I promise, I'm not a spy from Citizen. I'm just a curious guy who is new to the hobby. I often watch YouTube videos about watches and it's very common to see "10 AFFORDABLE WATCHES YOU MUST BUY!" or a Teddy Bulbasaur video that says "This watch is super affordable & has an entry level price point" then the watch is $595. Hell, right now I'm watching a video about Citizen & the list is saying affordable is under $1000. My limit currently is $250 for a watch. MAYBE, if I save for a bit I'll raise it to 300. (Disclaimer: I'm in Japan so $250 goes much further. I have a Seiko 5 cement for $120ish.)
I know we all come from different backgrounds and have different financial situations. "Affordable" for you may not be affordable for me. That is perfectly fine. I'm just very curious as when collections are shown in this sub, I like to Google the watch. Often times it's a multi thousand dollar watch.
Thank you all & I'm looking forward to hearing your stories.
I'm a well established professional with two kids in college. I've given myself a budget of $100/wk for 'fun stuff' just for me. So the answer to your question is, how long am I willing to go without fancy coffees, upgrading my suit game, picking up something on steam, etc.? My current watch probably costs about $500 (self-assembled, so literally $100 at a time!)
Make a budget for yourself. Figure out your discretionary funds. If you're spending on a watch, cut somewhere else to keep yourself balanced. Easy :)