Quote Originally Posted by Fishman View Post
A little over 10 years ago the wife and I were in a bind, daughter going to college, heater/ac going out etc and we said enough. We went full Dave Ramsey and in two years we had paid off everything but the house and paid cash for a new central air. Since then there has been a marriage, roofs, patios, hot tubs, cars, etc. and all paid for no debt. I have a mountain of reloading and casting stuff just because I could. We don't have high paying jobs, we just don't waste money on stuff we don't want to waste money on. I can't recommend his approach highly enough. When you are in it, make sure you pay for everything discretionary with cash. It limits your options and boy does it make you think about how much do you really need that item you are buying. The envelope system is so simple it is genious.
Glad to hear it worked out for you Fisherman, I have high hopes. My wife already has the envelopes set aside, she is excited for that, that will take some getting used to for me. Mainly because I have to really plan ahead, if I want to stop for gas or groceries on the way home...I have to remember to pull out money before leaving (or at least make sure there is some in my wallet. I also drive for work (and get reimbursed for mileage), so I have to get in the habit of always having either a full tank or enough cash for a full tank (trips can be any where from 5 minutes from the office to 8-12 hour round trips).

I have been buying components, molds, and reloading equipment for almost 10 years, and just short of 5 of those I was unmarried so I had a lot more discretionary funds . So other than looking at stuff I don't need think/I need (like the 650 of the title to this thread) and getting rid of it to free up space and cash, my casting, reloading, and shooting should pretty unaffected. Once we get a few of the initial things paid off and the budget loosens, I can start replacing the stock pile as I use it. I started reloading right smack around when ODumbo was elected so since I started loading if I needed 1 I tried to buy 2. That worked great until I moved last year and realized how much I had acquired. I really started questioning stock pilling lead when I had move it all from the old house to storage unit 1, then storage unit two, and then finally to my new garage where it hasn't moved since (actually this weekend I may actually get to organizing it). I figure if the 650 sells now and later I get in to high volume shooting I can replace it or upgrade to 1050/1100 if I really need too. With everything paid off it would be a lot easier to justify that (only if I really think I need it). But I think for now I should be able manage keeping my needs filled, I have the new automated Lee press (don't yell at me I ordered it with birthday money in November before we decided to get out of debt), a Rock Chucker, a Co-ax, a Hornady Lock N Load AP, 2 Walnut Hills, an old Micro Precision?, and if the 650 sells I decided I would get a Lee Classic Cast to dedicate to swaging since the income is wasn't planned and the wife will get a vaccuum out of the deal lol. Alot of the stuff I got as really good deals (or was working 70+ hours a week and didn't care), or I got it as part of a larger reloading "lot" and sold off the other stuff I didn't need. In the last year reloading and shooting costed me a negative amount (and that includes acquiring a walnut hill, the lee, the micro precision, and a whole bunch of components). This surplus actually ended up getting turned into "baby step 1" for us.