[Closed] How much of your monthly wage do you stash away for (your pleasure **biking**)

Bikes & riding come first - i keep saying it's got to stop but it hasn't yet 🙂

Where I live (seriously declining neighbourhood full of rented properties and immigrants), the state of my house and a cheap car are all testament to that.

I spooge every last penny on bikes, clothing and cycling related trips. The daughter goes to a stage coach school and I put enough away to sort the summer holiday out, after that I shop smart price and throw the rest at cycling, which isn't a lot. The house is falling apart and the car is 14+ years old. I built a bike up over the winter and brought it part by part over 5 months ready for the warmer weather. This winter I will be buying nowt but I will be putting a few quid away for a new frame next year.

I am not a responsible adult.

Usually goes on the 2 wheels with engines for new motorbikes and trackdays.

The MTB stuff just comes out of the generic day to day funds

Lets see how long I last..I obviously need

A full face helmet £80

Convert to 1 ring up front and maybe 10 at back £200

Repair/Replace Garmin £90

Bouncy Bike £ahem

Lower Kerb £600!!!. This is high on the wifes list!

Wow. Hate whistle blown after just 2 posts. An STW record?

(Speaking as an immigrant)

Fat chance.

I have a small 'savings fund' for a rainy day that I dip into for certain things.
I have a saving direct debit for 'home improvements' of which the list is long and growing faster than I can tick them off.
And, finally I have a 'car maintenance' saving fund that covers all 'normal' yearly outgoings.

There is nothing left for bike bling. Most bike related purchases are when things become necessary (put large hole in a pair of gloves last week - after tolerating lots of small holes for ages, so they will be replaced). And my process for purchases seems to be trawling all the usual websites and buying the item that is reduced the most that will do the job properly....

^^^ Everyone's welcome here. 🙂

My disposable income has taken a beating in the last 3 years from pay freezes (NHS), pension increases (up from 6% to 12.9% personal contribution), loss of child benefit, company car tax increases, a halving of the modest childcare voucher tax break and not least having to support my wife (made redundant on maternity leave) and the arrival of our two little kids.

I still manage to find enough to support my bike habit, but I keep things for a lot longer and never buy complete bikes now. I'm just about to pick-up my re-painted Cotic frame, which seemed more economic than buying a new one that was barely different 4 years down the line. 🙂

This is beginning to sound like a MoneySavingExpert forum post, but I wanted to add that I don't have any non-mortgage debt, my savings over the last 7 years now add up to almost a year's salary and the mortgage is a small one (all thanks to not buying too much bike stuff). Basically: I'm a squirrell.

It's all about priorities!

Wow. Hate whistle blown after just 2 posts. An STW record?

Is he hating on people who live in rented accommodation too?

Yeah as an employee of the NHS I feel your pain Ben_H.

I don't earn much the missus doesn't work and I have two kids...

So of course I have to spend all my spare cash on bike stuff or I would go insane 🙂

Building my Alpine over winter bit by bit to spread it out, so far only have frame,wheels pedals and a chainring so a while to go yet

It varies, not much.
Household income goes to pay all bills, we each have a small D/D so can spend without guilt - if the cash is there. If it isn't then tough..

As with most there's generally not much if anything left at the end of the month. 2 kids to support, wife stays home to look after them. Until she gets back to work we'll have no disposable income to speak of and it might be a couple of years yet.

That said I do still buy bike stuff, I just do things differently. For example I very recently sold off two bikes to build one new (to me) one from mostly second hand parts. All good fun and I've got a fantastic bike for probably 30% of the cost of it's new equivalent.

I'm also about to splash out on a second hand commuter bike - house move means I'll be close enough to work to ride every day without killing myself. My car will be sold to pay for the new bike and some work on the new house.

It's actually quite fun trying to keep the bike habit alive by juggling things. Not so much fun trying to pay the bills but hey ho!

Most of my disposable income to be honest. So about half-40% my total wage.

Unless I am missing something, what do you guys find to spend that much money on?

I have a MTB and road bike, I replace anything broken or worn out and every now and then change something that is bothering me - wider bars, new grips etc but these things are cheap and infrequent.

We wanted to get married next year but I've just bought a new bike and with things wanting to get done round the house as well, its been postponed another year. Could of EASILY afforded it had I not bought said bike... oh well!

Most of my disposable income tbh...cant remember the last time i bought non-biking related clothes (apart from work stuff)...hmmm...might be time to review said situation

what do you guys find to spend that much money on?

Shiny stuff.... 😳

Plus, the bontrager mantra, light, strong, cheap. My kit is always light and strong (and often carbon).

I've got several pair of holy socks and pants.Only 2 pair of trousers 1 which my mother kindly repaired. No trainers. Can't remember the last time me and the wife had a meal out. And boozing every weekend has definitely come to an end. I'm even complaining about the £12 it is going to cost for the dogs on Friday!

Can't remember the last time me and the wife had a meal out

Is your wife happy that you divert funds to your bike rather than things like treating her to a meal out? 😉

I moved out of home this summer, am now renting a place with the girlfriend (off her parents, so not too expensive 😉 ), but also had a promotion back in April, so even with he bills we have now and kitting a house out basically from scratch, my disposable income has stayed more or less about the same.

BUT I do need to save more, and once I've bought some pedals for my winter hack, a saddle, and a new rear wheel (hope/mavic) for my proper bike so the hack can have my old one I'll have to kerb the bike spending until the spring....... oh and I need some brakes.....

Difficulty is I get drawn into buying more expensive stuff for proper bike and swapping bits over onto winter hack rather than just buying cheap bits for it......

Not much, I'm lucky and have a surplus at the ened of the month even after spending on discretional stuff like biking.

I do look at some people and wonder why, but then it's ther decision what they spend their money on. Maybe they have a £2k a month mortgage as well, so spending that much on a bike seems reasnoble (comparable to me spending £500 on a whim on a new bike).

If I'm honest I do buy stuff that I don't strictly need - I'm a sucker for discounted bike clothing and have a chest of drawers full of MTB stuff and a roll out box under the bed for my road stuff. And for some unknown reason a vast collection of gloves!

I don't have a set budget and tend to buy stuff that I want if I can afford it although I'm trying to be more restrained. Kit wise my bikes are pretty much there - I'd like a nicer saddle for my main MTB and a carbon post for the road bike. I need a new shifter for my MTB because the current one is dead. Aside from that, I'll just buy stuff as it breaks or wears out - it's quite a nice feeling not having a list of stuff to buy.

Is your wife happy that you divert funds to your bike rather than things like treating her to a meal out?

The compromise was me keeping the bike out of the kitchen. Now she's got plenty of time/space to cook, i think she enjoys it 😉

Trouble with me is that my internet experience is now shaped by my browsing habits so every sidebar I look at on every page is crammed with tempting looking bike bits bargains, that I click on and sometimes buy, which begets more of the same. But the temptation to make impulse purchases purely because they're reduced, rather than because I need them is very strong.

Having said that, I do try and only buy stuff to replace existing stuff that wears out or gets lost. I don't always succeed. 😥

Probably get through about £50 a month on average on a mixture of essential and non-essential new bits and pieces.

not much maybe 20 quid a month? the odd lareg purchase but its usually related to a PSA or generally on sale s/h

most of my money goes on mortgage, nursery, shopping!

but this month everything!!,getting new bike tomorrow, im eating basic for a while

How much of your monthly wage do you stash away for (your pleasure **biking**)

You really don't want to know 😳

Net income has shrunk due to cost of living increases and no pay rise for 3 years. Add in a totally fubared tax code and it all means little to no spare cash for bike related purchases. 2013 has been a lean year indeed. 😥

Road- pair of bibs, a chain, some lube a set of tyres and the occasional gel should see you though a year.
MTB- Been single speed for quite a while and have a good selection of tyres so its pretty much just lube and gels

Maybe enough for a couple of trips but really dont like paying for orginised events.

So all in probably £500/750 a year including replacing the occasional big ticket item, which a lot better than some hobbies. All of which is good because theres plenty of other stuff to spend it on.

I'm the type that buys what they want, when they want. 😀
I only buy stuff I really want and tend to do some analysis on what it is beforehand prior to purchase, therefore make hardly any rash decisions and the products are fit for my purpose. I recently bought a CX bike and I went through a myriad of permetaions of kit build/type/brand/fit for purpose etc. etc. and ended up with something that is most excellent.
My Niner has had some upgrades recently due to a change in riding I have been doing of late but still it's pure and simple and light, only bought the upgrades after quite a bit of research.

I am lucky in that MrsBouy has her own interests and I have no interest in what she buys for that, so she doesn't ask what I'm buying.. long may that continue.

[quote=hooli]Unless I am missing something, what do you guys find to spend that much money on?

They spend it on shiny stuff, which then gets sold off cheap (to people like me), so they can get the latest trendy/shiny stuff.

They wouldn't [i]dare[/i] visit a trail centre with last years Fox forks 😉

None really, buy when I need stuff.

Swoon at my Wiggle platinum discount peasants!

Saving for a new place at the moment so haven't splurged since an XTR crankset in May. The flip side about moving out of our rented place was selling heaps of unwanted/unused things on eBay. That paid for an SS wheelset, Rohloff tensioner, some POC knee and elbow pads, helmet and 2 pairs of gloves.

The downside? 7 pairs of gloves I had. Managed to pack them all in storage and had to buy a new pair of gloves! Going to be skint once we move into the new place in November so no bike purchases apart from essentials like BC membership, insurance, new tyres for the road bike and maybe some winter specific gear for the new, longer commute. Nearly capitulated and bought a new helmet in the CRC sale, but reason prevailed.

I have no idea why I want to buy more things for the mountain bike. It's pretty much perfect. It seems the money would be better spent riding in places new.

They spend it on shiny stuff, which then gets sold off cheap (to people like me), so they can get the latest trendy/shiny stuff.

They wouldn't dare visit a trail centre with last years Fox forks

Strangely I spend a huge ammount on bike stuff, but have only ever bought 2 new pairs of forks, a pair of Maguras in about 2006 and some 2012 Marzocchi's last month. Both in the sales (2 model years out of date) at < half price.

Still find a truckload of stuff to spend money on, although a lot of it is periferal stuff. At uni I had one bike, it probably cost £500 in the original bike and s/h upgrades, everything was either bombproof or cheep and run into the ground. Now i'd not build a road bike with anything less than Ritchey WCS finishing kit, not becasue the marginal gain over Ritchey pro kit is worth it, but it looks cool and I'm not bothered by the extra fiver/£10 it costs, and have several bikes!

My problem seems to be I never get to "stash" anything meaningful away, I currently [b]need[/b]:

Rack and panniers £150
Road Helmet £75
SPD shoes £100
Helmet light £50
Tool kit £85
Pub bike - £150
Touring bike - £1200
Forks 100mm - £150 (2nd hand)

but this month have already bought
Fork Service £100
Bush for rear shock £14
Headset bearings £14
Bar tape £12
Brake pads x 2 £40
Gels/Bars £15
Gear/Brake cables £20
Front light £8
Gear hanger £14
Soft shell £35
Club jacket £77
Storage hooks £14
Seat post rack £35
Kids bike stuff:
Mudguard £4 (2nd hand)
Kids bike 2nd Hand £80
Kids bike clothes - £80

So how do save up?

So how do save up?

Good question

benjii19 - Member

So how do save up?

Good question

DMMIT!

And I just remembered I wanted to buy a STW t shirt and cowbell!

I have got a lot more sensible since my early days, but I'm still properly obsessed so can help but buy something eventually. I'm hoping that a re-jig for my 40th b'day might be my last for a very long time, after that I think buying bikes for the kids will be the main priority!

Me and the other half spend most of our disposable income on bike related stuff. But then neither of us want kids so I guess that makes it a lot easier. About to set foot in the land of mortgages soon though so might have to rein it in a bit : (

Both me and partner are on £1500 to 1600 a month me NHS and partner private healthcare sector. Our bill equate to about £900/1100 a month. So usually get about £800 a month to spend on whatever. At the moment it's paying for two weeks of Sun in Rhodes next year and wedding saving. Although I'm ready to splurge £350 on some Rockshox Rebas. And missus after some Horse riding boots and hat.

We have meals out when we can, eat well but don't waste money going out getting bladdered. Or buying the latest piece of Electronic gadget. Live in a two bed terrace nowt spesh but it's comfy.