I run a small business painting motorcycles, unfortunately the last year has been a struggle. I make very little money these days, but I still fly jets...

Well, here is my story, here's how I have ended up with the airplanes I have.

I started flying when I was very young, my dad got me involved. When I was a little kid my dad did pay for my hobby, I admit that and I am very grateful to him for that. When I decided I wanted to explore racers and pattern, that's when he told me "you're on your own kid".
Well, at the time I was about 14, as most kids do, I had part time work, it wasn't working at Mcdonalds or anything, but it was part time work. Since I had the benefit of living at home at that time my money went to airplanes, well, and guitars, my other hobby. I started out with less expensive airplanes than I wanted, but it got me flying what I wanted to fly. As I honed my skills on those less expensive airplanes, I saved up for the next one, when I was close to ready to buy the next one, I sold what I was flying. I was trading up so to speak.
That went on through my pattern flying career until I was about 20. By that time I had bought a Ducted Fan jet which honestly, doesn't amount to anything in this story because on flight number 13 it died...

Needless to say, in my 6 years of flying pattern I had accumulated a lot of equipment. Engines, airframes, retracts, etc. I also still had a number of sport planes, quickies, extra 300 type airplanes etc. All of the pattern planes and engines were purchased by "trading up", in other words, selling old stuff, adding smaller amounts of cash, and then buying new. All the sport planes I had aquired were auction deals, or hobby store clear outs etc. I had very little invested in them, maybe it was just an airframe here, and an engine there, but soon they were complete airplanes.
Anyway, in 1999 I wanted to get into turbines, that was my "dream" in model airplanes, so as much as I liked Pattern, I decided it was time for a change.
I sold off my pattern stuff and bought a Kangaroo and a RAM750. I was very fortunate at that time to be able to pay for the turbine in installments (not something I would ever recommend).
Anyway, I flew that Kangaroo which really, after taking into account all the stuff I sold, only cost me about $1000 in the end. Lets face it, most of us spend $1000 a year on the hobby at least, be it in fuel, or parts, airplanes etc, makes for a cheap hobby.
Anyway, by the time I had my Kangaroo ready, that was my only fancy airplane. I had one sport plane left.
Well, When I wanted another jet, you guessed it, I sold the Kangaroo, kept the engine, and moved on.

Now I will admit that I have been very fortunate in that a lot of the jet stuff that I have now I "horse traded" work for product, I painted a lot of stuff in order to get much of what I have now.

However, let me tell you how much I have spent on the hobby of my own personal money in the last 3 years on jets.

Less than $2000.

However, in that time, I have accumulated 4 engines, and a few more airframes.

Again, I did it by trading up. Selling off airplanes that I didn't have an interest in or were tired of. Yes, I do still trade some work for product, but not a huge amount these days.

How many guys do you know that have 10 or 12 foamy airplanes, all with motors and batteries, RTF, a couple glow planes, RTF, etc.

In short, it's not that hard to get to a jet if instead of buying that next $100 good deal that I don't really need or even really want, or if I don't spend another $150 on an airplane that is a very small version of where I want to be etc, I can save that money up. And, if I liquidate some of the stuff that I haven't flown much or at all, that will put that money together.

It might not get you to your dream airplane right away, but it might be enough to get you up to an entry into that world.
Example

Lets say your dream airplane is an F16 turbine powered model, lets say that jet will set you back $6000.

If you start with something like a Reaction 54, you can buy used for probably around $3000, well, If you can liquidate a lot of the stuff you don't use, you'd likely come close to the cost of the R54. Then, over the next year put those $100 impulses into a jar while flying the R54. Maybe it will take more than a year, maybe it won't, but during that time you may also find a good deal on the airframe for the F16 etc. Buy it in components.

In the end, it takes time, it's not instant gratification like we've come to almost expect in this hobby, but it puts it all within reach.

In the last 3 years, I've turned over probably $15,000 to $20,000 worth of RC stuff, but as I say, it's cost me under $2000 of my own money. Sometimes I end up just making a trade for something that I think will be of more use to me, and then end up being able to sell that item easier.

Of course you still have to be willing to take the risk of flying that model knowing that you could lose it all, any of the jets that I own, if I crash one, that's it, it doesn't get replaced, I simply can't afford to do that.

For years I wanted a JMP Firebird, finally after many many years of "trading up", I was able to sell a jet for the money needed to get the Firebird.

I'm not rich, we get by, in todays economy I'm happy that we can do that, but I can still afford my hobby by being smart about it, and being careful where my money goes.

I also don't smoke, I don't drink regularly, I don't hunt, quad, snowmobile etc. My hobby is my Planes.

Hope that helps some of you to see that your dream airplane may not be as hard to achieve as it sometimes seems.