Expensive Hobby,

It really depends on what and how you are collecting.
Some people go for "slabbed" rare coins and others go for the equally rewarding "roll searching" route for the more common coins.
It does not have to be expensive.

I'm a chef. No big paychecks here...but I still enjoy this hobby.

In reality though you'll find that coin collectors are from every possible type of background. It is only a hobby although many do make a living out of this. You do not have to have those very expensive coins you know to have a nice collection. For example my Whitman Classic Album has a slot of the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel. Think I'll find one at a coin show, coin store, etc? This is the same with many, many coins of extreamely low mintages. Some in the hundreds and some only few and yet those silly album people put slots in them for those.
If I was to attempt to get all those I would in fact have to try bank robbing.
This is supposed to be a fun hobby. Enjoy.

Some folks spend lots and lots on collecting coins. Others only spend face value for what they find in rolls or in the change they are given. Some folks give themselves a budget and for the big purchases they save up their budget. I know of a few folks who found part-time jobs (10 hours or less a week) so they can keep up their coin habit (LOL) Something else to think about is what series you are collecting. I started off in Mercury dimes. There is really only 1 biggie in this series with almost every other coin being pretty reasonable.

BTW, I manage a fast food restaurant so I'm not a Rothschild or DuPont....just someone trying to make a living and do something I enjoy

I ran my own Floorcovering Installation business for more than 25 years ,,retired ,,and went to work here where I am now as a millwright ,, now Head Night Millwright .

The amount of money spent on coins ,,can be extreme or it can be extremely extreme !

But on the real life side of things where everyone has other obligations and the income amount almost covers those obligations ,,then I do other things to supplement ,it does not matter what it is ,,buy and sell other collectables ,firewood,small home remodelling projects,etc etc ! and sometimes I even sell coins .

Metalman

I find myself getting in and out of it. I seem to have gravitated towards foreign coins lately, to fill albums of those...Canadian, Mexican, British. I just can,t get excited about newer Lincoln cents and Roosevelt dimes while older US are too expensive for me. Although I will go to a show coming up and end up with some US. I do enjoy the new state, presidential, and Lewis and Clark coins out there. I get a lot of enjoyment trying to buy silver below spot on ebay or from foreign coin boxes at shows and from dealers. Just this week I got 5 silver Canadian dimes for 1.50 USD. The spot value for 0.3 oz is over 5 dollars. Small satisfaction. I don't spend much on coins, Although I almost talked myself into a 200.00 183 Hawaii half dollar. I want that series complete. god save me when I get that and "need" the dollar. I am an environmental consulting technician and low man on the totem pole at my job.

Just go with your gut about what you want. It is amazing how much you still can get out of it if you approach it froma kids mindset. I still like my beat up 1798 cent because it is a 1700s US coin and I always wanted one. That approach always satisfies me. Go with what you always wanted.

I am like FordF150, I am also a retired carpenter, I take just so much a month to buy coins, when that's gone I'll wait until next month.

And I also drive a Ford F150

SHAFTA9a

Retired early from a large corporation. I got started again when my mother handed over her collection that included all those Whitman folder my brother and sister and I had tried to fill as kids. She also has some duplicate GSA Morgan dollars. I sold those on ebay, sold all the common date junk silver to fund some of my collecting habits which now tend towards a few sets, Lincoln Wheat Cents and, Buffalo nickels (both lacking only one or two keys), Franklin half dollars, and of course a Jefferson set. My pride and joy is a completed 7070. Pulling stuff out of rolls is a good way to start, but eventually I think the desire to own older and rarer material prevails. It is more expensive, and good, original, unslabbed examples require a lot of looking and more patience and knowledge. My budget pretty much has me out of the buying mode right now, but I still have a goal of finishing those sets with the keys.

Forget the rare dates. I still have a silver Washington quarter collection with no 1932-D & S. I've since moved on to foreign coins and haven't intentionally bought two of the same type of coin in over 2 years.

Oh yeah, I work as a consultant pharmacist. I've also taught pharmacy-related college classes and worked retail (i.e. CVS) for extra cash.