What did you learn about money when joining the hobby?

What a wonderful, wonderful thread! I was thinking about the same thing recently.
I always had hobbies that required saving up, but BJDs (in my opinion, a least) are astronomically more expensenive than anything I've done before. But it just proved to me that saving money and cutting off unneccessary luxuries as well as being resourceful are great ways for saving money and also are great for the enviroment and for the body, too. Cooking for myself, thrifting clothes, making my own coffee and tea instead of buying take aways - it saves sooo much money! And I feel happier and healthier too.

 

That even though I always have too much month at the end of my paycheck while only paying bills I can still always cut back on something somewhere to save up some cash. Read as: I actually buy a bunch of crap and call it "bills"...
But I just can't bring myself to ever buy a doll with a credit card even though I know I would only be building my credit even more.
(a bit off topic but I'm only just realizing I can save up money for my 6-month car insurance but pay it with the credit card and just throw the saved up cash at the credit card and also get "cash back" rewards... (thanks, Chase & Amazon...) and I'm honestly wondering if I should do that with my dolls too...)

 

Thanks for taking the time to make the thread, truly appreciated.
I feel like in a lot of ways it's great to focus on what's important and get rid of the clutter. I'm so glad that this hobby is what makes you this happy - and sometimes I'm wondering if people who say that it's too expensive don't see that for some people it's one of the only things they indulge themselves in. Priorities!! haha

 

Since I was a kid saving up for my first video game, I've known how to efficiently save money. Seriously, I was ridiculously good at it growing up and didn't spend a dime on something I wasn't intent on. But when I got a job, I started to become more lax in my spending since I had considerably more money than before. When I got into the bjd hobby I realized all this trivial spending I was doing and cut way back. Not only did this help me save my money for dolls, but it also solved my problem of too much junk and being dissatisfied with my purchases.

 

I found out that I used to buy a lot of useless crap I didn't need, and once I stopped buying that other stuff, affording bjds was a lot easier than I thought it would be. When I go out now, and see a thing I might think I want, thinking about it in terms of doll money makes it easy to walk away. It really helps to get priorities straight. I've had people complain that they can't afford to buy a doll, and when I tell them they can save up, they laugh and say they have to buy video games or go to a convention. They made that choice. My choice, when I go to conventions, is to buy a couple pieces of art from artists alley and that's it. It's still fun, and I'm not broke! Then I can afford that head I think I need XD

 

I learned to budget more carefully and to have more patience through saving up and/waiting.

 

I learn to spend first and bear the consequences later. #yolo #youonlyliveonce

 

I started to really get a sense of how much money I have and don't have. And it wasn't just bjds that influenced my view of money and finances, but they are one of the things that takes a big chunk. I, too, tend to think about what is superfluous and what isn't, and luckily, it's getting easier and easier to turn down things I simply think are cute (clothes or knick knacks or whatever).
Since I've done a bunch of traveling recently, I've had to step back from spoiling my dolls. I LOVE shopping for them, but I haven't just stepped back and saved in a while. It's about time. Because dolls are so expensive and you never really know when the perfect one is gonna come along, I would rather be prepared when that moment comes than miss out or be scrabbling for spare change.
For now, everyone is clothed and wigged and eyed, and we all can wait a little bit for me to save.

 

I learned I can totally pass the marshmallow experiment. (Stanford marshmallow experiment - Wikipedia)

In other words, saving cash, browsing online but rarely buying, thinking long and hard about doll purchases has shown me how much I enjoy delayed gratification. This really helps when saving for big fun purchases.

 

I was already ok at saving on my small budget put something away everyweek into emergency funds, this is stupid but I accidentally thought I already paid rent and had more than enough left to get a doll last week so I did it then the crashing reality set it thank the Lord I had enough for rent and $140 left but now almost at my next pay I have $70 left after groceries so this accidental mistake made me realise I can save that much more every fortnight which is great as I already have a auto pay savings every week meaning with am extra $300 a fortnight I finish Xmas shopping before September will begin then have pleanty left to save for a vacation all for just not buying random crap I don't need and choosing homebrand/on clearance foods

 

I learned to just keep a dolly money stash because the best possible doll will more often than not come at the most inopportune time to drop a big wad of cash. It happens too often!

I also learned not to compare, my collection, my likes, my way of spending...because my way is right for me and my budget is my own and that's all that matters.

Finally I learned that unless I really love that exact sculpt, (and yes I have some I'm simply crazy for and then some I just like)...my dolls are more about what I do with them than the exact type they are. And this greatly influences my spending choices now.

 

This might sound dumb but I've learned to stop worrying and buy things that make me happy. For the last 10 years I've restricted my "fun" purchases to a $60 video game 3 times a year if I'm lucky, and even then I felt guilty about it. On the plus side I saved A LOT of money, but I was saving it out of instinct to hoard instead of any actual necessity.

It's more of a mental health and self-worth thing than a money thing, but I think it has also taught me to spend money responsibly as opposed to just hoarding it, you know?

 

I learned that everyone, really everyone is able to save money for a doll. I was saving for my boy for about six months and then I was waiting for him for the next six months - and it was a gorgeous time!

 

I got the feeling I might’ve learned that everything else is really cheap. HAHAHA. XD Oh this.. this is only a 100 euros, that’s NOTHING. Because dolls are so much more expensive lol. XD

Honestly I spend the same amount of money now as I did before even though I told myself that after spending money on a doll I should save up again. But it’s so hard!!!! I need more discipline. I guess many people might have this problem, no? :P I do save up money for a doll though so at least there’s a shoooort period of time where I think more seriously about my spendings. And I’ve only purchased my second doll two months ago (still waiting) so I wonder what my view on this topic will be after a while.

 

That it takes a lot longer to earn/save the money than it does to spend it.
So therefore I’m a lot more careful about my future doll purchases. It’s got to be something I really, really want. I kind of have a case of ‘savings burnout’, and any new dolls are measured with the ‘am I willing to work really hard to pay for it’, or ‘would it be better to let it go’ test. So far ‘letting it go’ is winning.

 

When I first got into this hobby I'm going to be honest, I learned nothing about money. When I got my first and second dolls I was living at home in my early 20s and at the risk of sounding awful, my parents spoiled me. I could basically buy whatever I wanted for ~leisure or fun and they paid for everything else. So, to me the high price tags were not a big deal because besides clothes ... I had no other bills, no other debt, no nothing. If anything I would say I learned that I had an incredibly immature attitude toward money which unfortunately carried through for a while when I got married and had my own house and suddenly, hello responsibilities!

However! Since I've been back, I've noticed I'm a better money manager than I thought. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that I certainly have matured with my financial responsibility but, I also just feel I've become a better overall planner. I learned that a credit card is something to be used only when I know for a fact I have the money to pay it right off. I've also learned that layaways work for me when I always thought they wouldn't but, I actually kind of prefer how they make me organise and schedule.

 

I guess I learned to care about money? When I was younger I always felt that as long as I had enough for food and shelter I didn't care. I pinched pennies and would rather put money in my savings. Then life got more expensive and I slowly realized that the reason it was so easy for me to save money before was because I had no opportunities to spend it. And as I got more control over my finances, I started getting worse at saving because I hadn't really learned it. Getting into an expensive hobby is teaching me the importance of saving and budgeting. Sometimes I wish I still didn't care, but as I gain more and more adult responsibilities it is probably for the best.

 

I learnt I will ended up spending a lot, even if were to diy most my dolls dresses and props