21 Ways to Save on Your Scrapbooking

Hey guys, sorry for my unscheduled abscence. I have been unable to move with a chronic back problem. It flares up every now and then but has been really good for the past few months. But lately I've been too busy to take my juice regularly. So "BAM" I've been confined to the couch. The thing I hate most about this confinement is that I can't scrapbook. Probably a good thing. As when I was feeling really high on pain killers I think I'd of done a really weird layout...lol

I did have time to think about my scrapbooking though...lol... I also thought that it's been a while since I talked about my top miserly tips and if you're new to my blog and haven't gone back through the archives you might need some ideas.

So here are my top 21 tips
#1 Buy paper and cardstock in bulk
#2 Buy embellishments in bulk
#3 Shop with a friend to share the bulk items and the cost
#4 Set a weekly spend and stick to it... Budget is not a dirty word! Put it in an envelope to spend each week... carry it forward if you don't spend it one week (AS IF! lol) If you don't think you need to budget, keep all of your receipts for a month and then see how much you spent...it may shock you.
#5 Have an emergency fund set aside for extra special deals
#6 Use found items whenever possible... Free is always best!
#7 Have a supply swap with your scrap buddies to make sure you only have supplies you're going to use. This leaves room for all your new purchases so you don't have to waste valuable budget money on storage devices.
#8 Before you buy any new item ask yourself: "Do I need this? or Just want it?" and then if it's a want ask yourself "If I don't buy this what do I already have that could be altered to resemble this or is there a cheaper way for me to make it myself?"
#9 Make your own embellishments whenever possible. This can be done with air drying clay, opals, chipboard (I get all mine free), stamps and punches.
#10 Concentrate on spending on tools first as these will allow you to make your own embellishments and patterned papers etc.
#11 Enlist every non scrapper you know in the search for supplies and found items. All my family save the backs of their notebooks for me.
#12 Make your own patterned paper with stamps and paint.
#13 Re-organise your stash regularly so you know what's there and don't buy things you don't need and to ensure everything is handy for scrapbooking.
#14 Don't buy anything you don't already have an idea of the photo or layout for
#15 Don't buy magazines unless the 'free gift' with magazine is worth the price of the magazine.
#16 Go to your local library and borrow magazines to look at rather than buy them.
#17 Whereever possible get the free idea books from different manufacturers
#18 Join an online community that has a gallery so you can exchange ideas with other scrappers and get ideas and view other peoples work for inspiration.
#19 Don't throw anything away without looking at it and questioning if it could be used as a scrapbooking supply. For instance I have created embellishments from the foil lining of a formula tin. And my favourite supply is the shopping bag of a womens clothing retailer.
#20 Dress your family to match patterned paper and embellishments you already have in your stash so you don't need to buy new supplies for your latest layouts.
#21 Save everything! Every bit of left over paper, cardstock, ribbon etc can be used on your layouts.


Well that's all I can think of for now but I'd love to hear ideas from you guys of ways you've saved money on your scrapbooking.

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