how frugal are you?

[Cherokee Scout]

Uncle buck, you are my kinda guy! Do you by chance have any old Bear sight pins?

[celticknot]

I never pay full price for anything if I don't have to.

[Bonebuster]

I`m not frugal by nature, I am frugal by necessity. After a while, it just becomes a habit.

[Roger Norris]

I'm not very frugal, but I find myself buying less and less hunting gear. I always buy quality stuff, and it just doesn't need to be replaced. I am 48 and use the same Coleman stove I bought when I was 14. I have waaaaaay too many arrows, and I could realistically hunt for the rest of my life with the broadheads in my tackle box.

BUT, I refuse to buy cheap beer or whiskey, I like a good meal, and I can't stand to drive a POS car. So no, I am not frugal.

[cacciatore]

I am more frugal to other things than bowhunting staff.

[Adam Keiper]

I try to be frugal with my bowhunting interests.  I've only bought one bow (used, to satisfy a Hill itch) since I started building selfbows over a decade ago.  Similarly, it's been years since I bought "gear" of any type, beyond supplies that I use up, like bowstring material, feathers, etc.  My hunting clothes and boots are all at least 7 years old.  I really don't feel like I need anything else.  I have other interests where frugality isn't an option, so it helps if I can keep one or two of them cheap.

[Jim Stewart]

Van?  You out there, Van?

[Bowwild]

I'm fairly frugal in most things EXCEPT bowhunting.

[scharms]

My condition borders on the hilarious.  I drive a 14 year old Toyota corolla (that doubles as my hunting rig).  I do own a newer truck, but can't afford to put gas in it.  The wife's car is the only vehicle that isn't payed for yet.

I took a job two miles from home so I could ride my mountain bike to work in attempt to not buy any more gas than necessary.  My meals regularly consist of PB&J sandwiches and ramen noodles.  We go out to eat only a couple of times a month.

I have never had a credit card.  My house will be paid for in six years, its a 120 yr old farmhouse on 10 acres that I bought from a friend for well below market value (although there is a lot of sweat-equity invested now).  

My 20" TV is pushing 15 years old, most of my furniture consists of hand-me-downs.  I still have my first recurve from age 8 & keep around arrows that are around 30 yrs old.

BUT... if I totaled up the amount I've spent over the years on guns, hunting gear, fishing gear, reloading components and archery tackle, I could probably have bought a brand new house and a new Cadillac to put in the garage!

[3arrows]

My grankids think I'm a millionare because i buy lots of toys and things a garage sales.

[Zbone]

Cool thread.

[Kninja]

Being cheap is what got me into trad hunting. Several years ago I wanted to get into bowhunting but couldn't afford the new bow that the master practitioners on the outdoor channel said I needed to kill a deer.
So I picked up a Grizzly that my uncle bought for 35 bucks at a yard sale and here I am.

[BOWMARKS]

Not at all, see something that trips my trigger and I gotta have it. Two new bows at Denton . And can not keep my eyes off the Morrisons on the classifieds even with 4 of them already  

[Uncle Buck]

I am reading a book  Simply titled "Archery" by Natalie Reichart and Giman Keasey. I bought it from a Goodwill store(did I tell you I was Cheap). It was written in 1936. Back then they had to make a lot of their gear.
For bowstrings they reccomend making a long string with a loop at one end and a timber hitch knot at the other. They said that way you could use one string for many bows regardless of length- Now thats cheap!

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Well, along with Mudd and at least one other poster,I know who is Mr. Frugal Archer. I am happy to say I have contributed somewhat to his increased frugality.

I'm very frugal. I own two bows I bought. One is the Ben Pearson solid fiberglass recurve I bought in about 1962 when I was 14. The other is a Bear Polar I bought on **** for about $34 just to have a "modern" type to supplement my self bows.

Make all my arrow shafts from spruce, Douglas fir or whatever straigt-grained softwood lumber I come across. I process wild turkey feathers that are given to me. (Looked long and hard yesterday at a Boy Scout who was dressed up Indian style in a whole lot of turkey flight feathers...).

Make my bows from trees on my own land or where I have permission to cut or salvage.

I do buy shooting gloves and such when I can find them used for cheap.

And then there are Reparrows. If my home-made shafts break, I repair them. Frugality/cheapness was the whole push for me to come up with Reparrows back in 2004-5.

Jim

[kpete]

Do you know how copper wire was invented?
Two German's fighting over a penny!
That is frugal.
I am German and own only enough sporting gear to open my own store.  But I buy my clothes at garage sales and thrift stores.

[robtattoo]

Hmmmm.....

3 Morrison bows - about $3,000
Various other bows - around $2,500
Arrows - around $800
Broadheads - I guess $200 or so
Scouting cameras - $600
Treestands - $500
License - $120
Hunting lease - $500
Travelling expenses - I'd guess about $200 in season
Huning clothes - $3-400

Gotta love free venison!

 

[GRINCH]

       

[WRV]

Don't mind paying for quality but I do enjoy cutting corners. All of my bows are adopted from other homes

[USN_Sam1385]

I HAVE to be fairly frugal to survive.

I only have one Trad bow and I traded my .270 for it.

I don't spend any money on drugs, gambling, and I rarely drink. I do not ever buy new clothes for myself, and the only clothes I buy are hunting clothes, or hunting gear.

I will spend some money taking the wife to dinner or on toys or clothes for my son.

Bills pretty well take care of the rest of the money, and I definitely live pay check to pay check.

But I am 25 years old, with a house a wife and a son in a terrible economy. I think I am doing well just the fact that I survive out here.