What's your typical montly reefing budget (not including electric bill!)

[Vincerama2]

Hey guys, do you allocate a certain amount for your hobby, of just go with the flow?

Part of the fun for me is actually nursing/raising frags from tiny things into full sized corals. But I spend a lot on equipment and "things"...

How about you guys?

V

 

[MontanaBay]

my first year was probably close to $80 a month, now I'm down to $20 a month..

 

[sfsuphysics]

Don't really have a budget, I buy as I need stuff or it's on sale for cheap, very rarely do I buy additional eyecandy whether it be fish or corals (yeah I know, that's why the sponsors hate me ). But the electric/water consumption most likely is the lions share of my expense on my tank.

 

[Gomer]

same as mike, except that I buy "economical" LPS eye candy...when I can find the economical kind.

 

[MontanaBay]

my online wells fargo account keeps stats on what I spend my money on, and they have pet/pet supplies, and it calculates your monthly %s. But like you guys, I don't set $20 aside as a "budget", but it is my average monthly cost.

 

[Vincerama2]

yeah. Well see I want to buy an ACjr or AC3 and I'm trying to trick myself. If I say "my budget is $40/month" and I don't buy any extra reef stuff for a few months, then I won't feel bad about buying it! (versus buying stuff for the kids, etc)

V

 

[MontanaBay]

yeah, I had to cut myself back and learn to appreciate my tank and just let it develop the way it is, its fun to get new gear, crazy corals, and sexy livestock, but I just can't keep it up on my graduate student stipend.

 

[Vincerama2]

DBTC and Swaps really helps with the eyecandy part of the budget!

V

 

[iani]

I'm scared to calculate what I spend every month.

 

[Vincerama2]

Well aside from maintenance costs, which is the bulk...how much "new stuff" do you get? I suppose replacement light bulbs is a killer for me too, at about $100-$150 per set per year, but that's a consumable as well I guess.

V

 

[Radiolunatic]

[quote author=iani link=topic=6964.msg90415#msg90415 date=1237499020]
I'm scared to calculate what I spend every month.
[/quote]
I am in the same boat ...

 

[sfsuphysics]

Vince, you can always lie and say you spend $200 a month on reef stuff, then just cut back like 90% and in 2 months you paid off your controller!

 

[FunGuy]

I don't really have a set amount. I get what I need to get (bulbs, filter media, salt, fish food, etc) and maybe some coral on rare occasion if I really like it. I agree the swaps help with getting some different cool stuff into my tank

 

[Vincerama2]

Well get this...the kids are in daycare now, when they turn 2 years old in November (!!) the daycare cost drops $800/month (for two kids)!! So I'm not saying that in December I'm going to spend $800/month more on reefing stuff, but I'm just saying ... whoa, those kids owe me big time

V

 

[itsacrispy]

I allocate $50/month, but it looks like I'll need to boost it up to $80 for next month.

 

[Elite]

At least $30 a month.. most of the time it's around $50.. I don't know why I keep buying equipment that I don't use > ??? ..

 

[robert4025]

Cuz you're a pack rat, Phong...lol. But seriously, you can really keep the overal cost down if you play it right. Between CL, public forums like BAR/NCNRS, and even DBTC program, you can really do some serious saving. Years after I started the hobby, I wish I had known about this a lot sooner!

 

[sfsuphysics]

I dunno Robert, I most likely would not have gotten into corals at all if it wasn't for BAR and the first frag swap they had ... at the very least I wouldn't have those damn brown palythoas in my tank to this day!

 

[robert4025]

LOL Mike...I hear your pain. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't known about the hobby at all! It's like crack, if you don't try it, you don't have to worry about it. But damn, this is worse than crack becuase you keep telling yourself it's only $10 today for a frag and then the next day, it's another $10 bucks and then its all adds up. But look at it this way, how much is your sanity worth compared to reefing? Does that makes you feel better?

BTW...those palys are not brown. Just keep telling yourself it's Mocha Expresso and you'll start to like them better...

 

[Ocean Treasures Aquarium]

Crack is right Robert! The first time I started man it was a lot of money for me. I had to save my money and put it toward the tanks. I guess thats why i started working at Nippons way back things at cost what a relief! Like Richard who is the other guy at my work once he started at the store he starting buying and buying then before he knows it all his money he made at the store went back to the store! I at least controlled myself!!