I track literally everything I put into my cars, starting with the shitty daily that got me deeper into car work a couple years ago. One spreadsheet with a tab per project, and a tab for the home shop.

I knew when moving from my previous hobby to this one I had to have some accountability because it’s so much more expensive. I really don’t cheat — I tracked gas and lodging on the trips to pick up my last daily and my two project cars. The shop spreadsheet includes consumables too, every can of brake clean and box of nitrile gloves since I started.

I have a little system for highlighting exceptional purchases I’d make again and shitty/mistake purchases that never made it onto the car, or were removed immediately. It helps me learn over time.

This is how I can be more realistic with my project car budget. It’s kinda crazy once I really looked at it — a restomod and engine swap costs a lot, even if you’re doing all the work yourself. Especially the first time.

Examples of some of the little things I’ve learned:

• shipping kills budgets. If I could know everything I need for the next 6 months and buy it at once, I’d save hundreds.
• Toyota parts overstock is the cheapest US Toyota parts dealer, UNLESS the local Toyota is having a 25% off sale. 25% and no shipping rules.
• Amayama is even cheaper, with things like bearings by far, as long as the parts are small and I don’t need em for a month. Just learned this, could have saved 100-200 on my transmission rebuild.
• Way too many of the more expensive options on Rock auto are repackaged cheaper options. 50$ timken bearings that are repackaged 11$ NSKs. Sucks to pay to learn that lesson, but it is what it is.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is the first time you do something you’re gonna spend a dumb amount of money on it. The second and third time you save. And that’s ok — this is a hobby where I’m basically taking myself to school every weekend and school costs money, the enjoyment is the journey and the skills I build along the way.