Think of the anvil as a life time investment. It may be a bit expensive at first, but the price drops each time you use the anvil when you average out the price per hour of use.  For instance, $2000 should get you most of the NEW anvils available, until you get into the heavy anvils. If you use that anvil for a year (2000 hours) then the anvil cost is only $1.00 per hour.

Put a rent-to-own container in the shop and RENT your anvil for the very reasonable $1.00 an hour. No fair cheating and skipping a payment, or allowing the wife to find the rent-to-own container. At the end of a year (2000 hours) the anvil is paid for.

If you continue to rent your anvil, you build up a little money that will allow you to purchase a leg vise or other item you want. Put that item on a rent-to-own basis. As the item is not being used on a constant basis like the anvil, make the rent $5.00 for the first hour, which is still reasonable, followed by $1.00 per hour for the rest of the time used.

Think of the anvil and shop equipment as a rent-to-own project. (grin)

I like this idea!  Puts things in perspective.  Now imagine the guy or gal who was given a great anvil......he or she's even more money ahead.  Hmmm, maybe you could even charge that back to the customer and recoup your dollar 

My anvil was a Christmas gift from my parents when I was fifteen. If I'd put a dollar an hour in the kitty for all the time I've used it since, I could probably afford a half-semester of my daughter's college tuition by now!

I love this idea and think im going to have to implement it in my shop! would be  a great way to save money to buy more tools and make shop improvements. 

With 2 hours a week at the forge, its going to take the rest of my life but I like it!

BryanL posted today that he just used TPAAAT and picked up a 133 pound Hey Budden for a dollar a pound or $133.

On your schedule of $2 a week, that is 66 weeks, just over a year. 

Yeah but I'm talking a $2000 dream anvil :-)

Write the check and post a pic of your new anvil then. 

You can waste the rest of your life "dreaming" instead of doing. Nothing we can do to help you there. If you wont or can't get what you can afford and put it to work to earn what you want, you aren't likely to be able to put your "dream anvil" to much use either.

Frosty The Lucky.

Funny thing; the anvil I've owned the longest is probably the most worn and lightest one I have---and it's still my go to anvil a lot of the times as all it's peculiarities are just "perfect" for doing certain things. (91# A&H) Especially for straightening blades where the gentle sway in the face works MUCH better than my dead flat 468# anvil.

My 99 # mouse has a bit of a smiley curve to its face, and a mushroom tipped horn, none of it my doing. It's great, I'm glad I never touched it with a grinder. That took a bit of restraint, just a drop. Now for a stand and a forge. But I plan to practice with my other anvils before using the mouse.