i'd like to be

At the $100/Month level (Sounds like a pledge for a local NPR station). I've been off purchases purposefully for about a year to help meet some family financial goals.

time wise I think a dedicated evening with a weekend option is a good idea for at least those of us with kids.  Of course, as I type this we are getting all boxed up for a cross- country move . . . .

Many times I need to save up

Budget by the hour

I often fret that I am spending too much, but my wife assures me that I am not. It's probably closer to $200 a month than $100, but it's still less than our cable/internet/phone bill. If I spend 20 hours a week on the layout, the cost is $2.50 an hour, cheaper than anything else I do for fun, except read books. There are times when I don't work on the railroad because of other projects, but I don't spend train money those months either. (And those other projects earn money for the train).

So the decisions are really based on the enjoyment time I'll get out of them. If I spend $75 dollars on a kit, it should take me 30 hours to build. RTR locos and cars still need some adjustment and weathering, but mostly they amortize just like the real thing. Since model rolling stock lasts a long time I feel justified in investing an additional $500 a year there. ( I don't need much for a 7 ft. railroad.)

pqe

MRH 2016 Survey result

In case you're curious, here's the result of the 2016 MRH survey on how much our audience spends on the hobby. We ask this question so we can tell advertisers about how much our readers spend, and we don't record who said what, so you're safely anonymous. We only care about the aggregate.

From this chart we can estimate our 33,000 subscribers spend about $5 million per month on the hobby, or about $60 million per year. Extrapolating out to our almost 90,000 total readers, that's about $15 million per month or approaching $200 million per year in business MRH readers do on their model railroading hobby.

I feel better

I thought I was in the low end of things but I see from Joe's chart I am right on target with most others. I am a little lower than $100, I'm at $40 every pay. That works out to $80 a month that's in Canadian dollars so it is less in US funds. However, it keeps me in the things I need, which isn't much. I've converted most of my locos to DCC with it and have bought a few new goodies as things come along. I don't get to buy the latest and greatest from Rapido or Bowser, but I'm happy. I have 2 in college and one in high school and that costs but it's money I'm glad to pay to help my kids. When they get older, perhaps I can increase my budget. 

Time is something that I have on my side. I have a job where I make my own hours which is good but sometimes I put in 80 hour weeks. It pretty much balances out and I spend at least a little time on the hobby everyday. I count reading magazines, browsing the internet etc... as train time. I worked this morning, am taking some time now and will work this afternoon as well. This evening I'll strap on the Optivisor and play with some plastic.

One advantage of being old

is you have a lot of train stuff that can be resold to fund new purchases. I haven't had to put much "new" money into the hobby for about 15 years as I keep finding stuff packed away that I no longer need. I don't spend a fixed amount every month but I'd guess $100 per month would be a good long term average.....DaveB

After 40+ years

in the hobby, I have plenty of stuff - in 3 scales yet.  As I build the layout I buy things needed like wood, wiring, track, paint, glue, etc.  This probably averages around $25 a month.  I already have everything that's available in S scale in the way of structures, rolling stock, and locomotives that I can use on the main layout -  the rest I'll have to scratch/parts build.  So I mostly buy things that appeal to the collector in me, mostly at train shows, sometimes on line in several scales.  Lately, this has averaged about $100 a month.

Paul

My goal

is to stay solvent. I make a conscious effort not to worry about how much I spend (with a small layout it really isn't all that much). It enhances my life so much and helps me relieve stress........and it's a lot cheaper than going to a psychiatrist!

Budget

Currently, my hobby budget is very close to zero, largely because I put together a detailed plan about exactly what cars and locomotives I'd need to buy/build for my prototype many years ago and was pretty disciplined about making only those purchases as I found each particular item.  Same thing with scenery items - I bought everything I thought I'd need many years ago, then bought a bit more once I started down the scenery path and learned what worked well for me and what didn't.

Like Toni, I also hand-laid, which saved a ton of money and proved to be very enjoyable.  I used DPDT paddle switches for manual turnout control (both mechanical and electrical), and I was able to do those for around $5/turnout, so that was also a nice savings.

Some of the items I'm now using were left over from a previous layout false-start (benchwork, DCC system), but if I estimate everything I've spent in the 20 years since then, it comes in right around $58/month.

Costs that are still ahead of me are mostly structure details, as I plan to scratchbuild almost everything that remains, and I already bought what I believe will be my last 4'x8' sheet of styrene - another money-saver - from a local plastics supplier.  Two sheets at around $23/each gave me everything I need for all my roads and basic structures frames.  There might be the occasional car or locomotive as new models are introduced, but probably no more than about $600 total for what I could imagine still buying (Paducah Geeps and the M420Rs I hope someone does someday).

While I'm sometimes tempted to backdate my layout, thinking about the money, and especially the time, I have wrapped up in modeling my prototype right now is a good incentive to stay the course.  At this point in life, I'd never want to start over from scratch unless I was building a much smaller layout with much more modest equipment needs.

If your contemplating detection & signals...

On top of your normal layout then you need to have a great bank loan manager...

Detection and signals

    Yeah, one can plan a layout that requires much less cash if things like that are taken into consideration. Other items that run up the bill are busy scenes with lots of details, craftsman structure kits,brass engines and cars, commercial trees,excessive turnouts and switch motors,etc. I've found as I get older I want simpler layouts so a side benefit is I can also build cheaper layouts( and then drink better beer).....Dave

Low Budget

 My hobby budget at this time is in the $100 or less per month, and I have only attended one train show this year where I found many great prices so the budget was blown there at about 350 dollars, I pretty much have all the locomotives I could ever need, all the passenger cars, and all the structure kits. That comes from 20 years of very careful shopping at Train shows, eBay, and hobby shop used or closeout items. I have to kitbash most of my locos, and buildings in order to get them to match my Soo Line prototype. Our modular club attends around 5 to 9 train shows per year, although the number has dwindled this year, two of the shows we used to set up at were canceled for the past two years.  I was even able to save a bunch of money on modular bench work from Kam Konnect by buying some rejected, and first run experimental modules. At this time I have enough modules to put together a 12 foot by 20 foot around the walls layout, with probably plenty of switches, and maybe even enough flex track to complete it, but no time to build it with 10 to 12 hour days at work and home improvement and yard work to do on my days off. Our club meets every Monday night, and I try to make it to most meetings, I was only able to attend one regional N.M.R.A. convention last year because it was only 20 miles from the house. More track and freight cars will be needed when I am finally able to work on my layout and an out building to house the layout.

Month by month

Yep..  on the same budget $100 to $150 USD per month. 

Five years ago, I started the O scale collection. My only regret, was the first few purchases weren't focused on the era I wanted to model. 

Some of the funding for the larger purchases came from the sale of N scale DCC locomotives, this was the exception. I still have my first blue box equipment that was given to me 42 years ago.

My only budget buster, is the scene I want to complete in August, I should have been collecting supplies months ago.

Over this last year, I would be lucky to get a eight hours a week for the build. One six week period, I couldn't get one hour on the layout and it was -4 F. So definitely looking forward to a solid stretch of scene building in August.

Definitely in this hobby for the long haul.

Eugene

Variable

Spending is down from £100 a month at present, although I put that amount away each month, as there isn't a lot I require at the moment. Trying to stick to a certain era and location helps me a lot, but in anticipation of any new locomotives, then I do have the funds to afford it.

As regards time, well, that depends on my shift working pattern. Since changing from a 12 hour day (or night) shift pattern, I've found that I get just as much done after an early shift as I do allocating one day every 2 weeks that I used when working a day shift. (Night shifts are normally a no-go!).

Fits and starts

Toni:

Some parts of a railroad cost money. You could spend a year's budget with a good dcc system, or a few good engines. While I salvaged the rail and switch motors from a previous layout, the basic benchwork it sits on should be decent quality. Once done, though, you're done. Same with track. I can spend hours building the rolling stock kits I have collected so there is a sunk cost but the monthly will be zilch aside from some bits and pieces or maybe decals. 

I couldn't 't build a layout on a monthly budget. A can of good paint for backdrops is nearly fifty bucks. In a years time I may spend a thousand dollars on the layout but an equal amount traveling to a convention plus the hotel, car, food out etc. A guy on a fixed income like this civil servant has to choose a lifestyle. Commute to work on a bicycle, take lunch, don't go out to shows or have cable or satellite tv. The gas savings alone leaves a couple hundred in the bank every month. We also live "off the grid" so have no electric, water or sewer bills. Both kids out of the house. 

Guys with large layouts must spend way more than $100 a month. Mine is 16' x 24' in On30 so, for the most part, is affordable and I hope the major expenses are winding down (unless I get a laser "fingers doing air quotes").  I wonder if Joe ever did a study on cost per square foot of railroad. John Allan did this in the 50's (I think) and figured the average guy spent the same as a couple packs of cigarettes a day. In today's dollars isn't that about $10/day?

Salvage, save, and stop buying on impulse - a personal mantra that I don't always follow. Back to your question.  Probably ten bucks a day.

 Neil

Doesn't Take Much

One thing I do that helps keep my spending on track is avoid buying new stuff until I've assembled the products previously purchased.  In other words, "I think I'll hold off on buying structure B until I finish up structure A I bought last month."

Also, the spending for somebody that's been in the hobby for awhile is going to be a lot less than somebody ramping up because you likely have most of your tools, your dcc system, and a large scrap box.

I'd guess most months I spend around fifty bucks.

Lance

Budget goal?

 

Randy

I'm with Randy

My budget "goal" would be $1,000,000 a month. and I would have a large dedicated building with all utilities and HVAC a nice pick up truck to hall supplies home some custom painted brass for the items I can't find in plastic. Would need DCC controlled turnouts. Lots and lots of scenery details... and the list goes on...

In the real world right now I am spending less than $100/month right now. That could change if I find another estate sale with lots of HO stuff that I can sell on eBay for a profit (but I usually ask less than whatever seems to be the going price for an item). Then I can recover the cost of items I wanted and put $$ into the layout fund. I have done this a couple of time and it works for me.

Budget

I remember after the kids were born complaining to my wife about a clothing budget. Her comment basically was I will buy for the kids what is needed. Well I tried that after we moved for the trains and got shot down, Because I was building a new layout in a new home all the materials were needed. I ended up the 1st year during the build spending about $250.00 per month, including drywall, paints and lights. Once I had the framework up it's dropped to below a $100 per month.

A lot of my current purchases now are paid from the funds I have from selling rolling stock and structures that no longer fit the era I am now modeling, 2005 CN in Wisconsin. For 20 years previous to our move I was purchasing the things I liked and most of them don't/didn't fit but I have been able to sell them. Buying for a specific road, era and time has saved me a lot of implus buying and money.

Tom

Buying ahead

That's a good philosophy except the next item may be sold out and never rerun.  I have several kits that I do not expect to see ever again.  In at least one case the molds were destroyed in a fire.  I know that some of these may show up on eBay or a train show flea market some day, but you can't count on that.  This is  especially true in a minority scale like S or O.

Paul

Looks like I'm not alone

I thought I was a minority of one with my monthly budget of 'Nothing,' to be split between both my model railroad and plastic model hobbies. Being in the kids-in-college season of life, it's all hands on deck financially speaking in our household these days, and disposable casual funds are pretty thin. That having been said, I still pick up the odd paint bottle or package of ground foam as needed here and there. Just being smart about it is the key.

Luckily over the years I've amassed as much motive power, rolling stock, and building kits as I'll need for my rather modest layout (some at home might argue more than enough), so my needs for some of the pricier things meet my budget (none).

Jim

Consider yourself lucky

...  in my case I try to balance my budget, so I can say I ¨invest¨ $50 to $100 per month...  Now, take into account I live in Costa Rica, so I have to pay extra for shipping and taxes once the products finally get here...  and depending on package´s weight it can add up another $50 (at least)  another factor, I am lucky enough in the sense that my salary is in US Dollars... other wise, I will have to purchase $$ at a rate of 540 Colones (our local currency) per each American Dollar... 

A cheap hobby if...

Model railroading is a pretty cheap hobby if you avoid certain pitfalls or if you can adjust your schedule. 

*Avoid buying anything you don't absolutely need.

This is the largest one most of us fall into. With clear purpose and a specific time/place to model, you can limit what you buy. If you model October 1, 1954 in Kandiyohi, MN or some other specific time and place, that rules out a lot of purchases.

*Build on a slow schedule.

Unless you are in a hurry, enjoy a slower work schedule. Put in a few minutes every night but don't race to the     finish line and spread your purchases/projects out more.

*Use household items and be resourceful.

This might be the best way to save money. Look around outdoors and look for common household items to be your modeling material, all it takes is some imagination and experimentation.

Way too high, mostly because

Way too high, mostly because there's a lot that I know is limited run, that I can get for a great price now, or an exaggerated price later (if ever).

But when I'm not dealing with the limited run BS, I tend to keep it to a car or two, and some supplies from China. Well under $100/month.