Blather, Waffle and Poppycock!

[fsn]

I apologise for bringing this dross to your attention and hope you won't lower yourself to access it. 

The reader, Jefferson Mays is in fact an award winning actor. Recently he has concentrated on stage work, but he has appeared in a number of films an TV series. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Mays

[Raider4]

I apologise for bringing this dross to your attention and hope you won't lower yourself to access it. 

I hate this place sometimes, far too full of snide and snark.

[Matt J]

As an infrequent poster (but long time member/reader), the preponderance of angry old men can be a tad off putting at times 

There is alot of reading certain posts as a grevious insult to be attacked in retribution when it is just someone's opinion/critique.

Wish everyone would just pack that in.

[fsn]

I hate this place sometimes, far too full of snide and snark.

From the person who dismisses 16 hours of entertainment for a letter "a"

There is alot of reading certain posts as a grevious insult to be attacked in retribution when it is just someone's opinion/critique.

I apologise. I usually post in good humour, but sometimes a well meant post is responded to with snide and snark which I find difficult not to respond to.

I withdraw from this element of the thread, disappointed that a link to an audiobook has resulted in such bad humour. 

[Matt J]

Great, now I feel bad (I have a tendency to be hyperbolic).
 

This is why I avoid posting..

[fsn]

Not at all. You are quite correct and it's time we moved on to something more interesting.

Perhaps you can help me with a dilemma?

I'm trying to track how much I spend on this great wargaming hobby. Anything spent with, for example, Pendraken for figures, paints, terrain are obvious costs.

I bought a book of wargames scenarios and that too is an obvious wargaming cost, as is the books that I bought to support my Napoleonic Ottoman project.

What then of books that are of military history? A book about the doings of said Ottoman army for example?

Going further afield, I bought a book about Renaissance warfare, a period for which I will never field an army. Is that a wargames cost?

What about buying a fiction book in the same vein? A DVD of "The Longest Day"?

Where does one draw the line?   

[flamingpig0]

Great, now I feel bad (I have a tendency to be hyperbolic).
 

This is why I avoid posting..

Don't worry, he will be back

[d_Guy]

'Where does one draw the line?'

Indeed. One needs to also consider the cost of time spent (using what ever arcane formula strikes your fancy) on the hobby. As a pensioner I charge myself £1.00 per hour for simplicity of calculation So:
Time I spent on this forum tonight reading and replying to posts = 33p (always round up)
Time on the porcelain throne thinking about what a push-of-pikes looked like ( my obsessive specialty) = 14p
And so on.

You would then need, of course, to add in updating your timesheet.

[fsn]

What shocked me is that I assign a value x for a standard monthly Pendraken order.

I realise I am weak and so assume my standard monthly order will actually be 2x.

Then there are those impulse buys which means I am prepared to spend 4x monthly.

In January I spent 7.1x and in February 7.2x. So far in March I'm on 2.7x but also impulse bought a book which is military history (for 0.7x), but not one I game, so I'm dithering about counting that.   

Then a bulb in one of my painting lamps blew ... 

[DecemDave]

How about getting another credit card and using it (and only it) just for wargaming purchases?  For your definition problem, I would personally include everything military or history.  Which just leaves the odd situation to classify like the hotdog and coffee you bought at the wargames show. 

But is it really worth knowing? Its a hobby (unless you really want to classify it as two or more linked hobbies).
 
Assuming you have first taken care of the much more expensive hobbies like housing, eating, women, children etc. 
Spend spend spend if it brings enjoyment. A natural brake occurs when you survey piles of books and figures you will never have time to read or paint. I approach that point rapidly !!!

[fsn]

You're probably right.

It started 'cos I was planning my retirement in a few years and trying to work out if I could afford to live.

I have scared myself, not by the amount I spent but by my ignorance of what I actually spend. 

Me being me, I probably started to over analyse. 

A natural brake occurs when you survey piles of books and figures you will never have time to read or paint.

Yes, but then Pendraken release a new range that I most definitely, absolutely, positively have to have.

... and probably a book or two as well.

[DecemDave]

Me being me, I probably started to over analyse. 

I did the same to decide I could retire early which I did.   A full spreadsheet of everything .  But most of it turned out to be irrelevant.  The following dominate:
Household (food, cleaning stuff and the like that you buy every day, week, month)
Housing  (mortgage/rent, council tax, service charges, insurance,  Allowance for new kitchen/bathroom/roof)
Holidays, alcohol, ciggies (if relevant) and eating out.
Utilities (water, elec, gas, broadband, phones, prime, streaming services,..  )
Allowance for Capital Replacements  especially cars, furniture, washing machines, boilers, fridges,..
Medical (dentists, opticians,..)
Gifts (cards, birthdays, anniversaries, christmas, charities..).   

Hobbies is whats left over and under 10% in my case including all hobbies, PC and related Gadgets , newspapers, mags, lottery tickets etc   

If it looks "tight" its probably too early to retire. My state pension alone would not permit any Pendraken spending thats for sure.  And while how long is usually unknowable, your pension may have to last you 20, 30 years or even more.

Its the one time you definitely need financial advice (pension wise is free) because the bigger problem is your income and the impact of inflation on it plus scenario planning (life expectancy short or long cases, wills, possible care costs , leaving money to dependents, emergency funding..)  and in UK : IHT, LTA, CGT  etc if you are fortunate enough to have such problems.

And, yes I am struggling to resist LoA, AWI and the russo-japs.  But my will is strong.

Well I suppose a few samples wouldnt hurt..   

[Orcs]

Assuming you have first taken care of the much more expensive hobbies like housing, eating, women,

I would like to point out, The amount one woman cost me in the divorce, dwarfs my entire lifetime spend on wargames, Military books, firearms etc.

I could have brought a Brand New Ferrari for what my divorce cost. However it was the best value for money I ever got. 

[Orcs]

Realising that I am mortal has made me start to try and finish projects, and only buy figures to finish that particular army.

It has sort of worked, but in my need to want things complete I do end up purchasing extras to a project I thought I had finnished. eg I said to a freind on Friday I had finished my 20mm ww2 French for Chain of command. Only to realise I was short of  3 engineers and 4 crew for heavy weapons . The resulting purchase had 4 extra crew, 6 extra engineers, a 3 man team with LMG  in AA roll ( nice little vignette), and half a dozen figures that were better posses for Leaders than I currently had.  So 19 figures instead 7. But that should be it ........

[fsn]

I am usually quite disciplined, with planned purchases but then Pendraken release something I really, really, neeeeeeed (or I have a good/bad day and need retail therapy.)

If I get an enthusiasm (e.g. 1929), I can usually schedule it into the Plan. I'm OK unless Pendraken release two or more new ranges that interest me simultaneously.

[Raider4]

Utilities (water, elec, gas, broadband, phones, prime, streaming services,..  )

Gas bill for Q1 2022: £350.
Gas bill for Q1 2023: £834.

Puts a dent in anyone's planning.

[fsn]

Gas bill for Q1 2022: £350.
Gas bill for Q1 2023: £834.

Puts a dent in anyone's planning.

Ouch!

[Matt J]

Fortunately no where near retirement but hobby expenditure definitely curtailed last 12 months.
Bulk of my hobby either 10mm historical (Pendraken) or GW. 10mm historical is what I would class as my luxury hobby so this has taken the hit really (although I have a huge mountain as it is). The GW is the more budget stuff so that has ticked over.

[fsn]

The GW is the more budget stuff so that has ticked over.

GW is budget? 

This GW? Where Corvus Corax, Primarch of the Raven Guard Legion costs £90?

Or is there another GW?

[Heedless Horseman]

Lol. Once smoking ban came in, started internet buying for 'later'. Stopped, now! Must have £20k+ 'stuff' in piles! And just not doing anything!