How is the hobby affecting you financially? [Poll]

I don't like layaway and I'm saving money for my hobby. I list what I want on a google sheet and calculate the price of them. I have to save money for a long time because most of them are limited. Considering the slow speed of rerelease, it's still acceptable. I know I will finally get most of them. The most despair thing is that there will always be 'a better doll' makes my wish list growing.

 

I tend to buy on lay-away because I am often buying a doll with all the works. That is a big purchase so I try to spread the payments out. I would say I have some debt but nothing I can't handle. The pandemic isn't helping because I feel like I am shopping more.

 

My spouse has a good job and I have enough income to justify spending a little on dolls but what I buy is usually under $300 including shipping. I budget really well and spend very little on anything else, besides dolls I’m very low maintenance.

 

I've answered 'I bought in layaway' and 'I live from ramen and water' even if it's not completely true.

My financial situation has changed a lot since I first joined the hobby. I used to be student when I begin in the hobby (and I couldn't afford a lot of dolls or accessories). Then I've been some years in the situation 'I have a high paying job' and half of my collection comes from those years. Now I scrimp, I sell dolls for buying new ones, I sometimes use layaway. But basically I buy nearly nothing else. My boyfriend has a good paying job and he pays most of the bills.

 

I try to buy when I am certain I have the money saved for that exact doll I want and so I try to do layaway. But sometimes I can't wait and buy the whole doll upfront. Now I am trying to do everything with layaway. I am not drawing in debt or anything but I have definitely spent a lot of money on dolls.

 

I definitely have to mull a purchase over for quite a while, which is sometimes hard if something is on the secondhand market since those dolls tend to sell fast, haha. I don't overspend, but I also still live at my parents home, so I've no bills to pay -- though I do save most of my paychecks so I can move out someday, haha. One thing I am short on is space...

 

i stopped buying myself clothing and stuff that i always used to but I've started separating my money into 3 separate funds accounts so i manage my money much better

 

I have a high paying job but I still only buy maybe 1-2 dolls a year. I have plans and just stick to them, I spend months deciding on a sculpt so I'm not swayed by preorders. I miss out on a lot of cool dolls(and cheaper prices) that way but I just buy them secondhand here later on. I don't want to have doll regret from making an impulse purchase.

My husband found out a long time ago that I prefer dolls instead of jewelry so he buys me dolls, too! I'm also showing him the ropes because he wants his own collection of his characters and we all know how hard it is to buy legitimate secondhand.

 

I am still within my initiation year into BJD hobby and so far, I've put 3 dolls and clothes on 3-4 months' long layaways.

I'm in my mid 30s and something of low middle-income. But I live with my parents and pay a small monthly rent as well as pay for my own car insurance and gas. And the thing is, when I go out, I don't spend much if at all. I still wear clothes I've worn since high school and own exactly two seasonal footwears for the greater of 5 or 10+ years. My laptop is my sister's hand-me down, and my last two phones were purchased secondhand. Except for travelling and education, I could never justify spending over a thousand dollars CAD. Until I came into BJD hobby, my most expensive possession was an upgraded pair of speakers costing $400 after my old 10+ years $250 pair -- that I bought with my very first paycheck -- finally gave out.

The older I get, the more I start to realize I've been "scrimping" all my life for no other reason than being told I should save money -- choose a less favourable item on the menu if it will save me 50 cents at the restaurant, my dad would insist. But I don't have any dependents, and owning a home is a pipe dream I don't even care for. So what then am I saving for besides retirement and emergency funds? Should I then not treat my mental and physical health -- my happiness and longevity -- as my one true dependent at present?

So this is where I am right now -- working on my own self-esteem by learning it's okay to treat myself. After a year or two, I will likely have finished my doll projects, and preferably move onto self-improvement in other areas.

 

I'm fortunate I was not where I was when I started the hobby (a broke preteen). My job allows me to live comfortably, but I think I would spend more if I wasn't particular about the sculpts and accessories I liked.

 

I scrimp and save until I'm certain that I have enough to afford it comfortably.

^ Pretty much this. Certain things come before my dolls, Family Needs, Pets, Bills, Necessities. But If I want a doll I put a bit aside after the important things are taken care of. I don't scrimp of the above things.

But I will scrimp on my own stuff. For example t-shirts, jogger shorts and sneakers are my clothing. I don't buy fancy stuff to wear. I could care less about name-brand clothing and objects. I like to decorate my own t-shirts even. I am thinking about making my dolls a few t-shirts to match my own.

I also don't care for luxuries that a lot of my family members live for, mani/pedi hair salon - forget that I can do it myself. Travel all around everywhere - been there done that I'm comfortable at home. Purse of the month - I'd rather have doll of the month. Going out for dinner and drinks every weekend - nope, I'd rather pop a frozen pizza in the oven and take pictures of my dolls.

So, I'm one of the weird ones in my family, but I just don't have the same priorities that most of my relatives have. I want to comfortably purchase my dolls without worry or stress. My priority is my dolls and that makes me happy.

 

I'm on the scrimp and save kind of mentality right now!

I think this is the first hobby where I can genuinely say things are very expensive even at entry point. I have a few blind box dolls and a hybrid doll I got second hand, but I only have one doll I've bit the bullet for and bought at full price. It took months of saving, planning, and I can't bring myself to admit to my family that I spent that much money on a doll even if she's on the cheaper side for a BJD (about $270). I'm a student, and still new to being active in the hobby, so I think only having one doll and saving until I find one I really fall in love with will have to do for now until I get a big girl job and move out of dorms lol

 

My income is not big and irregular as my work is project-based, so I only buy dolls paid in full, when I have the necessary funds for it. Sometimes I have to save up a bit, and sometimes sell doll stuff or something I no longer use, but I'd never take on layaway or debt of any sort. I wouldn't say I'm scrimping as I'm perfectly happy treating myself in other ways as well, and what I wear and eat definitely comes as a priority before dolls, but I'm not living lavishly at all and of course there are times when things are tighter financially. And it's not an unimportant perk that my dolls have all been on the cheaper side also!

I was afraid dolls would become a bigger influence on my finances initially, but when I look at the hobby budget as a whole, it's also the only actively-spending-on hobby I have, and for all other interests and hobbies I've already made the initial investment on tools or parts needed to enjoy them, so I don't need to constantly keep putting money into them any more (aside from buying a PS game like twice a year or a bit of craft materials). I sort of hope this also happens to dolls - that I'll have a collection I'll enjoy without needing to add lots of stuff to it - but we all know this is not really how things go mostly

All in all, yes, hobbies obviously influence my finances, it's something they've always done since I've had disposable income. BJDs are my hobby d'jour, so right now I spend on them more... but maybe in some years I'll spend on another interest instead. And yeah, surely I could just save that money for something else or put more aside, but I don't want to have to wait until retirement to enjoy what brings me joy either ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ I do agree it can be an expensive hobby but I've constantly surprised myself by how budget friendly it can be as well these days.

 

I answered "I scrimp and save" and "I settle for dolls I don't love"
So- I started the hobby 15 years ago and my economic status has been on a steady decline overall. Most of my money was spent into this hobby earlier on when cost of living was more comfortable for me. Two people working and splitting rent, still making a tidy few hundred a month on Etsy, etc etc. I never had much of anything else I spent money on for leisure. (Unfortunately I had some preexisting issues which lead me to severely neglect myself in ways that inevitably saved money too) But I could afford rent and groceries when I wanted to eat and to buy a new piece of clothing for myself from time to time, so things felt good. Many of those early doll investments were recycled for years to come, sales of dolls funding new purchases. The second hand market tanking like it did and my life becoming more desperate mostly ruined that too.

Anyway, at this point I could not afford to enter the hobby like I did in 2010, (partly using credit cards too, we'll bear that in mind) and I think I just wouldn't because I feel less security for the future now. This past year I worked full time supporting myself and partner until I burned out and bought only a couple wigs and eyes, occasional bargain fabrics and then at the end of my employment after talking with my partner about it I bought one doll and a couple wigs from a small amount of my remaining savings. I felt interested in working on her (but if money was not an issue I wouldn't have chosen her specifically) and this was my little reward for that gruelling year. While I was working everything I was earning went to us and if there was any thought to spend on myself it was discussed and we would look at the upcoming bills written on the refrigerator etc.

So sometimes early in the hobby I financed with credit cards. I did layaway once or twice but that was just to delay gratification actually. After the age of 25 or so I never bought a doll unless the money was really there for it. I try not to bargain much with my future self. I like to buy dolls I am spontaneously interested in and I don't mind that I settled a lot for what I could afford because I love the project aspects, choosing budget doll finds helped me to see some interesting variety and I bond with the dolls I have through activities.

I'm extremely grateful for what I have and I don't know if I'll always have it. Actually think it's kind of a miracle i am lucky enough to still have these dolls I carefully collected to bring me comfort and joy! I too, often wonder how people afford this hobby, of course I wonder about a lot of "how do people do x" because the fact of the matter is just that I'm very low income and I don't see how that is likely to change in my life. We get used to our own experiences.

 

I also, spent most of my life skimping on expenses while trying to establish a little bit of financial stability. Now I'm at a temporary opportunity in life where most of my income isn't towards necessities and I am able to feel comfortable buying my first bjd's. I built up a small savings specifically for doll expenditure that can cover the cost of bjds I liked but I do still tend to choose layaway payments, mostly as the thought of spending all the money at once gives me anxiety. But I've never bought a doll I didn't have the full cost already in hand (figuratively).

 

I plan my purchase wisely and only buy one at a time. If im not playing with the dolls that I curetly have I don't buy anymore. I try to not buy on impulse for anything, it's dangerous .

 

I don’t buy a lot of other things. I don’t have a car, so no car/insurance payments. I forgo fancy clothes and repair things as well as I can, when I can. I’m lucky that dolls my “style” are fairly uncommon, and even then I’m very picky. If I don’t love it, it doesn’t get bought.
Also the style of dolls I prefer don’t really require clothes, wigs, shoes, maybe accessories but you can usually salvage that from other things.

The end result is a highly curated collection of fairly expensive dolls but also dolls that I 100%, truly love and get all my attention.

 

I sell some when I want another one.

 

I have a well-paying job and I'm not afraid to sell items that no longer bring me joy. My biggest hurdle is that I just don't find many items that I like or that will fit my doll (or another doll I'd want), so it's really curbed how much I spend overall.

 

Knowing me, I'd struggle to sell something even after it had been years. I tend to get heavily invested with hobbies, so I'm trying to keep a safe distance otherwise I might be living on ramen and water if I didn't control my impulses. Given how my job is going and other financial responsibilities, 'I buy them on layaway because the payments are within my budget'. The smaller payments really help, and I'd much rather that option than to pay full price. However, I also have savings set aside, if in the future such a doll does come along that I'd be wanting to immediately pay in full for.