I’ve seen one thread that asked how much railroaders spend on their hobby. Some of those answers suprised me! Apparently, some people spend thousands of dollars per year. Thats a shocker. [:0] I didn’t know there were so many rich people out there. I spend only about $350 a year, which includes the occasional “super cost” locomotive. Some times I may go overboard with spending, and it hurts my wallet. [B)]
This causes me to wonder, what are your occupations or jobs? What do some of you do to get so much money? Just curious.
Now medically retired I live off a small long term disablity payment and “GranMa’s” Wages. My budget is slim pickin’s but I manage to squeeze about $80-$100/mo.
I think you would have to define “rich”. I spend probably between 3 and 4 thousand dollars a year Canadian (2300 - 3100 US) and I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination, although I suspect you would think I am if I told you my income . . .
work at a pizza place. i’m only 17 though so thats why i don’t have a good job. i make like $250 a month then have to pay for my car which is $100 and gas which is about $50 a month. in the end i get about $100 to save but mostly that goes to eating and CDs.
I’m an architect, which in reality, means I’m poorer than dirt most of the time. (sorry to dissapoint, rich architects only exist in the movies) . Between house, cars, insurance, bills, and the wife, there aint much left over for my toys, but I manage a little treat every now and then ( I found two new LGB porter engines at a local discount liquidator for $40 each and was over the moon excited, my wife thought I was NUTS!).
I’ve been what they call “retired due to disability” going back over three years now. Naturally, my income has been curtailed compared to what it was when I had a job. Luckily, the vast majority of my RR purchases took place while I was still employed. Since I am modeling a specific RR at a specific time, the amount of motive power and rolling stock is somewhat limited by that, so I don’t have to keep running out and trying to keep up with it all in the past couple years. That’s one good thing about picking a focus in what you’re modeling, I suppose.
I didn’t get my disability status automatically after I applied, in fact I had to hire a lawyer and go before a Federal judge to win my case. Consequently, I received an intital lump sum payment going back 27 months, so I just budgeted some of this for the layout. Now I can pay to have some of the room prep done I can’t do myself anymore. Also, a big expense will be all the lumber, track and switches (turnouts?) I’ll have to get to build the layout. But it’s all in the budget.
In the past I’ve spent as much as $300-400 in one trip to the train store, but that’s rare. It seemed in the past I was spending maybe $200-300 per month. Lately, though, since I’m trying to live on a budget from my fixed disability income, I’ m averaging, maybe, $100-150 per month. It’s not hard to spend that much if you’re not careful either, though, so let’s be careful out there!
Like Vsmith, I am an architect, and not rich. However, I am still single and living in a cheaply-rented house for the moment (planning to purchase a home in near future), so I am at a decent net-positive cash flow for the moment. Of course, nominally I am saving up for the future house downpayment, but realistically I’m indulging my every modeling whim at the moment. I just spent probably $400 at the last two train shows, in the past month, and I’ve spent as much on Ebay as well, and there’s no stopping me!
I should mention, too, that just tonight I have postponed a grocery-shopping trip for one more day. I have no qualms about spending on trains, yet I shy away from buying food…
well i had to work and try and get some money but instead i got a major stomach ache so i had to come home. i was at work for 40 minutes. hopefully though i’ll have some time to look at stuff i’d like to buy and finally plan my bench work.
I am a civil engineer specializing in land development design. Like my friends listed above my family obligations take up most of my fun money (need to teach my kid to skip some meals). i probably average $50-$100 a month. This includes gifts, which my wife informs everyone I prefer gift certificates to one ofthe two local hobby stores.
I am a full time college student that fortunatly qualifies for alot of college scholorships and grant money. It was with the leftovers from fall semester and combined birthday present money that I was able to purchase my first 5 brass pieces, (Two Vista Domes and a Baggage car in GN big sky blue, and two BN (Former GN) Cabooses) And I still have about $200.00 left over that I am saving for until I find something I want.
I also work a job, which provides some money to my cause, and I also run a custom paint/model railroad design business. However that takes a back seat to classes and all my customers presently on my waiting list are aware of that fact. (However It seems everytime I turn around. present clients are adding more, and new cliants are signing up. I have eneugh work to keep me busy for a solid 6 months at this point)
When I get out of college I plan to expand into model manufacuring.
Due to the very cheap circumstances of my location I am able to make a dollar streatch quite a bit. Plus I NEVER pay list price for anything on my model railroad except those things if I wait around for the lower price I probably won’t get one.
Plus I enjoy scratch building. I can build 8 boxcars for the price of one of the RTR offerings from Athearn these days.
I’m 12 so my jobs are leaf raking, lawn mowing, snow shoveling , dog sitting and baby sitting. I had to save for several months but I think i might have close to 200 dollars to pend at the Oklahoma City Train Show here in a couple weeks. my income is not large so my proggress on my new layout will be limited.
I drive tractor trailer…amazingly i make a great deal of money…but it makes up for itself im never home…if i didnt have this nifty cell phone that i could use as a modem to get online on my downtime id go nuts. And to be honest i hate driving a truck and i hate driving…but the moeny is to good…id never be able to make this kinda money doing anything else.
What do i spend per month on trains? Well at the Greenburg show this past saturday i dropped about $800. Id say i spend between $3500 and $7500 a year on trains if not more…but…i only have a car payment, insurance on that car, and a cell phone payment…as i said im never home so i never bothered to move out of my parents house…i mean why waste money on my own place if im never there. So i can spend more than if i lived on my own.