"2012 Budget for minis and such" Topic

Do you budget for your mini purchases or have/give yourself an allowance for their purchase?

I get $20 USD/week to spend on whatever, usually baseball/football cards, minis/models/paints/supplies. A small portion of my yearly work bonus (~ $120 USD) goes to a mixture of the above. I also have a 2-4 pack per week habit of baseball/football cards that is not part of the $20 USD/week.

Curious what others are doing.

Don't have a budget as such but try and keep the spending down to a few hundred AUD per month. Includes purhcases for my projects and my Sons.

I actually have to save my small change,so it takes me awhile.I usually paint for buddies for stuff that I want.That being said,I do manage to own a home and take care of my family on a single income,but frugality is the order of the day.

I generally start by pretending I have money. Fill the online cart. Sigh sadly, then bring it down to about $30 USD before shipping and take a screenshot, then label the photo "Next purchase from (Insert company name)" and delete it once I've made the order(Whenever I get around to it/decide I can afford it). Then the sad, habitual process begins anew before I've even put paint to the last order.

Have been good this year. In 2009 I'd make roughly 2 orders a month. Then one every 5 weeks or so in 2010, supplemented by impulse buys on Ebay. This year I cut that all down to 3 Ebay buys total which I paid for with selling on Amazon and now just make orders whenever I get paid for doing odd jobs on my own time.

MY resolution is to not spend nearly so much this year. I worked out what I had spent and what I had spent it on last year – (excluding December, when I went hog-wild with presents for myself…)

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I typically spend around 40-50 a pay check. That way it isn't so depressing to see my check and spend it all on bills, food, gas, etc, etc… that way I have just a little bit to myself. However that isn't always game stuff. It includes music, books, video games, movies, and so on. Sometimes it isn't even that much, and sometimes it's more. But that's roughly my allowance.

My resolution this year to paint up more than I buy! I was fairly close this year in that I spend money and purchased probably 100 minis and I painted roughly that amount. Not too shabby. I plan to do about this same this year with my WWII, sci-fi, and moderns.

I plan on staying under 1% of take home this year and paint more of what I have. Perhaps I will work out a system of earning spending points or something by painting my figures, ie. a 5 for 1 exchange or something. that might motivate me. I'd have to paint a 24 figure unit before I bought another blister or a whole army before I got another OG bag. Never happen.

Leadjunky, that's a great idea.

I never intend spending much every year! But there's always paint glue brushes so on to buy. I'm trying to work through the back log of stuff but I know there will be to many temptations same as always, the body is strong but the mind is weak, I think this year money will be the deciding facture!

$30 USD per month. Sometimes I go over that, but not often. I've been trying to cut back on miniature purchases because I have a sizable waiting list, so lately it's been more terrain, supplies, and rules that have been purchased.

I went overboard last year so I will reign it in this year and set a budget. Fortunately I have some Christmas cash to start out the year. I see some great ideas here I'll probably steal one.

Money is really tight around the home, so very little for gaming (used figs at the FLGS, paints and supplies at hobby lobby and some convention spending) comes out of the household checking account. Most comes out of my paypal which is replenished by buying and selling miniatures and games.

Originally it was a curse that I couldn't pass up a good deal, now it supports my hobby! I still get to acquire and inspect the cool figs that catch my interest, but when it becomes clear (as it often does) that I'll probably not get around to painting I keep a few and the rest become the $ that continues to fuel the obsession.

I only buy after I sell something from the stuff I don't want/need. Keeps the lead pile low and won't break my pocketbook.

Good luck,
Brian

do have a budget buy once a month, got much to paint won`t be buying much until Feb. other bills for Jan always bad.

I allow myself the occasional indulgence now and then. I used to spend, spend, spend!

I'm currently making some 'mercenary alien robots' (to fight my Daleks) which can look like anything I feel like, as long as they look cool. The plan is to use only what I have in my spare parts box (apart from greenstuff, paint and glue). I used to just go out and buy something and not worry about costs, but now times are leaner I have to economise. I have 4 boxes of mixed parts and bits, so its gonna be interesting…

About $100 USD a month…