Recovery done together

[joelsgirl]

So I posted at Me So Scrappy today about evaluating your past spending habits & your scrapping habits in order to be more efficient in your shopping and scrapping. The First Step

I think it'd be fun to continue the conversation, if you were interested, because I'm curious how everyone else's spending/scrapping habits compare to mine.

I did the exercise again today to look in my gallery, and I totally felt justified in buying La's new penguin kit. ; ) I mean, her stuff never makes the "unused kits" folder!

But mostly I use my CT kits, just because I l.o.v.e. with a passion the designers I CT for. I wish I could remember that when it's time to spend money, lol.

What do your habits say to you?

[MommaTrish]

I totally need to do that. I buy almost every new kit put out buy a certain three ladies here, and I have quite a few of those unused, BUT like 80% of my non-CT pages are made with their stuff, so I know they'll get used. But that is no way all that I have...

[carriesmom]

Loved the article. I actually haven't purchased much due to financial reasons but I did evaluate my scrapping habits several months ago and I have literally gone from shopping at 5 different stores to 2 stores and I use alot of CT kits. And I almost never not use recent purchases.

[Leila]

My habits changed a lot in the last year. With Andrew out of work and money as tight as it was, I just couldn't shop the way I did before. Now, when I do have money, I go back and pick up those things that I really want and will actually use. And even then, I don't spend nearly as much as I did in the past. I'm really hoping to keep it that way now that Andrew is about to start a new job. I think the fact that I just deleted, without any back up, 20+GB of stuff I never used really put things into perspective too.

[Paula]

I didn't spend much while I was finishing up my Masters, but since I finished, I've been buying a lot more lately, but I've been making sure to use what I buy before I buy more. I only buy here and from a few designers over at another store.

[taracotta7]

I have been reading your blog post and I am impressed with your restraint on spending! I just tend to buy when I want it. I have no restraint. BUT I will admit that I am not on a tight budget and haven't felt the recession like most. Mainly because I have a VERY financially responsibile (ie. FRUGAL) hubby that got us debt free (minus the house) almost 2 years ago. It is very true what Dave Ramsey says "Live like no one else so you can live like no one else" We were very tight and strict for a couple of years and now we are living the live of less stress. SO, I have an amount of money that I get to spend as I like.....I just happen to like to spend it at SSD!

Anyways.....all of that to say.....I am loving your post and I wish they were around when I was on a much tighter budget! I think that you are opening the eyes of many of us scrappers that may need it opened. In fact, even though I am not restricted on spending.....I still have a lot to learn about having some self control. Thanks for blogging about this!!!!

[Traci Reed]

I realized a few years ago that I ONLY scrap with SSD stuff and a few extras like alphas from a couple other designers so i stopped shopping anywhere else. Even here, there are designers who I use everything they put out and other girls who have beautiful things that don't fit my "style" very much All that to say, it was freeing to figure that out, but I wouldn't write off other designers that may have made it into my "unused" folder now and then either...

[Megan Turnidge]

I don't shop much at all because I don't scrap as much as I used to, I have a ton of kits on my HD already, and I never have any money to spend. Pretty much only buy something when a few bucks happen to land in my Paypal.

[jaylensmom]

I too realized I liked to buy just to buy...I have so many unused kits that it's almost embarrassing that I haven't used them...I don't even want to calculate how much money I've spent and wasted...well not wasted because there is still hope that I will scrap with them...I haven't bought as much in the past few months because of those reasons...

[emmasmommy]

Originally Posted by Traci Reed

I realized a few years ago that I ONLY scrap with SSD stuff and a few extras like alphas from a couple other designers so i stopped shopping anywhere else. Even here, there are designers who I use everything they put out and other girls who have beautiful things that don't fit my "style" very much All that to say, it was freeing to figure that out, but I wouldn't write off other designers that may have made it into my "unused" folder now and then either...

this is me...almost exactly.

[luckyme]

Originally Posted by joelsgirl

But mostly I use my CT kits, just because I l.o.v.e. with a passion the designers I CT for. I wish I could remember that when it's time to spend money, lol.

Kellie, if I CT-ed for Zoe, Dani and Cindy, there'd be NO need to buy anything else! What fun it must be to work with those fab products week after week!

[junebug]

this is great. i have started being wiser about what i buy, mostly because i dont have a lot of free cash floating around like i used to. so when i buy kits and things, i make sure i know i'm going to use it. and i do have my favorite designers that never fail to inspire me, and i seem to obviously purchase from them the most. i dont really feel guilty anymore because i know now that whatever i buy i use. my problem is that i feel like i need to try to reuse kits. most kits i use once and never use again. i feel like it is a waste, like i need to use them atleast twice lol.

[loralyn]

I'm getting ready to do the first part of the assignment. Clearly, I know I have been spending too much because I'm dreading adding up those numbers

[ColleenSwerb]

Kellie, I totally love this series you are doing!!

I rarely spend money on digi-scrapping anymore. A while ago I figured out that I was just collecting kits from designers. I LOVED them, and they were fabulous, but I couldn't make them work with my style. Such. A. Waste!! Now with my babe position, forget it. I have everything I could ever need right here

[Gemma]

Originally Posted by ColleenSwerb

Kellie, I totally love this series you are doing!!

I rarely spend money on digi-scrapping anymore. A while ago I figured out that I was just collecting kits from designers. I LOVED them, and they were fabulous, but I couldn't make them work with my style. Such. A. Waste!! Now with my babe position, forget it. I have everything I could ever need right here

Take being a babe away and this is so me, although I do CT for the most awesome ladies ever!! I do have a few more designers that I love and I buy from them sometimes but I have cut down alot since I first started scrapping in Feb 09, I deleted 14GB of stuff the other day and half of it wasn't ever used

[newfiemountiewife]

Originally Posted by ColleenSwerb

Kellie, I totally love this series you are doing!!

I rarely spend money on digi-scrapping anymore. A while ago I figured out that I was just collecting kits from designers. I LOVED them, and they were fabulous, but I couldn't make them work with my style. Such. A. Waste!! Now with my babe position, forget it. I have everything I could ever need right here

Same here, except I do have a handful that I do scrap with (when I'm not working insane hours LOL) that I do buy from.

I most certainly don't buy nearly the amount I used to. I buy at most 1-2 kits a month elsewhere and usually not even that much any more.

[LeeAndra]

Well written (and funny) article, Kel.

I was horrible abt keeping to a scrap budget until the last 12-18 months. If I saw something, I'd buy it and really go crazy over NSD and DSD weekends. Instead of buying new clothes, shoes, etc. it was digi stuff. I don't think I knew what my style was then. While I hope that I am still evolving as an artist, I definitely have a more defined style now and know better than to buy a kit, despite how pretty it may be, if it is not my style. I rarely have time to scrap outside of CTing, so my list of designers I buy from now is very small and they know they have my scrappin' heart forever and ever (like La ). I think I've spent $25-$30 on digi stuff since September, and most of that was over DSD weekend.

I will only buy from certain well established 'big name' stores, so that helps, and CTing for a store is helpful, too, as guests from other sites come and go so I can try a new-to-me designer at no cost and then buy from them at their own site when their guest spot is over if I really liked their work.

[Nettio]

Sometimes I wonder if all digi files were actual physical items that we had to store in our homes, would we be pickier about how much we buy?

I have always been really good about staying within a budget and keeping track of what I spent using Excel and/or Paypal. But I definitely fell into the trap when I first started scrapbooking of buying kits that were trendy at that moment or that were featured in layouts that I loved. It got to a point where I had to ask myself - do I really love this kit or do I just love this layout? Just because I loved what others did with a kit didn't mean that kit would be a good fit for me.

About a year ago I made the decision to stop buying kits all together. I just found that with being a Babe here, I never used any of the kits I purchased because I would always choose an amazing kit from here first. I do still buy some element packs or alphas but even then only really from one or two other stores that I really love and only items that I can combine with my CT kits.

I also set up a ScrapNews filter in Gmail so now all email newsletters (except the one from my most favorite store) don't even make it into my email inbox - they go directly into a separate folder. I'm sure designers don't like the idea of that, haha, but I found it's made a huge difference for me to not be tempted by all the goodies. It does mean I miss out on a lot of coupons or sales but I decided that I'd rather pay a few extra dollars to buy something I really love at full price than to buy a bunch of items I only kind of liked just because they were on sale. It seems to be really working for me.

[joelsgirl]

Traci, I totally completely agree with you. I'm not against fun out of the box kind of purchases, but in general I think they should be kept to a minimum. I'm not even as much against spending money as I am against waste.

The flip side is that we're not plugging money into some big rich corporation; we're supporting people we know and love who make a living creating products we love. So that's definitely something to think about too.

But that's not what I'm blogging about, lol, just something I think about.

[Jenn Barrette]

Great post Kellie...but I refuse to look at my digi habits. LOL I am a bit of a shopoholic, but I am over all happy with my purchases. Are there lots of unused kits on my HD? Hells yes. But if you just stick to what you know, you can miss out on something you might love.

There was once a time when I was intimidated by La's amazing doodly goodness, but I bought a kit on a whim and now there isn't a kit of hers that I can't scrap with! I think it is about finding balance. Find your style, and mostly buy from designers in that style and buys kits that you know you will use, but step of the box and challenge yourself to scrap with something different as well. It can help you evolve and grow as an artist.

[g8rbeckie]

Awesome post Kellie!

I realized the error of my ways when I got a new computer and was too lazy to move all my un-used kits over to my new one. Clearly there was nothing calling me to use them, LOL!!

There's a particular style I love and a particular designer whose kits basically fly onto my PS as a layout I love So I end up re-using kits from where I CT over and over again. Occasionally I will step out and buy a few new things, but mostly just alphas and embellishments like stitch packs and word art.

Realizing my style and sticking to it has drastically reduced my wasted spending.

Well, let me re-phrase that...the money still left my PayPal, but it went to a new camera lens instead of excess kits!

[MommaTrish]

Originally Posted by g8rbeckie

There's a particular style I love and a particular designer whose kits basically fly onto my PS as a layout I love So I end up re-using kits from where I CT over and over again.

lol Ditto.

[Kara]

Such a great post, Kellie!

I've spent more than I'd like to admit on kits here, but I do use them all. And it helps a lot that I get to CT for some of my absolute faves! But since I've quit my job to be home with my kids, we've lost 1/2 our income and some things need to go. Or at least be cut, drastically. So my scrap budget is basically nothing right now. If I can find a few bucks here or there, I might buy something. But I literally have nothing in my Paypal right now - and 57 cents in my "fun money" bank account. So the next time I want to use a "new" kit, I'll be shopping on my hard drive!

After all, one of the reasons that drew me to digi was that I could reuse kits over and over. I don't often do that, but I should, right?

Kara

[pewtertm]

LOVE your posts, Kellie!

Well, I've got to say I've been doing major inventory of kits, etc over here. I HAD about 200 disks (3/4 of them being CDs) of scrapping stuff...and then there are the disks of photos, etc. LOL if I decide to do a CD album or any other craft requiring disks...I'm all set!
Since DH got me a 1 TB EHD for Christmas, I sat at my desk alot this week loading those disks...looking at what was on them...and tossing about 2/3 of what I had. I'm currently burning copies of what I'm keeping to DVD...
but it feels SOOOO good to get rid of stuff I will never (and for the most part, never did) use.

I've organized what I'm keeping on the EHD into folders (autumn, beach, birthday, etc...although SSD has its own folder). Apparently, I have a weakness for autumn, patriotic, and princess kits...who knew? LOL.

I don't think the sorting will change my spending habits...I'm on a budget because our entire life is on a budget LOL...$25 is pretty much my monthly limit, and I only shop during SRs or sales.

The sorting HAS given me a goal though...to scrap with my unused stash (which is usually 2 oe 3 kits max)...that's always a goal, and I'm usually pretty good about it, but I was gifted some great stuff from the designers I CT for, and so at the moment...well...I definitely need to get scrapping!