"Have expenses impacted your hobby?" Topic

A local radio station theorized that the high cost of food and gas have caused people to curtail spending in non-essential hobbies. The radio station said "like scrap-booking" but I thought: like wargaming.

So, has your spending on miniatures been reduced due to the higher costs in essentials like food and fuel? Are you finishing existing projects rather than starting a new period? Have retailers seen a reduction in sales?

In a word: no. ALong with these increases in costs, I have also seen my income increase (I'm on my 3rd raise for the year!). If nothing I can now spend MORE on my distractions!

Damon.

One Word – Yes

In UK fuel has gone up 30% in last 4-6 months, house energy bulls upto 60%, food up 25% in last 6-12 months

Work pay – 5% (rate of inflation) so less money!!!

Fuel is (diesal) about £1.21/ltr in UK currently (about $2.50/ltr and about $9/US Gallon)

Find I am not driving/visiting so much, selling more painted stuff on eBay to keep hobby going

Sorry for doom and gloom

(Soon as we get Gordon Brown's goverment out the better!! – only my personal opinion)

Al

No, but the loonie (CAN$) has been doing well and my wargames budget is pretty modest anyway.

Gas has been up, but my commutes are short. Electricity stable and food not up enough to be a problem.

Yes it has. Pretty much stopped it in its tracks for a while.

I've scaled back a little, although the fact that I've payed off my biggest expense of my car. That is more money for other things, unless the cost of everything goes up even further which it will.

Yes, with my wife disabled and unable to work and two growing boys to feed, clothe, mortgage(30year fixed) and gas now costing me around $50 USD a week and groceries have increased more than 50% a week I am feeling the strain.

A light rail line recently opened near my house and takes me to downtown. I have started riding my bike to the station and then to work after I disembark in order to save on gas. Food however, is an issue that I can find very few ways to cut back on. Because of my wife's condition she has to have foods that are free of wheat and sugar which means we eat very healthy but as you well know healthy foods without lots of over processing are far more expensive. Food coupons are in most cases for highly processed high in fat and sugar/wheat products. So I cannot save by buying cheaper brands. I will be planting a veggie garden this summer to defray some of the cost and we may be going completely vegitarian to save on food costs.

So yes my miniature purchasing is way down. Fortunately I have a large backlog of unpainted minis that perhaps will weather me through this current downturn. I am also blessed in that I have a steady job that is unlikely to be affected by market woes except it may be difficult to see a raise that will keep pace with inflation.

The other upside is that I will be in better health with all the bike riding and low calorie food. I always attempt to look for the positive in things.

I'm certainly at a point now where the only way I'm starting new projects is by looking at all my current projects and figures and selling those which I don't think I will continue with on ebay so that I can use the funds elsewhere.

It also means looking at smaller scales and different materials (6mm figures for massed battle armies and 1/72 plastics)

But yes, I have a huge amount of stuff for outstanding projects, so I just need to concentrate on those for the next 2 years (yeah, right!)

No, but I figgered a way around my difficulties. I live near a FLGS that also deals in new and used SciFi/Fantasy books. Whatever used SciFi/Fan. paperbacks I can bring in there earns me store credit that I can used for paint and figs. ( so long as they're Reaper, Rackham, Privateer or Crocodile Games and GW minis )

I'm happier than a pig in $#!!@*!

Not so far, being a single guy. But I am driving a car that is slowly falling to pieces that I really need to replace.

I'm also thinking about selling off some of the stuff that I haven't used in years, either for store credit or for cash.

Not really. The fact that I'm working more right now has curtailed my spending as I don't have as much time to paint the stuff I buy, but it isn't a cash thing.

I am spending more on gas than I would like, and less on metal than I would like.

I've been spending more really. I am at a "binge" point with my hobby.

I've trimmed down other things though. Finally got rid of Netflix… I was only watching one movie a month and paying for the 4 set.

Plus I dropped down on cable, excess movie channels that I never seem to watch.

Yep the current econoimic situation is starting to bite big time at our house. Coupled with our mortgage fixed rate coming to and end and (I found out today) I childcare provider leaving us in the lurch things are only going to get worse. I had to sell a whole lot of stuff last month to cover some bills we couldn't pay. On the plus side there was £50.00 GBP left after the bills were paid which I'm going to spend up at the show in Milton keynes this weekend and then that is it for me on the spending front for a long time I fear.

Yes, in some ways, but I don't buy that much anyway. I'm just working through the backlog of unpainted figures.

I am spending more on hobbies and doing less traveling/going out due to the cost of gas. Staying home also has the side effects of eating better (less fast food) and getting more housework done :)

I've probably increased the amount I spend as it's an expense that then means I spend less on going out etc. Does mean I've finally painted the Jaffa I bought 2 years ago at Salute and am making serious inroads into the WW2 Germans I bought the year before that! If we get a nice 2 year recession or so, I might even be able to finish the 40K Dark Angel army I bought and have been working on for about 3 years.

Not yet. It affected the price we got on our house sale. So, it has affected me. Just not in my spending habits.

Yes.

Our local garage has also felt the pinch as people put off repairs. Boom areas like FL are getting hit the hardest.

Not yet. I have to finish basing/flocking my 15mm ACW and some other odd and ends before I make any major lead purchases again. But my wife's company has handed out a lot of pink slips this year. We'll see.

Cost of Extruded Foam has compromised major convention project.

Other wise business as usual.

mjc

Not exactly. I spend the same amount, but it doesn't go as far as it did a couple of years ago. And I might drop it down a hair soon.

Yes. Gone from $20 USD to fill the tank to $60 USD in the last three years. Housing expenditures went from $600 USD to $1,000 USD a month. Food is up 30%. With doctor bills for the wife and two year old plus clothing…

Who's got money for figs? :( I think I'm doing good spending $50 USD a year on gaming period right now.

Yes, I live on a farm, we are raising heritage breed animals for market – pigs, goats, sheep and chickens. Feed for these animals has gone of 150% since may last year (wheat went from $15 USD for 40kg to $38), fencing material has gone up 200% Diesel has gone up 50%, food, Mortgage and so – on.

I have to drive 100km one way for work each day just too feed the animals – thats over $100 USD in fuel a week. With two kids as well things get pretty tight.

Just the other day I was thinking back to 1995 when I would order $200 USD worth of figs from Nic a fortnight. I don't think that will ever happen again.

Them days are gone.

Martyn

For me with two little boys the issue has been finding the time for gaming. Without that, the enthusiasm for the hobby wanes. I still get out to pick up rulebooks but not miniatures and no doubt when I start painting again it will be out of the closet.

So … not yet.

Yes. I buy less and paint and game more.

As with dropzonetoe, I'm going through a binge as well. Only just got back to the hobby and am in the process of gearing up again, building up the mountains of lead that I will 'eventually' paint.

Additionaly, with the Australian dollar going up against the US dollar, things are actually a little cheaper relative to a few years ago, and I'm finding that whenever stores have sales, I'm taking advantage of them and stocking up, so when the Aussie dollar inevitably crashes, I'll have a stash of stuff to fall back on.

Been lucky in that we haven't really felt the pinch in the budget as of yet. Although, with a new baby in the house, that's going to hit soon as she gets bigger. The real pinch hasn't been a financial one but one more of space. With the new addition to the family, my wife is kinda going mad at how much space my hobby occupies and I've been gradually pushed into a smaller and smaller area

yes….

Nope.

My painting has curtailed because my wife bought 'us' new furniture. Old table was donated, so now I have to wait until the new table is delivered. So no painting for 3 weeks. I am so looking forward to Saturday when the new table gets delivered and as my wife has to go out of town next week, I can get some serious painting done.

Yes.

I have considerably less money to spend on luxury items such as miniatures, scenery and wargames rules this year. On the bright side, it is giving me a chance to put a dent in my unpainted lead mountain.

Yes. This year's gaming budget is about 7% of lasts year's budget. The difference is being spend on increased costs of everything.

Nope, it's actually increased the last couple of years. Right about the time I sold the anchor, I mean car, and committed to bike/walk/bus everywhere. I'm saving about $2,000 USD in transportation expenses each year, some of which is being reinvested in gaming. Not for everyone, I know, but a real solution none the less.

I've also switched about 1/2 my grocery shopping to small asian markets (very abundant in Seattle), which seem not to gouge on produce and meat like the big chains do.

Not the economy, its the debt snowballing that has limited things. But when what little debt we have is paid off, I should get more "blow" money.

Expenses *always* impact my hobby spending. The most I've ever made in a year is 22 thousand dollars. I'm squarely in the middle of the "working poor" bracket.

New house, new kids and inflation are definately slowing me down.

Thing is, I had really planned to slow down a bit as, yes, fuel and food prices are beginning to become more noticable. But for some reason, this month has been a budget killer with temptation upon temptation throwing itself upon me.
Oh well, next month.
Hang on, there's a refund coming, right…?

Looks like the doom and gloom hits everywhere tabletop-terrain.com going by the total Yes votes.

For myself – I've stopped buying figures and pre-printed / packaged rules and exploring the wonderful world of paper scenery and PDF rules sets out there. The only game I am currently investing any real money (and less than £10.00 GBP per month) is Ogre / GEV and thats going into the scenery.

Possibly a bit;mainly right now,medical expenses. But am managing reasonably OK,so far.

Yes. Gas is a factor and I've just decided that I want to save money for a while -- sack away a bit of "rainy day" money just in case. So my mini buying is waaaay down, but it will be up in other areas (such as setting up to start resin casting the Arnica Real Estate buildings).