"Out of the Red" Hobby Event 2026

[Uprising]

Out of the Red Hobby Event 2026

 

Disclaimer: Never take investment advice from strangers on the internet, especially people who like Chaos.

 

 

You own your Hobby; don't let the Hobby own you.  Hobbies (in this case miniature tabletop wargames) are meant to be enjoyable time for those that particulate.  From gaming, painting, or reading lore, I have seen many in our hobby suffer mentally and physically due to overspending on the Hobby, and our current economic times.  To solve this, I will be running an event starting 2026 called “Out of the Red”.

 

The mission is to gain financial control over our hobbies and our lives.  Our enemy is our Piles of Shame. 

 

 

Guidelines:

1. Estimate your annual budget, which is your take home pay minus your expenses.  Please do NOT post your income, that is not the point of the event and a private matter for the hobbyist.  We don't need to know, only you need to know.  Do you have debts or an emergency fund?  Consider those as you determine your annual budget.
    
2. Within your annual budget, audit your Hobby budget for the year.  A common suggestion is to spend 5% to 10% (others say 20%) of your take home pay on fun purchases.  These could be models, books, video games, paint, terrain, rules, etc.  OR maybe you pick up other hobbies beside Tabletop wargames.  Keep in mind the 500 Worlds campaign and 11th ed 40k are coming.  This is decided by each individual.
    
3. Decide on your target percentage and monthly budget.  This is the total amount you will spend on models and supplies (or save for a later purchase, other fun activities, or invest) this month.
    
4. Post your pledge amount for the month.  This could be a saving, new models you bought / or painted, supplies, decal, terrain, a new book (please leave your thoughts after reading), Warhammer video game, or other hobbies accessories.  You can post multiple post a month but make sure your within budget.
    
5. Leftover funds can be saved for other months, saved for other purposes, or invest.
    
6. Reflect on you purchase.  Did you finish the project?  Did you use what you bought?  Did it bring you happiness or dread?  Tell us at the end of the month.
    
7. At the end of the year 2026, re-audit your budget and post your results.  Did you follow your budget?  Did you go back and work on your back log?  Did you sell unwanted or old projects to fund new projects? Post what you purchase, painted, saved, or invested.

 

Vow Example:

 

“I, insert name, pledge to keep track of 100% of my Hobby budget for 2026 from the dawn of January 1^st 2026, through January 1st 2027.  Whether I exceed that or turn that into savings / investments / emergency funds, I'll know where my money is."

 

 

Reporting Example:

• Hobby Budget Remaining: 100%
• Hobby Budget Spent: 0%
• Built: 0%
• Painted: 0%
• Otherwise Utilised: 0%
• Saved / Invested: 0%

 

FAQ:

 

Q: Are there leaderboards, awards and forum badges for taking part in the thread?

A: Not presently, participation is its own reward, but we’ll see if there’s demand.

Q: Can I sell unwanted models to get additional hobby funds or get out of debt/ increase saving?

A: Yes.  Remember, it’s against the forum rule to try to sell or trade models here. 

Q: I’m really happy with my budget and don’t want to reduce it. Can I participate?

A: If you want to set a goal to keep your budget at its current value you can participate.

Q: Can I set a goal to increase, go into debt, or spend my life savings on Warhammer (I have seen this three times in my life)?

A: No!

Q: Can I pledge after the event started (Jan 1^st 2026)?

A: You may start at any time.  The sooner the better. 

Q: Can I set different amount / percentage each month? 

A:  Yes, if you follow that amount per month.

 

Special thanks to N1SB and Grotsmasha for their time and help with getting this event off the ground.  Let the train wreck begin.  

Space reserved for list of participates  

Edited 2 hours ago by Uprising