RedJaron :
CROOKID :
Why do people treat $1,000 like it's a million dollars? Love building PCs and PC hardware? It's your hobby? Allocate money for it each year and budget accordingly. Work hard and practice the aforementioned and you'll be surprised what you can afford.
Because to some people it might as well be. Some months money isn't a problem for me. Some months trying to squeeze out even an extra $100 means every check will bounce. I don't doubt you can afford it if your really want to. Indeed that was one of my grandfather's favorite sayings. However, even though it's a hobby and passion for most of us, it's not so high on our priority list to allocate $2000 every year for a new high-end computer. Your priorities are not shared by everyone. If you're married with kids, what do you do to get that $2000 that's mainly for you? Whose priorities must get cut so that you have fun money? I know most people would rather put that toward something the whole family can enjoy, and not just so you can have some play time.
You kind of proved my point. "Some months money isn't a problem for me. Some months trying to squeeze out even an extra $100 means every check will bounce."
Setting a budget and allocating expenses goes beyond just "putting aside $2000 a year". It doesn't work like that. Nor does it mean because you have a family, you can't spend money on yourself. It also doesn't mean because your interest is to spend your money on your family and not computer components, that you should.
The reply was to the claim that in order to spend $1000 you need to be some rich person who has enough to actually pay an overclocker.
I also didn't mean that you can afford it if you really want to.
With all of that out of the way, there are ways to correctly manage your finances, allocate, save and invest all while maintaining a healthy financial lifestyle. On top of that--spend money on your hobbies. While your grandfather's quote is funny, it doesn't apply here. What I learned and what has helped me maintain the aforementioned is working hard, living within my means and watching the little things. My father was a big saver his entire life and it paid off for him very well. One thing he taught me was that it's not the big purchases you get yourself that hurt--it's the nickels and dimes. Need money? There are always corners that can be cut to allocate funds. Couple that with everything I said and not only will you be surprised with what you can afford, but what's in the bank as well.
I am trying to keep this general but I always recommend reading books on budgeting, investing and staying out of debt. They can seriously change your life.
Wanting something should help you focus earning that money instead of the instant gratification putting yourself in debt can bring. One thing I often do is go through a lot of old stuff and see what I can sell to gain funds. I also constantly have things on the side I do to make extra cash. All these add up and believe it or not--buying things for yourself, wanting to buy things for yourself or anyone/anything else can turn into a gain rather than a financial loss.
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