Just How Much Have YOU Spent?

[alexbb]

Last year? One mount, two mounts, one DSLR, one ASI1600MMC, colour filters, narrowband filters, guide cam mono, colour, some old tele lenses, at least one frac, one newton and one cat, correctors, cables, batteries, software. I'm pretty sure I haven't bought any eyepieces last year. This year? I bought just a Canon lens and I hope I'll buy a car instead.

[steppenwolf]

I only buy brand new so I can't use the 'resale at little loss' get out clause and I do have a spreadsheet of all my costs and they do rather mount up! However, I am extremely fortunate in that my hobby has been completely funded by my astronomy writing activities - in fact I currently have a surplus so, I wonder what I'll REALLY need next?

As an aside, I can confirm that you don't HAVE to spend a fortune to really enjoy astronomy either visual or imaging and there are times when I wish I had stuck to my original blue tube SkyWatcher ED 80, black EQ6 and one shot colour SXVF-H9C as they were so much fun, so uncomplicated and so rewarding!

[wxsatuser]

To much but I don't drink (not much anyway), smoke, take holidays or have a car, so need to spend on something.

Not bothered on adding it all up but it's way over 5K easily.

[Paul73]

I buy into the Moonshane school of fiscal probity.

If your kit has value, then you can sell it, which makes it is an "investment". This is clearly not "spending" and is to be encouraged........ And, given interest rates oven the last few years, my managed "Astro fund" has done better than most ISA's.

Re, the exact figure? More than some and a LOT less than others.

But, in car language. I'm still in the small, but tidy, second hand car bracket.

Paul

[AKB]

51 minutes ago, Vox45 said:

I can tell you exactly what I spent so far. I had the good idea to keep a spreadsheet of all my expenses related to astronomy

Sadly, I'm so OCD that I use an accounting package for ALL my personal finances.  So there IS a balance sheet somewhere in there for astronomy as well as everything else.  Having just shelled out for an observatory and a new mount, I am NOT going to look at it...

...the plus side is that this approach over a lifetime has given me some savings to use on whatever I want now.

[Waldemar]

well, I am not sure I want to tell you... When I think of it, I feel a bit ashamed, but as an excuse, all techniques around astronomy are my only lifetime long hobby.
I could easily buy a very nice car of it and still go on a very nice holiday....

[MattJenko]

A script to read signatures and get FLO new prices would be rather distressing.

[MattJenko]

...and I haven't spent nearly as much as I want to.

[geordie85]

A quick tot up of everything (that I remember) I've bought in the past 4 years from my first £30 national geographic tabletop frac to my current imaging setup comes in around £6500ish. And that's buying alot of my kit 2nd hand, but alas, there's still alot of equipment I need (want) to buy.

[Moonshane]

I have just done a spreadsheet for mine. This is conclusive proof that I have actually spent negative £1212 so therefore I could sell all my kit and recover all my money even with an 18% overall loss against the figures I think that my gear is worth. Surely nobody could argue that this is acceptable  In fairness I have done some build jobs for people and this small amount of 'income' has been included in my net spend.

Total net spend	-£           5,348.00	£            6,560.00	Total kit value
		£            1,212.00	Real cost

[Jessun]

I'm with Sara here on the car analogy...

BUT you can crash in a car. This hobby is safe, wont rust and friends and others are genuinely interested in what you're doing. An oldish Maserati GT in a garage can only ever be just that.

/Jessun

[Nigel G]

I have been observing for 18 months and imaging for a year, started with Alt-AZ then got an EQ3.

Spent over 2k, at a guess 25% more for about 70 images so far. Around £35 per image  plus loads of enjoyment and frustration  

No children or mortgage but a 10mtr yacht.

I have plans for another 2.5k but need to save it first lol.

To be honest though, spending money on things I love to do is money well spent and forgotten about with ease. ( no regrets )

My big 50 is coming up very soon so I can get others to spend some on my hobby for once  My lovely wife wants to buy me a new scope. I wonder if she would go for a Zwo 1600mm cooled mono instead  

Nige.

[Peter Drew]

I'd rather not add it up! I've bought only one brand new telescope, a SW 102mm F5 Startravel as I couldn't wait for a used one to appear to complete a binoscope I was building, all the rest were either purchased secondhand, received by donation or built by myself.   

[Uranium235]

Its a figure I try not to think about, but I view my gear as assets, so its not quite like ive chucked my dosh into a black hole. Astro gear holds its value well, so If im ever in dire straights - Ive always got a fallback. Having said that, there are couple of bits I would refuse to sell

[Adam J]

I have spent about 2k so far with 90% of what I own is second hand, the good thing about that is that I can sell most of it for what I got it for or even a little more. I think that I have just about gotten to the point when my expenditure in the next year will be low, i have everything I need its just time to grind out the images and after that everything will be an upgrade rather than a new essential piece of equipment. 

[brrttpaul]

8 hours ago, Paul73 said:

I buy into the Moonshane school of fiscal probity.

If your kit has value, then you can sell it, which makes it is an "investment". This is clearly not "spending" and is to be encouraged........ And, given interest rates oven the last few years, my managed "Astro fund" has done better than most ISA's.

Re, the exact figure? More than some and a LOT less than others.

But, in car language. I'm still in the small, but tidy, second hand car bracket.

Paul

I,ll have to remember this one when the wife nags lol

[Grierson]

9 hours ago, carastro said:

I actually sat down and made a file of all my equipment with photos and prices, printed it and put it with my will (this is how I know the amount I have spent).  If I died no-one would have a clue how much money all this lot is worth, but if they see the list and how much they could sell it for my children and husband will make an effort to sell it for good money.  By making the list they can identify and describe the items ready for re-sale.  Hate waste.

Oh and this doesn't include the campervan I bought for going to Astro camps. 

Carole 

 

Haven't added it up, but when I die don't let SWMBO sell it for what I told her I paid for it.

[ollypenrice]

9 hours ago, steppenwolf said:

I only buy brand new so I can't use the 'resale at little loss' get out clause and I do have a spreadsheet of all my costs and they do rather mount up! However, I am extremely fortunate in that my hobby has been completely funded by my astronomy writing activities - in fact I currently have a surplus so, I wonder what I'll REALLY need next?

As an aside, I can confirm that you don't HAVE to spend a fortune to really enjoy astronomy either visual or imaging and there are times when I wish I had stuck to my original blue tube SkyWatcher ED 80, black EQ6 and one shot colour SXVF-H9C as they were so much fun, so uncomplicated and so rewarding!

It's like that for me too, Steve, in that I'm only an occasional astronomy writer but I make a living via my kit through our gite. However, I do buy second hand when possible, not just with an eye to resale but because I often prefer the early versions of products which are closer to the stone age (my comfort zone!) than the latest ones...

Regarding small cars, I do have one...

...but it cost a trivial amount compared to what's in the observatories. On the other hand I don't make a living with it! 

It's not about money. What do I miss most when I'm out there at night? That's an easy one, it's my old pal. She's with me in spirit though.

Olly

 

 

 

[Racey]

10 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

It's not about money. What do I miss most when I'm out there at night? That's an easy one, it's my old pal. She's with me in spirit though.

 

Completely agree. Some things are priceless. Having Susie out observing with me and our 5 Labradors rustling through the bushes or gently snoring at our feet couldn't be better...

Moments to cherish...

[Stub Mandrel]

10 hours ago, steppenwolf said:

I only buy brand new so I can't use the 'resale at little loss' get out clause and I do have a spreadsheet of all my costs and they do rather mount up! However, I am extremely fortunate in that my hobby has been completely funded by my astronomy writing activities - in fact I currently have a surplus so, I wonder what I'll REALLY need next?

As an aside, I can confirm that you don't HAVE to spend a fortune to really enjoy astronomy either visual or imaging and there are times when I wish I had stuck to my original blue tube SkyWatcher ED 80, black EQ6 and one shot colour SXVF-H9C as they were so much fun, so uncomplicated and so rewarding!

The ideal solution ... discovering not just that you can write, but that people want to read what you write is a wonderful thing!

l had a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a hobby about 50% of my income, the only downside is I don't have as much time for the hobby...

[steppenwolf]

42 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

l had a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a hobby about 50% of my income, the only downside is I don't have as much time for the hobby...

Neil, it's a tricky line to straddle - I got the balance a little wrong a year or so ago so I pulled back a little to ensure that I could enjoy my hobby more and it was a good move.

[StuartJPP]

I wouldn't like to add it all up. Started with ~£250 for a used AstroTrac. Initially I "saved" a lot because of the dual use of my kit for my pre-existing hobby of wildlife/bird photography which was then subsequently shared with astrophotography. However it is only really the OTA/lens that is now shared, most of everything else is astro specific such as modified Canon 6D, the mount etc.

Over the past year I have spent very little as my kit has now stabilised and I am going to make the most of it despite all the new goodies coming along such as cooled mono cameras etc.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

24 minutes ago, StuartJPP said:

Over the past year I have spent very little as my kit has now stabilised and I am going to make the most of it despite all the new goodies coming along such as cooled mono cameras etc.

I think there is a lot to be said for having a stable setup and only changing to achieve specific ends. I have made two purchases (130P-DS and ZWO ASI 120MC) which aren't big by astro standards but I spent 6-9 months agonising over both and have been really pleased with the results. I think the wait made the reward greater, one of the things about astro is you get to plan long term, I can't believe Saturn is about to come around again already!

[Alien 13]

Like most hobbies I have found that buying quality first time saves a lot of money I just wish I hadn't gone through 3 DSLRs to get to my final one, I do buy a lot of lenses second hand though.

Alan

[si@nite]

I never seek approval, just forgiveness, after the purchase!!