I'm 28 and work in fundraising at the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

I don't make gobs of money, but I learned the work and flipped pins for 3 years making small profits to buy the games I really wanted and supplementing a little from my income. My wife and I don't have any debt other than our mortgage on a $140,000 house and my truck, which is well within our means. We qualified for some astronomical amount but were smart when purchasing. 4br/3br house 10 minutes from work in a quickly growing neighborhood.

How do I afford pinball? I save for the games I want. Any money I make from tournaments goes into the 'next game' fund. If I find a local deal on a beat up game. I'll buy it even if I don't want it, fix it up, and send it on its way while making a couple hundred bucks and passing on the love of pinball.

Pinball is not an unreasonable expense if you plan ahead and budget.