How do you keep your special interest under control?

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I have a problem with becoming completely focused on my interests and neglecting everything else when it comes to spending money. I got a new rc car in a trade, and I've been going overboard ordering parts for it. When I'm working on it or driving it, it feels like the most important thing in the world.

I got my paycheck yesterday and ended up spending most of it on RC parts. I did come to my senses and paid my insurance, which left me with just over $30 that has to last me a week. I know i need to stop doing this, and learn how to properly manage my money, but i cant seem to find the willpower to set aside my interests and be responsible.

Get multiple bank accounts. One for buying essentials, one for spending on whatever you want, and one for saving for the future. Figure out how much you need for essentials, and put that in the 'essentials' account as soon as you get it - then don't take it out for anything non-essential. The rest, split evenly between saving and spending. As long as you only let yourself buy car parts from the spending account, you'll do fine.

Actually, I do nothing to keep them under control. In the last two years they have mostly kept themselves under control without me doing anything about it.

awesome interest,what car is it? used to love mine but it got broke to often and it got to old to get hold of the parts.

sorry cant offer any help on this,am unable to deal with own money and have a power of attorney that does it all,plus support staff will refuse to pay for anything big that hasnt been saved up for.

isnt there any budgeting classes worth a try on at the local college?

I have the same issue with obsessive collecting. For decades it was music and books, then movies. Those are the major ones, but there are others from time to time. I'm still selling off action figures I amassed during a toy collecting phase, that I just don't have space for anymore. There's always something that I feel obsessively compelled to spend money (that I don't have) on.

I just got a used HPI Baja 5b. It's 1\5 scale 2 wheel drive buggy with a 30cc gasoline engine. It weighs nearly 30 pounds and it's fun as hell to drive!

I also have an Axial Wraith, a TLR 8ight 2.0, 22SCT and a mini 8ight.

What kind of RC do you have?

I have a feeling im gonna be in trouble when im in control of my finances, because I am like this too.

I find it helpful to split my play money into a separate account as soon as possible after I am paid. It works best when automatic paycheck deposits can make the break-out happen at the time I receive the pay.

I just ask questions related to my special interests on yahoo answers over and over again. It might waste my time and annoy some people on there, but it doesn't waste my money.

I don't think you're supposed to.

Can special interests change from time to time, or can you have several things you really love, but divide time between them? In none of them do I "know how many screws are used in a certain type of airplane", but on occasion do happily immerse myself in learning more about these things for hours on end.

There are also some weighty things going on that prevent me from getting as totally involveded as I've heard some can be. If it wasn't for that, there'd be pretty much an obsession thing going on with at least one of them.

Is it possible for a "special interest" to be resisted and controlled, and yet still legitimately fall into that catagory?

I've had/still have various special interests that cost a pretty penny so I've had to learn to really watch my finances. I also tend to become manic and go on impulsive spending sprees.

1. Always keep up to date with how much money you have in your account. Multiple accounts could work but you might get fees for each. High interests spending accounts are the best to have if you have a lot of money. For my photography my equipment is only bought with that money.

2. Set money aside for bills first. Learn to prioritize.

3. Plan to spend money on one thing related to your special interest a month. This is very hard to do as we might be emotionally driven to get these items NOW! But just focus on getting one thing at a time. Remember that the money you have is limited and once it's gone you either have to wait until the next paycheck or the next pension fund goes in.

I really want to buy more Marvel comics but I'm putting it off. Instead of buying online I'm going to go into the shops, walk a fair bit of the way and look around the comic book shop before I make a purchase. And I'm only allowed to buy one thing.

Right now it looks like most of my money is going towards concert tickets which isn't so bad because it's the only social life for me and it's after a two month break which is driving me crazy. Buying two seems a bit excessive for me but I'll make sure not to go over it.

Every now and then I get a desire to buy more Doctor Who dvds, Star Trek comics, Star Trek/Doctor Who comics and other sorts of collectibles. But I tell myself what is more important to me. Often I put buying off so long I forget I want those things at all. Lately I've done a lot of reading of things I can read for free or writing things that have been in my mind or watching movies on free to air TV as Net Flix seems to stop working every time I try to watch it.

Although, one area I'm struggling with that has to do with my special interest in screenwriting is that I completely lose interest in everything else, including forums like these and socialising with others. Even when I stop to have a break I don't know what to do besides it or even if I want to do anything else. I have no interest at all in social networking and find it a waste of time.

I always have to put 600% into my screenwriting or I find it hard to write anything of much use, and then every other area of my life is forgotten about. I usually buy food before I start and by the time I finish I'm still capable of making myself meals but I hardly can talk to the people I live with.

Yes. In both ways. I divide my time up between many but old ones come back into the picture and one or two might be left out for a couple of months.


It is, however they start to feel less like special interests. That obsession part is suppressed and it's just an enjoyable thing you do. Because I'm more focused in screenwriting which is more practical than reading comic books my love of Marvel comics has turned to causally reading through fact files a few days a week.

Special interests often take over my whole personality. For example when I watch movies I'm now studying every scene and guessing how the screenplay is written. Before I used to be reminded of super heroes by common everyday things and would probably bring it up in conversation. It's impossible for me to keep my current preoccupation to myself, but I can go through months of having controlled special interests that don't completely take over my life. If I let go of that control though I could become just as obsessive.

I seem to have 'in the moment' special interests like TV shows. I can just switch my Doctor Who obsession on every time I watch the show.

I don't. I flaunt mine for everybody in my city to see. I do The Kinks without even trying. It's the next best thing to having a sex change being that I have a Mickish face.

For me the problem is keeping the time spent on my special interests under control so that I can pass my courses and get my chores done, take a shower, eat and sleep properly ect. I don't leave the house very often and don't spend a lot of money on special interest related stuff.