Does your spouse/sig other support your addiction?

[kwok_talk]

Comics are expensive and it does add up whenever you add on another title. I recently got engaged and my fiancé knows I love comics, but I don’t think it clicks with her as to how much having a comic hobby can be (and I don’t really even read that many titles). For all of you folk who are either married or have significant others, was it ever a shock to them just how much you spend on comics? I totally see how you could replace comics with anything else you could spend $ on (video games, clothes, eating out), but I was curious if you all had any good stories about it or ways you handled the topic with your spouse/sig other.

[fred]

Comics are expensive and it does add up whenever you add on another title. I recently got engaged and my fiancé knows I love comics, but I don’t think it clicks with her as to how much having a comic hobby can be (and I don’t really even read that many titles). For all of you folk who are either married or have significant others, was it ever a shock to them just how much you spend on comics? I totally see how you could replace comics with anything else you could spend $ on (video games, clothes, eating out), but I was curious if you all had any good stories about it or ways you handled the topic with your spouse/sig other.

Underexaggerating the amount I spend
Actually though it's more of a time issue for us. I read a lot of comics. I think I spend roughly 2-3 hours a day reading comics. That's like 15-20 hours a week. I've just started pushing my start time back further to get around some of the shit I'd have to deal with. I sleep less but also get made hassled less too

[pv_2]

Well, I've handled it by not handling it - my wife and I keep our disposable income in separate accounts, and I handle all the bills in general. So she doesn't know exactly how much, though she has some idea because she sees me come home every Wednesday with a stack. On the other hand, I don't ask too many questions about what she spends on clothers and hairdos either.

My advice would be to treat it as any other line on the budget - books and music are my main habit, and I set aside an amount for them the same way I do groceries or mortgage. And frankly to me they're just as important as utilities and other stuff, because it's part of what makes me function. So, yes, a similar passionate plea may help :)

[iSteve]

My wife has been very supportive of my comic addiction. I got back into comics after we had been married for many years. She see's it as my thing and has been cool with the cost since I don't spend money on many other things.

Still this is an expensive hobby. Sometimes I feel guilty about how much I spend - anywhere from $40-75 per week.

Does anyone else ever feel guilty about how much you spend on comics?

[fred]

My wife has been very supportive of my comic addiction. I got back into comics after we had been married for many years. She see's it as my thing and has been cool with the cost since I don't spend money on many other things.

Still this is an expensive hobby. Sometimes I feel guilty about how much I spend - anywhere from $40-75 per week.

Does anyone else ever feel guilty about how much you spend on comics?

you mean could I be giving the money to the homeless or something? no not really, but I'm kind of an ass so don't go by me

[kwok_talk]

Does anyone else ever feel guilty about how much you spend on comics?

Just to make sure, I definitely don’t want to make my fiancé sound like she’s unsupportive of comics. She’s read some x-men and avenger trades I’ve given her, it’s just not her thing and we’re both totally ok with that.

But I do sometimes cringe when I see the total of my book purchase. I try and rationalize to myself that I’m really picking up several months worth of purchases at one time (since I only read in trade now), but there’s so many things that I want to read and haven’t read. I feel like I’m only reading a small portion of all of the great books there are out there, but I definitely feel like I have to pick and choose unless I want to spend money on nothing else but comics.

[JAFlanagan]

You know what helps justify the cost of comics? If you have a show on Revision3, that could potentially lead to a greater income some day.

But I can't recommend that for everyone.

It's never been a problem actually.

So Fred, I wonder, do your wife and kids think of iFanboy like the people who are always taking up daddy's time? They're not going to come after us some day right? ;-)

[iSteve]

But I do sometimes cringe when I see the total of my book purchase.

Yeah, that's the feeling I get especially when the total goes well over $50. I tend to justify it to myself that I'm putting together a collection that my kids and grandkids may enjoy. That's the collector side of me speaking.

[JAFlanagan]

I tend to justify it to myself that I'm putting together a collection that my kids and grandkids may enjoy. That's the collector side of me speaking.

I see nothing wrong with that kind of collecting.

You want bad? Add up what you spent on comics over a year. Frightening.

[iSteve]

You want bad? Add up what you spent on comics over a year. Frightening.

That's when I go into deep denial. Just can't face the bottom line.

[kwok_talk]

That's when I go into deep denial. Just can't face the bottom line.

That's when your kid starts showing up to school in clothes stiched together from old x-men issues. Maybe made out of those extra special metallic special edition embossing ones if its getting colder out.

[pv_2]

I see nothing wrong with that kind of collecting.

You want bad? Add up what you spent on comics over a year. Frightening.

I do actually keep a spreadsheet of what I spend on the monthlies, and know the amount for the last year-plus. This same spreadsheet is used to project what I'm going to buy for the next couple months as well. (Can you say OCD?) Mostly, this is to give me something to sort and stare at when I need a few minutes away from reality at work. When I'm not already doing that here, that is. Or at your other site. Etc.

[ibn-al-xu-ffasch]

You want bad? Add up what you spent on comics over a year. Frightening.

That's probably the main reason why I refuse to take an inventory of my collection. I just don't want to get depressed.

[fred]

So Fred, I wonder, do your wife and kids think of iFanboy like the people who are always taking up daddy's time? They're not going to come after us some day right? ;-)

not with my new sleep never plan

[JAFlanagan]

I use microsoft money, and I can just call up the "comics" category and see what I've spent since 2000. ****ing frightening.

The funny thing is, I don't think I read nearly as many comics as most of the folks on here. Ironic really.

[ekval]

Generallly my wife doesn't mind as I'm pretty aware of my spending and keep it down. She is the spender and I'm the miser in our relationship in any case, so I don't every think she worries about how much I spend.

Do I? Oh yeah, there are lots of other things that I should probably spend it on, or maybe even *gasp* save it.

But since I keep it down to a decent level, I can justifiy it pretty well.

[mister-s]

My wife doesn't care about the money - she does care about the time. I try read my comics when she is at work.

[marcushill73]

Same as mister_s; If I read usually when she is at work.

[orlov]

This is about how it goes for me.


Girlfriend: Wanna ****?
Me: Yeah hold on let me just finish this comic.


Girlfriend: that was fast
Me: yeah well "Back to comics!" (geekdrome reference)

[derek]

My wife doesn't mind my habit at all. She always says she'd much rather have me at home reading comics than out gambling or drinking our money away without her. Plus she loves Runaways.

[dustinsemo]

My sig gets way more upset about the time I spend online talking about comics than the money I spend on comics. But she realizes that it is an important release for me, and indulges me.

She even has got into reading comics a bit (more comix, than comics - she's pretentious that way). Her favorites so far are Persepolis and La Perdita). She even bought La Perdita on her own after reading Understanding Comics. She's getting her MA in teaching English and, now, even plans to teach comics in a class one day. And she got me Absolute New Frontier for xmas. Can't complain one bit.

I better go give her some attention. I suddenly feel pretty lucky.

[jgg0610]

Overall, my wife's been pretty understanding and supportive of my habit. The way we work it out is that we each get a disposable income budget each month of the same amount, I just have all of mine going for comics and comic related stuff whereas hers goes for Starbucks or clothes. She's even allowed me take over an entire extra bedroom of our house to turn into a hobby room where I store all of the stuff that comes along with reading comics. However, over the holidays she did call me a "comic whore" after I spent all of the money my family gave me for Christmas on back issues.

[the-dude-abides]

My female's pretty good about it. Even bought me a few trades for Christmas and my birthday. The only thing she seems to mind is the way that I leave them lying everywhere.
Bah.

[spiffy]

You want bad? Add up what you spent on comics over a year. Frightening.

The whole time I was in college I didn't have a regular store I went to in town. My hometown store just saved the comics for me, months and months worth at a time, until I came and picked them up. They were actually really great about it.

So, there was no need to add anything up. I'd come back after being away 6 months and my checking account would feel it. I know how much I spend, and I don't get many monthlies.

I'm getting more now that I'm getting them regularly and picking up new things, but I can afford more now that I have a 'real' job.

[jurassicalien]

Well my lady friend thinks it's cute, sort of like being a little kid again. Which is fine by me, better then her thinking it's stupid or something (like some of my other friends girl friends). So I'll take being cute and what not.

[acomicbookgirl]

Let's see.. Every single time a guy asked what I liked, I said movies, shopping and comic books. I either got "that's for kids" or "I used to collect them when I was in high school". I don't like denying it. When I was involved with people, they were cool about it. My friends are in a shock when they see how much I spend and I say everyone has their vices and this is mine. One of many vices..

As for feeling guilty, I try not to think about it... I would be one depressed person if I sat down and figured it out..