5.21.2008

no, really

Spoiler Alert:

Two quick reviews:
AI: kind of a snooze fest. I may be over it...but I also may just be saying that. D-Cook was awe-ite but that's it. He squirted some and I thought...big D, I expected that from lil'D bit not from you. Whatevs...Lil D is gonna win fo'shiz even though his use of the phrase "my boo" last week made my ears bleed a bit.

Workout: Geez Peeler...I'm all for drunken humiliation, but the only place for that is college or Cabo...not your dear departed friend's charity event and not with hardass Jackie. You came off as...well, how do I put this?...a pathetic loser.

On a different front...last night was a late one ya'll. You ever get sucked into the trite predictability of late night cinema courtesy of TBS and find yourself completely incapable of ripping your eyes away because you also find it to be captivating? Well, that happens to me all the time. I won't tell you what is was because you will lose all respect for me, but it was bad yo. This might seem an outa the blue bit of info but it leads me to the following: I'm a commercial thinker/planner ( i like to multitask) and since TBS has commercials I had a thought....no, really, I did.

I'm trying to be a more conscious spender (translation...not spending money on sh*t I don't need). This is a new concept for me since I was pretty free with the benjamins during my PS days...too free some might say. But, since leaving, I have been terribly good. Unwilling to revert back to my old ways I thought...what does a crafty gal do when said crafty gal is in need of a little fix. Don't judge me. I know I have tons of stuff...but nothing stimulates the creative juices like newness.

So...I slept on it and woke up this morn with a fresh approach that I thought might work for other craftistas looking to hold on to her pretty pennies.

#1. Project Spend. Clearly this is not a breakthrough idea, and not meant to be groundbreaking, but it works for me. I try to be specific with my purchases. Buying with intention is not my strong suit. Buying cause it's pretty is my modus operandi.

#2. Buy handmade. Utilize sites like this one so if you are making purchases at least the money is going to the handmade community.

#3. Find a way around things. I love this place cause I can buy snippets of beautiful paper for an itty, bitty price and since I'm ATC obsessed right now the swatch sizes are perfect.

#4. Get to know your computer. Learn how to make simple things in Word like custom text blocks and labels. That way...you don't have to buy them.

#5. Office supplies baby. I love me some office supplies. I am all about ink jet sticker paper. It can be pricey...but you get a lot of it.

#6. Download free stuff...this site has a ton of fonts and dings.

#7. Invest in reusable supplies. For me, that means punches. I use my circle punch all the time...that little 5.00 investment was worth it.

#8. Craft paint is so cheap...one of my favorite staples. Sometimes I use it instead of rubberstamping ink.

#9. Stop buying in bulk. I use to buy a lot of something if I thought it was cute, but that was such a mistake...I would use a bit and then save the rest because I didn't want all my stuff to look the same. That's the prob with buying a lot of something. You actually have to use all of it to get your money's worth.

#10. Trade. I love the barter system. I wish we still did that. You want what I have, chances are I have something you want...let's strike a deal.

Sheesh...super long post, I know...but you get another free download later if you actually made it this far.

BTW: if you got tips on how to save in other crafty areas besides paper lemme know. This gal will take all the tips she can get.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So France when did you leave PS? Wow you were there a long time what made you leave?
Re the spending I find myself realizing how much I spent needlessly on supplies as well. Now that I am on a tight budget and have not bought a craft supply in 6+months I realize how much I DON'T need to buy. If I were to not buy another thing I would still be using my stash for years to come. Crazy how addicting it became for me. I still love paper and dream of buying all the good stuff but I know I need to keep it to a bare minimum of what I think I will use. I have not even been in PS since the holidays. Why tease myself really. Anyway, I think your thoughts are right on, good for you!

adellelouise said...

I also hear your sentiments on spending. Buying just per project has been my motto this last year. It also kinda pushes me to finish what I started (something I have been not so good about in the past..). So far, it has worked pretty well. I don't miss the extras too much, but I have been staying clear of the danger zone (aka, P-Source). Good Luck, you can do it France!

bananafish said...

thanks for the boost ladies. It has been tough. But I don't regret the fact that I'm making an effort to save and not spend so frivolously.

I think you are right Adelle...actually buying for a particular project has made it much easier to complete. I would love to know all your little saving shortcuts especially when it comes to fabric and yarn.

Elizabeth said...

Hey France! It was great to see you today at said PS. Thanks for your kind encouragement; school is hard but so much easier when your shooting for something that you love. And you're right, it's super hard not to walk out of PS with something new, so I also try to buy for a specific project, which in turn leaves me with extras that always come in handy. I also try and use a lot of recyclables, such as chipboard from products that I already consume and embellish them with something a little pricier to up the bar a little. I find that it really stretches my imagination, and I really love the feeling of having made something for someone with things that used to be 'trash'! Thanks for the tips and the sites and the fun reads!

bananafish said...

great idea about the chipboard Elizabeth...product packaging is definitely something I need to play around with a bit more. I look forward to seeing you soon when my pocketbook can stand up to another PS visit:)