I don't have a specific budget, but try to budget for 1-2 figures outside of the retail releases that I want each month. I keep a list of G1 figures I still need (and will soon have a list of bits and pieces) and try to strike when I see something I "need". Aside from toys, I don't really spend frivolously right now. It does fluctuate, but fortunately if I miss something, these things are so readily available that I am interested in, that it doesn't bother me too much if I miss. My other hobbies are relatively cheap, gym is $30 (soon to be $45ish as I am getting a second membership), brew my own coffee, and don't drink like I used to. Brickseek has saved me a ton on wasted trips to Walmart at 11pm after hitting the gym, coming up empty handed except for a snack (damn snacks add up).
$300 or lower. For example my July purchases will be: Masterpiece Dinobot $218 Marvel Legends Family Matters $66 That is a total of $284.
It really just depends on what Hasbro is putting out in any given year. That's my budget, total Hasbro MSRP by year.
This past year it’s risen a lot. Basically Hasbro haven’t put a foot wrong with the studio series line, and Siege has been pretty consistent too, so I’ve been all in on everything. Plus the Mpms , and BW mps have made it expensive. I expect it to even itself out in a few years when studio series is done, and I get bored of the G1 stuff again.
At first i would buy every classic and movie toy. Then I went to just movie toys for RotF through AoE. Now I only collect MPMs and movie OSKOs or third party toys, and not every one. I get a new toy every couple months or so, so I'm under $1000 a year.
Math's a hell of a drug. I don't budget, just track. I know what needs paid in real life, and hobby purchases never infringe on necessities. Once what needs paid is paid, what's left is for me to delegate towards what my family needs and what the house needs. I have a decent job, so after those needs are met I can have fun. And I do have fun. I mainly just collect official Transformers (mainline CHUG and some MP's), with an occasional NECA figure or Diaclone Reboot item thrown in, though I am seriously slowing down on those two to focus primarily on TF's.
Okay it’s time to face reality! Assuming I purchased on US MRSP with no regards to discounts/my country’s inflated prices: Studio Series Stinger Ratchet Crowbar Barricade Jazz Lockdown Sideswipe TLK Berserker 8 Deluxes - 20x8 = $160 Studio Series Thundercracker Ironhide Brawl Bonecrusher Starscream TLK Hound 6 Voyagers - 30x6 = $180 And one Leader Class (Blackout), so: 160 + 180 + 50 = $390 If we wanted to consider the markers I bought customising a handful of them, that’s about $400 from $10 worth of black and silvers. Oh dear... well at least I’m going cold turkey for a couple years now. Y’know, school and life.
No budget. I spend as much as I want on Transformers. Although typically it ends up somewhere between $500 and $1000 a year as I'm pretty picky with my purchases.
I've been at a pretty high level of spending since 2017 (between $5000-$8,000/year), but I plan on having most of my collection complete or near completion by 2021. That includes buying stuff to enjoy temporarily and then selling it on, so there is a lot of recycled money in that large amount. So that means 2 more years of high spending to get the collections I want. I'm sure I'll still stick around and pick up a really cool item here and there after my collections are complete. My TFPrime collection is complete (unless they do MP versions), my MP collection is just Takara and FT limited to 1985 checklist. The vast majority of my other spending is DC 1/6, 1/4, and 1/3 scale statues (which will be complete by 2021) and Mezco One:12 Collective figures. I have very defined collections that I want so there are definite end points to my collections as I absolutely do want to drastically reduce spending on this stuff and shift it to home improvements/travel/retirement. When I'm done, I'll probably spend a chunk of change building some custom displays so I can sit back and enjoy all this stuff.
I do online surveys for Amazon points/PayPal, & pretty much my entire Transformers budget comes from there, or gift cards. The only transformer I've spent money from my bank account on this year is a single Botbot. I still budget everything, & I tend to be very picky with what I get. Siege putting out obscure characters will definitely test my will power... I also collect comics, have been doing so for most my life, I budget $20 a month, but I think I'm pretty well done with comics for the most part. The only things I buy are Black Hammer from Dark Horse & any Hellboy one shots. So that's usually only about $4-$8 a month.
This last year? I'm almost certain I am under $250, unless I am forgetting something. Just not interested in a lot right now, and the price points have extinguished any enthusiasm for purchases of marginal interest. I'm still stuck on not paying more than $15 for a Deluxe and $25 for a Voyager. (This remains true in my mind even when the Voyager is masquerading as a Leader.) As such, my spending is pretty much nill until discounts, sales, and clearance kicks in. My most extreme year was probably $500-$1000. It was a year of buying the rare couple of Masterpieces and a couple of Third Party offerings. I don't have a hard budget, but I try to avoid spending more than $30 a month. A lot of months, I don't buy anything. Some months, a great sale will lead me to drop $60-$80 on figures. But I am confident that the average sits about right.
