What's your budget for lego and how do you keep them?

[Peppermint_M]

Hmm, et me just check my dictionary .

budget noun 1 a plan, especially one covering a particular period of time, specifying how money coming in, eg to a household or a business project, will be spent and allocated.

Oh, one of those?

Heh, I try not to exceed £15 a week on LEGO spending. Which rolls over if I do not see anything I want to have. I also look out for deals and reductions in price, so I may end up with more LEGO for my money. I allow myself a "big" spend every few months or so and of course a massive funtimes spend when I go to the Event. As a bonus at the moment, fuel costs are much lower this year so far than any other since I started driving, so my spending on petrol is lower and frees up a fair wodge of cash every month.

I am very broke for space though!

[Lego_Girl]

I think it depends on your own budget. I mean how much you have and how much you can afford to spend.

I also spend a lot of money on the sets I wanted. I think it also depends on what you want to do or buy. Some people buy sets to create their own sets, others buy certain themes because they love collecting.

Decide what you want and allow yourself to get something if you really really want it and it's actually worth it.

For me I rather buy huge sets than small ones unless it is a special one like the ideas ones or something like that.

It is a challenge to manage a budget weather it is for legos or any other hobby.

[wgemini]

I've only been collecting for a few months, so I'm not really setting any budget limits, but I am pretty frugal when it comes to buying sets. The bigger modular sets, ghostbusters HQ, technic etc, I wait until a double points event. The smaller city sets like vehicles, city sets I wait until they are on sale. My biggest issue is trying to get the older retired modular sets. $300 for a retired set like the GE is about my upper limit. I can afford more, but that's pretty much where I draw the line considering I could be spending that money on multiple current sets.

Unfortunately, once you missed a modular set, that's about it. I picked up the TH for $500CAD (363USD), but I can't justify paying double for all of them. The GE might be good investment even at $300 though.

The thing is that I have little interests in the modulars other than the TH (for the wedding scene), but I don't want to miss the boat (TH retired after only two years) and regret later. That's my biggest problem I think. It's hard to know what I want at the beginning.

I am kicking myself for not knowing the double VIP earlier. I did get several robin's mini fortress and nexo starter sets, so not a total loss. Also, since all the modular sets are still within the 90 days return period, I might go talk to the Lego store to see whether I can still get the double points.

Edited February 20, 2016 by wgemini

[paul_delahaye]

Currently my issue is not budget or time, it's storage space. I'm having to buy only the sets I can't afford to miss now. I'm getting to the stage where I have to store the sets broken down in poly bags otherwise I'm going to have to move house!

[DrJB]

Two years ago the kids 'misbehaved' and we did not go on a spring break vacation. I used that as an excuse to 'blow' about $2000 worth in new lego sets.

Now, I'm eyeing getting some of the latest technic sets, but I find it very difficult to 'convince' myself I need those sets. I could easily spend over $1000 in one single trip to the store. Yes, TLG has understood that they can get me to buy the new sets by putting new/unique parts (Volvo Wheel Loader and Mercedes Arocs) but I have not fallen for those yet. This is an addiction, let's call it as it is, and whenever I visit a lego store (was in Chicago yesterday), there are way to many sets to chose from, be it the new Ferris wheel, the 3-4 large technic sets, or even some of the ninjago/friends with unique colors for the girls. This is slowly becoming a hobby that is very difficult to 'manage' ... and I've read somewhere that TLG introduced 300 new sets this year alone. That is ludicrous in my book, but then again, no one is twisting my arms.

[Andy D]

My budget is... Who am I kidding,what budget?

I do not really have a dollar limited budget, just more space limited... But I still spend much less than many folks here. I guess I spend somewhere between $1,000 to $2,000 per year and $300 to $400 of that is for donations to toy drives.

This year's 2nd half Technic offerings are going to account for more space... BWE great! Class 5000, great! Porsche, great!

Andy D

[Blue_Bird]

I try to keep it around $50 to $100 a month. I don't have a large budget though so it's usually more around $50. I just make sure all my bills are paid and I have money for necessities, then I spend what I have left sometimes on Lego sometimes split up among other things I want.

Sometimes I don't have the money for it though like right now I'm in the middle of moving to a different state and most of my money is going towards a new apartment. For example this month the only Lego thing I bought was a key chain.

[raarghh]

No number but I just got back into Lego and trying to do one or two big sets a month (700-900+ pieces).

[catwrangler]

Not so much a set amount as a list of rules to follow, as I still find it hard to justify buying Lego! CMFs aside (and I only want two of series 15, then I'm out), I have a rule about not paying full price, whether that means waiting for discounts in the shops or taking advantage of Tesco points (I love Clubcard Boost), vouchers I've got from Argos after spending a certain amount on stuff we needed for the house, or gift cards. I avoid getting over-excited on Ebay by limiting myself to what's in our Paypal account from things we've sold on there - well, that and converted Nectar point vouchers...

That said, I'll make exceptions for those rare discontinued sets that I absolutely want to have - but I'd rather get those on Brickset's marketplace or on Bricklink so I can find someone who's selling for a price I can live with. The fact I'm not fussed about original boxes makes that a lot easier - a lot of people seem to be looking for investment-condition unopened sets, which drives the prices up...

[goody82]

I just came out of my Dark Ages so I just blew a couple thousand dollars on current Lego sets, recently retired sets (3x Maersk, 2x Horizon Express), and some classic sets on eBay to catch some "sets that got away" when I was a kid in the 1990s.

In short having an adult income to apply to my childhood hobby has been very rewarding and almost embarrassing! (altho actually, I find it very spiritually calming, and it's surprising how many other AFOLs exist when your Fiancee thinks it'll be funny to call your hobby out to everyone) But, I think this is the initial expensive part and I'll probably slowdown to bricklink supplementing and occasional Lego released. The good thing is I keep my focus on few themes, I'm partial to City, Trains, Modulars, and Creators that mesh with those 3 interests.

For the budget... right now I'm a bachelor with a good job and not much debt, so for the first time in my life, Lego has actually made me have to pay attention to my money, I used to have more money that I ever spent, and I would just toss that towards a Mortgage that is over half paid off in 3 years, or a vacation.

I told my Fiancée that my Lego budget when we are married would be $200 a month, with the ability to roll over if I don't spend it all. She thought that was fair. I think so too, although I might try to get it to $300 :).

[Sven F]

Budget? Well about 50% of my income which i often find ways for blowing over, because "this month is an exception" the hobby almost stops entirely as soon as spring time rolls over. I only follow lego passively durring the summer and money goes into other things. Around October when my depression kicks in, lego keeps me distracted and the budget for even some essential things gets compromised. I will cycle to save petrol and parking, i won't eat out anymore, switch to buying cheaper clothes and start comparing the value of everything in bricks. Like "going to that concert costs one pab cup and three cmf's"

[dulsi]

I feel like I'm in the wrong place. I think I spent $200 on legos for myself in 2 years. No where close to the budget many of you have spent.

[kibosh]

My budget is super simple. My LEGO hobby has to fund itself. If I want to buy something, I have to sell something. Super simple. My "family" money is not impacted at all.

And I NEVER pay retail for LEGO unless it's an exclusive that I can only get from LEGO.

[Paul B Technic]

I have my "entertainment money" which is mine to do with as I please, this is around $100 per week, the less I spend on other stuff, like take away and red bull the more I have for LEGO so in some ways LEGO is helping with my health :)

[BluesArchitect]

I don't necessarily have a budget but I do try and keep to about $350/month.

That includes sets, PAB and Bricklink. Though I spend quite a bit of that in Bricklink.

I love the PAB wall at my local store but I clean out drawers frequently!

Having a large project to build keeps me going but I do love the creator/modular sets and for some reason I keep buying the blue power jet. I have 5 sets! I plan to buy more! Its just an awesome set.

From what I see on youtube of others collections I can't imagine budgets under $1000s/yr. I can easily see me getting a second job to support the habit!

[Kellelely]

I dont have a firm budget (though maybe I should...). I spend maybe $150/mo in hobby / "fun money", a lot of which goes to Lego.

Big set purchases (>$100) tend to be planned and budgeted for, but stuff in the <$25 range isn't really counted - they're more like impulse purchases (and a lot of these are for my toddler son, too, so I don't count them).

Even with one or two big-$ buys a year (with Christmas money, during a double points, etc), most of my Lego spend tends to come in lots of frequent little spends... Picking up polybags, stopping into Bricks & Minifigs, eBay orders here and there. Just slowly accumulating pieces that I want.

[appiah4]

I limit myself to 1 major (>400pcs), 3 sizable (200-400 pcs) and 8 minor (<200 pcs) sets a year. That makes one purchase a month and includes gifts for my wife. In truth I usually buy less than this, I'm rather picky about my taste. I usually buy Star Wars sets with half of that budget, City, Friends and Creator with the rest. I cheat with minifigures though.. those are basically around four per set.

Edited March 4, 2016 by appiah4

[Patgeo]

I know that feeling, just got back into LEGO and have spent way more than I wanted. The problem is I have build a new display area without having the sets to fill it. So then I had to go out and buy some sets :)

Going forward I hope to spend max 100euro/month

I agree with MrBrickALot. I believe that around 100/month as a maximum budget, it a good choice, as i am not so "addicted" as other people. Also, there are also other expences running, as Stash2Sixx mentions;

Pay the bills, plan for the week, put a little away, the rest is budget...

Some weeks I spend a ton, some weeks I spend nothing. As for a budget though, you'll go nuts trying to rationalize this purchase and that purchase. Just keep your unbuilt stuff somewhere you can see it constantly. It's a good reminder to think about when you want to go buy something. Works for me anyway.

So, it total, i believe that if you can pay for your mandatory expenses, then if there are any money left you can spend a top of 100 to LEGO per month, or more if you like! It also depents on whether you MOC, or only buy sets!

[newfie675]

My wife complains constantly about my ever growing lego collection. My defense is that the Lego is not costing my any money. I buy from kijiji and sell what I don't "need". Funny thing is that before I get it catalogued and reposted either my son or I discover we need almost everything. What does get posted usually pays for the next lot I purchase.

[yg33]

I went into this topic hoping to feel good about my lego spending, now I realize things may be a bit out of control!. Some moths i spend 50, others can be 400 or more. I'm not rich either. Can the other irresponsible Lego buyers please come out of the woodwork, I need moral support over here!

Edited March 29, 2016 by yg33

[kibosh]

I bought a big lot of LEGO off a social media site last night for $250. it was the first time I have ever given the buyer their asking price. It was a sizable lot of LEGO, and I bet I could have gotten for $200, but pictured was the Monster Fighters Haunted House (10228) box. I regret not buying that set when I had the chance, so I took a chance on it. It's missing the bag with the figures, and the furniture, but all the other bags are there and unopened. I'll piece together enough sets to sell off again to cover my expense, and I'll have a set I have been longing for to boot!

This is the key to my budget. Buy big lots for cheap. Sell off what I can to recoup my cost, and to finance future purchases.

[Stelario]

I have more problem with keeping the pieces and sets somewhere in the house then exceeding the budget.

On BL I try not to spend more then 100 USD a month, but then it's lugbulk and constant discounts at supermarkets. :P

[raarghh]

What is this budget thing and how do I keep it?

Haha seriously tho, at the start of this year I was thinking about spending around 1000 swedish crowns (around 120 USD) a month.... well, that didnt work. In over the last three months I have spent around 1,300 USD... my wife would kill me if she found out haha.

[Junior Shark]

Budget? I try too keep it, but I usually end up just trying to not go bankrupt (okay, that's an exaggeration).