Financing Your Habit Or Hobby

I may be retired now , but I realized back in 1976 I had a horsepower habit. I knew to keep peace in the family I would have to have a plan. The wife had wants of her own, so we came to an agreement. Every time I bought a hotrod, motorcycle or boat I would also buy her something she wanted.

In 1976 I bought a Kawasaki KZ 900 cycle and the same week I bought a new couch,chair & end tables for the wife. I continued to do this up until 2007 when I was forced to retire. It always worked out real well.

To be able to afford it I worked many sixty hour weeks and have worked a good many eighty four hour weeks. It was rough at times but worth it when I had time off to blow the carbon out of my toys. It kept the wife off of my back and my sons had some very nice rides while in high school. It also taught my sons that you have to work if you want to play.

Hey that is exactly how our arraingment worked too.

I got Everything I wanted and my wife of 10 years got everything she wanted.

I wanted my cars, she wanted a divorce.... worked out great. (smiles)

Originally Posted by Calspec

I may be retired now , but I realized back in 1976 I had a horsepower habit. I knew to keep peace in the family I would have to have a plan. The wife had wants of her own, so we came to an agreement. Every time I bought a hotrod, motorcycle or boat I would also buy her something she wanted.

In 1976 I bought a Kawasaki KZ 900 cycle and the same week I bought a new couch,chair & end tables for the wife. I continued to do this up until 2007 when I was forced to retire. It always worked out real well.

To be able to afford it I worked many sixty hour weeks and have worked a good many eighty four hour weeks. It was rough at times but worth it when I had time off to blow the carbon out of my toys. It kept the wife off of my back and my sons had some very nice rides while in high school. It also taught my sons that you have to work if you want to play.

I agree, hot rodding teaches you many things, how to work hard to play, and how to be creative with your engineering and elbow grease when you don't have the unlimited toy fund. What has infringed on my happiness though is the overwhelming influx of upper class and wealthy people who can buy anything and spend a few hours bolting it on their cars and run rough shod over the scene. The performance scene just ain't what it used to be. I'm only 46, so I'm not an old timer by any stretch, but, you know, I remember when the street was populated with real car nuts with dirt under their nails, hot rodding was something that a certain type of obsessive enthusiast pursued. Even when you watched racing on TV, you got the mechanics or drivers view, not the fan driven industry marketing view. After 30 years of being a motorhead I still can't think of a better way to spend my extra income, and in weaker moments my rent money but all in all the scene just isn't as hardcore or as fun as it seems in my memories. I cringe every time I see some joker in loafers crawl out of a bad ass ride, looking like he just came from the country club.

Originally Posted by PaceFever79

I agree, hot rodding teaches you many things, how to work hard to play, and how to be creative with your engineering and elbow grease when you don't have the unlimited toy fund. What has infringed on my happiness though is the overwhelming influx of upper class and wealthy people who can buy anything and spend a few hours bolting it on their cars and run rough shod over the scene. The performance scene just ain't what it used to be. I'm only 46, so I'm not an old timer by any stretch, but, you know, I remember when the street was populated with real car nuts with dirt under their nails, hot rodding was something that a certain type of obsessive enthusiast pursued. Even when you watched racing on TV, you got the mechanics or drivers view, not the fan driven industry marketing view. After 30 years of being a motorhead I still can't think of a better way to spend my extra income, and in weak moments my rent money but all in all the scene just isn't as hard core or as fun as it seems in my memories. I cringe every time I see some joker in loafers crawl out of a bad ass ride, looking like he just came from the country club.

Back in my junior year of high school I had an old 1954 Ford Custom.I had pulled out the 223 six cylinder and put a used 390 back in with dual glass packs. Many of my friends were driving new cars bought by their parents. It didn't bother me in the least. I was driving a fun car & chasing girls. I sort of get where you're coming from but I'm in it for the fun and I don't really worry about what the wealthy guy is doing. Today I have quite a few wealthy friends and they don't have near the fun I do.

I measure my wealthy by how much free time I have.

I start work at 5:30 am, and I am home by 3:00 pm. I have the entire afternoon to do whatever I want. Has been this way for 10 years. I only work 35 hours a week. If I work more, my x wife gets more money...so what is the point. Just enough to pay for my hobbies and beer.

Even double- triple my salery would not make me stay in work till 6:00 pm every night. Those hours are for younger folks.

Europe has it right. Most companies over there only have 35 hour work weeks.

Lower standard of living, but what is really important, nice house with no free time to enjoy it, or nice toys with lots of free time to use them?

Originally Posted by Calspec

Back in my junior year of high school I had an old 1954 Ford Custom.I had pulled out the 223 six cylinder and put a used 390 back in with dual glass packs. Many of my friends were driving new cars bought by their parents. It didn't bother me in the least. I was driving a fun car & chasing girls. I sort of get where you're coming from but I'm in it for the fun and I don't really worry about what the wealthy guy is doing. Today I have quite a few wealthy friends and they don't have near the fun I do.

Yes, the Zen approach. It comes with age. I'm still trying. But it still irks me when I attend most car gatherings today.

I think I have noted this before, but I kind of have it made. Not monetarily, although my company treats me well.

The Totally Awesome Missus Murff grew up in the infield at stock car races. Her folks used to build a lot of the cars that ran in the northwest and west coast, back when stock car racing was popular here. Believe it or not, there used to be about 10 or 15 such tracks within 2 or 3 hours of Seattle. Not so anymore. The tree hugging political correctees took care of all that.

When I set out to do the upgrades to the Falcon this past winter and she asked me how much she just said Ok. Now that the initial estimate has basically quadrupled she still just smiles and says Ok.

This is what we do as we approach our 'golden years'. The kids have moved on and we are empty nesters. This is how we choose to dispose of our disposable income.

Although when my buddy Vince stopped by on Sunday on the maiden voyage of his 289 powered '47 Ford coupe (thanks Spali!) we were both a little envious that he had a street rod to go cruising in, and we only have a drag car that is still apart. Funny tho', he's envious of us because we have a drag car and he only has a street rod. Perspectives vary.

My current project is a 1956 Customline Hot Rod/ Cruiser. With the wife and two teen daughters, my job pays the bills just fine, but not a lot left over. I do electrical work on the side, and yes, 50% to the car- 50% to my 3 girls. I could be a pig and say its all mine, but I feel they deserve something for our time apart. Ditto on blowing away my friends new Chevy back in school with my 390 powered '66 F100 !

my wife and I have seperate bank accounts. Totally seperate banks, nothing is tied together. We split the bills 50-50. She has her car payment, I have mine. She has her credit card, I have mine.

I spend my money on what I want, or save it, etc. She spends on what she wants, we don't have to call each other to see if we/I can get something. I don't get handed an "allowance" like some guys I know, I have no ex, so I am in the clear there.

It works well, although I have heard that some women wouldn't "allow" a situation like that.

Originally Posted by Bailey28

my wife and I have seperate bank accounts. Totally seperate banks, nothing is tied together. We split the bills 50-50. She has her car payment, I have mine. She has her credit card, I have mine.

I spend my money on what I want, or save it, etc. She spends on what she wants, we don't have to call each other to see if we/I can get something. I don't get handed an "allowance" like some guys I know, I have no ex, so I am in the clear there.

It works well, although I have heard that some women wouldn't "allow" a situation like that.

This is pretty much the way my new wife and I have it set up and it seems to work just fine. We have 3 separate checking accounts--mine, hers and ours. We both use direct deposit through are jobs that fund the Joint account. Both of us believe in not carrying a month to month balance on our credit cards (separate accounts, no joint cards) so we know that the bills are not stacking up and that we are living within our means. The house payment, food, utilities, entertainment, vacations, house repairs, and non-classic car insurance all comes out of the joint account. This works because both of us have decent jobs and probably most important, we are now empty nesters.

She wanted a new car and bought herself a 2008 Altima. She makes the payments on it with her own money. Instead of a new car, I am content with driving my 11 year old beater Oldsmobile so that I can buy more go fast parts for the Mustang, or other hobby items.

With the old wife I did the allowance thing and the money always seemed to be dried up when I needed something, like gas money to go to work. . . . . I cleaned out my garage on ebay to have pocket money, no joke. Funny that after we separated (and then later divorced) I had more disposable $$ in my pockets, even after paying child support, a car note, and housing costs.