Who else here is frugal?

I’m about as frugal as one can get. 

I still have my first receiver, and use it daily, from 1981. I still use both pairs of speakers, the only ones I’ve ever purchased, from 1985 and 1989. 

I have 10 turntables, each one was purchased non-working and I repaired and restored them. 

All 79 of my phono cartridges are vintage that I purchased at estates sales.

The 4 receivers I have, are all thrift store purchases that I’m restoring. The McIntosh tube amps I bought for $10 each, non-working, from my local thrift store.

The most expensive piece of gear i have, I purchased new in 1981 for $360. 

I dont get the itch to constantly improve. What I have is all very, very good stuff. The extra gear I have is for gifting to my kids. 

All told, I have perhaps $1,500 into it. My 4,700 Records were mostly handed down from my parents. 

I’m not sure if I’m “frugal” but I do search out good deals.  
I feel like if you don’t want to waste $ on this expensive hobby, buy items that you won’t quickly out grow.  I’m the type who’ll buy the $750 speakers in order to save $, only to later on take a $200 loss selling the $750 speakers in order to buy the $1000 speakers that I should have just purchased initially.  Spend more initially on something that gets you really excited and then hang on to it until your financially comfortable purchasing a definite upgrade.  And when you do make a change, research it, research it some more, then wait.  When you do get it, it will mean more to you!

When we speak about passion and hobbies the question makes not so much sense...Interesting question perhaps like many others possible questions...

But am I frugal, in love, in music, in passion for books? No...

Not at all, I am the contrary of frugal with my passions, but I cannot always be carefree with money if I want to eat tomorrow...

Hermit, saint, yogi are frugal and must be ….This is not a virtue at all, only an instrument for their inner work, only love and passion are virtues...

And yes if I could, I would immediately buy my Berning ZOTL dreamed amplifier...This is not frugal expanse for me...I will not buy a 170,000 dollars amplifier tough, not because I am frugal, but because I know that true hi-fi is not reducible only to quality of electronic components or price...

I am constraint by circonstances to be frugal with my money, not being able to afford dreamed Hi-Fi, except by my homemade tweeks with an under 1000 bucks audio system now... I dont complaint, I dont feel now anymore the urge to upgrade, my system being at his top potential, thanks to homemade solutions...But this is not because I am frugal, this is because I am forced to economic improvised solutions...Indeed even if I dont feel now the urge nor the frustration, being so passionate with sound and music, I would buy other costly Hi-Fi components for sure if I could... Even if it is absolutely not necessary, I would buy them, however my system dont frustrate me at all now...Thanks to my essentials tweaks...But I am passionate, not frugal...


Frugality is not my choice nor my dreamed being state...I am not a cheap monk nor a great one...Life is too much a great act, not a cheap one...There is no frugality in passions, and frugality is a quality for great monks, not book lovers, nor music lovers, not lovers... Life is not frugal...Life is an illuminating foolishness say the wise...


The saint that gives by love all his possessions is not frugal...

I hate frugality... :)

That my friend is truly awesome!

And I believe I’m starting to see the error of my ways. Thank you!

ivan_nosnibor

Thanks for your kind and indulgent word for my rant...

If I can add something, i truly respect all people, frugal or not, i hate only the word because the act appear to me, more often than not, like an obsession without love...

And imagine this horrible epitaph : " He lives frugally and die frugally" ...

Tthis is an horrible death poem, and even for a Saint this is not beautiful, except for a not so loving monk perhaps?...

Know yourself and be it to the end, passionately ...