Ok members, how do you guys control finances....meaning not overkill...I know mods can go on and go....it really gets very costly for an average guy like me. I've been doing some things with my bike lately these few months and already I felt some strain on my wallet....I have not really thought about it until past weekend when I try to fill her up with gas...using some quarters i have left......it's a bad feeling when you're broke but i deal with it....it's more like money goes to the kids & rent first, then food, then my bike...

I'm lucky this Honda has been very good to me meaning most of the money spent on it was luxury not mandatory fix...

I just wonder how to control the urge not to spend money on it. At times i feel kinda addicted to eBay and other online stores....Guess it's like our wives buying cosmetic or handbags....

Too bad I'm not Jay Leno...

 

its tough.... it's really tough. do everything yourself to save on maintenance and labor.

don't junk anything old, sell it your used parts.

ebay is your best source.

buy used for name stuff (exhaust, rearsets, power commanders, etc) my used pc, used d&d work just as good as your new ones.

buy generic when you can. (rotors, levers, sliders, swing arm bungs etc) my frame sliders hold (and have held) up just fine. $10 for derlin is good enough, even though the woodcraft ones look nice

 

Pay attention when you get a guilty feeling , when you are considering a purchase.
It's a head's up, if you find yourself working hard to rationalize a buy.

Try to consider all of the potential systems affected by the mod/upgrade repair.
Budget for the worst case scenerio, if you don't think you can pay it up-front,
start saving rather then get trapped into a frantic, "gotta buy to finish" mode.

Yes, there is a potential to buy for gratification and in an addictive way.
Only you can judge if this is motivating your purchasing patterns.
As with all addictions, if it becomes the predominant concern in your life,
to the exclusion of your normal responsibilities and pursuits, this is a bad thing.

As far as saving money in the pursuit of your hobby, my general rule is...
at least 30% off retail, or I take a pass on the purchase. Patience is a virtue...

Ern

 

LOL, when you figure it out, let me know.

 

"What's measured is managed, and what's managed multiplies."

If you keep close track of your money, you take better care of it until you're eventually finding ways to make your money work for you.

I find that just having to record what I spend makes me want to spend less. Do I want to record an $8.00 lunch or a $4.00 lunch? Those kind of decisions make a huge difference over the course of a month.

 

Overtime. And watch what u spend. I do a need or want in my head and if I need it I buy it. But if I want it I put money aside for it and think about it for a week or so and as long as I still want it and nothing has come up I buy it. Has worked for years. Never finance toys...

 

Keeping track of what you spend definitely helps. I probably shouldn't offer too much advice since I make decent money and live at home so I'm in a different situation. But the way I see it is as long as my bike looks like I maintain it then I really don't need anything fancy on it. No one outside of other riders will ever know the difference and as far as I'm concerned it's just another expensive item that could end up shattered on the road in a worst case scenario. I have people tell me all the time I should do this and that but I always say for what? That's just gonna cost unnecessary amounts of money I could spend on riding gear or towards my car payment. The bike isn't gonna know the difference whether or not it's got Konica Minolta fairings or carbon fiber mirrors. It's still gonna run the same and people are still going to like it. Hell my bikes not even in that great of shape anymore but it runs great and I constantly get compliments on it. And I still get to have money in my bank account. I'd rather save the money and buy a newer bike than try to make this one seem new with fancy trinkets.