I know once I finish my first 3 shorts next year, i will be asked time and again what the budget was by everyone includinig their gramma, because people think money = quality. My question is, I am doing 3 shorts unrelated but releasing together...they will each have independent budgets on paper, but they are all being made with the same new eaquipment that I bought for this purpose. So does the equipment get calculated in? How should I go about it ?

Calculate it as if you rented the equipment. That's the easiest way, in my opinion.

When I budget projects that have outside financing, I charge the production for renting my equipment from me. There's no reason you couldn't do the same for internal accounting purposes.

So just figure what the equipment would've cost you to rent and put that in your budget. That's how I would do it.

Although I might also just tell 'em that it's none of their business (or stick to the standard but vague "Under $100,000").

Some you can tell "none of your business", but if someone wants to know what you can do for how much, better to have a pricing. The equipment now being mine, renting price for 2 of the would seem pointless since its mine now. I can make as many as I want, but do i tag on the rental to just the first one made? Sounds about right maybe?