This is a little tour of my booth set up from Springfest 2009 that I attended last week. I am glad I was able to capture how everything looked, it's amazing to think that it was only 2 years ago that I started on this artistic journey. I'm looking forward to what the future brings and so glad you have came along for the ride!
Click HERE to see the video.
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It's been a good week. I had to take some time off to relax and get myself a little more organized. The relax part worked out good...I feel very well rested and calmer. The organized part, well...not so much. :) I did buy a another rolling cart and a couple more plastic bins as well as an accordion file for my receipts but that's about as far as I got. Well, no that's not true because I did rearrange my furniture again to create a little bigger space for all of my art goodies. I still need to do more around getting my art life in order but it is getting better. Next on the agenda? I need to work on my online class, finishing uploading some more new work (actually I did a ton of new listings this week...stop by my shop and check them out!), and continue to work on a few custom orders I have.
I also decided to do something each week that will get me closer to my goal of going solo as an artist...in another word, leave the corporate world behind and become a self supporting artist. This week, I upped my 40lk contributions by 1%...it may not seem like a lot but if I go out on my own, I won't be able to save as much so I might as well do it while I have the income coming in steadily. I've also been looking at new places to live. I need to find a home closer to town, but still with enough space to fit in an art studio. I'd love to find a place that I could buy but I have no down payment money and I'm not really ready to make that step yet....but if I were, I'd look for a place that is zoned commercial but in a residential area that way I could turn it into a home/studio/workshop area. In the mean time, I've started to purge a few things to make moving easier when I am ready to do that. If I do a little at a time, it will make moving a lot easier when I'm ready to go down that road. I also set up a transfer to a separate account that I am going to use for my rainy day fund...or my escape fund. On top of the amount I'm transferring weekly, I'm going to add to it as I have extra money, which means I need to stop spending as much as I do. I did horrible on that front this week. I went out to dinner way too much over the last 7 days...lol...but it was a good time and I needed the diversions. Enough is enough though. If I'm really serious about breaking away and becoming self employed, I will need to learn to cut way back! Couponing, thrift stores, frugal oogle here I come!
So what ways do you find to cut corners and save for the rainy days?? I'd love to hear your cost cutting tips!
5 comments :
Menu & grocery list planning really helps me. When I do it. Plan for the junk food too or you'll be running back during the week. Also plan to NOT spend your whole food budget in the 1 trip. That way you have money for later when you run out of milk or bread or chocolate. When I'm wanting to purchase new art stuff, I look around my studio at the stuff I haven't played with in awhile and use that. I forget a lot of times all of the things I have and am wanting something 'new'.
Sell extra stuff on Ebay, Etsy and Craiglist. Trade items with people for things you need.
Take the ATM away from DH (and myself, if we're being honest.) That should do it. ha
Not eating out is our biggest saver. But also just staying away from the stores, especially Michael's! I'm on a complete craft-from-my-stash kick. Not only does it save money, but it also is pruning out my clutter.
I enjoyed your video! Wish I could have come to Springfest.
You seem to be headed in the same direction that I am. We are looking for a place with a good location for an open studio/gallery combination. They are hard to find around here!
The money saving tips already given are what I would give first, too.
love the video!
yes, the take-out/eat out syndrome, especially with a chronic illness that wipes me out in the evening. using cash is a good way to see where it really goes, too.
sounds like your planning is going to take you in the right direction.
We eat out way too often - mostly because it makes it easier for Hubby & me to actually sit down together for a while. BUT - we bought a new crock pot last summer & love it. It can be programmed to switch from high or low heat to warm at a designated number of hours. That way if we get stuck at work longer, the food isn't turning into fossils.
A wonderful convenience is crock pot liner bags. Our grocery store stocks them by the roasting bags, aluminum foil & etc.
An inexpensive roast can me morphed into a variety of meals.
If you like lattes, I've got a cheaper version at home. Put a teaspoon of instant espresso powder in a cup of milk you heat in the microwave. Sure, there's no foam, but it satisfies my yearning for a latte & saves $$$.
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