How do you pay for your gear?

[Birdybird]

save save and save lol

 

[Yoder]

Best thing I've done to get new gear is get my wife into hunting. So far, I got a new crossbow, scope and tree stand. She's gone maybe three times.

 

[Backpackeb]

The cool thing about capitalism and a competitive market place is that we as consumers are rewarded with amazing products. Hunters are no exception as we have more access to quality gear than ever before...the down side is that we have to pay for it. I am curious how everyone has gone about building their kit and what advice would they give to folks just starting out.

I'll start. My advice as a young father with two small kids is to be realistic and play the "want vs. need" game with all gear purchases. As obvious as that may sound, I always catch myself drooling over some new piece of gear that really doesn't fit my hunting style or would replace something that is perfectly functional and already living in my garage. Develop your own hunting style, research gear that fits your needs and try to buy stuff that is either used, on sale, or a few model years old.

...So are you a hardcore budgeter still wearing dad's old mossy oak bibs? Independently wealthy? Rolling the dice and racking up the CC debt? Side hustling to pay for the toys? Or some combination of the above?

If you want a certain item, figure out how much and divide it by how many months until you will need it. Than I take that amount out when I get my paychecks. Advertising is driven to make you think you have to have every new thing, but in reality we don't usually need it in order to have a great hunt. I always try to sell something that I'm not using to put that money toward something else.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I spent 20 years raising kids and another 10 helping them get started in life. I always sacrificed things I wanted to do it the best I could. Meaning if it took missing money to be somewhere that money coolant buy, I did. Which meant the extra hustle money was more limited.


I’m spoiling grandkids now. And, I buy what I want for the most part. I’ve perfected my gear collection in doing so by finding what works best. It’s a function of life and security.

 

[Rich M]

When i got into the NR DIY Western Hunting thing, set a budget of $10k for 3 hunts and gear.

Then i figured out what i wanted and started shopping. Found a rangefinder when leupold changed the color scheme. $400+ rangefind for $100.

Then Gander mtn went out of business, bought danner pronghorns and some knockoff for much less than half. Bought a lot of stuff at store closing prices.

Bought a canvas tent on closeout or sale or something for like $150. Same for -20 sleeping bags, cots, buddy heater, and even a 3/4 hp grinder. Bought a pack that was the best of the best 3 yrs before, with great ratings.

Are you seeing a trend? Did 2 DIY and 1 guided and have equipment for a 4-man camp on $10k +/- a lil bit. Just be ready and able to buy when you find a deal and dont be afraid not to buy/use the most popular and expensive stuff.

Everything i bought was new.

Got 1 more big NR hunt in me. Collecting points. Will use the same stuff when can finally go.

Prices are a bit higher now than they were in 2017 when i started this. But there are still deals to come by and decisions to be made.

So far I’ve shot 3 antelope and a muley buck in jeans and layering system topped off w breathable raincoat.

Where’d the money come from? OT and work bonuses.

Good luck to you.

 

[Rotnguns]

Wife and I are recently retired, so we have to be careful to calibrate to our new lifestyle. We've just been paying cash for everything, but if we got a killer loan deal for a car or another really large durable item, with a rate much lower than our annual rate of return for the S&P index we're invested in, we'd finance.

 

[xglosses]

Bought everything before I got married and had a kid! (About a year and a half ago ha!)

 

[Marbles]

Certainly not going into debt for it, but some would argue diverting money from paying off debt is the same thing.

I don't buy everything I want. Try to tease out want vs need. Sometimes I murder pigs for people to get extra cash, sometimes I sell gear I don't use any more. Sometimes I spend money that I have, but should probably put towards other things.

I'm trying to become less gear focused, at this point few things will be revolutionary and the big expenses can wait until I truly need them.... But....

 

[OMF]

How about table dancing? I think I mentioned it before. That's what I do. From what I've made doing it just this year I've been able to buy a box of amscor 9mm fmj ammo and still have a little left over.

 

[BigNate]

Industrial prostitution.

 

[Jbxl20]

Side hustles
I’m busier with Side jobs than my actual job.
Working on cars ( former technician for 13 yrs)
Mowing neighbors yards
Selling honey from my bee hives
Plowing snow
Firewood
Handyman work, most recent shingles on a shed, garbage disposal replacement, hot water heater, chimney caps, dryer vent cleaning…
I also grow and butcher pastured poultry, turkeys and chickens.
I have a problem sitting idle

 

[Northern Safari]

Layaway plans works well for me.

Can't afford that fancy rifle or international hunt? make payments on it until you can.

No point dropping 5-6 figures all at once something that may be booked years out.

 

[WRO]

I try and guide a couple hunts a year to cover it..

 

[magtech]

I literally looki at something i want. Add to cart and put in my info. Then i click place order.

It's that easy.

Buttttt.... i still havent bought a 3k spotting scope... its just not an economical use of $ at this point in life.

I like to look at it like this. Can i have more enjoyment out of spending $3k on a spoting scope or using that money to go on a trip. At some point youll get to a pricepoint where the item you purchase has more value than spending that same amount of $ towards a trip.

Its why i havent redone my kitchen. Will spending $20-30k on my kitchen get me more enjoyment than $20-30k worth of trips.... id rather spend that money on making memories, not looking at pretty counters.

 

[Z Barebow]

I rarely pay full price for anything. Patience.

I donate plasma. Currently $140 per week. (Plenty of horrible things in life I would do for $50+ per hour cash)

I also have a side business. (Basically my day job but after hours. Consulting)

 

[AHayes111]

Shed antlers, of course I had on the same camo jacket on this morning that I used back in 2005 when I shot the buck in my avatar back in 2005

 

[Burnsie]

I buy from the Rokslide classifieds from all the gear junkies that need new stuff every year. I've got my self in a place where I pretty much have everything I need to do a 1-2 week hunt out west. Not looking to add to my kit anytime soon, its all in good shape and functional.
Another thing I do Is save money in other areas of my life, so I have more money for my outdoor adventures. Whenever possible I take advantage of 0% offers. Home Depot and other retailers are sending 0% offers almost weekly. We needed a new refrigerator recently - I could have paid cash for it, but if Home Depot is going to let me ride $2500-3000 on them for 12-18 months with no interest - heck yeh. It frees up my cash for other things and being able to spread bigger type purchases out over time is a lot easier.