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Two weeks out of lockdown seems as good a time as any to reflect on my collecting and spending habits over the past year or so.
With pubs, football, shops and (hopefully) travel returning, I'm wary of what this'll mean for budgeting and self-control:
With pubs, football, shops and (hopefully) travel returning, I'm wary of what this'll mean for budgeting and self-control:
...Like for many of us, 2020 was the year collecting really took off. A combination of lockdown, furlough and excessive free time was the perfect storm in my case. I realise I'm incredibly fortunate to call this a 'problem' given the year some of us have had...
...This isn't meant at all meant to be a flex, but rather a visualisation of how a hobby can creep out of control.
It's no coincidence that the months where I was out working, socialising, travelling and generally being happier, were the ones I spent the least...
It's no coincidence that the months where I was out working, socialising, travelling and generally being happier, were the ones I spent the least...
... Admittedly the above doesn't take into account whatever I recouped from selling but I found the patterns shocking nonetheless. Simply put, it was not a spending habit that can coexist with "normal" life, nor was it always a healthy one. Discipline and structure were needed...
...For me, that was an Excel catalogue and designated % of my income for collecting. For others, it will be something else. But having that focusing tool really can make the difference when you feel temptation start to pull...
... The money I saved on haircuts in the last 12 months likely bought 2-3 shirts alone! This is money my budget no longer has. I want to go for beers and save for holidays - neither of which I've done since seriously picking up this hobby. That isn't to say...
...the two are mutually exclusive, just that there is a balance in there to be found. Spend what you can afford, give FOMO the finger, and remember your collection is *yours* 
