One visit to the cinema would be 3-4 cards here. Well, unless you are a student or have some sort of discount. If you add popcorn, it would probably be twice as many cards but I never buy popcorn at the cinema 
I have limited myself to 5 official cards a month mostly because I really have no time for sending more. And I’m active only in one RR, anything else is very rare. Having very little time for your hobby does wonders for your budget
I’m new and I’ve already bought a lot of postcards.
What I’m planning to do is only post postcards on a new stamp release/national holiday. This is so that I can make the cards more meaningful - plus Malaysia has a lot of public holidays (phew!)
The slow postal delivery really makes me need to plan my postcards - so I need to plan some postcards for this holiday and another on that one. I think that the postcard limit is really a blessing in disguise too - if it didn’t exist I’d probably send hundreds!
Its really tempting though to buy a lot of postcards at once - some e-seller in Malaysia offer a wholesale rate for the more you buy… Any tips to scare off that tempting deal anyone?
I also sent out a lot of cards when I first got back into Postcrossing because I felt like I overcompensated since there’s a gap between sending you first batch and getting your first batch. And because I didn’t really have any other place to focus my energy - I was a student and didn’t have time, money or other resources to pursue other hobbies and PC was relatively easy and flexible.
Annnnd then I started hoarding washi tapes, stickers, etc…
So, I think I know how you feel! As do many other people here.
I don’t personally think setting a budget for myself would work like it does for others. If anything, I think it would make me feel restricted especially because I really enjoy sending out cards. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have my finances in mind, though.
I found that ordering stamps online in batches helps limit me - I used to always drive to the post office and would request so many addresses at once, write them all and then go to the post office. Now, I order about 30-50€ worth of stamps and when I realise I am getting low, then I know to order more but first always check my expenses. I think doing this helps pace me since I need to actively take count of how many stamps I have which dictates how many cards I can write.
I also think that once you start receiving cards on a “schedule,” (whether that be every day, once a week, every few days, etc…) this also helps reduce the feeling of needing to send, send, send.
As for collecting cards, I found that once I had built up a solid foundation of cards where I felt like I had something for everyone, my impulse to keep buying cards died down. My drive to continuously purchase cards was driven by the simple fact that I was afraid that I could only “cater” to the interests of some people.
With that said, I still haven’t figured out a way to get out of always feel the need to order washi tape and stickers 
I think the advice someone else wrote further up is the best; draw one address at a time. That way you’re more likely to spread your limit over more days. I’m always fascinated when I watch the front page and see the same person drawing address after address after address … just feels like a lot of work to me!
I’ve never needed to limit myself, but I find only sending cards when you feel you have something to say is a good way to do things. That way you might feel your sent cards have more value too, instead of some of them being sent just to send some.
I limit myself to one postcard sent each week - my Sunday afternoon treat! - when I can find a suitable postcard for that recipient, and then post it on Monday!
I don’t have any advice. I’m also a postcarding addict and have given into my addiction 
This post is a fun and entertaining read from like-minded people: Postcard Anonymous
First, I decided what was the most I wanted to have travelling at any one time. I decided 25 was appropriate for how much time and money I was willing to spend. So some months are more expensive than others depending on how many cards make it to their destinations. I also buy cards only when I am physically present at a place that sells them. No ordering online. I get stamps ahead of time, and it is never a problem to use up stamps. Sooner or later I will want to send a parcel, and I can stick any that I am tired of onto it.
Love this idea of an emergency card! 
I am in the USA and local postcard stamps are like $.50 and international are maybe $1.60.
My rent (without utilities) is $1200/m for 2 bed 1 bath apartment. So stamps for 100 cards are around 13%
I have so, so many cute stickers, but I feel most people want to read on cards and stickers take up precious space. I’m torn, with wanting to share cute stickers and wanting to write something interesting. Sometimes I just draw a picture on the card. It’s hard to find new and interesting things to write. I don’t want to send the same story to everyone. They can read that on my profile.
I have a lot, read a lot, of stickers. I put one or more on every card I send. At least my name stickers with my name on it.
I have sheets with very small stickers that are perfect for postcards.
I usually use stickers and washi tape on the majority of the cards I send off, sometimes I do a bit more and really decorate it according to a theme. But I try to also write as much as possible. I have several different pens that I can use that all have different ink thicknesses which helps when I am trying to cram as much info as possible onto a card 
Maybe check out this topic to get an idea of how you can decorate your cards and still keep them practical
@Kitxel & everyone else in this thread: Thank you all so much, this conversation was an eye opener!
I joined 4 months ago and now tried to recreate the money I spent in an Excel Sheet and omg… I will now try to use up the stamps and cards I have and NOT buying new ones, because with a wedding ahead of me… I sure need every cent in my bank account…
Congratulations! I hope all the best to you and your budget!! Happy happy Postcrossing! 
Great topic! I’m a brand new PC newbie and have been contemplating this fascinating predicament. I’ve been trying hard to resist temptation and not send more cards out while I am very patiently still waiting to receive my first one.
Was thinking how I could pace myself so that I won’t one day end up being overwhelmed or feeling like it is a chore. I want it to stay fun, exciting & enjoyable.
To try pre-pace myself I estimated how much time I could dedicate and how much the cost would be per month & year.
It also helped that I received the invoice for my latest online card purchase with the Australian dollar exchange rate showing - eeeck!! they have turned out to be expensive cards indeed 
(ok, so maybe I actually deliberately didn’t calculate the exchange rate - because I just HAD to have these cards!..heh heh)
I’ve already purchased over 60 cards (don’t know how that happened?! 
) then of course cost of stamps annnd… now I have discovered washi tape - oh noooo!
So maybe shock could be a good strategy? 
Now that I know how much I’ve already spent $, I might chill for a bit….maybe 
I’ve also gotten the impression generally people accept it’s normal to play sport, go to the gym, etc. and that these cost money. You need to pay membership/class fees, buy specific clothes, shoes, replace equipment etc. and yet somehow people seem shocked (including myself - ha ha) at how much I might spend on postcards & postage.
…So, I’ve decided I am giving myself permission to invest in a hobby I thoroughly enjoy, brings joy to others and accept maybe it’s just my destiny to live in this duality of “eeeeck” and " Hurray for postcards!"
If I may suggest, Australia Post issues various prepaid postcards and maxicards (which have worldwide postage on them already) which you can look into.
Might be cheaper in the long run.
Check out your Aust Post site, or maybe your local post office if it’s convenient
Thanks @Seracker Have seen some of these & will certainly use. They really just need to stop making such pretty & enticing postcards on overseas websites.
Personally I would love to see some local maxicards issued by the post office. Or even just stamp cards (like the British PHQs)
Or you could consider blocking the sites off 
Hi everyone, great topic! I only joined in June and despite much enthusiastic posting am still only at 6 cards available to send at a time… But, I love stationary so already had a fair few cards and in the meantine while I have been twiddling my card-writing fingers they’ve accidentally sneaked about and clicked on a fair few cards online. So, I took them out and about but there are gift shops everywhere with lovely views of where I’ve just visited and I somehow leave with them…
I tend to get very involved in my hobbies and I have a lot of sort of empty time as I am a carer for one of my children and so don’t have a mind-consuming job. I rarely go to theatres, cinemas, pubs or eat out, try to limit how many coffees I buy, usually buy books and clothes second-hand, use the library, so I feel to some extent I can indulge my hobby but I am pretty sure that things will calm down after a while. It’s all new at the moment so very exciting. Plus, as I am allowed to send more cards I will be able to carry out that part of the hobby more satisfyingly. I like to receive cards but I enjoy picking them and sending them out even more!
Since the mail prices went up again this year it costs £2.20 to send any postcard to anywhere in the world from the UK, which is quite steep. As I read somewhere in the reportage: “Bad news for Postcrossers.”