Chasing the gold cap: update #1

When Nev from Auction House Addict threw down the gauntlet and challenged the community to write about their gold-making goals, I answered! Several times now. In the process of editing the goal piece, I realized I haven't really been in the habit of tracking my gold-making progress. So that's what I'm aiming to do once every two weeks. Mostly to chronicle specifically why I'm not hitting the gold cap. Because of stupid stuff like this. And the Black Market Auction House. It calls to me, even now.

Gold amount at last update: 545,336g
Auctioning activity between then and now: moderate to low
Curent gold amount: 510,051g
+/- Change: -35,285g

My commentary after the break.


Notes: I know. I've got some 'splaining to do. Two weeks pass after establishing my gold cap goal and I find myself with less money? 35,285g less to be exact? Shhhh, shhhhh I know what the hell happened, I'm just stalling. Grilled cheese. Tomato soup. Bread with nuts (I hate bread with nuts. Unless it is coffee cake or cinnamon rolls with pecans).

First of all, I borrowed a friend & guildie 37k because she really wanted a Vial of the Sands. Now go cuddle with a puppy and scream, "Awwwwwwwww," at the gargantuan size of my generous, bleeding heart. Oh, what's that? You note that I borrowed her the money, not gave? Watch it, buddy.

To date she's been able to pay back 2,500g, so that about explains the entire net loss of cashish, right?

Not quite.

So I've been shuttling 12 Titansteel Bars, 40 Handful of Copper Bolts and two Artic Fur between my Main and Banker's mailboxes for the past six months. Engineers...I bet you know where this is going! I decided that I would immediately be better off if I'd never have to send that parcel between those two toons again. The solution was to ring one of our resident engineers and ask if he could fashion me a(nother) Mechano-Hog. But Ross, the guild asks, why do you need two of them? Because 12,000g is the amount I was able to scrape together by rifling through my first Mechano-Hog's tank bags, coincidentally the same amount as the cost for the remaining mats. Next?

Though I am currently trying to sell it for not much more than the cost of the materials, I may end up giving it away in the end. How's THAT for a generous heart.

I also spontaneously decided---with the help of the handy must-have TradeSkillMaster---to dive into the tailoring and enchanting markets by crafting one of everything that held the potential for a minimum of 150g profit. I spent about 7k on mats and have not seen much of that return. Kek.

Finally, the splurge. I number amongst the idiots who vendored/trashed their Haunted Memento shortly after the WotLK launch to free up bag space. I just wasn't thinking. Luckily enough for me, those who still own theirs and have broken free from the chains of sentimental value are able to sell it. I nabbed mine for just over 15k.

Goal for next week: Spend less. If that fails, adopt extreme conservatism.

Read the Intro Post
Read Update #2
Read Update #3