Spending Freeze

[howdyheidi]

Just for the record, I am going on a one month (at least) spending freeze for crafty stuff except adhesives.  I have found too many good deals lately and like my father always said, "You aren't really saving any money if you are spending money." lol

Sometimes, putting it out there for everyone to see is what is going to keep me accountable.  I have PLENTY of new stuff to work with and even an order that hasn't arrived yet. 

:0) Thanks!!

[Looser]

LOL, Heidi! If you have to do a 'freeze', Winter is a good time. 

While 'not shopping' has never been a big problem for me, I can also agree that--when we see good deals & more--it can be challenging to not be sucked into making purchases for reasons that seem reasonable @ the 'moment'. That's why smart companies hire marketers for big bucks. And I've done my share of selling crafters supplies over the past several decades in a variety of categories. 'Course I didn't make 'big bucks', but I did get paid for my efforts.

As I prepare to enter a new phase of life, this topic speaks to me in a very personal way, Heidi. TY, pal!

Regardless of the amount of 'stuff' (new &/or old) we have, it's not a bad idea to consider giving ourselves a period (a month or 2) when we review our 'haves' & our use of them. Doesn't mean we won't buy stuff, but might be eye-opening when we see what we actually use--as opposed to what we 'like'.

Looking forward to hearing what fellow AIs post to this thread.

 

[howdyheidi]

Good points Daniel!  You once said that sometimes you can be more creative with less stuff, and I find that to be true sometimes.

At the same time, I have also been considering getting rid of some of the stamps I am not using.  I don't know where to give them away though.  I have stamps that I have bought and a few that were gifts that I never have really used on a finished project.  One looks pretty in the picture on the stamp, but it never stamps that way!  And others just aren't a style I use. 

[CarefreeSadie]

I don't normally do a "freeze" I just go through phases where I don't buy anything for crafting.  Yesterday we went out of town and I had the opportunity to go to both Joanns and Michaels in one day....LOL.  At Joanns I bought two 24 muffin tins that were on the markdown area and a bronze inca gold color.....And I had two coupons that they used for me without me asking.  So I got a percentage off of the total amount and 40% off the inca gold pot.  I had a coupon for 30% the total order at Michaels and I picked up a bunch of Valentines stuff for 50% and then 30% off.....so the "sale" was a good one for me because I wanted the Valentine's stuff for well Valentines Day card making.  Normally I have to purchase online so I have the opportunity to think about the purchases before hitting the buy button.  I really have to want something to do that.  I would probably be lost if I had stores I could just stop at in town when I was doing other things.  But since I live in the middle of corn country in a small town I am "frozen" most of the time. 

Anyway good luck with your "freeze".  I bet you can do it with your hands tied behind your back (or maybe having your hands tied behind your back would be the way to go)!  LOL

[Canadian, eh]

I think I'll join you in the spending freeze.  I pulled out my Twinkling H2O's and Inktense watercolour pencil crayons that I haven't used in over two years.  It's amazing what we can find in our stash without buying new. 

[SWLady]

I do a freeze every week, LOL. I buy something, then decide I don't need to buy any more because like us all, I have enough. Before I joined you all over at Two Peas, I didn't do much stamping, just paper layering. So I have a ton of paper that I will probably never use. Anybody need patterned paper? hehehe.

On the other hand, I don't have a lot of stamps. I have bought some that I've never used but mostly now, I buy a type, for instance a background stamp or sentiments. I do love the swaps where we swap images though because then I can see stuff I want!

I also tend to buy one of something so I can try it out before I go crazy. And I belong to the Stampin Up monthly kit so that is my crafting budget.

Does any of that make sense? hehehe.

[Craft Nerd]

I was on a self imposed shopping moratorium until I posted 50 projects on my blog, but I was a bad girl over the holidays and made some purchases.  So I was already thinking about another/ reimposing the shopping freeze.  As others have said, I have too much stuff and way too much never been inked stamps.  My stamping ambitions far exceed the amount of time I have for stamping.

SWLady - I recently sorted through my stash of papers and passed on a bunch to friends with kids. 

Heidi - you could always consider using some of your unloved stamps as RAK.  They may not be your style but they might be another's.  As for the ones that just don't stamp well, you may want to consider throwing them away.  I know throwing stuff away can be hard, but if the image just doesn't come out right, that might be the best thing to do.   

[yellowcherrios]

I haven't done a freeze before, but I often will do a freeze per category ---meaning, I won't let myself buy another something until I use something I already have of the same category....so, for example, if I already own ink sprays I won't let myself buy more until I have used up the ones I have or use them more often.  Thus, when I see something I want or is a good price, I will sometimes see how it relates to what I have at homes and if I notice that I hardly use what I have of the similar item at home, then I'll know I might not often use this item either.  Patterned paper is a GREAT real-life example of this for me....

Another thing I ask to myself --- unfortunately this is usually after I bought things----is: "if someone told you it will cost $15 to enter Michaels to shop, would you go?"----now of course no one would pay $15 to just look in Michaels w/o taking something out of the store and sometimes I add that also to the statement ("and you can take out 2 items from the store...")....but what I am usually noticing is sometimes I just wanted to browse and didn't expect to spend $15, thus after those instances, I think "if I had know it'd cost me $15 to enter the store...."  Sometimes when I think this way, it helps me think do I ~really~ want what I got? and then I can go from there for future purchases from what I learn of myself.......I hope that all made sense...               (There has been many times I didn't expect to buy a thing and was so glad I found some item and thus I WAS happy to spend $15!)

I often look at clearance items similar to what Kathy said about trying one thing before buying more---I buy things on clearance to try to see if I'd like it first before buying more.  I also get to know the stores' clearance routine and then just wait for the right price etc....but I am fortunate b/c I am able to visit other stores when visiting family and can compare and wait/watch products. 

But one thing I wanted to say is that ~sometimes~ while I am waiting for a lower price etc, I will figure out I really don't need or care for the item like I thought and thus I move on....which reminds me of something I read for buying things you WANT---the article said that when you find an item you want, to leave the store and go about your routine for a day or two and see how often you think of the item again----and there has been times I never thought about it over the next day or two so I know I probably didn't want it and was just being influenced buy the marketing stuff Daniel was talking about. 

One thing my mom used to say about clothes when I was younger and I would tell her I'm not sure about a shirt---she'd say "well if you're not sure, then you probably don't really want it"----and I have used this idea for when trying to decide craft items to get.....I noticed the things I really like, I don't have to try to decide if I want it/will use it or not---I already know I will!
   

[Utah Ann]

Two years ago, I talked with myself and we agreed not to purchase anything for a year.  I didn't need anything, I had things that I hadn't ever used and so that is what I did.  It was actually over a year and then I got hit with Archievers store closing.  I was there everytime, that they lower the discount and was there scrapping the night the store closed forever.  So I am going to try this again.  I stay out if Michaels and Hobby Lobby stores. 

I am in the processing of rearranging, and sifting thru my supplies.  I have a good number of stamps that I am going to take to my card group - they can take what they want and the rest go to thrift stores.   As I do get a lot of my stamps from the thrift stores, I am going to be very careful there.  That is where I might stumble.

I really want to start doing different technique with supplies that I have.  Setting myself on a new learning curve.

So I will be joining you as well.

[lovepug2]

Heidi, you must have read my mind! A couple of weeks ago I was putting some stuff away and decided no more spending until I make a dent in what I have.

I have a pile of stamps that I went through and decided to get rid of. I'm not sure what to do
with them. I have no interest in selling. I like the RAK idea, Sarah!

I mentioned over on the chat thread that I have a big box of stamped images and scraps I'm determined to use up. The good thing is that cards go together really quickly and it's fun working through it. Once I get that down to a manageable pile I plan to put some stamps that I've never used or haven't used in a while in a shoebox and put them to good use.  I think we had discussed this over at 2ps about rotating out stamps?
I figure it will be good to work through my stamps and put them to good use.

Kathy I've been on a PP freeze for almost a year now! Preschools and senior centers love when you donate pattern paper. Womens centers really appreciate it too.

I will join in! I have a gift card from Christmas and my MIL sent me one for my birthday that I'm going to use to replace some ink pads with but only plan to use my giftcards.

[howdyheidi]

What great discussion, I really appreciate the support and ideas!

Melissa, your ideas --about paying to go in Michaels AND your mom's idea about if you are unsure you probably don't want it -- are thought-provoking!

Craft Nerd I appreciate the permission to get rid of stamps that don't work well. I mean, I am decent at stamping and if I can't get a good impression maybe no one can...

It sounds like most of us probably have un inked stamps or supples that we haven't used in ages.  The one interesting thing is that there are SO MANY DIFFERENT but similar supplies.  Take watercolors. How many do you really need? I have pencils, inktense, distress ink and reinkers, tombow markers, etc. I think I may have saturated that area of my supplies. 

Patterned paper is tough.  The 6x6 pads are really inexpensive and it is nice to have a big variety of colors.  But we could also stamp ourselves up some if we really needed to.

Cool. 

PS:
LeighAnn, how are you doing on your send more cards goal?  I think I am doing better so far this year.  I sent out 4 today. Mostly they were thinking of you cards.

I like the idea of making a lot out of our supplies.  If that is too many cards for me to use, I plan to give them away as gifts.  I probably will not donate them to an organization but I think my friends and family will appreciate a for-no-reason gift.

[yellowcherrios]

One thing I thought of that I think could pertain but  not sure---it has saved me some money----is the purchase of one thing saves the purchase of another----so with my idea, I have NOT bought a few spellbinders I've seen/wanted b/c of the purchase of my Cameo---(now I'm not saying to go buy one thing so as to not to buy another item----b/c that's still spending money...just if you already have an item, it might can also do another crafty thing). 

and I so want to do LeighAnn's idea of using all her scraps to knock out a few cards---or many cards!  I really want to try that. 

and I agree with Ann....if I really want to save money then I don't go into HL, Michaels, Joanns.....


oh and I totally forgot to mention something earlier and see if anyone else notices this: I am starting to notice that the more ~things~ I get, it seems like the less I use.   I am SO way overgeneralizing my statement....b/c I know that I don't use PP less now that i have more of it compared to when I just had a Valentine PP when I first got PP---I know I use PP more than then...but EF are a good example for me---I have many of them and I feel that now that I have a nice collection I use them less often than when I had only 3....I'm not sure why this is...but I need to try this idea and see if it helps keep from buying: will buying this item cause me to use it, or the others, less? 

I'm not sure if maybe I organized my EF a different way that then they'd get more use....so I wonder if organization of craft items in general affects the use of them for me....hhmmm..... 

Fun thread Heidi!

[lovepug2]

Heidi, I'm doing much better on my card sending too! I'm horrible about finishing the insides of my cards so I spent an evening recently prepping some I had so they would be ready to go.

And I've overly covered in the watercolor area too. And it's bad but I really would like to try either the  peerless or kuretake ones.

Melissa, I want to buy some dies but only own 3 because I have a cricut. I can't justify purchasing spellbinders because I have several cartridges that can cut similar/same images. I would like to save up for a couple do stitched edge dies since the cricut doesn't cut things like that and I really like the look of those.

I need to start using my border punches more. I can't remember the last time I pulled those out.

One thing I've noticed about my scrap bin challenge is I feel more creative. Sometimes having limited stuff can be easier because you feel less overwhelmed.  Since I've confined myself with using up what's in the bin it's been less time consuming and more fun to see what I can make. I should post a picture of my bin, it's a bit scary but so far I've been able to make 21 cards from it. And it took very little time. It's kind of like putting a puzzle together.

[Looser]

What a great thread this is fast becoming! WTG Heidi & All!

As we continue to discuss 'freezes', here's another thot...  Do you separate your buys into 'wants' & 'needs'?  Like many of us, I continually see items that I'd like to have, but don't really need. For me, a 'need' often tends to be a consumable item--paper, ink, tape/adhesive, etc.  But I have had some 'needs' that are non-consumables--say a stamp that I immediately know I will use with lots of stamps already in my stash.

LOL, Melissa! 'Moms' are smart, hain't?! "Not sure about..." is a decision as she says. Ever see any of those shows where the individual is presented with a ton of options for color, pattern, etc.? They have only a few seconds to say 'yea' or 'nay' & even a slight hesitation is counted as a nay vote. The results are often a clear indication of the person's 'true' creative self.

[howdyheidi]

I definitely will buy adhesive or white cardstock if I really need it. 

Most everything else is a want.    I may practically know that I will use a stamp tons and tons, but it still falls in the category of want now that I have a collection of stamps.

I wanted to reply to Melissa's thought about not using things once you have a collection of them.  I truly think this is because you have enough that you aren't actively aware of what you have.  If you don't look through your stamps frequently, or file away the supplies in a place where you don't look at  them, I think you are less likely to use them. 
My two cents there...