Who needs clothes? I don;t go anywhere but work, and they jsut gave me a set of uniforms. I buy what I want when I think the price is reasonable. My wife says nothing as I don’t say anything about her spending. I’m just a collector at heart.
The amount of money one spends on this hobby is dependant upon how seriously one pursues it and what their tastes and preferences are. Everyone’s different.
Your average Joe Modeler most likely spends more than one would think, it’s the casual modeler that doesn’t usually spend an awful lot.
On the other hand, you’ve got really serious builders who’ve got more tied up in this “hobby” than most people spend to buy a couple cars these days. I definately fall into that category, and what’s more; I’m a self-made historian so my reference resources far outnumber & out weigh, financially, the kits & fixins.
To all but the casual builder this hobby, in and of itself, can be expensive. (Depending on what your idea of expensive is, of course.) But, like with anything, it can be really expensive if you make it so.
Fade to Black…
Beg, beg, beg. No not really, wife is ok with it and usually pick up one to two models every two weeks. She is kind of baffled though, she keeps wondering why I have so many models that are still in boxes.
Mine comes from the fact that, fanboy stuff aside, I’m not that materialistic. A car just needs to be reasonably safe and get me where I need to go, it doesn’t need to be a showpiece. I need just enough clothes to use in 10 days before doing the laundry with just enough extras to account for different weather. Basic electronics are good enough for entertainment ( $3000 for a ^%$@% TV?! Really, why? ).
That leaves plenty for most of the kits I’d want. The occasional exception ( Perfect-Grade Evangelion, anyone? ) does come along now and then, though, and I patiently save and wait until I have enough. Even so, my wife and I each have a walk-in closet in the master bedroom. Hers has been filled with clothes since we bought the house, mine has been filled with kits since almost all my clothes fit in the drawers!
As far as the grumbling from my better half, I told her I’d stop buying kits when she curbed her voracious appetite for novels, or was at least willing to read some of them a second time before buying more. Marriage should be based on agreement and compromise, right?[:D]
I really don’t have a specific budget for the hobby but I do have freedom in spending money as long as all the bills are being paid and all house expenses are covered. My wife doesn’t really mind as I also allow her to spend for her hobby. Besides she likes the idea of me spending more time in the house.
The kits are not really very expensive now here in Manila especially after Tamiya put up a plant somewhere in the south. And DML is coming in (from Hongkong) at very good prices also. 1/35 armor kits usually sells for about 10 to 20 dollars while 1/72 planes for about 8 to 15 dollars each. Paints (mostly Tamiya) sells for about 2 dollars each.
On the average, I spend about 20 to 25 dollars a month for kits and paints. Probably not a big amount for you bigshots outthere but here, it’s already quite a sum.
Buy the kit and worry about the bills later
<<That leaves plenty for most of the kits I’d want. The occasional exception ( Perfect-Grade Evangelion, anyone? )>>
I love Evangelion! I have a Nerv sticker on my puter right beside me as I type this. Great stuff that. My all time favorite has got to be Nausicaa though. I can’t wait until they re-dub it full legnth.
madda
My wife quilts and I build scale models, but we don’t keep score. She did however just get a new sewing machine so I think I see a new air compressor in my near future. I will also sell some of my old “toys” for new ones occasionally. Been stocking up for the coming fall/winter, have the wife convinced that collecting a closet full of unopened kits is part of the hobby.
actually doin models in my house keeps peace. keeps the ole lady happy that i am home and not runnin. i would spend just as much or alot more goin out to bars and everything else.
Having really just started in the hobby I spent a ton of money on supplies/tools etc (and still dont have a compressor). I only have 4 unbuilt kits in the closet and HOPEFULLY wont get into the stockpiling thing for some time yet. My better half is an aspiring chef, so we typicly spend some one month for her hobby and the next month I get a little extra. I have spent a bit more than she has recently, but it seems that she may decide to atend Johnson and Wales (sp) when they open here in Charlotte. That should even things up some 
Joking aside, we dont really keep score, its more of a we have “this much” after bills are paid from this check spend as you like. We have pretty much gotten into an alternating mode from month to month though.
God Bless
Dave
I am single and so i can buy models, but i make mostly a limit ( no kit more expensive than 20 Euro = 20 Bucks ).
for Shinano : The B-1 Lancer Kit is good, but the joints between fuselage and wings are poor, so you will need a bit of putty and some steel wire or something else to to build a construction for hoding the mighty wings. The rest of the kit is excellent
I have a seperate account (from many years ago) that I transfer some money into from each pay cheque. Sometimes it gets spent on other things (like the power bill…), but I never spend more than what’s there. Actually, lately I’m finding that there’s not a whole lot that I’m interested in buying. I was able to buy a dig. cam recently, but other than that, I’ve got more kits and tools than I can handle right now.
Murray
I’ve taken to start selling some of my older kits on Ebay. Kit’s that I’ve lost interest in over some new kits that have or will come out. That reminds me I’ve got to post a couple kits out there tonight.
Between Christmas and Father’s Day presents, the only items I really need to buy myself lately are paints, glue and any other odds and ends that are needed to finish the models. I guess that’s why I still have so many kits in boxes (a resin 1/700 USS Virginia (CGN-38), another PT-109, 3 Shermans, an F8 Crusader, an M151A1 MUTT, a '48 Ford Woody and a '69 Catalina). One of these days I’ll have to get around to picking up what I need so I can get busy. Which will probably be some time after my grandson starts school. He’s only two now and spends a lot of time with grandpa, so it will probably be a few years.
Rick
So much time, so little to do with it.
Rick you sound like a well rounded modeler. You build a little of everything. Enjoy your grandson, I have a 5yr. old and spend more time with him than building. He is starting to build now so there goes part of my model budget. It’s gonna be worth it.[;)]
100 bucks for that show that comes around once per year.
50 to 60 bucks a couple times per year(mail order stuff).
5 or 10 at the local hobby shop every few weeks.
5 or 10 bucks at the local club meetings(when ever they have something that I want).
When I’ve earned some extra money (I have that opportunity from time to time), I spend a part of them for my new models (if I have no money, my friends in hobby shop give me a little credit !). And as I’ve mentioned it already I have no problems with my wife - sometimes I get birthday or Christmas gift from her (of course after wise advice from my friends from hobby shop !). From my side - I try to help her with bonsai tree. Aleksander
Overtime Baby, Work alot of overtime:-)
I do garage sales, goodwill. S. army. That how i score a 1/16 RC M4 Sherman (Major parts there) few simples parts. COST $10.00
Score a 1/48 scale F/A-18 at Goodwill for $1.00 (missing sidewinder and instructions) but was able to complete the kit anyway.
Score a 1/72 F-117A at goodwill for $1.00 Complete Kit.
Mostly off of ebay
My wife is very supportive of our hobby and enjoys my finished products and those of others. To tell the truth most of the times we go shopping she’ll ask me if I want to pick up a kit while we’re in town.