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Ahoy, Dakkanauts. I recently noticed about myself that I have an unconscious prioritization method when it comes to working out my gaming budget. I tend to group my interests into a handful of categories that I feel okay spending money on. If a given product or event falls outside of those categories, I put a lot more thought into the purchase and walk away as often as not. Over the last few years, my Top Five have been:

- Judge Dredd
- Warhammer 40k
- DC Comics
- Aliens/Predator
- tabletop roleplaying

Throughout this past year, 40k has gradually and now entirely dropped off my list. I noticed this actually caused something of a spending spike because I've been unconsciously searching for a replacement (rather than putting more toward savings like a responsible adult ...). That's how I basically figured out that I had been doing this. It's not especially unique, I know, but it is interesting to consciously think about the narrower band of interests you are more readily willing to spend money on when you have money to spend.

So Dakkanauts, what are your Top Five?

1. Food I don't have to make
2. Car repairs
3. Medical bills
4. Stuff for my wife's business
5. Stuff to replace old stuff that broke

As you can see, it doesn't leave much room for a gaming budget, so I overthink and overanalyze ever possible gaming purchase and 99.5% of the time don't make the purchase.

 Easy E wrote:
As you can see, it doesn't leave much room for a gaming budget, so I overthink and overanalyze ever possible gaming purchase and 99.5% of the time don't make the purchase.

Okay, you've got severely limited resources, but does this really mean that there aren't some categories that your tend to privilege above others? I mean, some category that you overthink and overanalyze slightly less than others, that sort of thing.

Similar to yours, actually.

Aliens/predator
Modular terrain
40k
Skirmish/rpg books/rules
Sculpting/conversion gear (plasticard, epoxy etc)

1) Indie/small press sci-fi and fantasy wargames
2) Historical Wargaming
3) Going out with friends
4) ebooks for my ereader
5) Warmachine/Hordes

40k
Tabletop RPGs
Board Games (recent addition)
MTG
Video Games

 Ktulhut wrote:
Aliens/predator
Modular terrain

It becomes even easier to decide when there's overlap. I've been playing around with some ideas for an Aliens boardgame reverse engineered from Space Hulk and the recent D&D boardgames. So ...

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/384096.page

After initially passing over these, I kept coming back to them and eventually wore myself down into nabbing a couple of sets. Given those two spots on your Top Five, I thought I might pass along K_K's review.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 pretre wrote:
Board Games (recent addition)

This is what has caused my spending spike since I've lost interest in 40k.

Our gaming group has taken a break from tabletop RPGs for a little bit (kids plus time limitations) so we've been playing other things that have less time commitment.

We have played a ton of Smallworld recently since it is so fun and easy to sit down and play.

I bought Smallworld in the recent craze but have yet to play it. Pandemic is great fun, however.

I'll have to look it up. SW is great for just sitting around and shooting the shiz gaming. It doesn't take too long even with 5 players.

Aside from the obvious, more traditional responsibilities being at the top of any budget list... Mine is nice and simple

40K
Everything else

Hrm... not including adult things like home improvement... and in no particular order,

Warhammer 40k
Motorcycle Touring
Guitar stuff
Music (CDs, concerts)
Chicago Bears tickets

I don't want to put words in your mouth, Manchu, but it sounds like you're asking us what our big areas of hobby focused discretionary spending are. I mean, clearly we all spend money on rent, food, health care, etc., but likewise a lot of us probably spend more going out, or drinking, than we do on 40k.

That said, my top five are:

1) 40k (the undisputed #1 for about 10 years, now in danger of falling completely off the list)
2) Cygnar (I've been buying and painting, and playing a bit. Love the game, love the models, haven't warmed up to 6th edition 40k)
3) Cleveland Browns tailgaiting. (once a year, without fail)
4) Hobby paints. (I'm a sucker for hobby paints, and own waaaaay to many already.)
5) Cigars (my new current favorite is the Perdomo Patriarch, which makes me glad I have a good paying job!)

Warhammer 40k
Airbrush paints
That's about it for my hobbies currently. I don't spend too much at a time. Can't pass up a good deal for sisters of battle.

.

 Polonius wrote:
but it sounds like you're asking us what our big areas of hobby focused discretionary spending are

That's exactly what I was getting at. Sorry to anyone who found OP unclear.

Besides rent, food, toothpaste and that. Not in order.

- DVDs/Blurays
- T-shirts
- Tabletop gaming (and whatever comes with it, paints, brushes etc)
- Nights out
- Food (Not grocery food, but like restaurant food and take-out and that)

This is what I recklessly burn my money on.

Pretty much in order, this is where my "disposable income" goes, that is, the money I convince myself I have spare each month after I've paid most of my bills, bought some food and put some diesel in my car. Saving money every month is something that happens to other people.

Land Rover parts
Workshop tools
Home Improvements (building work and decorating. Not under rent etc as it's just a nice to do, not a neccesity)
Gig tickets, associated train tickets and going out with friends
40k

Thinking about it, the order varies month on month depending on the priority, for example, 40k is usually pretty low down after everything else, but jumped straight to the top of the list for this month only as Dark Vengeance was released. Next month will be back to normal.

This is a bit seasonal for me, but I'll do my best.

1. Gourmet Home Cooking
2a. Mountain Biking Road Trips (Summer)
2b. Snow Boarding Road Trips (Winter)
3. 40k

My list is a bit in flux at the moment as I have only just got back into the hobby, so a lot of my spending is on support tools, paints etc.

1) Kickstarter - this has become an addiction. My wife has asked me to stop, I have backed over 50 projects in the last 7 months. This covers mini's - I backed SW, RBG, Mantic, Reaper etc. Really want to back Dreamforge but my wife would kill me :(

2) Hobby / tools - I find I've been wandering into my local art store and drooling over flow mediums, varnishes, really good brushes lol. I've also picked up a pile of clippers, glues, storage racks etc.

3) Computer games. I have a steam library with more games on it I haven't played than ones I have. Damn them and their sales!

4) Movies / TV Shows. My wife and I are sci-fi / tv nuts. We have every season of Angel, Buffy, Andromeda, all the Star Treks, Battlestar Gallactica (both new and old), Farscape, Babylon 5, Dark Angel, Doll house, Mythbusters etc etc......

5) Everything else. I have action figures, plushies, transformers. Pretty much anything cool or hobby related that catches my eye.

If I had any self control I'd be saving money, but I have a weak will when it comes to shiny things hehe

Top 5 hobbies spending...

- Greenstuff
-15mm scifi
-28mm in general
- Aliens, spacehulk, nids, preda bugs etc
- greenstuff!

1. 40K
2. Painting supplies
3. Video Games
4. Fantasy
5. "Branching Out"

I very rarely get past 3 but if I make it to 5, that's where I'll start thinking about WarmaHordes or Infinity, Hasn't happened yet. Nearly did with Infinity but couldn't find out what constitutes an 'army' easily so I looped back to 1 and branched out into Tyranids.

Strictly sticking to a "gaming" budget:

1- 40k
2- 360 games (this used to be #1 until i was caught up with the release schedule on stuff i cared about, now it is a distant second)
3- Board games

...and that's really it. the only other things i spend money on with any regularity fall outside the bounds of the category

Top 5 is just changing for me. My bills I had to pay went from 100 a month to like 1000 a month. Silly buying a new car, moving, picking up my own car insurance, and debt all in one week.

It was
1) Kickstarter - has outspent 40k hard core.
2) 40k - Haven't bought a box since the price raise
3) Paints/tools/ect. -gw, p3, random tools.
4) cigars
5) firearms

Now it is changing. In no order now
1) Cigars
2) Firearms
3) smaller models from smaller companies
4) paints and brushes and tools

I don't have enough for a 5th spot.

1:School, Stuff for drinks and such.
2:40k
3: VG.
4: The occasional Model for display
5: Movies.

1 - 40K
2 - LotR
3 - Batman
4 - Halo
5 - Model storage/transportation

1. Dropzone Commander
2. Trollbloods (Hordes)
3. Dreamforge (alternate 40k models)
4. Vandalands (Brushfire)
5. Rhulic Mercenaries (Warmachine)

 Surloch wrote:
My list is a bit in flux at the moment as I have only just got back into the hobby, so a lot of my spending is on support tools, paints etc.

1) Kickstarter - this has become an addiction. My wife has asked me to stop, I have backed over 50 projects in the last 7 months. This covers mini's - I backed SW, RBG, Mantic, Reaper etc. Really want to back Dreamforge but my wife would kill me :(

2) Hobby / tools - I find I've been wandering into my local art store and drooling over flow mediums, varnishes, really good brushes lol. I've also picked up a pile of clippers, glues, storage racks etc.

3) Computer games. I have a steam library with more games on it I haven't played than ones I have. Damn them and their sales!

4) Movies / TV Shows. My wife and I are sci-fi / tv nuts. We have every season of Angel, Buffy, Andromeda, all the Star Treks, Battlestar Gallactica (both new and old), Farscape, Babylon 5, Dark Angel, Doll house, Mythbusters etc etc......

5) Everything else. I have action figures, plushies, transformers. Pretty much anything cool or hobby related that catches my eye.

If I had any self control I'd be saving money, but I have a weak will when it comes to shiny things hehe

You are lucky your wife is in your life. It appears you have a Kickstarter problem.

Not counting dating, my Hobby Budget breaks down into 5 parts (in no particular order):

- Gardening
- Warhammer 40k, with Forge World and 3rd party stuff included.
- Pathfinder RPG
- Board Games (mainly Fantasy Flight Games)
- Annual GenCon Pilgrimage

1: Rent

2: Food/Smokes

3: Gas

4: Laundry

5: Wait for next paycheck