One year down, two to go. What's the longest you have saved for one component?

Hey, I appreciate your evident love of music. It appeals to the creative part of us which gives real meaning to life itself. So I am saying it can be one of the more valuable and worthy pursuits. Hope you really enjoy your stuff.
I mostly got my stuff on credit I think because I didn't have the patience to wait saving up.

I am not sure I have ever "saved up" for a piece of equipment, not that I have not spent a lot on pieces of equipment. Listening to music gives me pleasure, but it is more the "get's me through the days" pleasure than building memories pleasure. Now creating music, that is much different. That builds lasting memories.

It's disposable income (or should be). Some spend their disposable on getting through the day(s) and some spend it on building memories. I love music, I have built my career around it, but perhaps I don't have that visceral attachment to listening to recorded sound such that is becomes "a memory". I do have that attachment to the creation of the equipment that makes that possible though, but not to owning that equipment.

I've never saved up for a component. Nor have I ever bought anything on credit. Well except the house. But not even a car. Credit cards paid in full every month. What I do instead is save. Invest. Save and invest. While avoiding at all costs debt. What they used to call living within means. 

Debt means interest, interest means working for someone else, and its always someone who did nothing to generate the money you are now obliged to slave away to pay back. I refuse to be a debt slave. 

When it comes to components I do that different too. I search and search and search. First casting a wide net across the spectrum, reading all I can about whatever I'm interested in, regardless of price. Because even reading about something far out of my range there can be comments that lend perspective to what is within my budget. In this way I gain an overall view of what are the highest value components.  

This is a long, patient process. Speakers were on my radar well over a year, and even once the choice started to become clear it was almost another full year of checking and considering before finally buying Moabs a couple months ago. 

Then because I'm constantly perpetually always saving my whole life, never living the paycheck to paycheck life of the debt slave, I am free to buy what I want when I want. So long as I am careful about it. I guess you could say that instead of saving for a component I saved my whole life to buy my freedom- and so now can afford components.

I share this not as a harsh, unkind comment, but as a clear analysis in the hopes that the OP, or someone else who might struggle with such things can gain some direction: 

It is not "saving up" to go into a payment plan; quite the opposite. It's going into debt, obtaining an item on anticipated income, which can be quite dangerous fiscally. The depreciation on such a thing as an amp is enormous, so making payments on it is not advantageous. Especially if you have the power of compounded interest working against you, payment plans are to be avoided, especially for non-necessities. 

I will never forget my father telling me, "Every dollar spent is a two dollar decision." (Every dollar spent is a dollar less that you have to invest.)

Even as a reviewer, I recommend no one needs to go into a payment plan for an audio component. The only exception might be on zero percent interest, and at a very modest amount relative to one's income, perhaps 1-2% of gross income. Even at that, you are turning potential opportunities against yourself by the opportunity cost associated with expending the money that could have been invested. 

I strongly recommend that under normal circumstances no one spend half of their income monthly on audio - for any component. Imo, In a balanced lifestyle the expenditure of audio should fall well below 10% of income, and as a percentage much below that after house payment. 

Frankly, the financial indicator that one is spending quite disproportionately on audio can be a "wake up call" that major changes are needed in life. Usually, where there is an extreme imbalance in finances, there can be imbalances in other areas of life. I am trying not to be judgmental of the OP in this regard, as I do not know all of the particulars. It is, however, shocking to consider any audiophile expending such an enormous percentage of income on gear. Maybe the OP's income is so terrifically high, and lifestyle so ascetic, that they can pull it off. We do have people with alternative lifestyle choices who live like misers daily in order to achieve extreme goals. Hopefully, that is at work here. But, still, it's an imbalanced fiscal lifestyle. Three years of saving would theoretically achieve a similar purpose, and without the associated risks. It seems there is little wiggle room now for the OP in consideration of the potential challenges that appear occasionally.  :(

In all sincerity, I hope the OP does not get financially buried by their own zeal for the finer things in life.  :(

This is exactly why we don't build our components with circuit boards. Not sure how much you are willing to spend or what the amp you have costs but there are plenty of good options out there.

Happy Listening.