I don't understand how anyone could spend more than a thousand dollars on a convention, holy christ. Then again I am poor and impoverished, so I don't think I've ever gone over.... $100 dollars, cosplay expenses and all things included. And I only go to one, because the Rocky Mountains don't seem to have many people who are nerdy enough to host cons in the first place. -__-
For me, I probably go to one of these things like once every 2 years, I do what most asian people do, save hard.
so what to do with all that saved money? well, I certainly set aside it for the anime purchase and whatever, this however, is special and since I can attend this one every so long a time I don't really wanna care if it is gonna come bite me in the ass.
Truth to be said, like you I have bills to pay and things to do, but what I really wanna do is of course, of no importance in the big scale of things, but it doesn't mean I cannot spend what I have set aside for this special little occasion. Then again, i overspend a lot, for example, for 2 days ago during my friday outing, I finished 130 dollars flat on beer, cigarettes and cover charges.