Personal Hobby Budgets. Do You Keep Tracking.

[Gaetznes]

In years passed I could only give you an idea of what I thought I spent on my hobbies. This year was different. I decided that I would make a profit or atleast make my hobby reach zero sum. Not an easy task, having to sell onces collection in order to buy new items, but a required evil in my case.

So I keep a spread sheet of all my personal items i've sold, plus all my purchases and expenses. Ie: Spending $60 on gas and food to buy a collection goes to the negative.

As the year has gone by, its been a bit of a Eye Openner. I never realized how much I spent on hobbies.

On the bright side, i'm on track to break even by the new year. Sad part that doesn't leave me with the ablity to buy all the kool stuff I would have blindly purchased years past.

So anyone else apply this method to their hobbies?

[jourdo]

I want to now, but I don't want to know.

[Cheers Ian]

I've tried on and off a couple of times this year.

But then I get busy and forget and it's hard to catch up :/

[Pascal]

I don't want to know.

[brr-icy]

i don't bother, and not in the habit of breaking even. there are occasional things and lots that it happens or better, but just being far under ebay market value is good enough for me

[Janitor]

That's quite some disicpline you got there, gaetz! I genuinely wish I could pull off the same thing but there's really nothing I want to sell! Among the things currently sitting in my BBTS POL:
-Assaulter
-FoC G2 Bruticus
-an Autobot mug
Preorders:
-MP Red Alert
-MP Soundwave
-FoC Soundwave + Soundblaster
-Encore Fort Max (even though I already own a MIB G1! WTF is wrong with me???)

As a general rule, I try to keep my "hobby budget" to around $300/month, which includes the occasional sneakers (not easy when they usually run $200 a pop). Example: if I go overboard one month and blow $600, then the previous/next month my hobby spending should be $0.

[FreedomGundam]

I don't actually budget for my collection/hobbies. If I want something, I just go out and buy it.

Not to say that I'll just go out and buy a Lamborghini for kicks, but like I've said to some friends: as a toy collector, there are often times that a rare figure comes along. If I don't snatch it now, I'll be paying many times that price later on; or worse, never see it again available.

I gotta admit, though, my toy-collecting has been at an all-time low in the past year; the flipside is that I've been buying more video-game related stuff. Oh well.

[Perceptor]

I don't keep track other than BBTS or TFsource orders. But from time to time I self-impose moratoriums on any new purchases when I feel thnigs could be tight. So at the moment I am on a self-imposed "fast" until next TFCon.

[Gaetznes]

As of this year, arcades have become my other hobby.
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=255128

Which I'm very happy about, as it owes me nothing and I have several machines to happy about. As listed in that thread. I only have a few more machines I want. Which I have access to. But as my goal is to break even this year. It will most likely be next year. Then I can get back to TF's. As there are so many that i've missed out on this year.

As I look at it, finding a working T2 for $400, will be hard to find then a mass produced classics toy that go for $40ish.

Working: Xmen 4p, Tetris, Rampage (Thanks DCompose)
Want: Lethal Enforcers, T2, TMNT 4p, Crusi'n USA Deluxe x2

There are other ones I want, but they are if I get them for a really good deal.

I've also found Trade has been king in doing this. Trying not to acutally spend money. But those items I do sell cover the shipping and traveling expenses. Its a lot of work.

[Protoman]

Originally Posted by gaetz

As of this year, arcades have become my other hobby.
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=255128

Which I'm very happy about, as it owes me nothing and I have several machines to happy about. As listed in that thread. I only have a few more machines I want. Which I have access to. But as my goal is to break even this year. It will most likely be next year. Then I can get back to TF's. As there are so many that i've missed out on this year.

As I look at it, finding a working T2 for $400, will be hard to find then a mass produced classics toy that go for $40ish.

Working: Xmen 4p, Tetris, Rampage (Thanks DCompose)
Want: Lethal Enforcers, T2, TMNT 4p, Crusi'n USA Deluxe x2

There are other ones I want, but they are if I get them for a really good deal.

I've also found Trade has been king in doing this. Trying not to acutally spend money. But those items I do sell cover the shipping and traveling expenses. Its a lot of work.

Beautiful..........