I use cash because I am not old enough to get a credit card, and I like to be able to talk to the person I am buying something from. Have learned a lot that way. Welcome to 2005!,
Morgan
Well I spend to much if you ask my wife ,not enough if you ask me.90% is by credit card either off of e-bay or internet Hobby shops.What I buy at the lhs is usually done in cash
dudes, stay with the cash and away from the cards. Just think, with the intrest…a 200 dollar loco now costs close to 350 after you pay the card off. I just found out that my discover card that I had for close to 10 years is at a wopping 26%. screw that! My fiance is totally cool with using debit and cash and I always get what I want. The trains keep me home and she likes to help out.
I have a credit card through my work credit union that I capped at $ 2,500. I just take my side job money monthly and throw it at the expenses. Always careful to keep it paid off. Learned my lessons the hard way many years ago.
I use bought local hobby shops and the internet for my purchases.
I liked the idea put forward by Ian Rice about the credit card. He stated that he uses a plan very much lime mine. Glad to see that I am doing some things right 
As a student, I racked up the credit card bills. Never again. Accumulating debt on “toys” is simply poor decision making.
I’m planning on getting into MRR after a 15 year break. When I was a kid, I couldn’t afford to spend much on it. As an adult, I don’t want to spend money on it, but I want to enjoy it. Scratchbuilding, here I come.
Just read an interesting book recommended by a friend, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. I’m not trying to sell anyone on the book, which is sort of just a financial motivational book, but after reading it, and really letting some things sink in, the idea of spending a lot of money on “toys” seems downright silly. It always seemed sort of self-indulgent, but now it really seems silly.
Glad to hear you college aged kids above are not getting involved with credit cards. I did in college - and it was stupid. Congratulations on not falling for the American “got to have it now” garbage. The big money people become the winners if you give into that. The losers are the hard working / not financially savvy people who end up with fancy cars / $10,000 TV’s, you name it, but with no financial future.
Yikes, I started to get worked up a bit there : )
I should add that hopefully as life progresses, it will be easier to “reward” myself with things like spending more money on this fun hobby of ours.
Until I make the big bucks (if, that is), there will be no $100+ locomotive purchases, (brass - forget it), no covering a layout with premade expensive trees, etc.
As attracted as I am to the hobby, I could imagine it snowballing if I didn’t exercise a lot of control over purchases.
Better to put money into house, investments, etc. for me/my wife at this age (30).
My stepdad works with a guy who is broke, but has every new electronic gadget on the market. Yikes. Oops - getting worked up again!
A long black trench coat for sneeking stuff into the house works fine also. HEHEHEHEHE Kevin