Monday, January 30, 2017

Summer Quakers - update #6

Hey all! I thought I'd show a picture of my weekend progress on Summer Quakers. :)


I'm really enjoying that large flower motif in the bottom left, even if it does seem to have every single thread color in it... and a good amount of confetti. I'll finish up that motif this week and see how much more I can get done on page 7 of this pattern! (By the way, I'm not stitching the alphabet and numbers at the bottom, so I've already reached my bottom on this pattern!)

~~~

Mindful stitching thoughts! Feel free to skip if you're not interested. :p

Despite participating in the original Stitch from Stash and other self-imposed challenges, I don't feel that I've ever made any real progress on my shopping habits. Maybe it's because there aren't any consequences for breaking the rules. If I spend more than planned, so what? As an adult in a stable financial situation, there really aren't any consequences for buying extra stuff.

I'm not really sure how to address this. I could enlist my wife as outside motivation but it's not fair to her, having to tell me no and then put up with my pouting afterward. I've asked my friends to remind me not to shop when I mention my usual triggers (stitchy stuff and nail polish) but sometimes I get irritated when they stop me. No, I think I need to do this myself.

I've definitely overspent this month - again. My expenses were:
- about $90 for a Lowery stand & one pattern (to be fair, I ordered these in November and my order was mishandled so badly that it was only charged two weeks ago *sigh*)
- $51 for two Chatelaine bead packs from EuropeanXS
- $18 from Crafty Kitten, but only because most of the order was covered by cash that was in my Paypal account from ebay & FB sales (actual cost was about $180 *cringe*)

The reality is that my stash is ridiculously huge and I could literally go the rest of my life without buying anything but DMC and still have a happy, fulfilling stitchy life. Just yesterday I was digging through my stash to pick a fabric for a new start, and the sheer amount of pieces was overwhelming - not just physically, but mentally as well. It's like when you go to the museum and look at a ton of fine art, and after a while you're like... dude, I'm so sick of art, get me outta here. And of course, the moment of self-disgust when I remember ordering EIGHT MORE FQs only a few days before with the excuse that "the exchange rate is soooo good right now!"

This is a problem.

This problem can't be solved by "churning" (aka selling stash, then buying more), it has to be solved by NOT BUYING STASH. I need to learn contentment and satisfaction, not keep chasing new things and neglecting the many beautiful patterns and fabrics I already have. I want to be mindful, not wasteful.

Starting now and continuing through February, I'll be putting a stop to ALL wasteful spending, especially our problem areas (crafts, nail polish, and collectibles), with my wife's full knowledge and support. I need to get back to our real budget, not this bloated trainwreck of a mess.

I've done it before and I can do it again. Let's gooooo! :)

16 comments:

  1. Nice progress and good luck slowing down on stash enhancement. It's a difficult task for all of us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! This February will be challenging but (I hope) educational for me!

      Delete
  2. Lovely colours in this piece. Good luck with your spending goal. If it helps to post about the ones you have / want definitely do. Similar to the reddit ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I may have to try a "talk me out of this!" post if the cravings get bad! It's a great idea. :)

      Delete
  3. Wonderful progress on your stitching. I have had a similarly difficult time to you in trying to reduce my spending. Then when Christmas was approaching in 2016 I realised that a part of me was kinda dreading getting gifts as it was more stuff in a house already packed to bursting with stuff! So myself and my OH started to clear out & stop spending and to be honest it has been great. I find I'm using the things I have kept a lot more because it's stuff I really like. I haven't tackled my craft supplies yet though, as that's going to be a big job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel like my house is overloaded too, especially in my problem areas (crafts, polish, collectibles) and I need to keep reducing. Clearing out stuff from the "fun" stashes always feels so much harder than deciding which of three wooden spoons to keep! I need to remember that these are just things, same as any others, and passing them on to other people will make both of us happy. :3

      Now I just need someone to make the box of culled polish in my closet disappear... :p

      Delete
  4. Beautiful progress on your project! I'm still in love with it.... but won't go & purchase the chart ;).... Just yet! :D
    The good thing is you are admitting you're spending too much on unnecessary stash. By recognizing there is a problem, it's a step in the right direction. I personally find I am tempted to purchase stash when browsing the net. Just stop visiting your favourite online shops for now (well at least you've made a good start in reducing your current stash), it will be only more rewarding next time you do place an order for something you really need. Easier said than done, I know!! Good luck though, I'm cheering you on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would you like the chart when I'm done? :)

      I think what really hit home with this project in particular is that I'm cruising along, stitching quickly, and it's still taking over a month to complete. One month to finish one chart and one piece of fabric, multiplied by how much I've stashed, is a lifetime of stitching! I don't NEED anything else!

      You're absolutely right! I've stopped visiting online shops and unsubscribed from shop email newsletters - both for stitchy goods and nail polish. If I don't see it, I can't want it! I've reduced what I see on FB as well by unfollowing polish makers and leaving groups, and I plan to do a personal nail art challenge in February to appreciate THAT stash. :)

      Delete
  5. What great progress you're making on this piece, it's looking wonderful! I think in recognizing that you are spending too much is a first step in combating it. I read somewhere that you shouldn't buy anything when you see it, you should wait a whole week and if you are still thinking about it after all that time then you an buy it....usually by that time you have forgotten about it. Good luck :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh, my problem is recognizing the issue but not taking any real steps to combat it! This time, I'm making a sincere effort. :3

      I'll definitely be using the wishlist strategy, only I'll make myself wait through all of February at the very least. Ideally, I'll go multiple months without buying any charts/fabric and only pick up needed DMC for active projects... which is something I can do in person, so no online shop temptations. The last thing I need is more charts in my backlog. :)

      Delete
  6. Summer Quaker is looking gorgeous, I love those pinky/red colours.

    One thing that really helped me not to buy as much new stash was setting up stash pages on my blog. Then when I'm bored and browsing the internet, which is when I tend to buy things, I can "shop my stash" instead and decide what I'm going to start of the charts and kits I've already got.

    It's not foolproof but it does help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great idea... maybe instead of just having my text listing, I should convert the bucket list page to show the images as well. It's very easy to forget what I have because it's all stored neatly in closed containers in an out of the way place in the house. Having my own online visual catalog would be awesome!

      Delete
  7. Your Summer Quaker looks great so far, I love all those colours!
    Not that I'm on fb that much anymore, but I stopped looking at all the stash for sale. I have more than enough patterns and floss to keep me busy for quite a while. I might need to buy some fabric, but for now I have plenty of that too! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I really love working on it because of the pretty colors. :)

      I never bought much from the FB stash groups, thankfully (I do like selling there though!) but I'm horrible about making huge orders from fabric dyers and online shops, plus I have not just one, but TWO LNS options close to me! I definitely have more than enough for everything I'll ever want to do. I'm going to work hard to appreciate and enjoy what I have instead of looking for more. :3

      Delete
  8. The Summer Quaker is looking wonderful. I love the colours.
    It is interesting reading about your SFS thoughts, I have been on such a budget for so long it's easy for me to do! How about setting up a direct debit to transfer all your wages (after bills etc) into a separate account so you appear to have no money in your current account!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good luck with your spending! Lovely progress :)

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! If you have a blog, leave me a link so I can follow you. :)