Retirement and gun/ammo/range costs

[doddg]

Retirement is sooo busy.
Appts. beginning at 5:30 am. or maybe 6 am., another at 8:30 am, then another at 1:30 and that was just on Monday.
Today it starts at 7:45 am, with two others after.
Haven't had range time in 3 weeks: too busy, too tired, which is unbelievable!

Got additional cabinets for kitchen, countertops and new sink to put in in about month.
Going to TN, then AL in a couple of weeks for fun.

Finally sold a gun, but it belonged to a friend.
Never seen it so slow in my vast 2.4 yrs. experience.

Started taking some a script/med for a heart valve problem that has gotten worse over time.
After 5 weeks of feeling like crap I told my personal Dr.: no more, but the cardiologist I meet with in Sept. will have a fit and then the real fight will begin.

I actually can't wait for it to slow down a tad, but I'm getting stuff done that you mostly don't have time to do when you are working.

 

[BE Mike]

You need to schedule some range time. Good wishes for good health. We always take it for granted when we have it.

 

[Doublehelix]

Glad to see that you are "relaxing" after your retirement!!!

I still have about 5 more years to go, but I am starting to count the days on the calendar. Healthcare is definitely the biggest concern. I can get Medicare when I turn 65, but my wife is 4 years younger than I am, so that means paying full price for her for 4 years.

Life is short, that is for sure. Always take the time to stop and smell the roses, thank God for every day that we have with our loved ones.

 

[doddg]

You need to schedule some range time. Good wishes for good health. We always take it for granted when we have it.

I know! I need my hobby back like when I was working!
I get fixated on something, whether it be work, hobby or house or car project and don't let it go till done.
I have to choose a crown molding to match existing 14-15 yr. old crown today and I'll be done for awhile: take 3-4 weeks to get materials in, so I'll get a break from the kitchen for awhile.
Yes about the health: I know it's the X factor in dealing with retirement.
I don't want to be a stat of dying 5 yrs. after retiring, like it used to be decades ago.

Glad to see that you are "relaxing" after your retirement!!!

It actually is fun to get the kitchen worked on for the wife, we gave up a good outdoor space when we moved and have none where we're at outside now, so she deserves a kitchen upgrade.

I still have about 5 more years to go, but I am starting to count the days on the calendar. Healthcare is definitely the biggest concern. I can get Medicare when I turn 65, but my wife is 4 years younger than I am, so that means paying full price for her for 4 years.
Life is short, that is for sure. Always take the time to stop and smell the roses, thank God for every day that we have with our loved ones.

I have a friend who is an IPD Detective, I get with once per week, and he finally started counting the days, not months: February 2020 is his time.
No way could I have retired w/o Medicare, or my wife unless I had still be working and had her on my medical at work.
She is 2 yrs. older, so no problem like what you're going to have.

 

[doddg]

Update about Retirement.
Sitting here totally tired from yesterday: finally got the the kitchen countertops in and new sink (with new faucet installed in old sink earlier).
Contractor was a friend I used to work with in the summers when younger.
Took nearly 12 hours (9:30 am to 9 pm) from pick up of the countertops to sitting down and having a beer afterwards, and I was dragging.
Wife was thrilled since I told her we were going to finish plumbing the 2nd day, went from 2 bowl sink to one bowl and my wife wanted the garbage disposal gone, so we had to reroute the drains: easy, just took a run to Lowes for parts late.
My friend unexpectedly needed to finish up in 1 long day instead of 2 leisurely days.


Still buying and selling guns trying to trim but yet still trying out some new ones (already posted about a Kimber & Sig Sauers recently).
Today I intend to put up another .22LR semi-auto up for sale b/c I just don't need 4 semi-auto range pistols, but I need to work more on selling other calibers, but I don't have to be in a hurry.
In Retirement, I'm paying less than half in taxes what I used to when working.

Been spending money on house refurnishing since Retirement: modest $$ by most standards.
What would you expect from a guy whose owned more Rugers than any other brand?!
Besides the kitchen, there has been carpet, exterior caulking/painting, concrete driveway patching & replacing furniture in living room, blinds & curtains.
The usual updating stuff.
I still have to install a small 24" kitchen upper cabinet (to match the base cabinet that the builder didn't do for reasons unimaginable), whenever it comes in.
I had to return the 1st cabinet to Lowes: didn't have both sides finished like it was supposed to.
Countertops was the biggest pleasure for me, carpet for the wife.
Never replaced countertops before that didn't need it, but it would have had to be done to update to sell the house in the future.

My favorite part of Retirement is just being able to spend lots of time with the wife!

 

[doddg]

Retirement update with "the hobby."
I just finished doing the end-of-the-year budget work: summaries, totals, & comparisons to last year & previous years, tracking all expenses whether they went up or down.
I'm hoping to bring my hobby costs down by half this year: that's my story to the wife & I stand by it.
What really surprised me is all the miscellaneous expenses: holsters, gun sights, triggers, scopes, magazines, trigger gauges, tools & other misc. parts & books/magazines, even DVD, even more than the ammo.
I was surprised on how much I'd spent since I've only tracked it loosely when working.Interesting how you forget that you bought at the beginning of the year.

I don't have that much more to trim in the safe, and I am determined to keep the hobby costs under control & less than last year since this will be my 1st full year of retirement.

I have my "keeper" guns, and will continue on a limited basis of rotating a plinker .22LR, which right now a Beretta Neos, replacing a couple of tip-up barrels I had fun with (sold one already).
I want to rotate a 9mm also, and picked up a Glock 17 Gen 3 today since I've not had a full-sized Glock before.
I've even looked closely at a couple of 1911 .45 calibers lately since the prices have been tempting.

I can see that retirement and the hobby are going to be in juxtaposition to each other: sorry, can't help having fun with words!

 

[STEEL CORE]

Is it a Gen 3 or Gen 4 Glock-17 ?
I thought I saw Gen 4 in another post.
Have you shot it yet?

 

[doddg]

Is it a Gen 3 or Gen 4 Glock-17 ?
I thought I saw Gen 4 in another post.
Have you shot it yet?

Gen 4
I shot it Monday and started a thread about it and posted three range pics

 

[doddg]

Retirement Update again:
Yesterday in a thread, I mentioned that I was starting my 6th house update, b/c I forgot one: this is the 7th.

Tomorrow starts the actual demolition of my wife's bathroom.
All week I've made 6 trips to Menards & Lowes getting all the materials on sight.
Last week I also managed to go to 4 Silver Sneaker Fitness classes, 6 different Church-related meetings (mentoring, small devo/Bible-study groups & Church things) & still managed to buy 2 guns and go to the range twice: retirement is a wonderful thing!

This week is going to be a "butt-kicker," though!
I already told my old friend (the house flipper) doing the work, that I'd only be able to fetch tools and get him drinks after about an hour, my body will begin to protest.

We are taking out the 42" x 60" garden tub and putting in a 32" x 60" shower w/shower doors.
While we are at it, we're replacing the vanity & countertop and since we are getting old, a higher toilet.
Putting in some vinyl waterproof fake wood flooring (like is in the kitchen & entrance way).

I have waited to do this until my friend was available between his "real" jobs.
I get him on a great discount, being a "filler" inbetween his "real-paying" jobs , so he is worth waiting for.
I didn't intend to do it now, so as to recover financially from last year's updates, but I was afraid he'd get committed and not be available, and I save so much money paying him by the hour (+ tip & I have to feed him ), I had to do it when he's available.
I used to work with him 30 yrs. ago when he had a painting business, and will be his "helper" yet again.
When we did the kitchen update months ago, I nearly died when we put in a 14 hour day. (countertops, & island & 1 cabinet)

 

[doddg]

Retirement Update It has been a year now: it seems like 5 yrs. Go figure.
Skipping all the mundane things, let's just get the the guns.

I worked hard to trim the safe in retirement making it to a new low a couple of months ago, just to see it creep back up again.
I have actually bought 7 models of guns back that I've sold & 4 were previous guns of mine I owned in the past: amazing timing!
I really love the guns that I have now, and am in no hurry to sell any of them after the flurry of the last 2 weeks.
I unexpectedly ran across a couple of "bucket list" guns: SW 17-4 & Beretta 87 Target (both .22LRs) that found their way into my safe recently.

I only have 2 guns approaching 2 yrs. of ownership.
My favorite 9mm: CZ Shadow 2 (1 of 9 CZs I've owned , with only 2 left), bought in July 2018.
And, my favorite .22LR: SW 41. Bought in October of 2018.
Only 4 other guns are at 1 yr. (or close) of ownership.


I have actually bought 6 types of guns back that I sold, 4 of them the same ones I owned before.
I got into a bit of a hurry when trimming, didn't I?

I'll sum up by saying the last few weeks I've had my usual 2 hr. range sessions with the occasional 3 hour, then I stepped up & had two 4 hrs. sessions, topping off with an all=time record of a 5 hour range time.
In my quest to seek balance in my life I only had a 1 hour range session today.

8300 rounds shot the last 7 weeks starting this week & going backwards:
1600
2400
500
1000
600
1000
1200

With so much shut down lately, w/o the hobby I'd be stir crazy.

 

[jspy5]

As someone who is past retirement age and still working, and having just re-read your first post on this thread, could you explain how much has the last 7 weeks ended up costing you? I'm not into the indoor ranges but even with some of the outdoor ranges re-opening considering fuel costs, range time and ammo it has to be fairly expensive. Not to mention even if you had a decent stash of ammo replacing those 8300 rounds spent is going to cost ya. Have to say I'm somewhat envious.

 

[doddg]

As someone who is past retirement age and still working,
and having just re-read your first post on this thread,
could you explain how much has the last 7 weeks ended up costing you?
I'm not into the indoor ranges but even with some of the outdoor ranges re-opening considering fuel costs, range time and ammo it has to be fairly expensive.
Not to mention even if you had a decent stash of ammo replacing those 8300 rounds spent is going to cost ya. Have to say I'm somewhat envious.

B/C of my school-teacher background (1975-2019), I MUST keep records.
I know exactly how much spent on all things gun/hobby.
When I estimated what it was going to cost for just ammo in retirement when I was still working: I was appalled.
I knew I could not continue shooting in retirement like I did when working.
Even before retirement I started cutting back on calibers & trimming the number of gun in 9mm range toys.
I now have only 9mm (range fun & CC), .357/38 (house gun & CC) & CC & a .32 indulgence (CC when need discretion).
22LR meets my needs for range fun. Mostly.
My "other" calibers are only 10% of my .22LR reserve that I shoot mostly.
I did just order a case of 5000 of CCI Standard b/c of a tip here from gmcttr ($260).
That made me feel a little better about dipping into my reserves, dipping into them only 5%.

I keep track of the purchase of each gun: date & price.
I know how much $$ I have invested in each caliber of gun & the average cost of every .22LR gun as compared to all "other" caliber guns.
It used to be that my "other" calibers averaged double of .22 guns, then it went to $200 difference, then $100, to yesterday's updating: the same, literally.
That is b/c of upgrading my bevy of .22LR guns.

The cost of shooting:
1. range fees: $20/mo. at Point Blank in Greenwood ($240/yr.)
a. I want to join MCF&G outdoor range when I find out they have started having their once a month meetings on Tuesday where you can pursue that.
b. I have a 74 yr. old friend who is in the process of doing so, just waiting for that to happen & I can follow his lead.
2. Ammo fees are .04 - .06 each round for me, so I figure .05 cents average.
3. Last 7 wks.= 8300 rds. x .05 cents = $415
a. I will not continue this pace or I'll run out of ammo.
b. My reserve supply is for about 1 yr. of extensive use, but 8 yrs. of more moderate use.

If I go to the range and shoot for an hour, that would be about 200 rounds ($10), for 2 hrs. 400 rounds/$20.
So it will be a matter of how often I go per week.
I would like to go twice per week for 2 hours = 800 rds/$40
Per month = 3200 rds/$160
Per year = 38,400 rds/$1920

Obviously, I can cut back on range time and/or frequency and cut my costs by 1/2 or even to 1/4.
I used to go to the range twice per week before things were shut down, like going to the gym nearly every day & going out of town.

All these ammo costs will be increased by 4-6 times as I shoot my other calibers.
Even once per month for an hour = $40-$60.
Even before I retired I began to limit my running my 9mm guns, & sold off all but the CZ Shadow 2 (except for CC), but then a liquored-up CZ Rami became available & I was weak, and not repentent.

I keep track of all ancillary costs related to the hobby: range fees, holsters, grips, magazines, mags & etc.
Last year I spent $1700 on ammo.
This year spent $800 so far.
The 1st year (3rd now), I really stocked up on ammo when I was flush with money.

Last year I spent $800 on ancillary gun costs: magazines, holsters, targets, grips & etc.
This year spent $1250 so far.

I do not include the cost of a gun in my expenses.
They are not consumable costs & I normally buy used and sell for price paid, or maybe $25-$50 less.
I'm not concerned about that expense, since I can sell & get my money back if needed.

 

[STEEL CORE]

I know how it goes, I miss my pre Covid range sessions, I had an Indy Gun Bunker membership, that’s no more, I got an x-mas Point Blank gift card and used the $10 Thursday 1hr deal (GOV/LEO), then Covid and it suspends everything. Maybe they are open again, I just don’t know but I need to go, it’s been a long drought. Took me months to get the wife a G-43, it needs breaking in, and I need breaking out.
However, all the annoying I shoot 9/40 won’t be easily replaced.
Next year this time it could be turn your guns in time, I hope not but each day surprises me now with things I never believed could be true.
Such an expensive hobby Eh?

 

[doddg]

I know how it goes, I miss my pre Covid range sessions,
I had an Indy Gun Bunker membership, that’s no more,
I got an x-mas Point Blank gift card and used the $10 Thursday 1hr deal (GOV/LEO),
then Covid and it suspends everything.
Maybe they are open again, I just don’t know but I need to go, it’s been a long drought.
Took me months to get the wife a G-43, it needs breaking in, and I need breaking out.
However, all the annoying I shoot 9/40 won’t be easily replaced.
Next year this time it could be turn your guns in time,
I hope not but each day surprises me now with things I never believed could be true.
Such an expensive hobby Eh?

Agreed on Indy Gun Bunker.
I paid for a yearly membership & in middle of March couldn't go anymore when they moved.
I went to Point Blank in Greenwood & enjoyed their new $20/mo. M-F membership which was fine since I rarely went on the weekend anyway.
I did loose the "free rental" you got at $35 (plus other benefits), but I can always upgrade my membership online for a month or two to shoot everything (did so when I had the regular $35 membership for years) & then downgrade it to the $20 again.
Too busy vetting my own guns to bother with that now anyway.

Expensive to be sure.
Money spent every month could fund a decent retirement plan.
My wife is still surprised that I allow myself to spend what I do on "the hobby."
Getting the kids off on their own & getting the house paid off, & having no debt has given me permission to have a little fun.
My fun used to be reserved to running in weekend races & exercising (wish I kept that up), comic books (when the son was young), motorcycles was huge (and inexpensive), antique cars (less expensive than guns) & before this a sports car club (S2KCA) that was as much fun as this is, but ran its course.
This hobby will run its course eventually.
When I don't get excited about the next gun purchase, the shooting will decline, I'm sure.
Since I view it as exercise now , as long as inflation (which is coming with the money the Government is spending that they don't have) is under control, I'll be able to indulge.

 

[BillD]

I don't keep such detailed records, and I'm glad about that. I reload for 9 mmm, 38 Special, 40, and 45. I bought 14 thousand rounds of 223 while I was working. I get my supplies on sale when I buy them but it's still a very expensive Hobby. my 223 ammo was purchased at 27 cents a round.
I won't buy now but I don't need to.
I've been through a primer shortage, powder shortage, 22 Rimfire shortage, an AR mag shortage, and a AR shortage. After those shortages, when things got back to normal price-wise, I was blessed to have a good enough job and an income to stock up, as they went on sale. And I did.

 

[jspy5]

Thanks doddg for that very detailed breakdown. I'm not the type to keep track of things like that but I am mindful of how much it costs me every time I go shooting. Judging how much ammo has increased in price lately I will probably try to cut back on number of rounds fired in an effort to conserve and make my stash last a little longer.

 

[BE Mike]

I have a buddy who knows exactly how much each round costs that goes downrange. It doesn't matter the caliber or if it is a reload or factory. Sometimes he'll mention it while we are shooting together. I, on the other hand, try to get the best deal on reloading components and order in bulk. After the items are loaded up, I don't give a second thought to how much it costs me per round or range session. I just wish this virus was defeated and I could go back to my weekly indoor range sessions. Being in the high risk category, I don't want to take any chances on getting the virus and saddling the wife with a sick me.

 

[littletommy]

I have a buddy who knows exactly how much each round costs that goes downrange. It doesn't matter the caliber or if it is a reload or factory. Sometimes he'll mention it while we are shooting together. I, on the other hand, try to get the best deal on reloading components and order in bulk. After the items are loaded up, I don't give a second thought to how much it costs me per round or range session. I just wish this virus was defeated and I could go back to my weekly indoor range sessions. Being in the high risk category, I don't want to take any chances on getting the virus and saddling the wife with a sick me.

we miss you, Mike.

 

[COOPADUP]

In retirement, the limited budget might reduce the number of rounds I shoot, but this hobby will continue for the rest of my life.
Hoping to see those ammo prices to start easing down so I can stock up a bit while still working.
Long gone are the days when you could covertly slip into Wal-Mart and grab a 200 round box and a gallon of milk.

 

[doddg]

I have a buddy who knows exactly how much each round costs that goes downrange. It doesn't matter the caliber or if it is a reload or factory. Sometimes he'll mention it while we are shooting together. I, on the other hand, try to get the best deal on reloading components and order in bulk. After the items are loaded up, I don't give a second thought to how much it costs me per round or range session. I just wish this virus was defeated and I could go back to my weekly indoor range sessions. Being in the high risk category, I don't want to take any chances on getting the virus and saddling the wife with a sick me.

I hear you about the high risk category & the wife.
I restrict myself more b/c of the wife & not risk bringing anything home.
She has has not 3 but 4 strikes against her.
She has only been out of the house in the car twice since March.
I try to get out of the house everyday with my mask & sanitizer: Redbox, Kroger, Sams/Costco, Wanamaker Feed & Seed, Pharmancy for meds, convertible drives out in the country & riding the bicycle.
Well, the last 2, I don't wear the mask.