So help me God, I'm off CDs for a year!!!

A couple days ago I finished a buying spree and made up my mind to compile a list of CDs that come out in 2009. I will study and research this list and then purchase the top-24. That's all!!

This past year I bought 58 Cds and sold 38 for a net gain of 20.

This coming year, no matter how many I sell (I wont' sell many, as I've already sold off most non-keepers) I'll only buy 24. I'll still trade and, of course, accept gifts (from Wifey or who/however) but I will only buy 24.

The plan was to finish my 2008 buying Dec. 10th. I did. So, from Dec. 10, 2008 - Dec. 9, 2009 I will save $10 per paycheck and then sit down on Dec 10th 2009 and devote however much time it takes to buy all my cds on one day. Between all the distros I frequent I'll figure out who has the best deals on the ones I've targeted and do my best.

I know at first this is going to be killer. I've only got purchases made in the last two weeks still in transit. Once those all arrive I'll be done for almost a whole year! I LOVE the anticipation of "what's in the mail box today?" so I know that semi-addiction will get me for a while. I'm hoping that excitement will be replaced by the research...The Chase....and then the big pay-off come next Dec. when I buy my own Christmas gift in the form of those 24 cds.

It's an experiment, if nothing else.

Enjoy...but you'll never make it.

My financial budget doesn't allow me to purchase CDs anymore (at least very seldom), so I have an emusic subscription which costs me $19 a month and allows me to download 75 songs (.27 cents per track). I buy alot of jazz, most jazz albums average about 5 songs...so I can score alot of music in a months time.

I think that's a great idea. Taking the time to do thorough research will be half the fun. And you'll feel better spending the money when you're sure you're getting something good for it. I should take this approach myself.

I have a potential career change coming that is going to severly limit how many (IF ANY) CDs I can buy if it goes through. I'm kinda in the process of getting what I know I want for cheap right now. I know I'm going to REALLY miss waiting for the arrival of the latest gem I've managed to land.

I hate when i buy cd's and then sell them for next to nothing.

it's never been an issue with me. my wife & i buy what we want. we make good money, so we continue to save & invest for the future, pay all bills, & live very comfortably afterward. we don't go crazy, mind you. but there's no need to budget ourselves in this particular area.

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we make good money, so we continue to save & invest for the future, pay all bills, & live very comfortably afterward

Are you gonna retire anywhere special?

The economy realities have hit home for us, so I will be buying less CD's. Of course on bright side I will spend more time enjoying the CD's, sometime I will buy CD, like it and than file away and not listen to it again for weeks.

I already cut back. So far this year I've only bought about 200. Last year it was closer to 300.

Good Luck Scott.I dont think I could go a whole year before buying a cd.I've had to cut back on my spending.So now I just budget out how much I'll spend in a months time.I was spending around $250-$300 a month.Damn these slow days at work!

thrasher73 wrote:

Good Luck Scott.I dont think I could go a whole year before buying a cd.I've had to cut back on my spending.So now I just budget out how much I'll spend in a months time.I was spending around $250-$300 a month.Damn these slow days at work!

No kidding! I spend a ton when work is slow.

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it's never been an issue with me. my wife & i buy what we want. we make good money, so we continue to save & invest for the future, pay all bills, & live very comfortably afterward. we don't go crazy, mind you. but there's no need to budget ourselves in this particular area.

Right, it's not a $$ issue for me, it's about the collection. I don't want to own anything less than a 9/10. I'd like to keep my collection small and intimate. I want to be able to cycle through all my CDs in a couple months.

I'll use this thread to keep things updated.

I was talking to a concert-going buddy last night and the only deal-breaker is concerts or fests. If I go to a concert part of the experience might be picking up a CD. That CD will still count against my 24, but I'll buy it then and save it for Dec. 10.

Good luck with that.

I stopped conting my cd's after cd-tracker.com closed up. I know I've purchased less this year, but I don't keep exact figures anymore.

tohostudios wrote:

I already cut back. So far this year I've only bought about 200. Last year it was closer to 300.

Can I get a job where you work?

I probably only bought 20-25 CDs this year (if that), then again, I'm pretty picky and set in my ways about certain bands and genres. Definitely couldn't afford buying 200 though!

I have no idea how many CDs I've acquired this year, but I know for sure it's way less than in past years. I've probably gotten more via trade with various members of this board than I bought. Frickin' economy.

Best of luck with this Scott - I will miss those great sales though.

The thing that always trips me up when I try to scale back is the used cds. Outside of must haves or incredible price I buy most of my stuff used. I have a monthly budget for music that I tend to stay within. November went way over but I've stopped buying online for this month on account of the Postal Christmas crunch always making me nervous with getting stuff. Even within the budget I still get way too much. The "waiting to be played" pile never seems to end.

I used to collect DVDs and pretty much instituted a ban on buying anymore than a few (only used) a year. Unlike the music though, I've actually managed to stick to this plan for the last several years.

My problem with researching is that one album ultimately leads to five others that I have to get.

I've less CD's than years past (and alot less DVD's/Blu-Ray's) too - that money was going in my gas tank! Plus, I bough a new car this year and having a car payment again tends to cut into the entertainment budget!

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My problem with researching is that one album ultimately leads to five others that I have to get.

Yep, that's the most dangerous thing.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

Right, it's not a $$ issue for me, it's about the collection. I don't want to own anything less than a 9/10. I'd like to keep my collection small and intimate. I want to be able to cycle through all my CDs in a couple months.

ah, i see. well, if i was to get rid of all my average cds, i'd probably be left with like 10.

I stopped collecting DVD's that are not music related because then I never get around to watching them, also my father- in -law gives about 15-30 DVD's for Christmas, and I still havenot gotten thru last years stack. Also I rarely watch a movie twice no matter how good it is. My children on the other hand can watch the same DVD over and over and over.....

Music DVD's I love, but I probably buy about 10-20 of those a year, and I always purchase them used.

manny wrote:

I stopped collecting DVD's that are not music related because then I never get around to watching them, also my father- in -law gives about 15-30 DVD's for Christmas, and I still havenot gotten thru last years stack. Also I rarely watch a movie twice no matter how good it is. My children on the other hand can watch the same DVD over and over and over.....

Music DVD's I love, but I probably buy about 10-20 of those a year, and I always purchase them used.

I haven't purchased a dvd in at least a year or 2. I still got a couple that I got for Christmas last year that I never openend yet. I just don't have the time to sit and watch 'em anymore. I'll rent from time to time, but my buying of dvd's is pretty much over. At least till the kids are old enough to start watching them, I guess.

I say I'm off cds every year. It's like a new year's resolution that I happily end up breaking.

Unlike most folks, I dont buy off the internet, & only very rarely buy anything new. To me the thrill is digging through a pile at a used store, garage sale, pawn shop or wherever & finding a lost gem. It's worked pretty good so far.

I couldn't imagine. So far, I've acquired 1,080 CDs this year, and I've likely not added a few to the list. By the end of the year, I'm sure I'll push it over 1,100. I could never buy just 24. No way.

Eyesore wrote:

I couldn't imagine. So far, I've acquired 1,080 CDs this year, and I've likely not added a few to the list. By the end of the year, I'm sure I'll push it over 1,100. I could never buy just 24. No way.

Hloy crap, when do you time to listen to so many CD's, not to mention to ones you already own? I have 3,000 CDS and I thought I had decent collection. I am sure your CD collection has to be twice that amount.