Do you write a dolly budget?

I sort of budget for everything. When I get paid I put aside a lot of my money for traveling - my main interest. Beside that, I make a list of things I want to buy or need, from clothing, all kinds of tools and items, and hobbies (which now include dolls) and I spend slowly during the month and buy things from the list, as long as I already covered all my needs.
It actually works pretty good because I don't spend a lot: I make most of my stuff and cook at home, so my expenses are sometimes going to eat, concerts, a little bit of party, and then the material things I buy.

 

Not exactly a budget, although my husband and I do budget everything else, but I have a doll fund that I fill up by selling things or with monetary gifts. Occasionally, I'll splurge on something using money outside of the fund but I never spend money I don't have or that's ear marked for something else.

 

When I first got into the hobby, I wrote a pretty strict budget. As a kid my parents had taught me to budget and plan ahead with my allowance, so I just continued that when I got into BJDs. I would devide my money between savings and my two hobbies (the other being fish keeping)- certain amount had to go to fish food every month, so much could go to a doll purchase, etc.

Now I have more money to work with but also bills, obligations, and other interests, so BJDs get categorized with other non-essential material items like a desired but unnecessary kitchen gadget.
For example, someone is definitely not getting new shoes this XMAS because I watch too much Food Network and went a little nuts at the spice shop, but I'm not getting a fancy new vacuum cleaner either because I want to take advantage of the Mirodoll sale...

 

Yes and no? I always set aside a good chunk of my paycheck into my main emergency savings account and whatever left is what I'm allowed to use for everything else. I'm lucky enough that I still live with parents and all so I don't really have bills- but I pay for my own clothes, video games, movie tickets, and all that. So I don't have a specific dolly fund it just comes out of whatever is leftover (although I do kind of have limits I set so I don't make myself feel guilty).

That being said I did splurge on doll stuff a little this month all thanks to the holiday season and whatnot so it'd probably be a good idea for me to start an actual budget...

 

Yes and no, too many hobbies and responsibilities. I try to write what I can in a notebook and kinda make little month attempts on what to spend. "This month atleast two outfits MAX"

 

I try so hard to budget but then I find new dolls I want and buy them as quick as I can. Not very good for my bank account haha I'm telling myself I'll budget next year and allow myself to splurge for now.

 

Good god I should. I just buy the doll on impulse and suffer.

 

I do, kind of. I know which dolls I want to purchase in advance so I plan for from which pot of money the funds will come. I might take some from one place and some from another. If I return something to a clothing store because it was defective, I will put that money away in the "doll fund." I don't keep a written log but I do keep a mental tally of the money I will need and from where it will come.

 

Typically yes. I have saving account that draws a specific amount out every paycheck for dolls and doll related purchases. I also have a running list of things that I need/want to buy. So I don't buy things on impulse. However there have been times where a super good deal as come up or a limited run and I broken my rules.

 

I have started, but not as a budget, rather a spending list so that I know exactly how much I spent on my hobby.....the number is ugly....

 

...not even a little bit. When I was younger, I saved every cent I had to try and get a doll. Now that I'm an adult, and especially since I got a promotion, I have been horribly irresponsible. Coming back into the hobby after a few years, I was shocked at how low some of the dolls I used to want were now in price. To say I went a little crazy with the buying is an understatement. I think I bought... 9 new dolls since November of last year? Yikes. No budgeting occurred at all; I just impulse bought what I wanted/had always wanted when I saw it. And that doesn't even include all of the wigs and shoes I've purchased either. I really need to establish a budget but I have never been good at adhering to it in any of my hobbies.

 

No because I guess the result would horrify me.

 

So do I...

 

I set aside some money after all of my bills for "fun" things, then that gets divided into two categories. One of them is for dolls and my other sometimes expensive hobbies like lolita fashion and cosplay. The other is for 'I want to eat out with my friends this weekend' sort of stuff, smaller things that are less expensive but happen more often. When I want a doll, I consult the money I have saved in the first list and just subtract however much I end up sending. It's been really helpful with keeping track of how much money I have to spend on what things.

 

I'm back into the hobby after about a 3 year hiatus which ended with me selling all my dolls. Back then I was extremely impulsive and spent without a budget, draining my account while having multiple on-going layaways... ahh my student days, yes very glad those days are over.
I'm coming back into the hobby pretty heavily due to the lockdown; this is also forcing me to budget accordingly and stop myself from going overboard with any hasty spending decisions. I was able to fund my first doll by selling a few doll parts which I had kept from my old collection. Now I'm reading through this thread for more tips and budgeting strategies as it's not my forte. So far I've started a spending list (where I keep track of every doll-related purchase) and I'm shocked at how quickly it goes up I like the idea of using a monthly spreadsheet, writing down all the incoming and outgoing transactions. Maybe I'll give that a try!

 

I buy nearly all of my dolls on layaway, and then figure those layaways payments into my weekly budgets, so... yes? Kinda?

It’s never really a set amount before I start a new layaway, though; it just kinda happens

 

I try and keep track of it. I put a portion of each paycheck in my savings every payday, and what I have left is for everything else—gas, groceries, utilities, and “fun” money. If I don’t have enough to cover necessities and hobby stuff, then so be it. I just obsess over what dolls I have on my wishlist as some sort of placebo effect until I can afford them

 

Shockingly no? Lol
I banned OFFICIALLY bought a doll on a website but I am having 2 made. I have however been on Etsy looking up bjd food and clothes and such lol. And they aren’t too expensive but adding it all up it will be. My whole life I’ve always had a job where they paid me like 300 or 400 every 2 weeks. I FINALLY got a Job that pays me 950 if I hit my 80hrs mark. (Which is mandatory so I always do). I’m thankful I don’t have to pay rent. So it’s just my phone bill which is about 120 a month. I can splurge. But I’m gonna play it safe and save money and splurge maybe 200-300 every month. Unless I want a doll.