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I'm closing the books on 2014 and I spent almost $400 less on crafting related purchases than in 2013. Yea me! I was able to keep my Stampin' Up! status intact and buy a few other things along the way. Some of my favorite LSS closed this past year so I have less temptation out there. Plus my friend who sold CTMH dropped so I'm not tempted there, either. Here's to a good 2015.
Mary Beth
My LLS closed and that helped me immensely. I almost never order off the internet but I may have to start. I do buy SU but I like only so many of their stamps.
Bah. I started out really well with budgeting, then a few months in I just fell apart. Got it back together and am ok now.
I'm so much more careful about my purchases. I finally gave up my SU demo status, since I was doing most of the buying and ended up with things I didn't really love, just to meet my minimums. I'd so much rather have the freedom to spend my limited money at any company that makes a product I love, rather than focusing so much of my spending on a single company that may have a few things I love, but many other things I'm ambivalent about.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
Mine was good too. I think I spent less than $200. I am probably being really high with that $200. I don't live near the craft stores any more. I make my own supplies and embellishments. My crafting style changed this year where most of my art supply shopping was frugal purchases from the Dollar Tree or thift stores. It was a great year. I didn't even try to go on a frugal budget. I like not spending money on craft supplies this year that was a lot of fun. Sadly, I can't say the same thing about my gaming budget. :(
Location: along the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River
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I spent a small amount.....maybe $200 or a little more. I'm to the point where I need very little. I LOVE using up supplies. I' m thrilled I'm finally using older embellishments that I still love but Have had around three/four years.
I just signed up with SU again to get the $75.00 kit. There is no way I'll meet the minimum for long. Maybe once as I want to build my framelits supply. That's about it.
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
I don't have a craft budget. I buy what I want or need. But on a one income family of four, I select my purchases very wisely.
For instance, I want to buy some Christmas dies I just fell in love with, to make next years cards. BUT I have 2 Christmas stamps I did not use this year for cards-That I purchased last to make Christmas cards with. One is an SU and the other is Unity, a cute penguin set-that I just had to have.
I am in an SU stamping club, I need to spend $20 a month. "I had to have" SU ornamental pines set. So at least I got a new set and made the monthly purchase.
My hubby gave me a huge 4 drawer filing cabinet at the beginning of Dec. Yesterday I finally started to pull all my card stock out of an old dresser. Boy do I have some old ugly SU card stock. So I can make small monthly purchase to fill in what I need in card stock.
Sorry to say the SAB and Occasional catty does not have anything I want or need. So I have no idea what I will purchase after I update card stock and matching ink.
I don't really stamp enough to off set crazy out of control craft spending.
What I really would like to do is buy a whole new wardrobe. But I gained a lot of weight recently and refuse to buy clothes till I loss the weight-Well now that is a whole nutter thread now isn't it!!!
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I am a seasoned craftsman, but until this summer I had a non paper product line, mostly garments and metal smithing with some custom leather goods.
A severe back injury forced me to change to something less back breaking than my main hobbies.
By April I'd started my "collecting" phase of a new papercrafting stash. By November I was prepared with a HUGE shopping list for the black friday online, I really went crazy. $1500 later I have most everything I need/want.
Spent $2200 for the year, hardly any SU products, even though I have an SU demo who I work with and can get any SU stuff I want very quickly. I have bought EVERYTHING at 50%+ off and unfortunately being very frugal (savings wise) makes getting alot of SU not worth it to me, so I found alternatives.
Now that figure includes all storage, two MISTIs (which I USE for production mode of my copyright designs), Dies, BigShot, full set of distress markers, and other big ticket items.
I also have a Cameo and made my copyright designs into stamps (used MISTI to make these per above) and have already sold quite a bit so though alot has been spent, I have earned a good bit back.
I had spinal fusion in December which was perfect timing and have put a stop on all buying (I gave myself until 1/1 to flesh out my "stash"). Now enters the "spending" phase. I look forward to a year of using all my paper products for mixed media projects to sell as well as pre-making my Christmas cards and gifting really special "art" cards to family and friends.
Because I am laid up from surgery for another few weeks, I am collecting ideas from the great galleries here so once I am healthy I will be plenty busy!
Well, last year, I'd have to go through my banking records to see how much I've actually spent. I probably spent more this past year, but there is very little that I need or want. There is only a couple of things that I want but they aren't necessities.
This year, I have decided to log every single purchase and keep it on a clip board in my studio. I'm doing good, I haven't bought anything in almost a month......Nope that's a mistake. I bought a couple of used dies from someone here on SCS maybe a week ago, but before that, it's been quite a while. I haven't bought anything new in a very long time. Lately, I have only bought 2nd or 3rd hand and would rather buy cheaper used. It's rare that I buy new.
I just figure if I keep it on a board in my studio, then I would have to shame myself if I add anything unnecessarily. I'm harder on me than anyone else is so I have to do this in order to keep from just buying to buy. I was really bad about that 2013 and 2014. Time to make changes for 2015.
I just started stamping last summer but have built up a decent stash plus my husband got me a lot of crafty things for Christmas and my birthday, so I am set for awhile and on a spending freeze except for small things like adhesive. It's fun going shopping in your own stash. :-)
Yep Adhesive is what I call Perishables. You always have to restock on that. I think I'm good on that for at minimum 6 months or longer. I spent quite a bit this year!! Time to shop my stash for a while.
I don't have a stamping budget either. I really haven't purchase that much outside of Stampin up!.
I sell cards every month so I make some extra money. Which means I can spend what I earn.
Or if I sell some older stamps and supplies... the money I make with that goes into my Cash kitty.
This year, I have decided to log every single purchase and keep it on a clip board in my studio.
I just figure if I keep it on a board in my studio, then I would have to shame myself if I add anything unnecessarily. I'm harder on me than anyone else is so I have to do this in order to keep from just buying to buy. I was really bad about that 2013 and 2014. Time to make changes for 2015.
I think I'll join you and do this as well. It's easier to resist if you can see what you've already spent. I've been making the change away from Stampin' UP! and it's like a whole new world out there! It can get you into trouble pretty quickly. lol I have tons of new stuff from Christmas and some lucky wins, so I need to use that stuff and chill out on buying more. I'm pretty sure it would be impossible for me to use up all the paper I own before I die, so that needs to stop too! Goodness!
I did pretty well last year, as I knew that I was moving across the country and didn't want to add more stuff to haul. Even so, I bought some things that I probably could have done without (I know I'm not alone). I've looked at all of the fabulous after-Christmas sales and there are some really, really good deals and really, really cute things available, BUT - I'm pretty ruthless about what I purchase now: Will I really USE it? How many different ways? Do I have anything similar already? I ask these and other questions to determine level of need/want before I buy ANYTHING these days. So far this year I've spent a whopping $17.14 (including shipping) at The Cat's Pajamas for a stamp set and a die set that have been on my wish list forever. There's nothing in the SAB or Occasions catalogs that I need, I have all of the current ink and cardstock colors, I have papers enough to last me quite awhile, etc. The only "holes" I have in my stash are colored pencils and alcohol markers, so that's probably all that I'll buy anytime soon. I'm (thankfully) past the point of buying things just because they're cute or on a big sale. I don't think I'll be spending much this year! I'm going to do the same as Denverkat and log my purchases as I go, just to keep myself accountable...
I also put myself on a spending freeze......I would not allow any new paper, dies or stamps into my craft closet. I borrowed any die I needed from a friend and really just spent on Mono-Multi and some special bling. I feel like I am far more imaginative when I have to use only what I already have and the quality hasn't suffered.
2014 Spending Review/New Goals
