Hello!! And welcome to the next issue of the THRIFTY SCRAPPER:For Those Who Rebel Against Outrageous Prices! Your response has been GREAT! THANK YOU! Keep passing this on to your scrapper friends! And keep sending in your ideas and tips!
The big question is - WHY BE A THRIFTY SCRAPPER? You know what it's like - you go into a scrapbook store and you're just going to get a couple of things, but that sticker is so cute (and so is that one and that one and that one!) and that template is on sale! You come out of the store spending and easy $50 (we've all done it - it's okay to admit it!) The point is, this is an expensive hobby! I look at my books, just to do a little calculations, and I figure I spend easily $3 to $4 a page (not both sides, just one!) if not more. Remember, you have to ad in the price of the album itself, the pictures (camera, film, photo processing), the pages themselves, covers, stickers, adhesives, die-cuts, paper (printed and cardstock), and pens for writing. ALSO, you have to figure into your per page average, classes, punches, templates, circle/oval cutters, storage items to hold all this stuff, that tote you had to have that carries everything to classes, and other stuff like that. So, lets go with the conservative figure of $3 a page. I love to scrapbook, but I don't do a lot of pages so I do about an album of 40 pages (80 sides) a year. Now, a lot of people do a lot more, some a lot less, but we're just doing a littlie calculating here as an example. So, with 40 pages/80 sides, that's $240 to $320 per album I spend a year on scrapbooking but we'll go with $240. I know I spend A LOT more and if you're just starting out, your per page is going to be higher too, but this is just an example. If you're like me, (right in the middle of middle class!), this is a chunk of money. I'm going to be scrapbooking, I figure, the rest of my life! So, ad another 50 years, with $240 a year (and that doesn't include inflation), I'll spend and easy $12,000! I believe scrapbooking is not just a hobby but a way to pass on a bit of ourselves to the future, but $12,000! That's why we're THRIFTY SCRAPPERS (or trying to be). Let's say, that using techniques and hints that you find here and other places, you cut down your per page price to $2 or $1.50. With each side at $1.50, using the figures above, I cut my costs in half for a savings of $6000. Of course this is just an example, but I'm hoping to help you become aware that it ALL ADDS UP! And can add up to A LOT in the long run! That's the easiest way to become a Thrifty Scrapper, become aware and realize that there are alternatives to practically everything that the corporations and manufacturers would have you spend your money on.
****I LOVE BEANIE BABIES!!!*****
OK, I get a little carried away at times, but they're so cute! I found a couple of sites that have Beanie images that you can print up.
http://www.fairfieldkids.com/beaniefunzone.htm Has cute bookmarks, stationery, and cards that you could use in your books (baby pages, kids pages)(my daughter has a Beanie Baby page) and it seems like a neat site for kids. After you hit the Beanie Baby spots, try the home page.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/clip/toy.html This one has cute, hand-drawn Beanie Babies. These aren't as easy to print as the other site. Right click on your mouse and save. Then you have to use a program to bring it back up and print it (I use Wordperfect). It's really not that hard once you figure it out, it's just the first time is the hardest. But work with it because there are a lot of images on the internet that you can print up like this.
~~~~~~~~~~~TIPS~~~~~~~~~TIPS~~~~~~~~TIPS~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Refer to above article! Become aware! There are alternatives!
Use what you have first before buying more.
Keep ALL scraps of paper. Smalls one can be used with punches (punch ideas will be covered in the next issue!). Arrange by size and put in zip baggies. Smaller than 2 inches in one, 5 inches in another, and then larger in a folder or bin (or larger baggie!). There is always a way to use scrap paper. (Don't tell anyone I do this! But when I go to classes, after the class is done, I check the garbage cans! You'd be amazed the scraps people throw away that can be used! Hey - Free is Free!)
Cut your own die-cuts whenever possible. Some stores let you do this. And some it's even free if you buy their paper. If you do this, try to use the one from Accu-cut that has a roller. You can get A LOT more die-cuts per page. Do your big die-cuts first and then find smaller ones that will fit the smaller pieces of paper. (I look through the garbage here too because people will cut one out and then throw the rest away. Yes! I'm discreet! I'm not THAT tacky!)
Instead of buying books or magazines on page layouts, there are a TON on the internet and I'll post the good ones that I find (please send in the address of any good ones you find).
That's it for this issue. I hope you got your money's worth!! Until next time! Leslie
Links for Issue Number Two
Beanie FUNZONE!
KidsDomain - Hand drawn Beanies
Other Back Issues
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