[Ian Robinson]

Always ways of making hobby cheaper.

You can make your own telescope , grind and polish your own mirrors , make your own GEM or dob mount.
You can be careful to buy when the exchange rate is more favourable and opt where possible to cut the middle man out by dealing direct with the manufacturer - I do this where ever possible .
You can buy secondhand filters, and other minor accessories , even secondhand GEMs and OTAs and cameras and lenses (risky unless you trust the seller).
You can use the local library and not bother buy the books or mags , just borrow them.


In fishing - you can buy the blanks and runners and winch mount and grips and build your own rods - I have (got over a dozen very good rods - better than anything you can buy in a tackle shop - all custom made and perfect for me !!!),
you can buy secondhand reels (got all except 2 of my big alveys that way , they are easy to refurbish and make good as new), buy top quality in eggbeaters and overhead - that will pay in the longer run as a good reel should last a lifetime if washed in fresh water and dried between outings
you can make your own sinkers
you can buy line and swivels and hooks in bulk (1000m at at time (top quality line) , 50 - 100 hooks of any size in the box depending in size, a gross of swivels (12 packets of 12)
catch or collect your own bait where ever possible - frozen bait is extraordinarily expensive.
Boat - buy the hull secondhand and buy a top quality motor brand new for it.
At least fishing can be productive - you have a chance of feeding your family with high quality fish that you might not be able to afford otherwize - high quality sea food and fish is EXPENSIVE. A big jewie will feed a family for months (once cut into steaks and fillets and after deep freezing). Most years by February I have my 140 L upright freezer chockers with jewfish and snapper steaks and fillets , and whole fish if smaller than a few kg , whole squid (for bait and eating), bream and tailor. In winter it's full of nigger and leg of lamp roasts, and chooks and turkey breast meat roasts - I buy roasts 3 or 4 at time and freeze them immediately when the meat is tender.