Looking back on my Lego story.
It's been 3 years since I officially got into Lego as an adult.
About 6 months into the hobby, I wrote about obsession, self-control, and contentment.
I'm still "obsessed" and could definitely spend less time on Lego-related browsing.
But proud to say I stuck firmly to my budget for a 2 year streak -- despite knocking down the monthly allowance for hobbies from 3,000 yen to 2,000 yen. Working on freelance projects and receiving gift cards or birthday money (thanks, Mum!) supplemented that otherwise tight budget.
It felt really good to stay within budget and not be "in debt" over 2 years!
My best moment this year was not buying The Shire. Had looked forward to it for months, but when official images were revealed I wasn't impressed by the interior of Bag End. With Shire savings, I purchased Animal Crossing sets instead and felt I got a lot more value. There's something to be said about getting a handful of smaller sets instead of one large set.
I've mostly stuck to a few themes. Surprised myself by dipping into Lego Friends. Ended up going back to Star Wars and majoring in it, and that's OK. Didn't cave into buying Modular buildings, though the Tudor Corner was very tempting.
As for storage, my collection has slowly overflowed well beyond 1 display cabinet and 2 storage boxes. But the husband is fine with it and, in fact, gave me extra display space, so I guess exceeding that initial quota is alright.
Still, I don't like taking up too much space with boxes, so I try to sell old sets before buying new ones.
Speaking of selling, I'm recording purchases and sales on an Excel sheet. It was a little shocking to see how much I've spent over these 3 years.
But the shock was offset by seeing I've earned back 50% of those costs by reselling Lego on Merukari. (In addition, I've sold games and electronics.)
In the end, I think my average monthly expenditure isn't extravagant by middle-class standards. I suspect I spend less than peers my age on leisure, be it travel, fashion, coffee, etc.
Overall, I've done OK in the self-control department except on time expenditure.
But am I content? Or more content than before? Not much, I admit.
However, I do recognize more that buying things does not satisfy. As I've noticed before, creating (e.g. writing this blog) is more satisfying than consuming (e.g. buying Lego).
Where do I go from here? Ideas:
1) Limit purchases in 2026. No more than 4 sets for the year, and a max of 3 minifigures per quarter. But no limit on MOC instructions (to make alternate builds of sets I already have).
Limiting myself to 4 sets will help me be more selective, focus on enjoying what I have, and wait for better deals.
2) Write more, starting with this blog. I need to catch up on photos I've taken but haven't edited and posted here.
I wonder sometimes if I should give up on Lego. It's addictive and I need more time, headspace, and money for other activities.
I'm not ready to go cold turkey, but I should definitely slow down on buying, focus on what I already have, and write more. The problem is following through!