How do you do it?

With Astromart, many times you can buy a used scope, use it for a long time, and then sell it for about the same price. (Providing you dont thrash your equipment) This lets you save up slowly and consistently, selling and upgrading to larger more expensive options over time. This is the only way I could have tried some of the scopes I've owned.

If you want to really wonder about where people get money, look at what is thrown away daily on new cars. Go buy a new car, drive it home and you've probably lost a couple thousand dollars of value right there. Within two years, your new cars value has been soundly deflated by Many Thousand dollars.

In comparison, go buy a Takahashi FS102 for $1650, and in two years you can sell it again for $1650, and then you can take that amount right off the pricetag of your next more expensive telescope. Worked for me with both scopes and mounts. Go Astromart!

Mike

Hello:
I'm a graduate student, so I don't make much, but my girlfriend makes twice as much as I do. Asside from food, gas, and rent, astronomy (any my other hobby) is pretty much all I spend money on. I also only do visual observing, so no need for big mounts, CCDs, etc. I've also built the two scopes I use. I got the optics for one of them from a guy I used to work for, and it turns out they're really good. So, that's how I've done it. I don't spend money on much, I build my own scopes, and I've also gotten quite lucky.

Cheers
Mike

Some of us don't! : )

With respect to the very good fishing anologies of others, bass fishing does not require a bass boat. Star gazing does not require expensive equipment.

There are some details to be addressed to catch bass. There are some details to be addressed for the different types of astronomical targets.

I personally enjoy the experience of being out under the night sky far more than the gear. I tolerate the equipment as a means to that end. I am far more interested in the object I seek to see in the ep/scope, than in the ep and scope themselves.

A good buddy of mine cuts his own grass (not an easy chore in Houston in August) to justify dropping $100 every Saturday on golf (not counting clubs, ball retreiver, shoes, range binoculars, and every other golf gadget he can find).

I followed suit and gave up golf. My yard "savings" go into Astronomy.

That and my net worth is in the millions - if we're talking pennies, pesos, rupees, pebbles, grains of sand ....


Ed

I believe I can well afford any scope I choose, but also have to maintain domestic tranquility which rates high up there. I rationalize what I buy by painting my own house inside and out, installing my roof, laying hardwood floors, building furniture, doing my own yard work, etc. I do not have a bass boat, jet ski, second home at the lake, tricked up car, my truck is 14 years old and I change my own oil. Tis a matter of priorities. Look around and see what your neighbors spend much more money on that a lot of astronomers. One car will buy all the astro stuff most of us would ever really want. Would rather be our looking up than waxing my 55 Thunderbird, and I bet my neighbor would laugh at me looking up while he worries where he can pick up an after market grill for the old 55T.

I dont know how I'm ever going to afford a decent scope. ever since I traded the porsche in for the aston martin, the gas mileage is killing me, especially with the long weekend drives to the beachhouse. the jetranger's been running a bit rough lately too, you should see the service charges on those babies.