i am new to the hobby, and need help! i have been planning on a railroad for almost 3-4 month’s now still have got nothing for it! this could all be solved if i could save my money insted of spending on other stuff.[:(] so advice on saving money would be greatly appreciated. i do have a santa fe train set,though. so any other advice is also greatly appreciated.
thanx,bye. GOD BLESS!
Don’t spend it.
Read this, maybe it will help you focus.
To give you some better advice than “don’t spend it”…
I wanted to start this hobby and had to find a way to justify the money spent. I was an advid smoker for 15 years and decided to quit smoking and put four dollars a day into train money. This gave me another reason to quit and made that $100.00 for an engine just 25 days of not smoking.
I spent a year working out all of the details and doing my research. Do not dive head first. When you have your plan decide on what you need first. That new Kato engine is nice but bench work, tools, track, and other items should come first. I order from my local hobby store and I know that is more expensive but without them I would not have got into the hobby in the first place. I place my order and pay for it then. If I wait I will spend the money on other things. Money out of site is money out of mind.
It is nice to start with the top notch stuff, but the important thing is to get started. Just keep in mind you get what you pay for. The cheaper something is the less reliable it will be and the more discouraged you will become. Join a local group and you will be surprised what items they no longer use but you can. I hope this helps and enjoy.
Welcome to those of us that spend money on stuff other than trains. Advice - 1) go to e-bay and check for great deals there(sometimes cheaper) 2) locate a place in your room and hid some money for train stuff. 3)try to cut down on the number of other things you spend money on. 4)when you go to your local train/hobby store,check the clearance areas. 5) check garage sales for some train stuff{once in a blue moon you’ll find something}. 6) have fun and welcome to the hobby[:D]
stephen
Trainguy12, you already know the answer to your question, so is there something else you would like from us?
Is there something about you that you would like to share that may help us to help you to get more control over your diverse interests? Are you spending your money on train things which, if so, would mean that you are stuck in an acquisitive stage? This is symptomatic of people who feel they have little power in their lives, so they get pleasure and a sense of power from buying things. It is the one thing they can own, the thing you buy with your own money. Trouble is, then they just sit there.
You can’t run your trains on carpet, can you? What are you going to do about that? What are you going to do to change the way you spend your money? I won’t be telling you how to spend your money. You must, and do do that…every time.
What would you like changed? What do you see is the problem? You don’t seem to be short of money, or is that how you would characterize your problem? pcarrell wisely sent you to a linked recent discussion that touches on this subject in a philosophical way, to the consternation of a few of the contributors.
What it boils down to is this: your bucks, your choices. No two ways about it. Keep spending as you do, or spend with another goal in mind. But…you do it!
Okay, one last thing: if you aren’t having fun,…?
Sounds like you need to take a course in money management. People here may have some tips, but I think a forum like this is better at giving modeling tips than money management advice.
Here’s my 2 cents as it relates to your layout: If you have a layout plan, then make a list of the items you will need in order to build it (everything from lumber to glue). Then research the best price you can find for each. Add it all up and you know roughly how much you will need in total. Then break it down is stages (Bench work, track work, electrical, scenery, etc.) and calculate how much you will need to save in order to get started and continue along to each stage.
Be sure to be thorough with your pricing research, because there are always more ways than one to get something done. Read through these forums to get ideas – like what’s the best way to build bench work for the layout you want, or what track is best, or what methods are cost effective for doing scenery, etc. The way you decide to do things will directly impact price.
Above all, try to be patient and have fun. Some of the nice layouts you will see pictures of took a lot of time to build.
How you save money to reach each stage is going to be up to you (and perhaps a good money management course).
Welcome to the worlds greatest hobby. In my opinion, If you want a model train bad enough you will find a way to afford it. Instead of spending your money on ‘‘something elece’’ when you have a little money to spend, get some lumber or something to start with then as you progress you will find ( If you truely do enjoy modeling trains) that you would rather have a new loco rather than ‘’ something elece’’ and will not want to spend money on ‘‘something elece’’ but you will say to yourself ‘‘I sure would like to have some more open hoppers’’ It isn’t all that hard to do if that is what YOU want. I am probley the worlds worst at saving money, so if I can do it most any one can. Good luck. Mike
If you looking for instant gratification, then this is the wrong hobby! If you really want to get your feet wet, then pick up a small building kit or 2 and start developing your model building skills, you’re going to need them.
Us as old farts like to say, “Rome (or substitute the city of your chosing) wasn’t built in a day” and neither will your model railroad empire. Start small, a couple of buildings, a couple of freight car kits, etc. Don’t bite off more than you can chew at one time. If you try to tackle a whole layout at once, it’ll be overwhelming and you won’t get anywhere. Small steps, small steps. They add up. Good luck and welcome!
Welcome aboard. The only thing I can add is to consider starting with a practice layout to develop your skills. This has worked for me and has allowed me to make more informed decisions on my ultimate plan. If you go slowly and carefully, you won’t ruin too many components in the building process (I’ve yet to melt a plastic tie with a soldering iron). You’ll find out what works and what doesn’t – and it’s not always the most expensive item that works best. I’m finding that I’ll reuse almost everything on the real layout anyway. I just put less pressure on myself to hit a home run with every project. And frequent this forum – there’s a ton of good advice here.
Boy!!! Selector I feel so much better after that last post on this subject. What advice do you have for overspenders?[;)]
When people at work would tell me they wanted to save money like I did I would share my secret.
I can do what I do because I don’t always do what I want to do. Works everytime. Good luck with curtailing unnecessary spenting and welcome to the hobby. Phil
[angel] My other “hobby” is counselling. I don’t sugar coat much.