Cult Of Games XLBS: How Do You Master Your Hobby Budget?!
March 1, 2026 by crew
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Happy Sunday CoGs, OTTers and Backstagers!
Hobby budgets are strange things. They rarely reflect what you can afford but some time later can be a measure of your regrets. Few people have hobby plans and it’s hard to budget for that. Personally I find the best way is to a) have a plan, b) have a realistic budget and c) try to make purchases that ‘pack the most punch’. If you’re on a budget, make choices that have multiple uses. For example, my Bolt Action tanks have removable turrets so they can double as K47 tanks (with new turrets). My Horus Heresy Night Lords are my 40K Night Lords (they honestly barely changed in 10,000 years) and my Death Korp of Krieg in 40K are also my Kill Team faction and are also my Trench Crusade Prussians.Simply put, one collection, multiple uses.
John, you don’t want to be the next Johnny Somali so watch out on your zany antics. Now about the parts kit concept, have you thought of an overall army build as a kit?
Ben, a separate and attached line of figures to the Foundry line is Casting Room Miniatures. Same company but potentially lesser known models so it could be good for collections.
Shay, ever the stalwart young man. We’re proud of you and the sense of stability you have. Now, to stack your hobby space with all the things that Gerry will never paint and you will play. Ahh.. the transfer of hobby wealth between generations, very Soviet a concept. 😆
What is a budget ?
also: I can go without eating for a week, right ?
My main weakness is ‘bargains’ and perceived value.
So far this year I’ve done well and only bought some bases and 7mm dice. I’m going to try and limit myself to only buying stuff at shows (Carronade, Claymore and Targe), when it’s my Birthday, Christmas time, major sale events and a company’s eBay auction. Although this doesn’t seem that limiting.
In the terms of crowd funding for the first time in a long time I’ll probably not back a own IP Mantic project. Dreadball 2nd ed is still in the box and the thought of Wargames Atlantic’s The Damned arriving gives me the fear.
I was painting some Foundry Argonauts for Warriors of Athena whilst watching this video and I really liked the buyer’s guide to ranges you provided @brennon Please can you use the Indie slot to do more in this format. You have covered most of the essentials and I have models from both Foundry and Crocodile Games. If you want to see all those straps on the Artemis model painted you can check it out in the February PaintComp. I’m using Reaper for the monsters so there is another good one and Relic in Canada do a Calibos and some interesting historical and mythological miniatures. If you want a movie Perseus you can get him and Bubo the mechanical owl from Crooked Dice.
Interesting topic. I rather enjoy the feeling of shiny syndrome but feeling it and then actually spending the money don’t need to be part of the same process as Shay described. I find thinking clearly about what I like about the shiny thing is helpful. Is it because it is a huge and beautifully painted army? Realising that in reality what I will get with my money is just a big box of grey plastic and a month of painting time often cools the ardour.
Budget – I have a strict budget of £40 per week. If I want something expensive I need to save up which also helps fight off the FOMO purchases. The only exception is for a mega-bargain job lot of stuff. If something like that appears I don’t mind lending the hobby budget some money as long as it gets paid back again within the month. This usually means selling something but that stops The Pile from getting to unmanageable proportions.
Thanks for the GB. I’m honoured to be in such esteemed company, congratulations both. That Tracy Island is the best project I’ve seen in years. Well done @gorram.
I’ve started this year being more like Shay, and restricting what I buy. I have plenty of stuff to be getting on with. This year I still have some terrain pieces to pick up. So I plan a 12 month mini purchase ban. The aim is to only pick up paints, brushes and the odd rule book.
Finacially I’m in a position where I have a large chunk of disposable income every month but I try not to spend it. I’m starting to look long term and save that money for retirement when my disposable income will shrink.
I’ve also moved across to smaller scales which lower costs, along with less storage required.
Sunday. Coffee
20:25 don’t like the design. A no from me.
22:08 A HOOKER BIT YOUR TONGUE OF?! [The real reason I comment today]
27:30 *cough* Warlords of Erehwon *cough*
57:45 My hobby budget/allowance is 50€ per month. I don’t have “disposable income” as some people might. Every cent I make in a month is going out for all things needed to be paid for. Rent, food, insurances etc. 50€ are set aside each month and if I don’t spend them in that month they add to the next month. With only Star Wars: Legion as a game with regular new stuff I want to have that evens out pretty much over a year but everything else is a very hard “can I afford it” talk with myself. And if it’s something that would only sit on a shelf and gather dust, I’m not buying it. Hearing of hobby spending north of 200GBP each month gives me a heart attack. I never in my life had that much money to spend “just for fun”. To be fair and honest I did something similar in my early 20ies when I was in the Bundeswehr but in hindsight much of my current financial problems stem from those 4 years where I spend way more than I should have. That being said: If you have that much money to spend on fun things: do it. Better you spend it then horde it. But always keep in mind the time when you will not be working any more. I’ll stop waffling now. Not a good day for such a topic for me. Carry on.
1:00:00 Well deserved!
1:07:50 A HOOKER BIT YOUR TONGUE OF?!
Happy Sunday and Friday evening , just watched has a double sitting on a Sunday because, .FRIDAY NIGHT IS CHEESE ON SODA BREAD NIGHT!! but i was busy Friday night…but FRIDAY NIGHT IS CHEESE ON SODA BREAD NIGHT!! . So hobby budgetting to be honest i dont have a Budget, I just purchase as and when i need for what ever project or game I need it for.This not say I havent purchased stuff and then gone why ya twat, so these purchases just get moved on, so now I just focus on what I need not the shiny,so historical accurant armys helps when it comes to my ww2 projects and for my Fantasy stuff is just what i like in my forces. As I focus my play on just these two things a lot of the models that i have can be used with different rules,if I find a different set I would like to try so i dont need to buy shiny…
I balance my hobby budgets between a few hobbies, but honestly, I don’t worry about what I spend anymore. I recently had a life-altering change in my finances, and I can do what I want, when I want now.
Last year, I paid for my hobby with commissions. I kept increasing my prices, people just didn’t go away. Now I have the luxury of not having to do commissions. It’s very … freeing.