Scrapbook allowance!!

This topic ties in with "paper obsession". This month I've spent almost $300 on scrapbook supplies and I can't really afford to do that anymore. I'm putting myself on an "allowance". Does anyone else do this?

I sure do-I actually went out and got a second job and whatever I make there is my scrapbooking 'fun money'. Ironically enough I got the job at Archivers which helps stretch the allowance even further!

Yes ma'am! I try and keep it under $60 a month. That's the amount Hubby has for his fun money too so what works for him, works for me. I ain't complaining!

No, I put myself through enough mental torture deciding if I really "need" (will use a lot) something in the first place, even if it's just a dollar or two - I have a pretty strong sense of regret (NOT guilt, never guilt, just regret) when I buy something I don't really have use for.

I love the idea of budgets but this really isn't a category where I personally need to worry about reining in my spending. There are Sizzix dies I've wanted for years and I just leave them on wishlists for my family members to pick up, and that works out well enough - sometimes I lose interest in the dies I don't own after a while anyway, so they come off the wishlist and help keep the wishlist limited to just stuff I really want.

I'm like aquabunny. I only really buy things when I run of things or it's a birthday or Christmas.

Last week I went to Hobbycraft for the first time since last Christmas, to spend a £30 gift card I was given for my birthday. I have to go back tomorrow and exchange a faulty die.

Now if I go out scrappy shopping with DH, HE puts things in my basket, even if I just pick them up to look at. I have to put them back on the shelf again giving him THAT look.

if i'm lucky i can spend about $50 a month. There's always something that i want. So i try to spread it out.

of course since I'm in a note card group i am always looking for something new to do with my cards.

Ok,well everyone is inspiring me!! I will now give myself a rational budget and stick to it!! Thank you.

PS: just so you don't think I'm a maniac, I've been worried about Creative Memories going out of business, so I stocked up on pages and page protectors. I love, love, love their albums and pages. That's what drove my total up this month, but I will do better in June.

• bonprof Said:

I hadn't heard this. Is this likely to happen? I hope not. There's several things in Creative Memories that I'd really like to have. Their albums are so nice, too.

Creative Memories filed bankruptcy a month ago. So far, they are just planning on greatly reducing their product line, but...my consultant strongly suggested to me to stock up on pages, and page protecters. Scary!!

When I first started off, I would literally go crazy (on shopping binges) and buy whatever I wanted...Which by the way, never ever seemed to be enough...simply because everytime I would go back I'd forever & always find awesome finds!

Then, I wised up a bit & started budgeting. At first, I would spend anywhere from $50-$100+ dollars. Which would actually add up to $100-$200, since I was going each payday, which was twice a month.

Realizing the cost AND that I was very quickly running out of space (aka having bags that I wasn't even unloading...(err, cough, cough) hoarding!)...budgeting for me, meant staying out of the store & or ordering only if I absolutely have to/had to.

Fast forward, present day, future (7-10 yrs later)...I have since uber-organized my space, purged what I don't use or need & only shop for adhesive refills, super sales & or during special occasions (as in Christmas/birthday).

Trust me, I know it's fun, addictive & can be a total high, but I also know it can quickly become a low or downer, if & or when your space becomes crowded, overflowing & or in turn, also a total mojo killer.

These days I'm happy to have the stash that I have, but if I had it to do all over again, I totally would have shopped in moderation!

Yes, yes. I know, I know...total joy-kill!

Reminder - If your gonna throw stuff...remember to please throw scrapbooking supplies!

I'm on a really tight budget to begin with (student) but my rule is that if I am placing an order on here it has to give me a good deal, like the $50 for free shipping. And I will only order stuff from here once a month. That way I'm limiting the intake and also the stress on my wallet. And when it has to be $50 I get as close to that as I can without going over ridiculously. The last time I bought stuff here I spent $50.43 and got over 30 items.

Sometimes it's hard to think about budgeting something you love, but I know people who have never budgeted and are now struggling to make ends meet. Since it's only me and my mom and my mom lost her job, I try to make sure I'm spending my money on my fun stuff, and I want to make sure when I need something like a new battery in my car, I have some money saved to help her.

But I love to see what people buy!!

-Stephanie

yes. for about 5 years now DH each have our own 'fun money' accounts. we each get $5 a week. That is what i use for all my scrappy supplies AND printing pictures.

x-mas and b-day are fun because i ask for supplies or gift cards.

After binging on Friday - partly due to a mistake in reading a coupon - my friend and I decided yesterday we were going to try a no-buy challenge.

We quickly found ourselves making exceptions. She had ordered some paper from LSS, I need some page protectors for a gift album I am making. Started to make me doubt we can make this work. But this morning I purged my wish list to things I can wait for.

Kelly makes a good point about the downside of the 'high' we get from the acquisition phase of shopping. I need to reorganize (it's been a year since the last reorg), purge and use what I have.

I love reading everyone's thoughts. Yes, it is a total "high" when I order my stuff on line and when I shop in person. I'm a very addictive person to begin with (that's another story for another day...). I really apprecicate all you've shared, and yes, I need to get a grip on my addiction. Thanks again Scrapbooking Sisters!

Over the last week I have been re-organizing my scraproom. The past 2 days I have done nothing but gather together and re-organize my embellishments (stickers, jolees, die cuts, etc...). I put them in groupings by themes, (months of the year/Holidays, Alphas/Phrases etc....) I am putting everything into plastic pages and laying them flat in big binders. It's the same concept as "The ScrapRack" but only laying flat instead of at an angle. I decided that "containerizing" my stuff was a bad idea because I cannot find anything if it is hidden away and I also don't remember what I have if it is not visible or easily accessible.

From doing this project the last couple of days and seeing what all I really have - all categorized and grouped together, I realize I don't need to go shopping for anything for a very long time. And now everything is at my fingertips and I can easily flip through the pages and see exactly what I have.

I made my own version of this (link to product below), without so many rings, using old 12x12 3 ring albums and laying them out so the covers overlap one another. Once I get this project done and the rest of m scraproom done, I will post some new pictures.

ScrapRack - Multicraft Storage System - Base Unit with 7 Spinders

Oh Maureen, I would LOVE to see your ring binder storage system. Can you post pics just to that, without waiting for the rest of the scrap-room to be done? Pretty please?

scrapbooking is not for whimps

I agree.... scrapbook is not for whimps.... This kid's brain is exhausted from organizing everything into themes... lol!

And RedSquirrel - I am going to stop on my way home from work tomorrow to pick up hopefully the rest of what I need to finish that project (12x12 plastic pages and two 12x12 albums). It would seem that the company that originally made the divided sticker pages is no longer in business so i am improvising. My larger sticker sheets are being put into 12x12 plastic pages because those lay more flat than the 8.5x11 pages in a stack in a 12x12 album. And yes, I will post pictures of just this part, before the rest of the re-do is done. I must say, I am quite happy with this way so far as you can literally ask me for something - Orange alphabet?, Purple flower?, Giraffe?, American Flag? - and I can walk over and go straight to where it is. I couldn't do that before with everything stored in boxes, bins, envelopes etc....

In response to the original posters question about a scrapbooking allowance - yes, I do have one. No, I haven't used much of it lately because I have been trying to use what I have. And now after this past weekends project, I see that I wont be needing a scrappy allowance and that $ will be just added to my savings account instead of spending it on more stuff (with the exception of the binders and 12x12 pages I will be purchasing tomorrow to finish this project).

• bonprof Said:

I don't know what this means. I'd look up "allowance" in the dictionary, but I'm too busy shopping~Judy

My friend seaexplore and I have run a challenge for the last 2 years trying to come in under budget for our crafting supplies. Last year it was $500 for the year, this year it's $375. It's on the honor system of course and GC's and birthday, anniversary, Mother's Day, Easter etc.... money doesn't count in the total. It's fun to see how many coupons we can use or to shop only on sites when they have free shipping days.

And I just did a big purge and got rid of a ton of stuff, donated it to my sisters Daisy Girl scout troop.

I watched the video for this project, but all it does it show the components and how it fits together and can be expanded. I'd like to see how it works. Just looking at the picture and watching the video, I can't visualize it. Please post pics after you finish. I don't know that I have room for something like this, but as I'm cleaning, purging and organizing, I need to come up with some sort of system so that I can keep up with what I already have and use my stash instead of buying more.

WHen I started scrapbooking about 6 years ago I didn't have a budget but I didn't have much money either so I had to be very very frugal. I just spent whatever I could afford to spend. My supplies all fit in a 12 x 12 artbin - paper, cardstock, scissors (cutter wasnt' in the budget) - it was all there. Completed pages were just in a stack because there was no budget for a scrapbook to put them in.

Things have chaged in the past 5 years. I've married, retired and social security has kicked in and I can have most anything I want within reason.

However, the down side of this is a room full of "mistakes" - things I bought impulsively, have never used and never will use.

If I had it to over I would have bought a lot smarter. I would not have bought on impulse.

My goal now is that when I do a page I have to try to use a product or tool that has been neglected. Punches and things I bought 4 or 5 years ago and never used - I'm learning about them.

I still have the Big Shot to use a lot more (rarely use it) and I bought the big machine that stamps and cuts and embosses - forgot what its called. Its been in the box since I bought it in February. When I get home I will try to figure out how to use it.

I have a ton of pages to do and I have really slowed down buying stuff until I take advantage of what I do have.

I bought the border cutting system from Creative Memories and all the circle cutters and the templates for wavy letters. I have not opened one thing. I will start using them.

And I will not buy any more tools until I've got my money's worth out of what I have.

My weakness is pre-made die-cuts and overlays. Pretty paper too. I will continue to buy those things (got to have something to shop for) but no more inks, tools, punches, dies or expensive items until I use what I have.

Darla has motivated me to clean out my scraproom and I know I will purge, purge, purge a lot of things I never should have bought in the first place.

• mrsdriver5 Said:

LOL! Same here......I barely had time to stop and read this post.......

Henri if you have anything you don't want, I'm accepting donations

Wow, I'm in the "not much money" side of things too! I'm amazed that you all have so much money to spend on your hobbies!

I'm lucky to spend $50 per year on SB stuff and that includes printing out pics, a stack or two of paper, and maybe one punch if I can find it on clearance. All my supplies fit in one little cabinet in my dining room! Of course coupons are absolutely necessary, doubling them and buying clearance when possible.

So to answer the question, yes! I am on a very strict allowance! Someday though...

Most of the past five years, I've had the super-tight/nearly non-existent budget. Lately, my family has been blessed with the ability to stock our hobbies, but we know that the shopping fun will probably stop soon. DH and I are okay with that. We've learned what will get used and what's mostly saved for adoration on the computer, or in the stores.

I'm shy, so I'm not going to post my monthly allowance, but it works for me. The bills are still paid and we're good, in case of an emergency.

• Madding Said:

Yeah, I'm going to remind myself that everything is perception, but....

Please bear in mind that money is as fluid and fickle as rivers and streams. Sometimes it dries up for everyone; then we get our own floods so we enjoy what we can while preparing for the understood dry times ahead.

My budget is $0

The only time I buy any supplies is if I am doing a special project for a gift or I need adhesive.

Since I have been unpacking all my craft stuff and organizing my craft room I have found that I have way too much stuff. I could probably go 2 years without buying anything but adhesive and special project supplies....

I don't really have a budget. I tend to buy whatever I want. Once or twice a year, I blow through quite a bit of money in a relatively short period of time. For the most part, though, I just buy little things here and there.

It's funny that this post came up as it was something I seriously thought about this weekend. I generally buy a little here and there for my albums, and even then, only when it's on sale, like at HL for 50%. I am fortunate to have HL, M and J all within a mile of the house, so it's super easy to run out with my phone for 40% off of whatever I just ran out of. But, I decided to skip ahead and scrap the Disney vacation we just were blessed with while it's fresh in my head. So, since I had nothing for the 400 photos I took (I know, I know) I went ahead and went looking and purchased everything I needed. Paper, album, some refills, pictures, stickers/embellishments. I only paid full price for the few things I got online here, and most was on sale via the various craft stores in person or online. Or "that auction site" or "that E homemade goods" site. I had to tell the credit card company that no, card not stolen-those Paypal charges were real thanks. I added the receipts and almost crapped my pants. almost $700 for an album! Who knew!? And that was mostly 50% off. So different when you get a little here and there. You don't even realize how it adds up. Needless to say, if it's not adhesive, it's not going in my cart for a long, long time.

I'm always surprised when sb has a buy 3/get 1 free paper sale. Most of the paper is under $1, with a few special ones higher...but with every 4th one free, how bad can it be? Then I check my cart and find out I'm up to around $200 or so...and I'm only a quarter of the way through the pages of paper! Yes, it can indeed add up!

Enjoy working on your Disney album, scrapchica~