Confession: I am a scrappy shopaholic. There. I said it.
I might call what I have an addiction. There is nothing like the thrill of shopping for scrappy goodies! I can spend two hours in my favorite hobby stores and even longer looking at amazing product online. I love receiving box after box of goodies from UPS. I rush home to play with my latest purchase, pinning over all my new product and thinking of the creative possibilities.
I make deals with myself: “Okay Vicki, if you buy this stuff, then you will need to pull back next month” or “Use the Visa card and pay off your purchase later…no big deal” (with interest). I tell myself that (insert my favorite scrappy designer) is using the latest and greatest. I want what she is using! So I buy, and I buy, and I buy. It feels so good! It feels so right! It’s a high really, an adrenaline rush as I watch all of my loot pile up in my shopping cart (real or virtual). I love the experience…it’s such a rush! When I am into something, I’m ALL in…and I want it ALL. Not just one pack of Thickers…ALL THE THICKERS!!
Utopia! Scrapbook utopia!
Of course, like all addictions, my high comes down and I start to realize the damage. In 2015, I estimate that I have spent more than $4500.00 in scrapbooking supplies ALONE! Maybe you should read that again…$4500.00! At first, I was in denial but once I started looking at my spending habits, I had to face a hard truth – my scrappy spending is out of control. And to make matters worse, I have a TON of stuff in my scrappy stash that I haven’t touched in months AND a stack of scrapbooking kits that are collecting dust under my scrap desk. When I came to this realization, guilt set in.
I hate that feeling.
So, as Dr. Phil says (with a heavy Texas accent), “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.” Truer words have never been spoken. This girl has to make some changes and end my scrappy gluttony. It’s time that I fall in love again with my stash and begin using my hoard and limiting my shopping to only the essentials.
I need a plan.
Starting October 1, 2015 I am initiating a 6-month spending freeze. In reality, I am not an “all or nothing” type of person so I plan to be flexible.
I will be limited to the following:
- I can continue my scrapbook kit subscription but I can only buy one (1) main kit – no add ons, no stamps, no extras. Period.
- I can purchase consumables: adhesives, page protectors, pens, etc.
- My monthly scrappy expenses cannot exceed more than $45.00 (to include the cost of my kit and consumables). Any extra money that is left can be put toward the follow month’s budget or saved for crops and retreats.
With that being said, I am going to spend some time getting ready for my freeze. The first thing I plan to do is take inventory of all of my scrappy goodies. I am very excited to pour through my stash – I am sure there are things that I haven’t seen in months! Next, I am going to organize my stash by making kits. My goal is to use up EVERYTHING in my stash (or close to it). Eventually, I would like to get to a point that if I bring a scrappy item into the house, another scrappy item must go (use it or donate). Lastly, I am going to re-organize my scrappy space for maximum efficiency. I need to be able to see my stash in order to use it.
To be honest, this is something that I’ve wanted to do for a while. I think it is fun to challenge myself to use my stash in new and creative ways…to get the max value out of my purchases and to trim my spending. Ultimately, scrapbooking isn’t just about the product. Memory keeping doesn’t require special products or devices.
I need to focus more on storytelling and less on spending.
I will be posting updates on my spending freeze on the Victoria Marie FB Group, here on my blog, and on my YouTube channel. If you have started a spending freeze, tell us about it in the comments section!
Here’s to scrappy savings!