I have been collecting LEGO since 1998. Over the years I have spent kind of on a “buy what I like” method.  I have themes I am most interested in but pick sets from any theme that grabs me.

But last year I started getting more serious about a household budget and I have set a LEGO budget.  While in the past I haven’t spent unlimited money this is different.  I have to chose between sets.  I make a first half and second half list.  There are usually a couple sets that I know I am going to get and I pick them up right away.  Then I have to make a list and get down to my budget.

One thing I’ve noticed is I tend to like smaller sets that are “complete”.  Sets that by themselves look nice and have playability by themselves.  A set like 60078 Utility Shuttle has two figs, satellite, tools and opening bay.  It looks nice too.

Do you budget and then choose or buy what you like?  Anyone else find that smaller sets are more appealing?

I budget and then overspend.

24 minutes ago, Kalahari134 said:

I budget and then overspend.

Heh me too, I do tend to buy the smaller to mid-sized sets, mostly due to space restrictions. I have found though by trying to stick to a budget, I am more patient with what I buy and really do some serious bargain hunting. Yet I still always go over budget. Also find myself repurposing containers for storage instead of buying. 

3 hours ago, Kalahari134 said:

I budget and then overspend.

This. If only I had more self-control, I would have more money AND more space in my tiny apartment.

I'm happy with my collection of 80's and early 90's sets, so I stopped buying regular City sets years ago. I only really collect the modular buildings at this point and would buy new Creator Expert trains if there were any. Made exceptions for the fishing store, VW van, the Mini Cooper, the Speed Champions Mustang as well as the Winter Village Train and Station but that's pretty much it. Other than that I only buy marked down sets that contain useful pieces. Newt's suitcase, for example. Or lose figures, bricks and pieces off of Bricklink. That doesn't happen all too often, though.

Sure, there are more sets that seem interesting but you can't have everything. I knew about Beanie Babies and Vinyl Pop, so I made sure to stay far away from Brick Heads.

I really wanted the buildable Stormtrooper on the Speeder Bike but ultimately decided that I didn't really need to own it. Same goes for the Architecture series. I would have absolutely loved the London and Sydney skylines and had them in my shopping cart multiple times but never pulled the trigger.

I also never rush out and buy brand new sets at full MSRP. Even with the Hogwarts Express that I wanted for the large train wheels and figures I waited for LEGO to include a free set with my order. Well, the HE turned out to be on backorder anyway...

I got my Assembly Square for ~186€ instead of the usual 239€, the American Diner for 109€ instead of the usual 149€ and the fishing store for 119€ instead of 149€. If I sell the free set that was included with my most recent order from lego.de, then my Mini Cooper will have cost me about 40€ instead of 89€. Buying at MSRP would have been a colossal waste of money. 

I also refuse to spend 9.99€ on a set of Powered Up LEDs that probably have a BOM cost of less than 15 Cents. I recently bought 1000 warm white 0805 LEDs off of Aliexpress for 3,99€ shipped.

I only buy Star Wars and that still goes over my budget...

To save I usually don't buy sets at their RRP and find cheap ways to get them, and I try to get used sets so it is cheaper. 

Once I got a V-19 Torrent for 12 dollars!

Yeah it’s hard to stay in budget.  Last year was my first try at a hard budget.  I almost made it.  But i had my eye on the Ninjago City set.

 I moved and sold some stuff.  I used most of the cash to buy  Ninjago City.  It’s an awesome set and but couldn’t fit it in my budget.  So l sorta kinda made my budget, the cash from my stuff was “found money”.

It's not so much as a budget for me, than it is a specific line of sets I like. I was at a point I was getting sets just because I liked the look of them so bought them. Ended up with the whole line of TLBM sets. But saw all the boxes and realised I'd lost control! I didn't actually want them, I just bought them because I thought they'd be nice to have, and blue cause I could. So that stopped. 

I'll likely get any fairground sets, and modulars released. Star wars ucs is next but depends if I like it or not. Winter Village is guaranteed too as I'd like to have it as a yearly thing to build/set up for Christmas if/when I have kids. Outside of that, I've become quite strict. I may get the odd one off random, like the ninjago city /docks, and gbhq. I keep almost getting the most recent system scale tie fighter, but I have the last normal one too, as well as all the other variations so I'm telling myself I don't need another. (I may have got the x wing though-oops!) 

I have an overall household budget but not specifically for lego.

We have money put aside for each week to spend on whatever we like $200 (its called a splurge account and it is not just for lego), i buy out of this mainly sets that will fit my lego city or my kids will enjoy. Normally i am patient and don't buy at first release for the lego exclusive sets. Most sets go for 20% off  sales at a minimum but it means i don't normally get the Lego exclusives until 6 months after release when they become available in stores that discount. I also graft away on BrickLink to get parts for instructions i have bought or for sets i have missed or just for building up my city (over a year or two i bricklinked 4 modulars that i missed, i sorta like the chase). 

If they are more expensive sets like the roller coaster then i ask my wife to get them for me for Christmas or Birthday.

 

I have three of shopping lists with "budget ideas". 

List one is Sets I Want, these I'll get at retail price because I really want them. Sometimes it is a designated shopping trip purchase (AKA, go to  the LEGO Shop to get).

List two is Sets I Like, these are sets I wait for little discounts on (due to local retailers competing with each other) or that I might purchase as a pick-me-up (Certainly healthier than a lot of donuts and chocolate).

The third is Cool Sets, these are sets I don't have to have for my collection/parts bank but I like them. There are some cool looking parts or figures, maybe the design intrigues me. If they are really cut price or on a great deal then I might get tempted to buy them.

So, not exactly budgeting, but not buying with reckless abandon.

I don't have a budget.  I buy with cash. Therefore, the probability is good I won't overspend. 

 

Space is becoming a issue for me as much as cost.  I am starting to shy way from good deals to get parts.....just running out of room.

I really like some of the smaller City sets this year.  Purchased the Camper, Helicopter transport, and few of the Speed Champions cars.  These were all $30 or less US.  Only bigger set I purchased was the Winter Village Fire Station.  In all honesty I am not too thrilled with the set but really like the Holiday stuff and fun to get out with the kids.

budget, I try not to go too crazy.  If I do, will  force myself to step back for a few months. 

 

 

I find the easiest way to deal with the space issue is to put up a new shelf. I haven't run out so far.