OK...this will be my last lo for the challenge! I just didn't have any time today to scrap - I did this one last night! These are some older pics of Michael, Samantha and Jonathan. I used my Sept Studio Calico kit for this one too - I've really gotten my monies worth out of this kit! That's good because from now on I am only getting SC kits and nothing else scrappy from anywhere else. The reason: I read an article about a family that went on a total spending freeze for a year. They basically bought nothing but groceries and things like shampoo and lightbulbs and batteries. Nothing else - no clothes, no Christmas gifts, nothing. One thing they did not give up were things like movies, going out to dinner periodically - stuff like that - and they saved about $500 a month doing this. So, I mentioned the article to Michael and he thought we could take on that challenge at least for a few months - just to see if we could do it. I did tell him that since he couldn't "survive" without cigarettes - I couldn't survive without getting at least one scrapbook kit a month - that equals way less than the money he spends on cigs!!!! I am committed to the Thickers that I signed up for through OSU (darn!! ;) ), but after that nothing else. Let me say that we have been doing this for two weeks now and at first it was very hard for me and Danielle - we like to shop on the weekends. But we've gotten kind of used to it and I saw Danielle reading some books that she's had forever that she just had to have and had never read! She also has been more artistic and crafting more. I am using just what I have to scrap with - my one monthly kit and all the bunches of stuff that are just sitting around. I am still taking lots of pics, but I am going to try and not print any out (except for my little portable printer - but that will make me be way more selective about which pics I want to scrap instead of having tons of pics just sitting around not being scrapped which is what I have now!). I have stacks and stacks of pictures that will take forever for me to scrap so I'm safe there! Anyway - sorry to be so longwinded - we are not spending money on "things" and I am cutting back on my scrappy spending. It's a good thing anyway - I buy so much that I'd say about 60% just sits around until I give some to Samantha - then the rest just sits there. We are cutting back on lots of things - not such a big Christmas this year is one. For the past few years we bought lots of things and spending lots of money for everyone, but I was so busy shopping and looking I haven't really enjoyed the holidays at all. I haven't baked anything, or decorated very much, or enjoyed Christmas shows or lights - and I used to do all of those when we had way less money. It's not really a money thing, it's a "gotta have" mentality that I want us to break out of. The kids seem to be on board with me - so far. I am only buying them one (large - a Web book computer each) present, but I am planning on making them some things this year. I have tons of ideas and I'm sure I can find many more online! So...TFL at my layout and if you made it to the end of this monologue - thanks for listening!! :)
I totally hear ya on having stacks of photos and knowing it will take forever. That is why I loved the challenge - I didn't make it either, but I did more than I normally would have.
ReplyDeleteLove the layout - the split title is great.
Another great LO with lots of feeling behind it. Hooray for you for taking on the no-spending challenge. Don't know if I could do a spending freeze. I was just saying that I need new shoes, LOL! How could you go without new clothes? I definitely could cut back on my scrappy spending - might be willing to give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeletelol@only netbooks :)
ReplyDelete-yo daughta