Website operating costs

For many years we've been providing this website free of charge, with all related costs (Domain Name, Hosting and software etc..) coming out of our pocket.  Over the years those costs have increased and still are. To ensure the site keeps running, I need to look at ways of making it a little more self supporting financially.

One possible solution that I'm currently exploring is allowing adverts on the site, and i'm experimenting with this now.
Personally I'm not fan of random adverts all over websites, so please be assured The-T-Bar isn't going to turn into one of those sites littered with adverts that end up blocking the content your trying to read.

One advert space per page is probably going to be my limit, I'm playing with possible locations within the site to ensure it'll be unobtrusive as possible.

If you do see any adverts which block content or negatively effect the layout of the site please let me know

Finally, any adverts that are displayed to you are chosen by Google automatically based on your browsing habits, Not chosen by us.

I'd be happy to pay a monthly or annual amount if thats the alternative to adverts.

I don't so much mind ads on forums but I find ones that make the page jump all over the place as they load bloody annoying, you have the page open and go to click on something of interest  like to enlarge a photo or to link to something relevant just as a bloody ad loads to the very spot on the screen of where you're clicking and next thing you know is your on some bastard advertisers site.....that shits me to tears!
Maybe a two tier membership might be the answer Teir #1 free with ads Tier #2 subscription ad free...... maybe we could even go to Tier 3 with some extra perks at a higher subscription rate if some can extra perks can be figured out though I couldn't really say what these might be.
But I s'pose a multi tier membership could become an administrative pain in the arse. The last thing you need is more work!!!
I just thought That I'd throw a few targets into the air so as to see which ones fly and which get shot down.........PULL!

A two tier system sounds good, tier two for those who are prepared to pay a subscription (members) & an open to all comers with advertising (associate members). 
Both associate & full members should be able to contribute & as now, where anyone can view. 
And what advantage would a full member have, over an associate? 
Possibly a card from David at Christmas !
M
 

No chance, not even my relatives get Christmas cards!

David Aiketgate wrote:

No chance, not even my relatives get Christmas cards!
 

BAH HUMBUG!  eh?

I knew the Christmas card gag would trigger you Cobbs, however I did think David might be more amenable.
If you were to get some monogrammed T-Bar cards all that would be required of you would be an oily thumb print in the corner of the card.
M

Maybe we could have a "donate to the site " tab?
 

How much are we talking?

The adverts are annoying and offputting. Can I pay for premium membership to avoid them please ?

Yep, me too .

Well the ads don't bother me at all when I use the Firefox browser on the Macbook, as I have an ad-free add-on the just banishes them, so I never see the damned things,
On the other hand there is no such Firefox add-on for use with iOS for my iPad or presumably my iPhones (never bother using the phones  other than as a hotspot, for the internet even though they are the largest size they are still too bloody small! to see anything worthwhile!) So I get to see the ads in all there magnificent glory on the iPad.