How do you fund your projects? especially if married?

Second effing job. Sucks but what am I gonna do. I am making half of what I use to make (including second job) just two years ago. Victim of the economy. So I have about 150 bux a month to spend on the car but that is all mine. When I sell my scooter I am using that money to put a paint job on her otherwise I would have to wait until tax return time. I am married and have four kids and I wouldnt change that for all the money in the world.
 
I already posted my situation but I will add one thing. I can tell you for certian if my future wife was going to put a stop or give me hell about my hobby that I have loved and been involved since I was a kid a ring would never make it on her finger. I made changes and sacrifices just like her and I support what she likes to do but just because I'm getting married doesn't mean I'm going to bury my balls in a hole in the back yard. I had a women in my life tell me "NO" enough growing up she was called my mother, I don't need to marry one.
 
I'm a machine operator and make around 65k a year, married with 2 small children (3 year old and newborn). Wife is in school so we rely on my income. I buy big ticket iteams with tax return and smaller things with extra money.. Just cant get in a hurry to get a project done.
 
I fix computers on the side, mostly laptops because everyone else hates to work on them. My wife worked as a bookkeeper and tracks every dollar I have made on my side job. It's called Mustang Money, and at last count there was about $651 of it on the books. Not in the bank mind you, but on the books. Whether or not that money in the books becomes cash in my hand is another story...:rolleyes:
 
The trick is to start projects before you get married/have children. :nice:
I have bought more parts for my car once I got married then I did before marriage.


im not married.. but my girl is into racing/modding as much as i am.

I met my wife on a mustang board. She has hers and I have mine. She dailys her car, and mine collects dust. She has no desire to drive mine or race it. As long as the car isn't a daily(never has been) she doesn't car what I do to it.

If I cant pay cash for it I dont buy it or If I cant trade parts for parts I dont get it....

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I try to go by that motto. One of the rules my wife had in place was "don't make us go bankrupt over a mustang." I have listened and it has worked well.

I appreicate a well thought out low buck budget build more these days then a over the top billion dollar build.
I don't know if mine is low buck build, but it isn't high dollar for sure. I don't think I will ever have a car like yours.



We have budgeted for my parts and such. Sometimes I would like to have bought it all at once, but it doesn't work that way around here. I buy used, I look for specials, and I save. I am going into the second year of putting my suspension together and it gets closer everyday.
 
when she complains about what i spend on the cars....i ask her how much she just spent on her new purse or shoes!.......immediate subject change follows.

seriously though, we aslo have the seperate accounts , after the bills are paid. she does what she wants and i do what i want. as long as we have food/roof/lights. but lately shes been buying some parts for her car! shes even talking about wanting to v8 swap it next spring. SHES GOT THE BUG! i even keep an eye out for other cars. the last one i bought was an 88 vert for $350.00 body completely shot, 4 cyl didnt run. stripped the white leather interior, top and frame ,bumper covers, glass and t5 trans. got $300.00 out of the body at the scrap yard and sold all the parts. made well over a grand on it. take on a small project to fund the big one
 
Sacrifice...my car just got painted, but i had to sell my beloved '88 Merkur to get the cash. Call it "toy consolidation". Dont live your hobbies outside of your means and dont get jaded by these budgetless builds in magazines and online.
 
work 50 hours a week and mow yards on the side and get paid a small amount for fire calls plus her income leaves me about 20-50 bucks a week to put in the "stash", sometimes more, most times less. too bad the stash cant always be used for fun parts, most of the time Ins. eats it up.
 
I work 50-60+ a week depending on whats going on, but my pay doesnt change, thats one plus of being military..... Once my wife moves back out here to cali and she finds a job I'm going to set forth a strict $200 a month allowance for each of us which some of that will go towards getting my daughter stuff.

But you guys are right, these cars dont get built over night and I'm in it for the long haul, no point in bankrupting us for a car that would have to get sold if money got tight, I'm going to get a daily driver and take my time with it. Plus there seems to be plenty of budget build options that will suit my needs. Hell I'm just loving the power that I gain from every little thing, but I havent even done gears, heads or cam. I can do those 3 on a budget and get probably 3 times as much power that I've gotten so far from bolt ons.
 
A little at a time... scour swaps and CL for deals... sometimes buy things I don't need, but know I can sell/swap for something I do... pass on more than I'd like. like that Cobra Intake I saw on CL a couple weeks ago for $150 :cry:
If I didn't have the Exploder on there already, I'd have found a way for that one to find my garage...
 
Yup gotta find the right woman to marry. My wifes dad raced circle track when she was a kid so she knows what it costs to build cars. so far this year i got a good year end bonus sold my 87 hatch got a little inheritance and she let me spend most of it on the 90 turbo hatch i bought in january. The car was 8000.00 to start with new wheels for street use another 1000.00. then the engine split in two you wouldnt believe what my wife said she told me too build it so i wont have to do it again in another year. so that said i will be into the dart 331 about 6000.00. 15000.00 in six months gotta love a wife like that. I know i do:D
 
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I said to my wife oe, "I don't need your permission." about a car purchase.

Now she uses it against me whenever I'm thinking about buying something..."Go ahead, you don't need my permission".. lol

Isn't it amazing how the fairer sex never forgets a damn thing? And being skilled at their craft, they manage to shank you and break off the handle at each opportunity .. but we still love and adore them..... we are so owned
 
My G/F of 3 years has never even seen my Mustang :)

Therefore she doesn't know what goes into it. :)

HAHA! when I got married I had my old '79 fox drag car tucked away in the garage at mom's and somehow the wife didn't know I had it until we'd been married 6 months!

Wife: You didn't tell me you owned a Mustang!

Me: uhhhh, you didn't ask.

Wife: well, what are you going to do with it?

Me: Well, i've been thinking about selling it.

Wife: Good! what are WE going to use the money on?

Me: WE are going to buy another Mustang!:D