar amount of the surgeries he will likely need later in life Very few people can run that much without major chronic fatigue injuries.


Back to the subject and to answer the OP's question....nope, don't wanna know and don't care. I've always justified my major purchases by the amount of time I use them. My guitars and related expenses may be the best value in my life.

[zombywoof]

Never think about it. I did, however, once add up what the value today would be of the electric and acoustic guitars I sold in the past. Now that was depressing