"Tracking Hobby Expenses" Topic

One of my two end of the Year retrospective posts included a (perhaps over detailed) summary of all my hobby related expenses. It came to rather more than I expected (Or think is reasonable on a year to year basis), although it was an unusual year in several regards. The idea came from Tim's blog,

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where he has been doing this for a few years. It also lead to an interesting range of comments along the lines of from "Are you insane? What if your wife sees this?" to "Good idea to reinforce restraint and self discipline!" Having said that, if there was ever something I didn't want my wife to see, putting it on my blog would be about as safe as in a vault, LOL, but she pays the Credit card bills anyway!

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How about the rest of you?

Peter

I can't be arsed with the record keeping…

I can't say detailed hobby expense tracking is very high on my list of priorities either, although I do keep a vague track of overall holdings for insurance purposes.

I'm with Cerdic – after 40 odd years I can tell when I'm spending too much and put the brakes on long before it gets out of control.

Working with 2-10mm figures these days it is fairly easy to build up a big backlog to fall back on if your budget has to be curtailed for a while.

These days I seem to be spending more on improving the efficiency of my limited storage space so that I can have more armies. I don't consider that wasted either – it keeps stuff accessible and is tidy enough so that my wife doesn't complain.

Yes, improving storage is worthwhile – an expense this year was more Really Useful Boxes – a good sale and fee shipping from Staples prompted the purchase, which was on the long range plan anyway. I need another shelf unit soon, too! I count that as a hobby expense also.

Several years ago I began tracking all expenses using Quicken software, and created a "Gaming" category to track gaming-related expenses. After about six months, I became very concerned that my wife would see this graphed total, and switched to "Miscellaneous" instead.

I don't see the point. I don't keep track of other expenses, so there is no need to worry about gaming expenses. I have a sort of fluid gaming budget; I know what I can afford and what I can't.

My hobby spending done in batches. I save up then make big purchases. I think I am around the same amount with the OP. This year will be very low since I am going to be painting what I have.

I track every expense anyway using a handy iPhone app so gaming expenses naturally get tracked.

I will add that tracking ALL expenses is useful, because you may not feel so bad about your gaming expenses once you see your wife's "clothing" category expenses.

I suspect our individual approach to 'hobby expenses'is as varied as our individual approaches to finance in general.

Me and my wife split our money to spend as we wish (after paying household bills), so if I choose to blow the lot on some new toys, it is up to me. She mainly rolls her eyes in despair at the wardrobes stuffed with uniforms, webbing and boots, then I point at the shoe cupboard…

Other people take different approaches.

I can't even remember what I have, much less what I spent.

I was inspired by a friend to start keeping a track of expenses and the lead pile a few years ago. I used to think I knew roughly what I was spending but the reality was wide of the mark. The whole process as enabled me to get my spending well under control, the leadpile significantly reduced and I'll have to be honest and write that I enjoy the whole OCD nature of it all. However, I can't tell you exactly how much stuff I have finished as I just don't know. I do know that I finish an awful lot less in a year than I thought I did, much less.

I do appreciate that for some the notion of keeping an eye on expenses is contrary to the whole notion of having a hobby in the first place.

What a dangerous idea. The wife might find it.

My wife thinks it is better than other things I could be doing.

We met when I was a 20yo Marine. Back then I spent on drinking, parties, concerts, etc…

At least now I have something to show for my money.

I don't want to track hobby expenses. Some things are better left unknown!

From '75 through 2010 I kept track of exactly where every dollar went, and "Toys" was a category which included gaming. That category used to consume 9% of my after tax income, and 17% of my total outlay.

In 2009 I retired, and in 2010 my financial situation improved so dramatically that I stopped tracking any expenses.

I would have 2 books. One for me. One for the wife.

As a security precaution I don't figure up my hobby expenses. If my wife found out how much went out the door for my toys I'm sure I'd be in deep and very hot water.

I try to keep spending to around $60.00 USD a month. However the last two years I went way over budget.
New Years resolution.
No buying of figures until the pile is almost gone. That should take a year or two!!

I spend very little so it's not really worth tracking.

Expenses for Oct – Dec 2015 were $0 USD

Tracking is a good idea. I track all my expenses, although not in detail. My hobby purchases fall under a broader catagory with books, gifts, trips & vacations, including other hobbies. However, maybe I'll breakout this hobby's purchases for 2016, the result will be some piece of information that could cause me to make better choices.

Screw expenses. I have a hard enough time tracking the important stuff…what figures/minis that I have.

I don't track the cost of what I spend on my hobby purchases. I track how many figures I buy versus paint which is depressing enough.

Wait, what? There are expenses in this hobby???

I am so with Dynaman on this.

No right or wrong way to do it, or do it at all. Useful for some, poison to others, LOL. I'd rather know the score myself, though.

If you need to ask the price, you can't afford it.

I intentionally do not track hobby expenses.

Hobbies are diversions from real world problems--like budgets.

As long as the bills are paid…

I'm too busy painting to spend time on something like this.

All of my store expenses are scattered on the dining room table. Next I have to do end of year inventory.

Started my expense tally for my 2016 expenses for this hobby. I'm already up to $106 USD in Jan. for renewal of magazine, 5CoreV1 rules, reading material on WoSS(2) & magazine back issue(1), and 48 Gripping Beast MoFo miniatures.

The only reason to keep a record of expenses is for insurance claims.

Tracking expenses is a way to measure where a person is at with them, and although when a person starts doing this they will more likely learn more from it than further down the line, it can be a way to help a person stay on track with their goals.

For this year one of my 3 goals is to fine tune my hobby processes, and watching what I spend will tell me something, just don't know what yet. I'm hoping it will keep my expenses in front of my face a bit, and hopefully give me some info that enocurages me to spend less, and do more, or at least prep me for the following year. We'll see.

Whatever for?

Compared to the expenses of daily life, war game expenses are vanishingly small. Besides they give me infinite more pleasure than paying the gas bill or a car repair.

If you don't believe me, hit a deer with your car sometime. $4,000 USD to a new car later. How long would it take you to spend $4,000 USD on your hobby.

Here's one way of looking at it:

"When I get a little money,I buy books. If there's any left over,I buy food and clothes."--Erasmus.

Where in this quotation would you place "miniatures"?

Dear Hafen

I place right up there with a qote I saw in a comic strip.

The character sas. I spent my money on Wine, Women, and Song. The rest I squandered frivolously."

It seems to be about goals, limits, and health. Then again, even those things are a matter of perspective.

I use the "Homer Simpson Accounting Method." I see it, I want it, I buy it. Supplies limited! Call now! Give me the phone! What am I buying? Supplies limited! Call now!