I've become the budget hobby daddy 🤑
Entry 24: The Great Hobby Spiral
It’s funny looking back. I was reading over an old post I wrote, something I called "Hiatus Potatoes," where I proudly declared how disciplined we were being with our savings. Our big goal—building a house—was firmly in our sights.
Yeah, that admirable discipline took a little vacation a couple of months later.
It started subtly, as these things often do. Back in April, I rediscovered the simple, kinetic joy of spinning things. Specifically, Beyblade X. Was it my latent autism flaring up? Who knows. All I know is that the collection of "beys" started to… well, accumulate.
This little obsession of mine, however, turned out to be contagious.
My wife, seeing my growing arsenal of spinning tops, felt a familiar collector’s itch. Her old love for Pokémon cards was reignited. I have to admit, I got swept up in it too. There’s a special kind of magic in ripping open a booster pack, the sheer thrill of the hunt for a "hit" or a rare chase card.
And from there, as if following a pre-written script for all hobbyists, we landed on the final boss: Magic: The Gathering.
And so, we've officially entered the "Hobby Era" of our family life.
But Why? A Grander Scheme
It’s not just about collecting shiny cardboard. I want to build a gaming culture for our son, Kai, right here within our family. My own family has always revolved around gatherings and food, which is a beautiful tradition. But I can't help but feel that if I want Kai (all of 8 months old right now) to be deeply included as he grows, the connection needs to be forged through play.
Besides, Magic is practically a parent's dream disguised as a game. It encourages:
- Literacy & Comprehension
- Critical Thinking & Mathematics
- Creativity & Strategy
We're all learning the ropes together (with the notable exception of my sister's boyfriend, our resident veteran), so it's bound to be a hilariously fun ride.
The Budget Hobby Daddy Strikes Back
Now, before you think the house fund has been completely drained on dragons and goblins, let me assure you: I’m staying true to my title of Budget Hobby Daddy. I managed to snag a massive box of 600+ bulk cards for a song.
More importantly, we’ve just implemented a new household rule to keep us honest: the "Hobby Tax."
For any hobby-related item we buy, an amount equal to 1.2 times its cost must be transferred directly into our house savings fund.
So, yes. The plan took a brief detour. But we're back on track, and the path forward just seems a little more fun now.
Here's a lil Wizard Rod Unboxing for you:
@samnathis Yellow is prolly my fave color, and this meta bey just happens to radiate it really well as if it was edible 🥹🤌. Special thanks to my wife the love of my life for the gifts and surprises uwu)/ advance happy anniversaryyyyy! @Someday Samdy I LOVE YOUUUU VERY MUCHOOOO She got me all the wizardssss OWO)/ I feel “yerrr a wizard harry” in my bones. She also got me that Scorpion Spear 👀 Unboxing sooooonnnn! #beybladex #beyblade #wizardrod #beybladephilipines #hobbies ♬ original sound - budget hobby daddy