What's your budget?

[Mr Mystery]

How do?

Time for some relatively idle chit chat, methinks.

As per the title, I'm interested in an idle way about what people's budgets are like when it comes to their hobby.

And not just GW, neither. I'm talking paints, books, models, glue, general supplies etc.

No cunning master plan at work, just interested.

For me, it varies.

This month for instance, I spent the equivalent of £164.00 in GW.

There was a bit of gap filling (final two AoS audio drama parts), keeping up to date with other books (completist weirdo) lead to the Fyreslayer Battletome and Novel, plus some bits for my Undead.

And that's pretty average for me, mostly because I like to have all the books to hand (I even kept the in order of release until I moved house) even if I don't play that army.

Previously, I'd also share that budget with X-Wing when new releases came out, but I recently sold all that stuff. I barely had time to play, and much as I like the models, I had waaaaay too much stuff (typically two or more of each small ship) and it took up too much space.

I would do a poll, but I've got no idea what to make the integers, and seeing as I'm not up to any clandestine shenanigans it wouldn't serve much purpose :)

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

About £30 a month on average (for my miniature collecting madness) - tend to spend most money on my film making hobby and also currently saving up to get my own miniatures cast which willl probably cost quite a bit, so being ultra conservative on the mini spending lately...

[legiocustodes]

God; I dread to think! Most of my money is spent on eBay trying to source old school miniatures! Far too much

[Grey Tide]

Anything between £100-500 per month. Median is probably £200. It only gets high when two or three systems have a big release in the same month.

Spread over 40K, AoS, X-Wing, SW:Armada, Firestorm Armada, Dropzone Commander and Dust.

I also have Mars Attacks and Flames of War, and have just bought in to the Walking Dead kickstarter.

If you play multiple systems, it does add up. I take advantage of online retailers and bulk buy when possible, to get maximum bang for buck.

Not everything is painted, but if I find myself with less money or more time on my hands, I'm covered.

For added context, I have no kids, own my own house (low mortgage), don't drink (much) or smoke, and have a good job. I spend maybe 10 hours a week on the hobby. I don't have rich parents and had to work for every penny I have. And I do have a life outside the hobby (including a significant other who also has a good job).

I consider myself very very fortunate, I know not everyone has the time and resources for the hobby that I do. If I had a choice, I would spend more time on the hobby, not more money. My time split per week is 8 hours painting/modelling, 2 hours playing. I batch paint, and have several projects on the go at once, which makes for a very efficient pipeline - if I have to stop on one task (paint drying, out of paint, bored of rivets, etc.) I switch to something else immediately. No time is wasted.

So cost per hour is £2-10, median £4. Which makes it one of the cheaper hobbies out there. When people are posting their budget, can they work out a cost per hour too? That's a more important metric IMO.

[eldargal]

What's a budget?

[Kirsten]

:p

depends what is coming out. I don't have a set monthly budget or anything. I have spent about £300 in my own weight in bits last couple of weeks :p

[Mr Mystery]

What's a budget?

It's like a Parrot, but smallerer and yellowerer.

[eldargal]

I may have eaten some of those. No wait I'm thinking of quail.

[Mr Mystery]

Or you're thinking of Nuggets, which are baby hens.

[Haighus]

I don't really have a budget, as I tend to put aside cash in general (being a stingy bugger) and then every so often drop a £100 or so of it during a moment of weakness and start a new allied detachment or flesh out an army. Usually happens when GW release something limited edition, I'm a sucker for limited items as I know I can't come back for them later :P Not just GW stuff too, managed to get the last two limited Vic minis Adepticon miniatures.

[Ben_S]

I've been keeping track of my hobby spending for a couple of years, after deciding that I needed to get it in control. Last year, I spent about £500, though my net spend (i.e. deducting hobby stuff sold) was actually negative, which was a first. This year, I've spent about £100, so need to rein it in a bit. It's not that I can't afford to spend more, but I don't have space for all my stuff as it is, so I want to limit acquisitions until I've assembled/painted/used (or sold) more of the mountain that I already have.

For the record, this includes things like glue and paint, and other non-hobby items bought for hobby use, but does not include membership or attendance fees for clubs and tournaments (not that I spend much on such things).

[Charon]

Depends. As my wife and me have very good jobs and no kids we both have no "hobby budget" we just buy on impulse.
So it depends for me on releases and while I did spend around 5000 € during the Eldar/dark Eldar release, I did not buy a lot in recent times (30 Flesh hounds, but from Puppets War) as GW does not really want to take money from chaos players.

[YorkNecromancer]

When I worked full-time, my monthly budget was around £250. Since going part-time, my budget is down to about £60 a month, though I may go over if I see a bargain on eBay, or if something like, say 'Battle for Calth' comes out.

I don't really buy new models any more, and haven't done for about three years. I tend to buy cheap job lots of ruined stuff, then repurpose it, buying additional bits as needed. The only new models I've bought have been the aforementioned 'Calth' boxed set, of which I bought multiple copies, and the Skitarri when they were released last March.

As for actual buying from GW, I haven't bought a miniature from them since I bought some of those 32mm bases (and if I could have sourced the in similar quality for cheaper anywhere else, I would have), and before that, it was a Techmarine I bought back in 2007 when I was first rediscovering the hobby after a long absence. Generally speaking, I can't imagine buying anything from Games Workshop directly; it would feel too much like being financially gouged.

[Mr Mystery]

Currently buying in-store only, as the manager is my former boss, and a thoroughly lovely bloke. So, y'know, support your local gun slinger etc.

If/when he moves on, I'll have less store loyalty and will look to online discounters, or just hall my arse over to Darksphere of an evening.

[Kirsten]

I always support local shops, but as we don't have a local GW store on the island I can shop online.

[Psychosplodge]

I don't really set a budget. I might go for months not spending anything, then drop £300 on a FW binge.

[Fist of Dorn]

At the moment it's about £100- £150 a month, but I think it's going to get much. much worse soon ;)

[Morgrim]

I spend approximately $10-20 australian a month.

So basically I buy something every couple of months. And I haven't branched out from GW because it'd take me a while to get going even on a cheap game like Malifaux, so until I have a group of friends that plays something else I'll stay with GW and convert my models very slowly.

[MindwormGames]

Sometimes I think I only started a game company so I could justify how much I spend on hobby products.

BUSINESS EXPENSE!!!

I'm probably around $100+ per month on average for personal stuff. I like small skirmish games because I have, like, two jobs now. You can get a lot of bang for your buck that way, in terms of both money and time.

[CCS]

Since the late 90s my "hobby budget" has been $500/month (USD). The $ actually goes into a separate account.
It covers whatever games I'm playing at the moment, GW or otherwise.
Anymore it's rare that I spend the entire amount in any given month. So anything left in the account come August then gets applied to my trip to GenCon.

[Psychosplodge]

$500? that's about £30 right? :D

[JMichael]

I have a $200USD per month hobby budget. This includes all wargaming and PC games. Some months it's tough to fit it all in that budget, but most months I don't spend that much as I have a large 40k collection and don't really need much else and don't want any titans.

[Zederith]

My Budget...is for food & gas plus enough for bills and other required spending to exist.The rest is for my wonderful,vampiric,40k/30k hobby.

[Path Walker]

My budget is around £100 a month, thats what I set aside for hobbying anyway, I often go over that though, as I do get stuff from a lot of different systems.

I buy most of my GW stuff from my local GW, its a bit pricier than online but I get it in my hands there and then, don't have to either take time off to wait for delivery or schlep over to the Post Office depot (which is only open till 12 on a Saturday).

Non-GW (Right now, mainly Frostgrave, Guildball, DZC and X-Wing) I buy direct from the manufacturer or from small hobby specialists, like Bad Squiddo, unless I'm playing in the local gaming space, when I'll try and buy something from them, but their stock is pretty poor these days, but they usually have some X Wing ships in.

I like staff at my local GW and think a shop where people can learn to play and paint is important for the hobby so I'm happy to do my part to help keep them hitting their targets. I don't play there much, what with working full time, but I sometimes take an afternoon off to sit and paint there and chat with some of the more social capable regulars. The manager is due to change, she's actually coming to work with my department, so this may change if the new one is a bit too much of a "company man", we'll see how that works out.

[Mr Mystery]

If that's Lizzie, I was on the same management course as her :)

Which I failed.

[Erik Setzer]

My hobby budget kind of shifts... Mainly because unexpected expenses come up (and right now I have to cut back in order to pay off some of them).

But it also depends on how hobby budget is defined. I have a kind of "entertainment money pool" that goes to comics, video games, and physical games. I'd guestimate $200 a month altogether, though more in some months. A splashy release might get me to drop more (i.e. grabbing a pair of Betrayal at Calth boxes, or getting some new Skaven releases, or an Ogre Kingdoms army because I thought I might be able to mix them with Orcs in WFB... or even just an XBox One). But then usually that has to be made up for elsewhere.

Right now, the GW portion of the budget is at the back, because my wide range of interests makes it obvious how much further my money could go with almost anything else, and that makes it hard to justify the cost. I.e. if I have $80, I'd rather get Dungeon Saga than the two new Space Wolf characters and $20 of whatever, because one is a whole new game that can also double as useful props for RPGs, giving me lots of use, and the other is just a pair of small toy soldiers for one specific army that I haven't had a chance to play in months. Similarly, if it's a choice of $60 for those two model, or dropping that on some Humble Bundles and a Steam sale, the latter is getting the money, because it's a lot more entertainment for the money.

There's a lot of factors in there, so I'm not sure I can give a "hard" answer.

[grimmas]

Don't have one. It comes down to what I can sneak past the wife to be honest. It's probably very low might average out at £30 a month. Although I could probably not buy anything ever again and still have stuff to paint for the next 15 years (at my current completion rate). I've got models from 1989 that still need painting. I'm beginning to think that Tom Kirby is right and my real hobby may be buying GW models 😮

[Path Walker]

If that's Lizzie, I was on the same management course as her :)

Which I failed.

Lizzie is Southport, it's her sister Naomi!

- - - Updated - - -


I'm beginning to think that Tom Kirby is right and my real hobby may be buying GW models 😮

Thats our secret shame, Tom was right all along.

[Captain Bubonicus]

I've got so much old stuff (been playing and collecting since the late 80's) that nowadays I'm just picking up a model here and there or a vehicle to add to old armies. I'd estimate I maybe spend about $100USD a month.

[Mr Mystery]

So far this month? £45 on Curse of the Wulfen.

I may pick up Assassination Force as well later on. Need to catch up on my other models first though.

[Erik Setzer]

So far this month:

$16.50 on GA: Death.
$16.50 on Tactical Objectives (Supremacy)
$4 on White Dwarf (for Deathwatch rules)
$38 on Chaos Marauders (bits for Wulfen conversions, rest will go to Chaos army)

Would have spent $33 on Waaagh! Ghazghkull update, but it was sold out everywhere locally. Might bit annoying, though not as much as the apparent lack of original detachment and possibly even relics (so I'll keep using my existing copy where people will let me).

[Da Gargoyle]

First of all, Morgrim
I spend approximately $10-20 australian a month., I take it you are not actually buying figures then.

For all of you lads that believe 100 quid is a lot or $100 US, have some sympathy for us in Aus. A clam pack model goes for between $25 and $40 Aus. A standard troops box is $55 - $60, Elites more. The army starter kits are $140, (Though I'm on a 10% discount with Good Games for a nid box) I bought my son the Skitarri starter box because the cost of the dune strider meant everything else in there cost $20.00 They even charge $50 for the spray cans.

The price is irrelevant to the exchange rate, to paraphrase one whit out there, about $800 to 30 quid. I get to laugh cause it's worse for the Kiwi's.

So I scrounge and look for stuff on the cheap. But not the cheap knock offs. And each time I buy something I cross my fingers that the bank account can stand it. And now it's worse, I'm getting into FOW. Does anyone know where I can get a cheap Priest (BA)? I need it to make a second battery. And never buy Brit paratroops if you hate painting. The smocks have 3 colours on them besides the webbing and kit.

[Morgrim]

First of all, Morgrim , I take it you are not actually buying figures then.


It means I buy myself a new box for birthdays and christmas, usually. :p

[Defenestratus]

I used to spend way too much on my hobby. To the point where I now have a small GW store of unopened inventory in my basement in boxes. Thus I've spent close to nothing on hobby stuff for a while other than just paint and the odd FW order here and there.

Most of my money is being sunk into ye ole "house fund".

Before that it was ye ole "sailboat". Which as anyone with a boat is aware, means Break Out Another Thousand.

[Captain Bubonicus]

I used to spend way too much on my hobby. To the point where I now have a small GW store of unopened inventory in my basement in boxes.

Testify, brother!

[Defenestratus]

Testify, brother!

You don't even know.

<snipped bad bad stuff>

[Erik Setzer]

You don't even know.

<snipped bad bad stuff>


I have a walk-in closet big enough to be a room (seriously, you could fit a twin bed, nightstand, and small dresser in there), stuffed with figures. Another, smaller, walk-in closet with some figures. Got a storage room attached to my patio, filled up enough you can't move around. My bedroom has a large set of plastic shelves filled with the stuff I plan to get to in the near future, and even the space around it is filled.

That's to say nothing of the stuff that's actually assembled and/or painted. That's under the bed, in cases lined up along walls, filling shelves on bookcases or sitting lined up in front of books.

I feel like I have an idea what you're dealing with.;)

[Warsmith Shaughn]

I don't have a budget for hobbies, but I do keep a detailed record of all my expenses. So I can see I average about $50/mo on games in general. It'd probably be more if I wasn't so slow at painting.

[Denzark]

I ceded all financial responsibility to the Memsahib. I then get £100 per week - lets call it pocket money. Some weeks this will get drunk - or even the week before. Other weeks I'm 1.5 weeks worth in the hole for miniatures, like with a RT genestealer cult army I bought. I then have to take reduced rates until paid off. I have tried to stop buying new - except when pretty like Deathwatch or wulfen come out. I dropped on the Gucci ton+ edition of Curse of the Wulfen as I saw it in Warhammer World and was sold. That meant I went on rationed funds until back up.

[Da Gargoyle]

It means I buy myself a new box for birthdays and christmas, usually.

I knows what you mean. I buy them for my wife's birthday and she throws the box at me. I then take her out to dinner and convince her I'm a hetro male so what would I know?

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

bdays and xmases for me for the most part.