I’m part of a yarn swap group on Ravelry and what it has taught me is that I have bought a lot of things I won’t ever knit with. Being able to trade away things I do not want has caused me to make a pretty solid list of things I *do* want.
In light of this, I made a very personal decision that I will not be going to the upcoming fiber retreat here in Alaska. I’ve been really excited about it for months, especially since I missed the last one, but money is just really tight and frankly, I want to go so I can fondle fiber and spend money.
Instead of spending my money on the experience and a bunch of impulse buys, I’m going to take half the money and spend it on things I really need, or am planning to use. A higher speed whorl for my spinning wheel. An interchangeable needle set. The rest of the yarn I need to finish my spring cardigan. Some blank yarn and some more equipment for dyeing. Several books on techniques that I’ve been putting off. Magazine subscriptions. A new sewing table. Plus one or two fun things.
Yes, this seems like a lot, but it’s *still* only half of what I had planned to blow on a crazy weekend of fun. The rest will go into savings. If we haven’t needed it by summer, I will buy a drum carder.
I can’t tell you how good it feels to be rational about the whole thing. Sure, I’ll miss out on the fun of the weekend, but I won’t end up with a bunch of weird things I won’t use, and I’ll have all those truly useful things.
March 4, 2009 at 1:53 am |
It sounds like you’re going to get a good return for your missed weekend though! It sounds like a sensible decision,and handled in a way that you’re not too hard done by, it’s very smart!
March 25, 2009 at 5:03 pm |
That is exactly the same decision I made! I was so excited but just can’t afford it knowing all of the random purchases I would make on top of the registration.