Budget over the years

[DavidthePyro]

I've been thinking budget and was wondering

What was the budget of your first 4th celebration?
How quickly did you increase your budget? The next year, or did it take some time?
Do you prefer to discover products through trial and error or research/discussion?
Are there products you always use since discovering?
Which manufacturers have wowed you in the improvements they've made over the years?

I took a learning leap over the past two years and am basically starting from scratch. I made a lot of rookie mistakes we could say when it comes to purchasing. My budget grew faster than my knowledge. Now my knowledge is growing while my budget stagnates. I'm not sure what percentage of my budget should go towards cakes and how to divide up my remaining budget on 60g cans. Do your shows get better over the years or do you have some "off years" where the stars just dont seem to align for you? I'm really looking forward to making my selections, but I may eat up my budget on product quicker than I'd like to

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I think my budget for my first official "show" was in the neighborhood of $350. I lit a bunch of 500G cakes one at a time in the street in front of the house. Last year I spent $11K on 55 cases, a professional sound system, and 8 Cobra mods and an Audiobox. This year I spent $4K just on 44 cases of fireworks.

As for products... I start watching videos in August. I also start thinking about what songs I want for the show. You can't buy the pyro until you know what tunes you're aligning it with. I buy from Spirit of 76. So I get on their website and start going through the videos one at a time. I don't buy anything unless I see it in a video first. I keep an Excel spreadsheet with all my firework orders. So when I see a cake/effect I like, I add it to the spreadsheet. When I run out of videos, I go back to the spreadsheet and see where we're at on the total price. If it's over y budget I whittle it down. It's never under my budget unfortunately!

There are some effects I like to buy over and over again, but I generally try to use new stuff as much as possible. I don't want to put on the same show year after year. That would get boring fast.

[Kenny East]

Back about 12 years ago my total cost for my show was about $200... Tubes screwed to plywood, handful of cakes... And a ton of Roman candles for use in the finale....

Fast forward to last year, did a handful of smaller shows... Spent about $3k mixed wholesale and retail. Biggest jump came about 4 years back when I decided I was going to get into display fireworks.

Up until last year I usually budgeted $1k for racks, modules, or other show equipment.... Now I've got a large collection of racks, a few different firing systems. And some other related gear.

As for your budget question... Cakes vs shells... Depends on if you have racks, or plan on reloading. I used mostly cakes when I first got started, now mostly use cakes as filler between racks. I still use many cakes as a lead into my finale, as well as occasionally using big dramatic fans as an opener.

You will always have that one year where stuff just doesn't work... Like a nodule fails, a cake blows apart, and it starts raining... All in the same show... But that's how it goes, better luck next year.

[DavidthePyro]

I still do some tubes screwed down. Although with phasing out ball shells, I may buy some racks. My budget is 1k, but I'm thinking I'll go over budget quickly. Hopefully my significant other doesn't mind!

[Icooclast]

while i have yet to have a "show" so to speak. it's been just me and friends lighting fireworks a few or so at a time till the cops told us to quit for the night. when i was a kid my dad & mom dictated my fireworks budget. (it wasn't much) but once i got older and got to use my own money my budget grew from a few hundred, then a thousand, then 1,200. then a little bit more, until i jumped it up to 8K. (this was back when i had money) now things haven't been so good money wise. so i haven't had enough to make it worth while for 11 years (this will be the 11th year if memory serves)

but you will see your budget increase or decrease over the course of time. depending on how much you enjoy doing shows, how much money can be sunk in, etc. but if you enjoy it, chances are (like any hobby that is enjoyed) you will put a little more money in that the previous year most of the time (depending how much extra cash you have to spare.

[DavidthePyro]

Yeah, I've been in that boat. This is going to be a (hopefully) big year for me as last year was the first time i implemented a finale of substance, and really it was mostly experimentation. This year I'm hoping to have a good plan for my finale. Every year is a year of learning and growth but I feel like I'm ahead of the game this time around. Much more educated and ready to show the world what I've learned. I've not had much success staying in budget. Seems like I'm always set to go and then a few weeks beforehand, I'm pulling out another wad of cash to add just a few more things. I just can't describe the feeling I have about this year. Humbled, but confident. One of the main motivators is the people for which I do it-- family, friends, neighbors, the people that have watched me grow up. I'm hoping that this year shows the leap I've taken in learning- I'm approaching this "preseason" differently than I usually do. This site is a great example. Interacting, reading, learning, it makes me very excited to get it all in motion. The waiting is the hardest part

[Unknown]

I have been putting on shows off-and-on sense 2012 but it wasn?t until 2017 that I REALLY started to put on a show. It started off with assortment sets and mortars, lightning the fuse and run, light fuse, run... my budget back then was 300 then grew to $700. 2 years ago, I fused my first finale. 7 200g cakes and 12 Excals all fused together. Bit messy poorly timed but still good fun.

Last year I fused a 15 minute show and spent $1200. This show was scripted, timed and fused together. 11 200g cakes, 21 500g cakes, 72 mortar shots. It was also the first year I built a 24 shot mortar rack. Friends family neighbors loved the show.

This year the budget is up, $1700. I have 7x noab, 24 200g, 28 500g and 125 mortar shots. Also for this year I built 3 standard 24 shot (fanned) racks, fanned Roman candle rack and sky rocket rack. Like I say, building a mortar rack as a Pyro is like building a light saber to be a Jedi. ;-)

I start researching after Christmas and designing a show. For this year I have already built my show. Now I wait.

As far as brands go, I am a world class fan but have been liking a lot of the Magnus and T-Sky stuff. This will be my first year I really branch outside of World Class. I would highly recommend brothers bomb set. Audience loved them last year. This year I am trying the star set from brothers with the Bombs.

Overall, I feel most brands out there are good it just depends on the effect your looking for and who carries that effect.

[Icooclast]

there are 3 places too avoid (imo) and i think people on here will agree. 1)TNT. 2)Phantom 3)prism

they're all insanely over priced and only average quality at best (my opinion)

don't know if you already get your fireworks online or by the case, but you get more fireworks and for less of a price (depending on what ya get and where you're looking at.) there are some links on this site.

[DavidthePyro]

Oh my gosh.. prism.. only purchased from there in the beginning of my pyrohood, I learned real quick that it isn't worth it. I had 20 200g cakes from them that I got from a neighbor for free a couple years back, they all were fused together, glued to boards, put out behind the launch site, soaked with water, and taken back to one of their stores. I've seen some bad stuff happen with their cakes, although I'm sure they're safer than what I've experienced. Dont want to bash them too much, they do it to themselves enough

[PGH_Pyro]

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=3824&stc=1

:D :o

[DavidthePyro]

3824

:D :o

Love it!! Hahahahaha

[Robbro097]

For me my budget was always around 500$ hand lighting then my buddy had decided for his birthday he was going to do a big show got a firing system and needed help setting up that was my first taste of electric firing. After that i got a 12cue and my budget increased to around a 1000$ give or take then after a few years i felt it was my time to go big joined pyrotalk upgraded to 60cue system and budget went to 3-4000$ and that was for july last year now im spending around 3-4000$ this year plus a 72m cobra and r2 and hope to keep it around theyr and adding another mod each year.

[DavidthePyro]

For me my budget was always around 500$ hand lighting then my buddy had decided for his birthday he was going to do a big show got a firing system and needed help setting up that was my first taste of electric firing. After that i got a 12cue and my budget increased to around a 1000$ give or take then after a few years i felt it was my time to go big joined pyrotalk upgraded to 60cue system and budget went to 3-4000$ and that was for july last year now im spending around 3-4000$ this year plus a 72m cobra and r2 and hope to keep it around theyr and adding another mod each year.


That sounds a lot like the path I am on, hand lighting, smaller budget over the years, this year my budget has doubled. I ALWAYS go over budget a little bit, need to work on that area of my discipline, hahaha. Maybe this year I'll actually stay in that budget I've set.

[chriskrc]

there are 3 places too avoid (imo) and i think people on here will agree. 1)TNT. 2)Phantom 3)prism

they're all insanely over priced and only average quality at best (my opinion)

don't know if you already get your fireworks online or by the case, but you get more fireworks and for less of a price (depending on what ya get and where you're looking at.) there are some links on this site.

I agree. Although I have never heard of prism but tnt is too much about actually screwing people with fireworks and phantom I will say does a lot to help the industry from what I've seen in the past. They are a little pricey but if it helps lobby our industry I will show some support to phantom for that.

[Robbro097]

That sounds a lot like the path I am on, hand lighting, smaller budget over the years, this year my budget has doubled. I ALWAYS go over budget a little bit, need to work on that area of my discipline, hahaha. Maybe this year I'll actually stay in that budget I've set.

Iv never met a pyro that stayed in budget myself included so good luck lol. For me it was electric firing that gave me ability to shoot as much as i wanted as fast as i wanted. Even the Chinese firing system is a great way to push your show to the next level.

[nightstalker]

hmmm What's a budget when it comes to fireworks

[hvac_superman]

We did our first show back in 02 hand lighting items I bought from a stand. Maybe spent $300 or so. Every year kept growing bigger and bigger. Built my own firing systems and now 12 Cobra mods and $5k or so on the works. Easy to get out of hand with this stuff.

[Icooclast]

We did our first show back in 02 hand lighting items I bought from a stand. Maybe spent $300 or so. Every year kept growing bigger and bigger. Built my own firing systems and now 12 Cobra mods and $5k or so on the works. Easy to get out of hand with this stuff.

oh, how i know it. you're preaching to the choir there, lol.

the only problem i have with my big order all those years ago is that now it doesn't seem worth it unless it's around that much or more. be weary of that before you make any big jumps in budget

[DavidthePyro]

oh, how i know it. you're preaching to the choir there, lol.

the only problem i have with my big order all those years ago is that now it doesn't seem worth it unless it's around that much or more. be weary of that before you make any big jumps in budget


My budget this year is 1k. I'm holding around there for the next several years, but dont hold me to it! Hahahaha. Usually it goes from "I'm only spending x amount this year" to "okay, I meant just that much at one wholesaler... not total" it's worked on my significant other for years, haha

[Big Worm]

My budget this year is 1k. I'm holding around there for the next several years, but dont hold me to it! Hahahaha. Usually it goes from "I'm only spending x amount this year" to "okay, I meant just that much at one wholesaler... not total" it's worked on my significant other for years, haha

Haha thats exactly how it goes for me. 3 orders later now im up to just over 3k. Ahhh too funny!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

If I told my significant other what I spend on fireworks she would soon be my significant ex. Then things would get REALLY expensive!

[DavidthePyro]

Hahahahaha, Rick! You are too funny!

[davids31]

My 4th of July budget has averaged around $1,100 for the last five years. Many to get a 25 min show form Spirit of 76 last year. I shot around 400 shells. I should mention that it is a family effort.

[cauques]

My 4th of July budget has averaged around $1,100 for the last five years. Many to get a 25 min show form Spirit of 76 last year. I shot around 400 shells. I should mention that it is a family effort.

I was also at $1,100 in product this year (from $4-600 in previous years) from SO76. Not sure how you're able to stretch that to 25 minutes! I feel like I would need at least $2,500 for that long of a show with good pacing.

[nayslayer]

hey, its great family fun and lifetime of memories, right?!:cool:

[Rick_In_Tampa]

hey, its great family fun and lifetime of memories, right?!:cool:

Exactly! As the budget has gone up, so has the crowd size. My wife told me there was a traffic jam leaving our development last year. That's pretty cool in my book. More importantly, no one got hurt.

So I don't worry about the money. Money is useless unless you enjoy it. I don't want to live to work. I want to work to live.

[Gibby99hound]

I dont even keep track i build a order 3 rimes a year and go pick it up dont keep track of totals...lol

[joed2323]

So I don't worry about the money. Money is useless unless you enjoy it. I don't want to live to work. I want to work to live.

Awesome. I will have to remember that when my wife starts tapping her foot in disgust about my fireworks and my spending!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Awesome. I will have to remember that when my wife starts tapping her foot in disgust about my fireworks and my spending!

My wife and I have come to an understanding about my hobbies. She doesn't ask me what I spend, and I don't lie to her. It's been working fine for quite some time now.

[morrison2951]

Exactly! As the budget has gone up, so has the crowd size. My wife told me there was a traffic jam leaving our development last year. That's pretty cool in my book. More importantly, no one got hurt.

So I don't worry about the money. Money is useless unless you enjoy it. I don't want to live to work. I want to work to live.

Same here as far as crowd size. This year I shot my show from a closed golf course on a bridge over a pond and I'm told that the crowd size just kept growing over the 15 mins or so show length. I'm hearing good things from those that were in attendance.... but I don't want to get a big head. :cool:

[AxeElf]

...but I don't want to get a big head.

Yeah, getting a little head is definitely better.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Yeah, getting a little head is definitely better.

Well this conversation just took a big turn!! lol...

[PyroKing31]

Fireworks are a known aphrodisiac. Releases endorphins as well. What more could you ask for!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Fireworks are a known aphrodisiac. Releases endorphins as well. What more could you ask for!

A few things come to mind, but nothing I can say here. :p

[rfgonzo]

I set a budget every year of 5K for the last 7 years, so when I hit that budget in May, I stop counting cuz If I didn't I would end up sick to my stomach. I know it goes a few K past that though. Grrrrr

[PyroKing31]

I try and stick around $1k including any new racking, and other components. I just added a china firing system that arrives in a few days. I am excited to try that. I need to get more racks and tubes too.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I set a budget every year of 5K for the last 7 years, so when I hit that budget in May, I stop counting cuz If I didn't I would end up sick to my stomach. I know it goes a few K past that though. Grrrrr

As long as the house isn't in foreclosure and there's food in the frig....

[morrison2951]

Yeah, getting a little head is definitely better.

:o ha ha lol

[rfgonzo]

As long as the house isn't in foreclosure and there's food in the frig....

Amen to that.

[PyroBubba]

Do your shows get better over the years or do you have some "off years" where the stars just dont seem to align for you?

Yeah, in a word, money makes the difference. Some years there's more, some year's there's less.

The good news is that hardware accumulates. For example, the first time you go in for buying tubes and building mortar racks, it's a serious expense, and it hurts because you feel like you're subtracting that from your budget for actual fireworks. But the next year, you re-use your racks and also, as you're buying shells by the case, each year you acquire more dozens of additional tubes for poor-man's racks.

Suppose, in Year One, you order 100 tubes to build racks, and buy two cases of shells, getting an extra 24 tubes in the kits. That's 124 shells you can shoot. Year Two, you order another 50 tubes to add to your racks, and get three cases of shells, with another 36 tubes in the kits. Now you'll be able to shoot 210 shells, including poor-man's racks. Even if you don't order more tubes for Year Three, but add another 48 tubes from four cases of shells, you're at 258 shells, including poor-man's racks. In other words, after a couple of years, your hardware costs naturally go down -- unless you just have extra money and want to upgrade.

If you're buying 60g canister shells, of course, those tend to come packed 4/24 with eight tubes per case, although those tubes are more durable than the regular cardboard tubes that come with shell kits packed 12/6.


Are there products you always use since discovering?

Yes, certain cakes I tend to use year after year (if they're available and not discontinued).