Your hobby budget?

I don't have a budget.  I'd like to but the reality is that its just not possible right now.  I have a kid in college, one in HS and another in private school, two dogs and house to maintain.  Since I've been gone from the hobby for a long time it has taken a toll on the wallet to re-stock my tools, paints and kits.  My wife is on-board with me making a comeback; so much she surprises me with a kit here and there.  I take kits from anyone needing make some room and make them my own.

  I usually prefer aircraft, except biplanes (too fragile), in as large a scale as I can get.  Small scale and shaky hands do not mesh well.  I also like some scifi models from old scifi shows and movies, but not anime related, they tend to be too small for me to work with without ending up with a large lump of vaguely robot shaped plastic.

BaBill212

What is your favorite type of build (armor, aircraft, etc.)

Scale?

the previous message was for sparrow,,,   ,,,, ,,,   ,,,,

What is your favorite type of build (armor, aircraft, etc.)

Scale?

Hey , STIKPUSHER, you hit the nail on the head.My budget for these critters and the stuff to build them is and was critical. I did this ,I started taking commissions again. this money is HOBBY MONEY !!! I could just live off the check , but , I will be honest.I would need to sell all the models I probably may never build .This means ALL the cars and aircraft. AIN,T GONNA HAPPEN !!! So I just have two mags come to my home FSM amd SA.Now that I am doing commissions again I am actually getting quite a few of my own done .I just decided I would work on "COMMISSION" five days. the other two are for ME! Since that decision I have finished four cars and six ships. I alot certain monies to supplies each month and I make sure it does not top $40.00 . So far so good     tankerbuilder

We are a one family income which is modest at best...puts food on table, roof over head, and clothes on back.  Rarely do I use household money for the hobby.  My wife lets me keep per diem money from my business trips which isn't all that much, but I don't spend beyond that limit.  But my bride often lets me dip into general funds for supplies.  She is a saint.  I would have a hard time justifying household money on new kits, since my stash is enormous!!!

I had a brain aneurysm a few years back which has left me disabled and unable to work.  I survive on the less than $1K a month I get from SSD.  My wife lost her job almost three years ago, just two weeks before xmas, and she has been going to school ever since, trying for a nursing degree.  She get's a small amount from her work study.  We get food stamps to help a bit.  We have a Daughter about to turn 14, so we have to deal with that.  My Wife gets a stipend every 3 months for her school expenses.  So money is incredibly tight over here.  I only get a kit occasionally (once every 2-3 months) and it usually has to be a total of under $20.  I then have to hope I have the paint and glue I need for it or it sits in the stack for a bit.  My wife understands that I need to have something to do since I am pretty much housebound and without at least one hobby, I would go stir crazy.  I only get out to go to Doctor's appointments and the like so she doesn't mind if I occasionally get one used cheap kit.  eBay is my best friend.  Occasionally I get lucky and find a gem on eBay at an affordable price that someone got at an estate sale or something, and has no idea what it's worth.  I also don't even bother with collector kits.  I just buy builders and occasional parts kits which I can usually cobble into something usable.  So I really have no budget.  Kinda like the US government.. :)

stikpusher

A while back we had a poll about the average age of folks here. Here is my follow up related question- how tight is your hobby budget compared to your income? I am not asking for IRS type info, but just a rough idea.

Are you the sole supporter of a household (wife & kids)? Are you retired on a fixed income and having to watch your money carefully? Are you a young student, the proverbial starving college student? Are you financially secure and not having to worry about your hobby prices?

As for me, I fall in the first category- my budget these days is dictated by whatever extra cash I can squirrel away after household and family needs are met.

Easy for me. When I run out of money I quit spending it.

It's just me, I'm a college student but I have no debt and I work part time. So my expenses are are kept to minimum, though I do spend around $100 a month just on prints/copies and materials for model-making in the studio(architecture). So whenever I do find the time to make it to the hobby store I don't really have a budget of what I can spend, however 99% of the time I only buy something on clearance or sale. The same goes for shows where I look for the best deal.

That said I don't have a budget, but I do like keeping my expenses to a minimum whenever possible. So I may go months without buying anything model related, or if it's a deal I can't pass up then I break out the greenbacks.

Just the wife and myself...  no kids. We both work, so that helps.....   Plus we've been married for 35+ so we can each indulge on our hobbies a bit without worry (mine being modelling,, hers being shoes!).

I try to budget no more than a single "order" per month,,,,, IF something intrigues me in that particular month. I don't set any real dollar limit, per order, but I don't go totally overboard either.

Enjoy the hobby!

I haven't totaled everything that I spend on this hobby in the course of a year - on purpose because I'd likely croak at seeing the amount!

We have a son in college and a daughter in pre-school.  My wife "works" - selling a variety of things she either makes or buys for re-sale, and markets electricity, but my income is the primary income of our household.  We are currently sitting through the Dave Ramsey class that amazes me - that man has made millions by marketing common sense!  So lo and behold, the budget has returned to our household.  My wife, an accountant, has set my hobby budget at ~$50/month.  Seems fair to me but given my last 2 model purchases (Airfix 1/24 Mossie and Fine Molds 1/72 Millennium Falcon), I would not be able to make such purchases without first saving for a long time.

So next year I am going to do my best to limit my modeling purchases to supplies only.  It's really all I need as my stash is ~130 kits.  I need to get to building more and buying less!

Single income...Im the only one working.  Have a son 6 and daughter 2...oh and a wife.  I get to spend 2.99 to 5 dollars a month or so, I usually order Airfix airplanes from the squadron catalog.  Then pick the first color I need and order it, then next, then next.  Things are pretty tight.

I don't set a monthly allowance but I probably spend between $1000-2000 a year on hobby related stuff when you add up kits, supplies, books, magazines, tools etc.

Retired with a pension,  manage an apartment building for a small salary plus hourly rate for repair work that doesn't require a licensed contractor, electrician, or plumber to sign off on, so I got about 25.00 bucks a week...  

However, I can build out and super-detail a 12.00 Revellogram for about a nickel... A quarter if it's got four engines, but I hold my costs down by dumpster-divin'.... Not an easy feat when a wheelchair's involved...  The plus side to the wheelchair is that I'm always in a "ready position" for the workbench...  

I also shut the car off and coast as much as possible,  use a turkey baster to maintain the coolant level in the radiator and just sneeze in the tires...

Manstein's revenge

 

His stash is expanding faster than the Universe...he doesn't have to work, but he does---but also finds time to serve on several non-profit board of directors...and when he isn't donating his time to the commubnity, he trains for the next trialathon...

Hmmmm...could you be the MOST INTERESTING MAN in the WORLD?

Not if you ask my wife...

Mark

RedCorvette

...I probably spend around $200 a month on average...been adding to my stash for 30 years - I have no idea how many, but several hundred at least...I work 50-60 hours per week and serve on a couple of non-profit boards.  I also am a triathlete and usually spent 8-10 hours per week training.

His stash is expanding faster than the Universe...he doesn't have to work, but he does---but also finds time to serve on several non-profit board of directors...and when he isn't donating his time to the commubnity, he trains for the next trialathon...

Hmmmm...could you be the MOST INTERESTING MAN in the WORLD?

Two income household, empty nesters with the kids through college and on their own.

No real financial modeling budget; I probably spend around $200 a month on average including models, supplies and reference books.  Been adding to my stash for 30 years - I have no idea how many, but several hundred at least.

My biggest limitation is time.  I work 50-60 hours per week and serve on a couple of non-profit boards.  I also am a triathlete and usually spent 8-10 hours per week training.

I've done more modeling recently since I hurt my Achilles tendon in July and haven't been able to exercise at all. 

Mark 

I'm single with no kids, I've paid off the house and the car and I generally live quite frugally so...  I can spend whatever I like on what I want.    One month I might drop $500 on model stuff whereas the next month I might not spend a dime at all...  no budgeting, just impulse buying.

Oh, and I get the girlfriend to buy the really expensive stuff for me!

Manstein's revenge

My hobby budget?...I'll have to get back with you on that after I check with my wife...

$229...

per week, per month, per year... you'll have to guess!

My wife is still working I'm retired I spend an adverdge of $50 to $100 per month I just keep a running list of what I want or need then order, when uncle sam forks it over. Then I start over the first of the next month.       ACESES5         TIME FOR BEANS

I dont currently have a steady job, just intermittent performing jobs with an opera company/orchestra and that money mostly goes towards bills.

ALTHOUGH

Me and my parents sell stuff through Ebay, we go to flea markets buy stuff and we sell it, we all do different things for it, my dad puts stuff up, my mom packs it and labels it, I take it all to the post office, etc.  But after we pay off everything we spent at the flea market everything else is split between us as profit.  We get paid every 2 weeks about and its about 20-60$ depending on the week, that is my hobby budget. 

And shopping at a flea market you can get some amazing deals, I just spend 3 dollars (total was 5 according to markings but he gave me a deal.)  I got a bunch fo woodland scenics... turf, corse turn, foliage, grass turf, and earth turf as well as a bag of heki golden brown static grass.

My hobby budget?...I'll have to get back with you on that after I check with my wife...

My hobby budget is tight. I'm married and have a 3 year old daughter and an 8 month old son. Since I'm the only one who works in the house, any spare cash goes to feeding and clothing them. Of course, then there are the bills, and the mortgage and the little expenses, like gas for the car and food for the cat. So, really, the last thing that gets attention is my hobby and the last thing to get fed is the carpet monster...which may not be a bad thing Most of my purchases come at a time where there is an excuse to make them, for instance, my birthday, father's day, Christmas....I'm thinking of incorporating some other holidays into our household to supplement the growth of my stash. Its also during these occasions that I receive kits or other modeling goodies from others, like my parents. If I do drop coin on some items, its usually during shows and conventions, where vendor prices are more in line with my budget. A $5 Revell F-4 Phantom II can hardly be turned down, eh?

To my wife's credit, there is no double standard in budgeting. She spends just as much, or as little I should say, as I do on her interests. There is no need to ask permission because I'm well aware that I'm not going to get it...and I'm OK with that considering there are more important things to do, and more important things to save money for, than modeling.

stikpusher

 

Boba Fett:

 

Whatever I can get... I'm a junior (HS) and no job... School is a full-time job already. One of the reasons I rarely if ever buy AM parts... scratchbuilding FTW! Usually I manage to milk out a few bucks from my parents every so often, but I don't have a steady cash-flow.  I probably spend $10 or so a month, usually on paint or tools. I've managed to stockpile up quite a collection of kits so my goal (until I get a job) is to make a dent in that.

 

 

Here is a good question, what is ther today for a kid your age to do to earn money? I used to have a paper route in high school and jr high, and would get paye dby my folks for doing our yardwork... no work, no money... But these days those jobs are done by adults..at least where I live.

Honestly, all the unemployed adults are taking our jobs! Seriously though, there are jobs out there. I was going to apply for a library position, shelving books (and I was a shoe-in because I know the head-librarian and her son is my best friend) but I just couldn't afford the time. I volunteer there at a kids group though. I tried getting a job at Hobby Town USA, but they wanted people with a lot of RC experience. I guess it's just as well though. I'm homeschooled, and the curriculum I have is the equivalent of all AP courses. My friend goes to the public school and from what he tells me, I do 3-4 times the work he does. He is however, far saner than me.

I guess right now, not a lot. Since this economy is so bad, jobs for HS kids are rather limited. My area has a lower population, so there's not as much competition for jobs, but not many places are hiring. Some of my friends still do the yardwork thing, but a LOT of people are doing it themselves to save money. If I have an opportunity to make some cash, I'll jump on it. But honestly it's virtually impossible. I don't even get a cash allowance anymore, usually if I really need a tool or decal sheet or bottle of paint, my parents will pick up the tab. That's about the only "sollid" source of income I have.

Wow, I write too much! ^

George, one quick example will help explain having a stash

When you are building a collection to a theme, you just have to get kits when you see them

Otherwise, as in my case, if you get to VA-63's plane, and don't have a stash,,,,,,,,you can't get the Emhar FJ-4 or Hasegawa F9F-8,,,,,,,they're OOP,,,,,,but, I have them in the stash, so I won't have to pay another guy his price to get them out of his stash,,,,,,,,same deal with decals,,,,,,when they're gone, they're really gone

even as it is, with a stash,,,,,,I'm 3 Cougars short and will have to pick them up wherever I run into them, even if they are expensive when I see them

just one example,,,,,resin parts are even worse

I hope this explains it somewhat

Rex

Agreed not much left for teens today except the McD, etc route. Also did the local newspaper route, etc and those came with some fringe benefits. ;)

But as I see the hobby what you put into it is what you get out, not many hobbies where you can spend lets say $20(just a  figure) and can get XX hours of enjoyment out of it.

If you want a ton of models on the shelf in a short time it will become expensive, IMO.

Boba Fett

Whatever I can get... I'm a junior (HS) and no job... School is a full-time job already. One of the reasons I rarely if ever buy AM parts... scratchbuilding FTW! Usually I manage to milk out a few bucks from my parents every so often, but I don't have a steady cash-flow.  I probably spend $10 or so a month, usually on paint or tools. I've managed to stockpile up quite a collection of kits so my goal (until I get a job) is to make a dent in that.

Here is a good question, what is ther today for a kid your age to do to earn money? I used to have a paper route in high school and jr high, and would get paye dby my folks for doing our yardwork... no work, no money... But these days those jobs are done by adults..at least where I live.

I do one kit every two or three months and refuse to pay more than 40.00 dollars per. I love 1/72nd scale since they average less than15  bucks.  In my opinion my results, while good, do not justify investing more. 

Also having a "stash" of unbuilt kits makes no sense to me. 

At retail, 100 kits at 30.00 dollars apiece equals 3,000.00 dollars.

Even with the poor performance of the market  I guarantee  I could find some place that money could be earning. (NO I'm not a broker and I'm NOT soliciting your business)

Once I get an airbrush, and get fairly proficient with it,  I may increase my limit to 50.00. 

My hobby budget is funded by the hobby itself. Every 'full' build I do where I try the best of by ability, I will do a couple 'experimental builds' that are straight forward with one or two experimentatal techniques. These I sell off and the income feeds into my hobby fund. The markup is approximately 3-6 x the kit/parts value. When a newer tool comes out I build the old one in the stash and use the proceeds to get the new tool As my stash grew I no longer buy kits much as such, but mostly collecting reference books online.