Who Pays?

[riptide]

I beg

and work

and connive.

Bottom line: whatever beings home the bacon I'll do. Except sing.

I don't sing.

[Zelda]

You forgot the I'm over 21 but Dad took pity on me and has agreed to support my fencing (through my credit card linked to his) until I can pay for most of it myself. :-)

[melihop]

My mom.. thought.. most of the time.. i and up only paying for half of it.. and work the rest of the money off through armory time for my coach.. and than he doesn't make me pay it all. which is very nice of him.. yet its amazing how when i owe $5... i end up working the entier day and than we agree "ok.. were even" lol.. but yeah.. my mommy pays for most of mine thank goodness.. i have no time to work and make money.. i speand all my time fencing and at band!

[ebonylevin]

I put down the U21 and we both pay but in reality my mum doesnt pay... neither do I... shes the coach of the club you see, bad points and good points... but to "pay her back" I have to coach the ankle biters and make up weapons, fix them etc, answer the phone at home- People think it's a business line. and make the dinner for when she crawls in the door. What will happen when I move away??? oh dear...

[Unmarked]

I noticed someone voted under "My corporate sponsors and lucrative endorsement contracts cover my fencing expenses". Wonder who that is?

Anyway,I'm under 21 and used to hold a part time job during my holidays.So I paid for most of my stuff and some of my brother's stuff as well but now,I'm completely broke so it's back to "Mom,can I have $$$ to pay for my fencing stuff?"

[BrianH]

Waaaaaay over 21 and pay my own way in fencing. The money I make from teaching pays most of my expenses. Though, since I no longer compete much, my expenses are not as high as they used to be. Equipment, some travel, memberships, etc.

[Zilverzmurfen]

I pay for basically all expences connected to my fencing.
However, recently, the "Sports section" (eqv.) at my garrison agreed to pay my training fee since I represent my unit in the military comps I attend. Yay!

Every little something is welcome to help out as travels and accomodation costs a bit.

[AllisonT]

Since I am waaaaay over 21 and have a good j-o-b, I pay for all my own stuff. I only fence at the division level, so no big travel/tournament fees are incurred.
I do fence with a lot of high school teams, so I see the anquish when they break a blade and know they are in for another year of indentured servatude to mom and dad. One resourceful mom hunts through the discarded broken blades a the end of a tournament to get the points! Now that's fiscal responsibility!

[greenchick]

Interesting that the U-21's claim to contribute but the parents who answered all say that they're footing the bill.

[mollusk]

I'm trying to figure out a way to have my children (under 21) pay for my (over 21) fencing. Still working on it ...

[D'Artag-NOT]

I've been fascinated by the replies to my [hopelessly inadequate] poll [with all its missing categories]. My curiosity on the subject was sparked by the fact that I fence in a University club; however, I'm a University staffer, not a student. The students in the club who take fencing seriously own much better equipment than I do, most of which is partially or completely paid for by their parents. My own kit is still incomplete; after four years I'm still borrowing electric foils, body cord, and lame from the club when I go to competition. Like louweasel, I've bought my kit in bits and pieces--the glove here, the jacket there, the breastplate somewhere else. It was only this spring, after 3-1/2 years of fencing, that I was able to spring for my first electric foil and body cord.

I have received exactly two fencing gifts: my two dry foils (from my roommate) and two pairs of white knee-high socks (from my sister).

To the poster who is waiting to get a job so he can buy better equipment--good luck on that. I have a job. I also have rent, and car maintenance, and grocery bills, and insurance bills, and medical bills . . .

[bwoodward]

I recently returned to fencing after a 27 year absence. There was just nowhere around here to fence! I still had my foils and mask, but the club requires an actual fencing jacket before you can fence so that was an expense. (Geezer rant follows) "Why, in my day, we wore a thick sweatshirt and were glad to have it. Puncture resistant? Newtons? Who cared - it was cheap and we were fencing!" (Geezer rant ends) My mask still works but the modern masks seem to have such large bibs. I think my mask is an original Spartacus Signature Model.

[Tony Soprano]

Other : Under 21, I pay for all of my fencing expenses.

[MyraTrue]

Originally Posted by wbowman

NOW the question is, "How much do you spend every year on fencing?" When people ask me this, I tell them I refuse to add it up. I don't want to know!

Oh please don't ask this. I don't want to know either. Sometimes I think I'd either sit down and cry, or be amazed that I somehow came up with that kind of money and still met my bills.

To the poster who is waiting to get a job so he can buy better equipment--good luck on that. I have a job. I also have rent, and car maintenance, and grocery bills, and insurance bills, and medical bills . . .

I second this one. I know what its like to think "can I buy a replacement blade since I broke my last one? Lets see... bills, or blade?"

Ok, D'Art, I am curious (I may be missing something completley) why you selected 21 as your magic number instead of 18. In theory, one is "an adult" and "supports themselves" at the age of 18. Many don't, or don't have to, which I can imagine takes some stress off in life.

I voted for the over 21 and pays for stuff. I've actually sent fencing equipment home for younger siblings and for my mother. However, I don't fit in with the university fencers D'Artg-NOT's so familiar with. And I really don't mean this to sound like I'm puffing up to brag- I count myself very lucky to have what I've got. But as far as equipment, I think I may own the nicest stuff in the university club. On the other hand, I'm coming up on my third year in fencing and had some chances and incentive to buy FIE stuff.

For me, the thing that helped me was that I took 8 months off between undergraduate and graduate, worked 40+ hours a week on good pay, and had such minimal rent and what not, I had money to spare. So I bought things like the FIE mask, and a second set of whites. But also, unlike a lot of my university counterparts, I pack a lunch every day, eat out only when on tournaments, and don't go drinking though I'm old enough. Fencing is my addiction, and it shows. (I've also had a LOT of luck with people selling good used equipment at wonderful prices)

[Hurriranger]

training is free for another year. when i leave school, i will have to join a club. As for tournament fees, it's not bad. only 10 dollars a weapon.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Ok, D'Art, I am curious (I may be missing something completley) why you selected 21 as your magic number instead of 18. In theory, one is "an adult" and "supports themselves" at the age of 18. Many don't, or don't have to, which I can imagine takes some stress off in life.

I was working under the assumption that very few 18-year-olds are actually self-supporting adults. What kind of job can an 18-year-old get which would actually pay enough to live on? Twenty-one is the age at which young people have graduated or are about to graduate college or trade school or whatever. (You can see how this was influenced by my University fencing environment.)

[MyraTrue]

I can understand the reasoning behind that then. And being part of a university fencing club, I know what you mean. A lot of the fencers talk about convincing their parents to pay for fencing equipment, or getting it as a gift etc. I know a lot of them get help on tuition and on housing from parents. But truthfully, going to school full time and holding down a job that pays all your bills is a really hard thing.

Thanks for explaining.

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Capt. Slo-mo

except for the vast amount of money siphioned directly from Inquartata's dues/fees and and lavished into my child's athlete performance grant awards" choice?

Originally Posted by Sabre Psycho

Except for my colored lames and primal scream therapy, which the USFA pays for directly out of Inquartata's entry fees.

I KNEW it, I just KNEW it!

There ought to be a "Inquartata pays my costs" category!

[mifencer]

I've been on the Ramen Noodle and Macaroni diet so I can pay for my fencing. What also helped a lot with my budget was refereeing. If the USFA will pay you part of your expenses, then why not do it? Example, a 3 day NAC and you fence 1 of those days, the USFA will pay 2/3 of your expenses. I know this won't help EVERYONE but it a suggestion. Also, you can referee local tournaments and save the money as well.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

I KNEW it, I just KNEW it!

There ought to be a "Inquartata pays my costs" category!

Well, honestly, Inq, you've never paid for so much as a foil glove for me. *"Humphs" haughtily* Why should I give you a category in my poll??