Will you spend it all?


Sgdevilzz

Senior Member
May 16, 2010
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Let's say you work part-time on alternate days for afew months and manage to save around 2.5k+. Would you, with a snap of your finger, spend all the money on equipment gear (camera body, lenses etc)? Or would you save abit like $200 or more for emergency?

I feel that if i spend all, it's like for something that you've earned and worked so hard, it just disappear very quickly. On the other hand, you'll get your gears of course.

What do you guys think?
 

Is there some gear that was limiting me? Is there something where I had to turn down jobs because I didn't have the right flash, or a lens with enough reach, etc. But to blow it all like that, I'd need to make sure I have other jobs lined up already.
 

Is there some gear that was limiting me? Is there something where I had to turn down jobs because I didn't have the right flash, or a lens with enough reach, etc. But to blow it all like that, I'd need to make sure I have other jobs lined up already.

i dont mean freelancing photographer. I mean normal part-time jobs like waiter or office boy or ticket usher etc. What if it's like upgrading a specific camera? Buying new lens? New to flash?
 

The answer is simple: Do you NEED these buys or do you WANT these buys? :dunno:
 

what if you quit your part-time job? Then maybe that's the last money you're going to spend.

By the way, i'm not referring to myself though.
 

since you are asking so much...it means you are worried...:bsmilie:
spend 1/2 , keep 1/2....but leaving behind 200 bucks is abit too little...;p
 

#1 if you are more to saving people, you will save it.. if you are more to happy go lucky person.. spend it all!!
 

Let's say you work part-time on alternate days for afew months and manage to save around 2.5k+. Would you, with a snap of your finger, spend all the money on equipment gear (camera body, lenses etc)? Or would you save abit like $200 or more for emergency?

I feel that if i spend all, it's like for something that you've earned and worked so hard, it just disappear very quickly. On the other hand, you'll get your gears of course.

What do you guys think?

I once had a friendly discussion with my friend about this.

Of course, I pushed the usual points such as "money is precious", "you worked so hard and you shouldn't just spend it all on something you like whimsically".

I think he wanted to play devil's advocate, so this was his reply:

At this age, you earn your ass off, you get $2.5K (just using the figure here) in a few months. Some day, if you work hard enough and you do things right, even if you don't become really successful, $2.5K can come easily from things like bonus, or even insightful investments. Now consider the hard reality of inflation....

Gotta admit, he's got a point there too.

That said, as others have highlighted, if you don't need it, don't buy it. By "need", I don't mean "need" for survival. For example, if you want to take landscapes, and you buy Sigma 10-20 and you are happy with it but you keep thinking that Canon 10-22 mm has better flare control even though you hardly shoot directly into the sun...
 

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My guideline is that if I head out to work specifically to be able to afford something, I'd get enough, save 10 - 25%, then spend on what I need / want, with priority on the need of course.
 

Let's say you work part-time on alternate days for afew months and manage to save around 2.5k+. Would you, with a snap of your finger, spend all the money on equipment gear (camera body, lenses etc)? Or would you save abit like $200 or more for emergency?

I feel that if i spend all, it's like for something that you've earned and worked so hard, it just disappear very quickly. On the other hand, you'll get your gears of course.

What do you guys think?
It depends a lot on you.

For example, your family is financially strong, and you can afford to live a comfortable life. But your parents don't want to spoil you by buying everything you want on a whim. So they make you take up a part time job to earn the money. Once you've earned enough, you spend all of your earnings on something you wanted to buy.

There's no hard and fast rules. Spend what you feel is comfortable/affordable to you.
 

you may not wake up tomorrow. don't leave anything for the children.

:thumbsup:

quite true, i will not leave a single cent for my children next time. they had to work hard for it! and not enjoy fruits of my labor without a single sweat from them.
 

Buy 2nd hand lens/flash? So if u realli need the money, just sell it away! Buy back when u Got the money again :D
 

for a young man it would be wise to stinge and save while you are young

try this, from the total amount, take a small percentage and give yourself a treat for working hard.
keep the rest for investment.
 

Agree with what has been said here...

You're asking the question, hence I sense hesitation - which is good. It is afterall, your hard-earned money, which shouldn't be spent unwisely (at the whims of your fancy).

If it was meant to go into it for the sake of making more $$$ out of it, then it is a different story. Since that is considered a "capital" going into starting a business.

However, for personal use and as a hobby... I'd think twice - $2.5K is really a thick stack of cash that you see some people holding when you go into a bank... :sweat: Why don't you change it into $10 fresh notes neatly bundled and hold it... $2 notes will be better... you'll be really hard pressed to spend it all... lol!
 

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Set aside some for a rainy day as you never know when you may need cash.

Might as well start now with saving some of it, investing some and maybe taking a small portion of it and spending/rewarding yourself.
 

Retirement planning starts when you receive your first pay, not when you are 50...