How to stop yourself from spending all of your money...

While I wait for a doll I like to keep myself occupied (and not buying more things or dolls) by doing a lot of drawings of the incoming doll which helps me feel more excited about them and develop my ideas for them further.

I also like to window shop for them -- looking at all the neat accessories out there and imagine what kind of stuff I might like for the new character. Be firm with yourself and tell yourself you are only browsing, not buying. If you really have the urge to shop while you wait then I'd recommend looking for the art supplies you will want to use to customize them! If you are planning on making everything then it may be fun to collect all kinds of materials, like fabrics and jewelry findings to keep yourself busy. Think of how many great supplies for your already on order dolls you can get for the same price as another doll. Motivate yourself to avoid temptation that way if it helps.

 

yeah separate account for non essentials is crucial for me, otherwise i'd look at the main account and be all "oo we have £3000" and forget that most of that goes toward household expenses. It's way too easy to overspend if you have to do the maths every time you look at your account. Wheras with a separate one, one glance and I know "i can afford this".

 

*shrugs* Plain and simple - good old discipline.

 

...I have this exact problem. My boyfriend and I are literally stuck with about 5 euros in our bank account at the moment thanks to me and my impulsive doll spending. Thankfully, we live with family (my parents), so we're in the clear on basic necessities.
I'm totally taking the advice on keeping a separate account for non-essentials, though.
Gotta say, I don't recommend window shopping. If you're an impulsive mess like me, you'll end up buying all the small neat things for your resin baby and all those 'cheap' little things add up to a massive amount in the end.
I say sketching, drawing, fleshing out their character/personality and writing stories about your doll is a good way to stay interested in them and feel connected to them while tolerating the wait (whether it's a 2 month wait, or 6-8 month wait like me )!

 

Not buying every doll I see is a combination of being a miser and having a rule about no doll coming home who isn't already a character. Even so, almost 9 years in the hobby and I have 40 dolls. I strongly concur with the separate account for "fun" stuff. It doesn't have to be just for dolls (obviously). I have a savings account and while the bulk of what I save goes to dolls and their stuff, I also used it to save up for a vacation and there've been a few incidents where an emergency hit me (hello, Hubby's root canal) and I simply took money out of my fun money because I wanted to make sure none of our regular bills would be impacted. I use my fun money as an extra security cushion, which makes things a bit less stressful money-wise. The Hubby has his own fun money account, too, and does the same.

The only caution I would say with a fun money account is that if you've saved up a good amount (it's often a case of out of sight, out of mind) and you have impulse control issues, you could find yourself tempted into buying because you have this money just sitting there waiting to be spent. In that instance, I'd say avoid browsing sites or the MP unless you're looking for a specific doll otherwise that urge to buy my bite you in the wallet.

 

This is a wrong question to ask me lol. I purchased one doll then purchased another then I went & bought another so while waiting I bought another and then decided I needed one more but then forgot I was supposed to order another one.... I'm waiting on 6 dolls...... Augh

AKA:
I bought a Ringdoll Merlin, then purchased a Granado Titan Awin thinking he was the size of an HID, being disappointed I then bought the Granado HID Drake sculpt. I then bought a Kinsman Evan I had to have then I saw the Dollits DAD Rey and then remembered I was supposed to order the New Granado Udell... 6 dolls

 

Honestly, the best thing to do is to try to make a plan and stick to it as closely as possible, and what I find really useful (and practical, tbh) is to make "vague/loose" plan about how much money you allow yourself to spare instead of some definite plan such as "I will only get x dolls this year/season/month, y pieces of clothes this year/season/month" etc.

Let's face the truth, doll makers always surprise us with limited dolls and clothing every month, and seeing all the doll profiles just makes me want to get more dolls. It is just hard to say no to all of them. Whenever I feel the impulse to get a new doll, I always ask myself if I actually need a new doll so desperately and make spread sheet listing the pros and cons of the doll (yeah, I treat this decision task like a school work lol).

At the end of day, though, I want BJD to be a life-time hobby for me, and I try to not rush into anything too quickly, in case I lose interests after a short time like I have done in my previous hobbies.

I would suggest that you just do what feels right emotionally and economically, and as long as you are happy and healthy with your decisions, I see no problem in spending money in this hobby

 

After I got my first doll, I went absolutely nuts!!! hundreds of dollars spent so fast and so easily--like never before! Definitely not smart of me, and I sort of regret it because I was on a BJD accessories high, purchasing one item after another, and now I barely even use most of them. It's hard not to spend money on BJDs though, maybe set a budget per month, and make sure you ONLY touch the money you've set aside

 

Hello,

As I'm answering you I just bought another one, this time, Ring Doll's The Red King. I can't help it, i'm a compulsive shopper. I honestly don't know what to do with them. They're all sitting in their boxes in the doll's nursery.

 

The way I see it, there are two possibilities when you get into this hobby. The first is that you'll love it for many years to come. The second is that you'll lose interest quickly. (I know the second one is hard to believe right now, but a vast number of DoA members come...and go.) So if you are in the first group, and you have yeeeeeears ahead of you, and assuming that you have a finite amount of time, space and money...well, just imagine if you keep on buying dolls at the rate of two or three a month. No one will be able to find you under the mountain of dolls in ten years. They will not be able to find your bank account, either, because it will be empty. :P Buy the sculpts you adore, but only after you have looked at hundreds of dolls to make sure they are truly the ones you love best. You see cute sculpts that call out to you, but remember that there are innumerable ones you have never seen from companies you have never heard of...and you don't want to stumble across an irresistible one of these when your finances have already been squeezed dry. I think that most of us who have been in the hobby for a long time will agree that one of the cardinal rules is: no impulse buying!!

And should you fall into the second category of Lost Interest, then meh...you'll have to go through all the time and trouble of unloading a bunch of dolls you bought quickly but don't want anymore, and probably for less than you paid.

So...knowing all of that is how I keep my buying down, even when I'm drooling over a new company or new sculpt!

 

i cant stop it. xD
But i must, i say this every day to me.
Bills, rent etc. is payed and i have enough food at home.
But i want also save my money, again.
Before i collect dolls, i could save every mounth between 100 and 300 euros. Now, nothing.

 

Ya i failed. Ive tried to not spend money on my dolls ive not even been in the hobby over 6 months and i have 5 dolls already. I cant buy anymore now because i have no money too Luckily im good at making sure im not in an difficult situation. I plan on selling one of my dolls as i do need to start saving though v.v

 

It's easy to plan for future additions to your 'collection' whether its clothes or more dolls, etc. In my case I really do not have money to spend. I like looking at dolls on the forums and other places and that actually makes me feel less impulsive.

It might seem a bit unfair but in situations where you need to save your money for more important finances (or you know you are a very impulsive buyer), it's best to adopt the mentality that even if you really want that doll it doesn't mean you should get it, even if this is your only chance to. You can't always get what you want.

On a more positive note, you mentioned you can make furniture - I think that's a great idea. Also, if you start making BJD related crafts and selling them then you can still participate in the hobby while slowly saving up money for it.

 

I pay all my bills first so that, in the end, I merely have no money.

 

I have limited dolly funds. In order to keep in budget until more funds come my way, drastic measures are taken. Voluntary banishment from all things doll related. No Facebook doll sales, no etsy, eBay, Bjdcollectasy, Noppin, Mandarake no dolly stalking, I mean doll watching of any kind. This lasts maybe for a month and a half. I like to read which is a good thing. This way I get to catch up the different books I like. Banishment sometimes happen 2 or 3 times a year.

 

Paying a hobby money stipend is an excellent idea!

I have a much sadder version of this. My husband and I agreed both our hobby collections had gotten out of hand. We each have separate hobby money accounts, but the only money that goes in is the earnings from selling existing pieces of our many collections.

this weekend I'm going to order a new doll...but I have zero hobby money so I'll be in debt to myself. No new doll stuff until I earn the hobby money to pay myself back.

So word of caution- don't let your collecting outgrow your ability to maintain it because this sucks!!

 

I have almost no self control if I see something that I really want. Lucky for my bank account, I'm ridiculously picky about what I buy for my dolls.

 

If you can't get rid of the shopping urge, try grabbing a few props or pieces of furniture for your first dolls - it makes such a difference to be able to build a little world for them, and it's nowhere near as expensive. Wait and see before you buy any more - like people have said, it sucks when you're overwhelmed with dolls and can't give them the attention they deserve. Or make plans, make lists, and start your next savings account!

 

I gave my cards and bank info to my wife. She gave me some $ to last me till the end of the month. If I have extras, I can save them for more doll stuff! lol