If I have real GAS (which does happen, I sell other stuff, guitar on non guitar related. I used to have large collection of unbuild scale aircraft. Accumilated over the years (teens and twenties) and sold this off the last few years to buy music gear. turned out to be a zero operation.
2nd, I try to build a lot of stuff myself, very time consuming, but I'm a patient man and I save money, for instance I wanted a thinline tele, so I build it myself. By the time it was done (took me about 4 months to build the body and aquire all the necesary parts, my GAS was gonne

3rd I try to get in touch with people who know their stuff and try to learn from them. I now have a good Amp tech friend. I learned how to build my own cabs from a carpenter friend, etc...
Saves me a lot of money. I don't push myself up but there is always something you can do for the other...
4rd I try to stick to just one thing, being music gear the last five years or so. I don't look at other stuff, might sound dull and perhaps a bit authistic, but that's me i guess. Been using the same computer for the past 5 years or so. + I got a house to pay and some house renovation to do. I also hate spending money on things I can easely do myself. (more extra cash to spent on gear or other things) I never bought a instrument on credit and tend to keep this way. If I can't afford it, i don't buy it. Keeps everyone happy. Never ever had a row with my wife over guitars or gear ever. I also never buy things online (or it should be a stomp box I already tried) but never a guitar or amp + I stay away from the bay.
Let's face it. Everyone has hobby's that cost him or her money. It's just one habbit takes larger sums at once while the other one is more spreaded over time.
just my 2 cent though
