I'm sure this has been brought up before but I just wanted to share this with you again.

Guys, or you gals too I guess, here is how to stretch your modeling budget.

If you're like me I keep a little allowance for myself, and turn the rest of my check over to SWMBO. If I go to the hobby store to get something guess whose budget it comes from? Now if I go shopping with my wife at Wal-Mart, or wherever, and I pick up something I can use in my modeling it comes out of the family budget.

I more than make up for it by paying for things out of my pocket, that really should come out of the family budget.

So look for things at the regular store you can use for your modeling. It pays twice. They're normally cheaper, and they don't always come out of your modeling budget.

Well im the big spender of the family. so what me and my wife have decided, we each give ourselves an allowance, any model stuff has to come out of my allowance, no exceptions. lol

works like a charm,

Fortuanlty l don't have to worry about an allowance. I spend what I see fit. The "other half" has her money to spend on her "interrests" and neither one points fingers at the other. As long as the bills keep geting paid, we don't care.

First thing I do to keep the budget down is shop ebay and WAIT for a deal.

I use coffee shop stir sticks A LOT, glue sand paper to them for sanders, use them as stir sticks (duh), and use them for buildings, floors, boxes etc.

I use wire twist ties for a lot of things.

I use styrene from various containers.

I recycle various paper for 'blotting' materials, AB box covers, drying mats etc.

I pln ahead and ask for things as gifts.

Michaels 40% off coupon works great too.

I try to scratch as much as I can. once about evry two years I reorder from from plastruct. Second is I'm very careful what After Market Items I get especially PE sets . Many fill there spaces with a plethora of thing one would never need, Flat sight guards to replace the round ones in kits come to mind.

Lastly I try to buy things I know I will get too like M113 or M48/M60 conversions. getting that one off type that will sit on the shelf becuase its either too hard or theres not enough reference has blown my budget once too often

Switch to 1/72 scale and slowly start liquidating your 1/35 scale kits. A $30 Tamiya kit gets you 3+ 1/72 scale kits.

Yes, but if I throw two of them against the wall from being frustrated by the small scale I'm not really coming out ahead. With my eyesight, even magnified, plus my patience level, I haven't been able to work with 1/72 scale since I was a kid. It was fun back then though.

I've taken to E-Bay for most model pruchases. I bid REAL low and if I win - great, if not - no great shakes.

Recently I picked up a Tamiya LVTP7 for $6.00 !!!! An Italeri Hmett for $12.00, so in part I can justify the occasional runs to the hobby store by teliing my spouse, "Look how much I saved on e-bay!" Sometimes it works.

Anyway - the occasional trips I limit myself to a budget and stick to it. Anything "I can't live without" I think on it at least 24 hours. By then the urge is over an the $$$ stays in my wallet.