Very serious question for those who have been there...

[mommyofphoenix07]

How do you break the hoarding cycle?

I can't seem to stop shopping and start scrapping. I have the inspiration now surely but I keep browsing, and I keep saying to myself just one more...just one more. It's a pretty sick cycle. I have I'd say 300-400 digital kits now. It's really bad and the thing is, when I DO open up my program to do some scrapping, of course most of it doesn't even get used, and some stuff, I forget I even have until I'm browsing and see it again and go...oh cool I wa-oh...already have that...so...how do I stop shopping and start SCRAPPING!? I seem to recall some people saying they used to digi hoard too...so...what's your secret to success now?

[kscwgirl]

I gave myself a budget. I stick to it for the most part. 3 times a year I tend to break out of it... NSD, DSD and my birthday. Although now I pretty much only shop here, so it's easier.

Also... if I buy a kit, I can't buy something without using something else in my stash first. I don't do this for ct kits, obv. just ones I buy... but I did manage to use 3 kits out of my stash this week, so I can shop this weekend. LOL

[suzyqscraps]

I'm like Sara--I have a (very small) budget that I stick to. This is my budget for ANY personal "me" purchases, so I have to make sure I really, really want the kit. Once my budget for the month is gone, it's gone.

I really like Sara's idea about using stuff in your purchase before making another.

I also keep a list of the kits I REALLY, REALLY want, and if I still want it in a few days, and can think of more than 2 reasons to buy it, then I'll keep it on the list (or purchase it if I have the funds). I make better (and fewer) purchases this way.

Good luck!

[mrs_jb]

What I have found helps is to have a TO SCRAP WITH folder. Everything I buy goes in there first, that way I see how much I have that hasn't been used. After I use something it goes into the designers folder.

I also try to set a bit of a budget these days, which like Sara said, I only really break for special occasions.

[ColleenSwerb]

Yea, you just have to FORCE yourself to stoooooooooooooooooooop, lol.

I've gotten into the habit of trying to only buy 1 kit a week here, use it, and then go back to my stash. And only do big shopping when I get that sweet 40% off for my rewards.

I shop at very few other stores at this point. I'm loving Holly Designs at SPD, and I still love Jofia and Natali. But I've gotten to a point where it's no longer "I HAVE to have this right this secon because it's new and 20% off for today only, so I might as well just get it even if I'll never use it." I haven't bought the past 2 or 3 kits Jofia put out, and I haven't gotten Natali's latest either. That my friend, is progress. :p

No working on my self control HERE with my rewards is a whole other story. That's something I still need to work on :p

[Punkie Pie Designs]

Fellow digi hoarder here :unsure:

I soooooooooo have this problem!! I would love to know this as well! I just bought something a few minutes ago and I thought to myself- this is the last thing I'm going to get. Well, I have said that after the last 5 things I just bought!! You know, you keep thinking that you absolutely have to have that thing because 1.) it's on sale and 2.) You have the perfect pictures that would go with it for a layout!

I never seem to get any layouts done because I'm always browsing the forums and stores just like you!! I would love to know how to stop this vicious cycle too!!

Maybe we need Digi Hoarders Anonymous (DHA) :)

[meems]

i used to be a hoarder too but I think i am maxed out now. I use to give in to sales and grab bags but now I am better at resisting them.

Kellie is good @ talking me out of buying stuff :glare:.

I started to cut down when I realized my EHD was almost full. And right now I'm on some pretty nifty CTs so I really have no need to buy anything.

It did help me to start putting new stuff into a folder together so I easily know what new stuff I have.

i think going to through a digi hoard phase is fairly common.

[newfiemountiewife]

I still hoard, but not nearly as much.

I used to hoard a lot initially, but as time as gone on, and I have learned more what my style is, so I don't impulse buy as often. I also have learned not to buy something just because I see a great LO with it, or the preview looks good. If there is something I'm on the fence about, I wait a few days and see if I still need it. Normally I don't.

I mostly only shop here and at The Lily Pad now, and I use a lot more (well except when I'm stressed about moving like I am right now) than I ever did. Just because someone makes great kits, doesn't mean I can scrap with them (Jofia, Annie Manning, etc) kwim? And it doesn't mean I NEED them.

ETA that now I'm on my favorite designers CTs....that cut back my spending a LOT LOL.

[SamaraGugler]

I won't even tell you how many kits I have. Literally THOUSANDS.... but that's a whole different story.

I have a folder that I call "New Kits". I usually start there when I want to complete a layout. I then move the kit over to the designer's folder when I'm done using it.

If you are having difficultly completing pages, I'd simply start with your newest photos and go from there.

In order to get even more use out of my kits I'm starting to make a card with each kit too! I have a nice little stash of cards ready to send out!

[Jennilyn]

I took a designing hiatus back in November so I had very little income coming in. I know we can't afford it, so without that, I couldn't buy. Now since I came back in February, I find myself not buying too much, just out of habit. Plus I get a lot of cool stuff from my CT designers, so that helps. :)

[wvasweetness]

I agree that I think everyone goes through this phase when they first start digi scrapping... and with paper scrapping as well.

I went through it for awhile... I bought anything on sale, collected all of the freebies and bought anything I thought I liked. I would sit down for a couple of hours to scrap, and instead I would end up shopping for digi stuff the whole time!

I finally stopped when I realized that I had hoarded more than 30gigs worth of digi scrap stuff onto my EHD. :blink:

Now I give myself a weekly budget. Normally I buy 1-2 new kits per week, plus 2-4 new embellies, and that's IT.

I still haven't used some of the stuff that I collected when I first started digi scrapping and was hoarding everything in site. And honestly, I most likely won't use some of it b/c I realize now that some of the stuff isn't my style at all. Live and learn. :)

I would set a budget for yourself for the month, or maybe by week. Or set a goal for yourself... if I scrap X number of LOs, I can buy X new kits.

[lizzyfizzy]

i wish i had some good advice for you too. sounds like these ladies have you on the right track.

now go on and control yourself. lol you can do it!!! :thumbup:

[LeeAndra]

You need to get yourself organized. I love ACDSee for this purpose. You can beep me on Y!M if you really want to hear my long drawn-out reason(s) why I love that pg.

Once you get your stuff organized and can see it all at one time, you will be much less likely to buy new things. Once you see that you, literally, have 15 different typewriter key alphas, for example, you will say sheepishly to yourself, 'Oh, guess I don't need this other one, too.' and 'Cool! I forgot I had this one! This one is just as good.'

You will also be a much better shopper post-organization. Once you have your 15 alphas organized, you will know that you don't need any of those, but you do need to get a versatile stamped alpha, so when you see one of THOSE on sale, you will say, 'Oh yeah. I need one of these, not one of these typewriter key alphas.' and when you buy it (and get it organized), it will really be adding 'value,' if you will, to your collection. Instead of having 50 typewriter key alphas b/c those are your fave kind and just what you always buy on instinct, you will have a variety of different alphas, without duplication, that can be used over and over.

HTH!

[wvasweetness]

I agree with LA about getting organized (if you aren't already?)

I use iView Media Pro since I'm on a Mac, but I know that most of the PC girls rave about ACDSee.

Getting organized from the START is a HUGE ADVANTAGE! I waited until I had several gigs worth of stuff before I started organizing, and it took forever.

[meems]

oh yah, the sooner you start organizing the better off you will be!

[ColleenSwerb]

I try not to think about the size of my stash. Otherwise I'll never get ANYTHING tagged in ACDSee, lol. Far too intimidating. So far I have a handful of random designers tagged. It makes me feel a little better. I need to start tagging my SSD stuff. Then I'll feel REALLY accomplished, lol.

But, LA totally makes sense. I know in the past I've double bought things, lol. If I was organized that wouldn't happen, lol.

[scarletsierra]

I'm a hoarder too and have been trying really hard to budget and actually scrap with all the beautiful stuff I've purchased and haven't used yet. It's slow going though, lol.

[newfiemountiewife]

Yes, I have ACDSee also, I just don't tag LOL.

I have over 100 GB in scrap stuff, that needs to be sorted and stuff deleted. Yes, I am a hoarder, but I am recovering. Kinda. LOL

[BrattyMeg]

organize and delete regularly!! Once you have things where they go and you can find them easily you will stop buying on impulse. I don't really have a scrap budget but I also hardly ever shop so I don't have that problem anymore..I did however used to be a scrapkit collector haha...definitely clean and purge every once inawhile though to get rid of what you don't use.

[Emmy]

I keep my unused kits in a separate folder so I can go shop them, that helps. Also - and this is a bit weird - I just don't window shop anymore. I have a hard enough time staying in budget with my usual designers I buy from - so I don't go looking for anything new, I don't window shop at stores and I don't go read the ad boards at the big sites. I check here every saturday morning to shop and I check new releases at a couple other stores but that's it. The only way I hear of something fab is through Kellie's kaboodle or if she or LeeAndra tell me I need something lol. Otherwise I'm in the dark and that helps me spend less. :D

As to getting the scrapping done - I'd recommend trying some challenges ,or making a challenge with yourself to do a page a day or to use 3 new kits a week (new from your STASH LOL) or similar. I'm ok with buying new as long as I'm using and making pages - but when I fall into the spending but not scrapping it's a big downer!

As far as organizing....that is not my thing - I don't love the tagging and spending time on that. I keep my stuff in a folder system that works great for me and I typically have a good idea of what I own.

[nonnie]

Fellow digi hoarder here :unsure:


Maybe we need Digi Hoarders Anonymous (DHA) :)

Hi - my name is Nonnie and I am a digi horder -

I vote we start a DHA!! Believe me I qualify to be a charter member - There are days that I shop more than scrap!

I think that I have gotten better - I try to stick to sales and I use Kaboodle more and more now -

[twentytinytoes]

I used to be SOOOO bad when we had money! LOL Now with DOug down to 3 days a week and going to be layed off totally next week I just don't have any budget. Sooo I can't spend. LOL That helps! I have amazing ct's too so I don't feel like I am missing out too much.

[Traci Reed]

I love hoarding :) Who says we need to stop?

[Misty Cato]

I'd recommend not shopping for products unless you are scrapping. I know there is a general culture in the digiworld of buying the latest releases and the newest, 'hottest' stuff, but since our scrapbooks are for preserving memories using the latest and greatest isn't so relevant to their long term value. When your children are grown and looking at their scrapbooks they aren't going to care if you used xyz designers latest kit. Start scrapping and don't buy until you come across a need. For example, if you are scrapping and think 'this page would come together much nicer if I had some frame clusters' - then you go shopping for some frame clusters. Shopping based on your scrapping needs rather than what is trendy or appeals to you as you are browsing stores should help with the spending. Additionally it is inspiration to scrap because no scrapping = no shopping.

[azrood]

I've started using Kaboodle to hoard my kits before I buy them. This way I can still put them away for safe keeping and then I only purchase them when I'm ready to use them. That's really helped and I've found that it's really cut down on the number of kits I purchase and then never get around to using.

[meganmecrazy]

I have the same problem. I need to scrap more shop less!

[Stacey42]

I used to be a hoarder. Then one day my HD started complaing about space issues and I realized just how much space my digi supplies were taking up and how few layouts I had to show for it. So, I got all my stuff tagged and organized in ACDSee, deleted a bunch of stuff (burned it to DVD first then got it off my HD) and then I told myself "No new supplies until you use some of this stuff" For every 2 existing kits I used I rewarded myself with $2 and I slowly began working my way through my stash.

The other thing I did was have DH change the PW to my paypal account. I could no longer impulse buy. I had to wait for him to get home to put the PW in. I was on my own with places that take CC, like here, but my CC are in my purse, in another room and just having to get up & go find it and come back usually broke the impulse & gave me a chance to think about what I was buying.

[newfiemountiewife]

I love hoarding :) Who says we need to stop?

Honestly, this is how I feel, and why I have over 100 GB at last check. :D

I don't do anything else for myself, ever. I don't shop, I don't have any other hobbies. So that's how I justify it! :thumbup:

[my4boys]

I was a real bad hoarder...I am so much better now that I have all my ROCKIN' CT gigs if it weren't for them I think I would still be getting the evil eye from my DH!!!! I did just by the new kit from Natali and I got a few things over at SPD and FPD but that is it. I have to be good because I really cannot justify buying so many kits anymore.....BUMMER!!!!!

[Shawna]

When I was working full time I shopped a lot more often than I do now. So I have a pretty good stash built up on my EHD. But now that I've been a SAHM for the last year I just don't have the $$ to shop as often. I try to really limit my spending each month cause groceries are so much more important lol!! So I tend to really think about the purchases I'm making and question if I really need it or not and I Kaboodle a lot of stuff for later too. It helps that I'm on the CT's of most of my fave designers though! I'm hoping to get ACDSee really soon so I can start organizing and tagging everything on my EHD.

[Aggie Aviso]

Oh gosh, I think lack of money was the only one that stopped me. LOL.

Seriously though, I had gotten so much better ever since I got to be a SugarBabe. I also have gotten to know which products, which styles I want to work with so I stick with a couple of designers whom I really use the kits they come out with. Some kits really are awesome - kwim - but I just cant seem to work with them.

And if ever I buy stuff these days, I make sure I get to use them before I buy stuff again. (even just once).

I havent bought anything lately though :).

[scrappychic]

I use to have the same problem. I got over it by joining CTs. Now that I get stuff for free, I limit myself to playing with what I got. IF there's something I can't resist, I wait for a sale. Otherwise I'm no good on my own!

[krystalhartley]

Okay Girl, here's the secret...

...unplug the net!!! Seriously...if you get off the www, you won't be able to shop and talk, and maybe you'll get some scrapping done. haha. I'm wicked, I know. :D

[nonnie]

Okay Girl, here's the secret...

...unplug the net!!! Seriously...if you get off the www, you won't be able to shop and talk, and maybe you'll get some scrapping done. haha. I'm wicked, I know. :D

WHAT!!! Can you even do that?????

[meems]

Okay Girl, here's the secret...

...unplug the net!!! Seriously...if you get off the www, you won't be able to shop and talk, and maybe you'll get some scrapping done. haha. I'm wicked, I know. :D
this is some serious CRAZY talk!

[mommyofphoenix07]

Honestly, this is how I feel, and why I have over 100 GB at last check. :D

I don't do anything else for myself, ever. I don't shop, I don't have any other hobbies. So that's how I justify it! :thumbup:

That's how I've been justifying it too! I am a SAHM and I always tell my friends "My kits are like...another girl's shoe obsession. This is my addiction"

I don't smoke, don't drink, don't go out, don't shop (except for grocery shop) my son and my lappy are my babies. Before scrapping, I used to buy other stuff and now that I've started digi scrapping, I don't dare ask for anything for fear that he makes threats on my digiscrapping funds.

And Misty, very true, my son won't care what I'm using and I like that, shop when I know I need something specifically for a specific page.

I really am glad to know I'm not alone and as we speak ACDSee is cataloging my files. I got the trial and spoke to hubby about it and have permission to purchase it. But I do want to first make sure that this is something that will be effective for me.

I'm gonna try to find a frugal friend now that can pop in every now and again randomly and say "You don't need it!" and an occasional "Get your happy butt to scrappin." :p

[newfiemountiewife]

Okay Girl, here's the secret...

...unplug the net!!! Seriously...if you get off the www, you won't be able to shop and talk, and maybe you'll get some scrapping done. haha. I'm wicked, I know. :D

There's a way to unplug it????? :blink:

[ColleenSwerb]

I literally can't function without the internet. It's one thing for me to choose to go do something else without it. But when it's not there at all? I'm pretty sure I get hives.

Yes, I'm aware, I'm pathetic.

[SamaraGugler]

Okay Girl, here's the secret...

...unplug the net!!! Seriously...if you get off the www, you won't be able to shop and talk, and maybe you'll get some scrapping done. haha. I'm wicked, I know. :D


That's straight blasphemy!!! I can't manage to scrap unless I'm firmly connected to the net!

[mrs_jb]

Also - and this is a bit weird - I just don't window shop anymore. I have a hard enough time staying in budget with my usual designers I buy from - so I don't go looking for anything new, I don't window shop at stores and I don't go read the ad boards at the big sites.

Not weird at all Emmy, I'm the same way! Why look if you know you don't need anything!

[nun69]

I decided that unless I am ABSOLUTELY convinced I will use a kit more than once, than I don't buy it and I also like to buy dual designer collab kits 'cause they give me a good variety and I usually use thos emore than once...I'm more at hoarding paper supplies than digi, so I guess I am no help:blink:

[rochelle789]

I do what a few others have mentioned. I put new things in a separate folder, and I even went through my stash and moved things I hadn't yet used to that same folder. If you do this, just seeing everything you've spent money on but haven't used yet should help curtail your hoarding.

I know how hard it is though. I'm doing pretty well now, but I used to be a major hoarder. Once I actually started scrapping more, it became very apparent that I had so much stuff that I had never used.

[jene]

I think that the first step is admitting you have a problem and then ignore it that is what I do lol

[newfiemountiewife]

I think that the first step is admitting you have a problem and then ignore it that is what I do lol

LMAO!

[LauraBean]

I have found Kaboodle to be really helpful, as someone already mentioned. When I see something I think I just must have, I stick it in my Kaboodle rather than buying right away. Fairly often when I go back and browse my Kaboodle wish list I realize this or that isn't really as necessary to my scrap happiness as I thought it was and I delete. I also almost only buy on sale. I still get in trouble with impulse purchases of stuff on sale, because I worry that when I get around to going back to my Kaboodle, that terrific item will no longer be on sale, but I've learned that most sites have sales or coupons pretty regularly, and I try to resist the impulse buys.

I also keep a list of recent purchases and try to use something from each one whenever I scrap--and I do scrap almost daily.