Explain to her that it is a safe, fun, relatively INEXPENSIVE hobby, compared to cameras, guns, cars, bar hopping, model train building, pc gaming or X-box gaming, wine collecting, etc., and it gives you pleasure, and it has a very serious practicle side to it.
Also explain to her, that, while it makes perfect sense to you, you do not expect others to understand it. Now, WITHOUT mentioning her specifically, compare it to women who purchase shoes and never seem to have enough. Guys, as a group don't understand why women never have enough shoes. We have a black and maybe brown dress shoes, a pair of casual shoes, a pair of "dress" running/tennis shoes and a pair of "dirty" shoes. Any other shoes we own are task specific, and used ONLY for that task, because they are physically unique for that task, and any other shoe will not be functional. Jogging, exercise walking, hiking, bowling, golfing, baseball, basketball, any other sport etc. Women, AS A GROUP, never seem to have enough shoes.
Now, not EVERY woman has this shoe "hobby", just like every guy is not a "flashoholic". I have shown off 50-100$ lights to guys, and get this "you gotta be f--kin' crazy!" stare from other people. One guy laughed, and said, "I've never paid more than three dollars for a flashlight ever in my life!"
Now, when you purchase flashlights, just like anything that gets purchased only for you or only for your wife, does it come out of your "own" budget, or does it come out of "your combined" budget? If lights come out of your budget or shoes come out of her budget, hey, that's what you want to spend you money on, go ahead! BUT, if you are dipping into savings, running up the Credit Card (as long as it is not "just yours" credit card"), taking money out of bill paying or savings, or food money, then THAT is a different story.
