How Much Do You Spend On Pens, Ink, Paper?

[Waltz For Zizi]

I don't know if this question has been asked before, it might have, but I'm just curious about how much do you guys spend on pens, ink, paper in a year, related to your yearly income?

I personaly have a rule that I must not spend more than a month's salary, and last year I actually managed to do that, it is also my first year since having this rule. I have a journal where I keep track of what I buy and sell and at the end of the year I draw the line.

Do you spend more, less? Do you keep a similar record of your spendings?

 

P.s. If I sell a pen, the budget will also increase with the same amount of money, and If I exceed the budget, I sell other pens to get even.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Waltz For Zizi

[PAKMAN]

My pen buying has slowed a lot the last few years, not really related to of cost or salary or available cash. I attend several pen shows and tend to sell enough pens to buy more pens keeping a balance in the cost I have sunk in my collection. I may sell 15 pens and buy 3 or 4 nicer pens each year.

[Inkling13]

It's death by a thousand cuts. It's not even pens, but I went back, and looked at my spendings, a few dollars here, a few dollars there, and at the end of the month, I wonder how I am sitting on 3-4K worth of charges. It's worth looking to, but I'm afraid to get a straight answer of I spend $XXX and I make $XXXXXX a year would be too personal. I certainly had to curb my habit, and I've grown a wish list as a result, and I am certain if you're an adult with even your own mouth to feed, we probably couldn't sustain a pen habit beyond our means for long.

That said, I still lust after a Conid Kingsized, with a custom section for a MB 149 nib, possibly made of some space age plastic... But is that reasonable now? certainly not, especially with me coasting between jobs and a little one on the way...

Edited February 14, 2018 by Inkling13

[inkstainedruth]

Well my spending habits have fluctuated greatly over the past six years. The amount I'm willing to spend on a single pen has increased greatly over that time; but I also revel in the sumgai purchases. Last year I had a super large shopping budget (a one time occurrence) so I bought a couple of high-end pens. But I also bought a Cross Verve in a thrift store for a buck. This year, I've only bought one pen, and no ink (so far -- and the pen was basically my belated Christmas present). But for a couple of years I've gone "Well, I'm going to cut back" and then stuff happens and I don't....

Inkling13's description of it being "death by a thousand cuts" is pretty apt. When you're making big splurge purchases (like last year with the two Pelikan M405s) it's easy to notice (especially when you get a phone call from PayPal asking if it was legitimate ). But when you're walking around a pen show buying bottles of ink one or two at a time, it's not as obvious....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[praxim]

∑ ( Pens > Inks > Paper ) < Funds

[Glenn Atkins]

More than I should've, less than I could've.

 

Glenn

[TSherbs]

I spend < $200 per year, typically. I am already at $125 for this year because I bought an expensive (for me) pen and some laid paper and a set of blue samples. I also have two pens coming from Asia (total < $10). So I am actually at $135. I will now go some months without anything more (I have plenty of pens and inks and paper for my journaling and letters and cards). I would never spend any significant portion of my income on anything but necessities for my family and educating my children.

[senzen]

It was usually a pen and some ink every four or five months, usually a Lamy Safari or Muji, at between $15 and $22, and an ink, usually Pilot Iroshizuku at about $22, or some paper, which works out to roughly between $70 and $100 each year. Now that I've finally hit a limit of inks I'll just to replace it, but ink and paper lasts a long time for me. I did get more expensive pens which I do appreciate, but at 22 pens if I was starting over I wouldn't have a problem just getting a bunch of Pilot Metropolitans at $11 each; it's usually more expensive outside the US but you can hunt down good deals, for instance Waterman Kulturs seem cheap in Europe, and decent paper is more readily available.

[Moonshae]

My spending is largely correlated with how much time I spend on FPN. If I'm very active here, I read about this new ink or this new pen, and it's easy to spend. However, staying away from FPN and not seeing what's new and shiny leaves me fully satisfied with what I do own, much of which was purchased shortly after I discovered FPN and became overwhelmed with a world I didn't realize existed. Unfortunately, by avoiding FPN I lose out on other interesting discussions that are unrelated to something I might buy. So now I'm trying to stick to only reading topics that aren't ink or pen reviews and/or questions so I can enjoy FPN without triggering my acquisition impulsiveness.

 

To directly answer your question, though, I probably spent about 4.5% of our gross household income last year on pens, inks, and paper. We're fortunate to make decent money, so that 4.5% represents quite a few actual dollars.

 

I've started using Acorns to save for extraneous expenses like pens, and it's pretty handy. I can't spend more than I've saved, so it eliminates my impulse to charge something and pay for it later. If you're unfamiliar, it's a banking app that you connect to your bank account and credit cards, and every time you make a purchase, it takes the change that would round that purchase up to the next dollar and invests it. You can choose the straight round up, or you can multiply them by 2x, 3x, 5x, or 10x. You can also add regular and one-time contributions, and there are "found money" partners that will deposit money into your account if you buy something on their website. eBay is one, which I'm sure would benefit many collectors here! It even pays interest, so it's better than earmarking money in a checking account or low-interest savings account. And since it tracks the change and only pulls a minimum of $5 each time, you're not saddled with a million transactions of a few cents each when you get your regular bank statement each month.

[Inkling13]

My spending is largely correlated with how much time I spend on FPN. If I'm very active here, I read about this new ink or this new pen, and it's easy to spend. However, staying away from FPN and not seeing what's new and shiny leaves me fully satisfied with what I do own, much of which was purchased shortly after I discovered FPN and became overwhelmed with a world I didn't realize existed. Unfortunately, by avoiding FPN I lose out on other interesting discussions that are unrelated to something I might buy. So now I'm trying to stick to only reading topics that aren't ink or pen reviews and/or questions so I can enjoy FPN without triggering my acquisition impulsiveness.

 

To directly answer your question, though, I probably spent about 4.5% of our gross household income last year on pens, inks, and paper. We're fortunate to make decent money, so that 4.5% represents quite a few actual dollars.

 

I've started using Acorns to save for extraneous expenses like pens, and it's pretty handy. I can't spend more than I've saved, so it eliminates my impulse to charge something and pay for it later. If you're unfamiliar, it's a banking app that you connect to your bank account and credit cards, and every time you make a purchase, it takes the change that would round that purchase up to the next dollar and invests it. You can choose the straight round up, or you can multiply them by 2x, 3x, 5x, or 10x. You can also add regular and one-time contributions, and there are "found money" partners that will deposit money into your account if you buy something on their website. eBay is one, which I'm sure would benefit many collectors here! It even pays interest, so it's better than earmarking money in a checking account or low-interest savings account. And since it tracks the change and only pulls a minimum of $5 each time, you're not saddled with a million transactions of a few cents each when you get your regular bank statement each month.

aint that the truth? The more time i spend here, the bigger the itch grows, the more i see and the more i would like to have.

[ShneaSIG]

I don't keep any hard records, but I never go beyond my budgeted "fun money" for any hobbies. And, I don't buy toys or fuel hobbies with credit.

Edited February 15, 2018 by ShneaSIG

[alanshutko]

I've spent a lot more in the last two months than I had in five or so years. It's a combination of getting back into pen and paper, timing of my birthday and some extra money from work. If you averaged out over a few years, it would probably be a hundred a year or less.

[Runnin_Ute]

So far this year, I have spent just under $100. Which was Christmas money that was gifted to me.. So not out of my pocket. My birthday is in March, anniversary in September and then there is Christmas.

 

Even though I lost my job the end of August (my anniversary gift of a Pelikan 140 was purchased in August), money spent between then and now has been money that we would have budgeted for had I been working or not. We had enough in that budget for Christmas I was able to get a Pelikan M200 Brown Marbled. My birthday will probably be paper and/or ink.

 

Last year, in January and February I bought three pens. Two Esterbrook J's and a Parker 45. Paper and ink I believe for my birthday. The 140 in August (35th Anniversary in September), and M200 for Christmas. There were some other acquisitions, but the dollars were nominal. For the year, probably something in the $325-$400 range. I am guessing $50-$100 on paper and ink.

 

And each year is different. In 2017, 84% of the money spent on pens was on TWO pens. Which was about 70% of the total spent. This was two $100+ pens. Most in any one year. Ever.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Runnin_Ute

[inotrym]

Not much during the last year or so. I am fairly comfortable with what I have (just a few more things that I want to try out, mainly nibs).

Oh, and I would like to have a custom pen made, someday, for a very special occasion.

 

My sister always gets me a bottle or two of ink for my birthday, though. It's good to have siblings!

[Parker51]

I spend between 1/2 of 1% and 1% of my gross income per year on pens ink and paper. I also spend some money on repairs and minor travel, such as to and from Pen Club and the local Pen Show, plus Admission. I like to get pens in the wild and so may spend some minor travel expenses getting them from a variety of sources, but typically that travel is coupled with other activities.

I do not however eat expensively as many of my associates do. No expensive coffee for me each morning, or expensive lunch at the newest, trendiest restaurants and never any bar hopping for curated drinks. Honestly, I see more spent on coffee, beer, wine, soft drinks, bottled water and/ or juice in the typical shoppers cart (trolley) at the grocers than I spend, so it doesn't seem too bad to spend money on pens, ink and paper. I also spend less on this hobby than a typical tobacco user spends on their habit. And when I compare this hobby to some of my associates' hobbies, it is laughable on how little it is. Try talking to a serious amateur golfer; they spend big bucks on clubs, shoes, bags, balls, other equipment and greens fees, and that doesn't compair to the cost of a Country Club membership. Or consider gamers and their typical costs. And then there are the auto and motorcycle hobbyists, the boaters and the pilots. I even have an associate that I know spends 10 times what I do on her horses and she doesn't own a stable, a horse trailer, or pay for a groom or even to have the horses stalls cleaned, she does it herself. The money goes for food and boarding costs, plus a couple of shows a year and vet bills. All and all, Fountain Pens, baring special editions, truely rarities, and certain expensive manufacturers, with associated ink and paper make for an affordable hobby for many people.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Parker51

[Lam1]

∑ ( Pens > Inks > Paper ) < Funds

HaHa! Then you’re fortunate. For me, the equation is

 

∑ ( Pens > Inks > Paper ) >> Funds

[BecauseItIs]

Last year I spent €200 euros on paper/notebooks and a leather notebook cover. Crazy. Though the notebooks (which I had to get shipped from overseas, and the shipping in itself was expensive) will last a few years; and the leather notebook cover decades. I like items which last, and which are of good quality, so I am happy with my purchases. They are very enjoyable to use.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hello Waltz, et al,

 

I try to adhere to the same formula as Parker 51 uses... 0.5 to 1%... so I spend between $900 and $1800 per annum on my fp avocation. I have to do this because I have several other interests and avocations.

 

This is why I avoid MB... one pen and I'd be done for the year!

 

 

- Anthony

[mitto]

Roughly $400-$600 a month.

[ParkerDuofold]

Roughly $400-$600 a month.

I always suspected you were royalty, Mitto.

 

 

- Anthony