Lasalle sucks up money. I've seen people spend more on their miniature collections than they do on a new car. Why? Well, it's simple really. Because miniature gaming can be a fantastically fun hobby. On top of that, compared to some other hobbies, miniature gaming doesn't cost as much.
In contrast to other expenses you might have, miniature gaming might be a good thing. For example, I knew a gaming buddy that spent a lot more on his cigarettes than he did on his miniatures. I still remember the day he actually quit smoking! We were at the store and he wanted to buy some 15mm miniatures, but hesitated and said, "Maybe I spend to much on gaming." I stared at him in amazement and said, "Are you kidding me? Look at how much do you spend on cigarettes, and you don't complain about that." He replied, "Hmmm, I never thought about that." After a moment passed, he claimed, "Time to stop wasting money on cigarettes." He then grab some more packs figures and proclaimed he was now going to stop smoking.
I look at it like this, you spend $42.95 on the Lasalle rulebook; you spend some more money on accessories and terrain to play Lasalle; and finally, you spend a lot of money on painted miniature armies. In the end, playing a Lasalle game with friends is Priceless!
So, don't view miniature gaming as a waste of money. But rather, a hobby that can bring you countless hours of enjoyment and entertainment. At the same time though, don't spend all your money on games and/or miniatures. For those more addicted gamers, I even recommend setting up a gaming budget for yourself.