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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Talk Time Tuesday with Ask Jo



Click Here for FCC#10 "Bling it up"


Hello my friends!
I am very sorry this is going out a day late. Life got in the way. I often feel that there is never enough time in a day to get everything accomplished. I feel like a turkey running around about to get her head cut off. Okay so this week we have some great questions! Let's jump right into it.

Our first question comes from Janice who asks, "Hi Jo! I totally love Tuesdays so that I can read along and see what the talk is all about. This time I figured that I would stick my feet in the water and ask something that I have been wanting to know since I started following your blog. How do you find the time to keep up with your blog as often as you do?

Hi Janice!
Well in the beginning, I was not very good at keeping up with my blog. Truth be told, this was the 3rd time that I had tried to start up a blog and for some reason, this time around it took off. I guess as they say, "three times a charm"! When I had tried to start up a blog the first two times, I was a full-time college student and worked full-time. I did not know anything about blog challenges or how they even worked really. But little by little I started to join blogs to read them and learn new things. Eventually with those few blogs, I ended up meeting some great friends who then convinced me to join some challenges. Well to do that I needed my own blog and the thought of trying it up again was a nightmare!
Needless to say, with a little encouragement from blog friends I created my blog. I started joining challenges and started growing. Once I ended up getting followers I was excited because I finally felt like I was actually a blogger. Not a part-time blogger who just read other blogs, but an actual all around blogger who read blogs, joined challenges and now had some followers who wanted to see my work and what I was up to. So I made time for it. I started off with allowing myself to have 1 hour to sit through getting my challenge posts up and leave comments. Now a little over a year later, that has all changed. I am no longer working full-time or in school so I have more time on my hands. Also a little over a year later and I am now subscribed to well over 250+ blogs that I DO comment on all the time, am now a designer for 3 Design Teams, run my own challenges as well as participate in many others and blogging has now become a full-time job for me. I spend anywhere between 5-6 hours per day blogging. That covers everything from posting, reading, commenting and entering challenges along the way. I do the blog hops and I make sure to make time for my blog. So if you are finding yourself not able to keep up, take a few minutes to think of when you can schedule blog time into your schedule. It does not have to be daily. It can be every other day or even a couple times a week but make sure you find the time because to be honest, blogging is not only addictive for me but it is a stress reliever and it is refreshing. I am always learning something new and I always making new friends and that keeps me going and keeps me motivated with my own crafting.
Thanks so much for your question today Janice. I hope to hear from you again soon!

Our second question today comes from Melissa C. who asks, "I would like to know if you could give me any tips on how to curb my appetite for spending? I see all the new crafty products coming out and I want to buy everything! EVERYTHING! I am NOT KIDDING!!! LOL! My husband does not know how much I spend every month but I have found that I am now cutting into our savings and I need to stop. Any suggestions?"


Hi there Melissa!
Boy oh boy this should be good considering your asking the wrong person about this LOL!!! I LOVE to shop! But then again, don't we all? I think I speak for all of us when I say that we all love to shop and I think your question speaks for over 75% of the crafters out there LOL. You are definitely not alone in your situation Melissa. Ok so my advice to you would be:
1. Never tell your husband how much you spend or he'll either divorce you or kill you LOL
2. When you are reading emails that come through from your favorite craft stores; don't read them. Just delete them right away especially if you know you cannot afford to spend.
3. Use up the product you already have so that way you only spend when you run low or completely out. This way it gives you an excuse to shop!!
4. Ask yourself if you will even use what your about to buy. Do you have something similar to it and have you used that yet? If you are like me, you have a room full of everything and half of it is still unopened and never been used. If you won't use it, you don't need to buy it.
5. My last tip for you is this......create a spending allowance and schedule into your expenses each month. Act like it is another utility bill that needs to get paid and set so much money aside for it. This is what I used to do when I was still working. I allowed myself $100 per month to spend on craft supplies.
 
I hope my advice has helped you some, Lord knows it is so hard to NOT want to buy everything cool coming out. It is almost like your a little kid in school again and you have to "fit in" so you need to have the cool tools and the pretty papers that everyone else has. I know it is hard but with a little bit of  time to think and plan out some sort of budget, you can do it!
Well Melissa it was great to hear from you and I hope to again soon.
 
Thanks for great questions today Janice and Melissa!
 Well my friends that is all I have for today. I hope you have a great day!
Thanks for stopping by and until next time....
Enjoy life's blessings~
 


7 comments:

  1. What great questions today. I sure don't know how you keep up with all your blogs Jo. I sometimes find it hard with the ones I follow. What I have found helpful is Bloglovin. It allows me to have all my blogs in one place and I can break them down into sub categories - such as the ones where I enter challenges so I can go back to read through that group to see if I ever win anything - blogcandy or random draws - alas I need some of your luck in that department.

    To Melissa I almost choked on my drink when I read your question. Joann ALWAYS has a long list of things she MUST have. I am sure I wouldn't even hear about products had Jo not introduced them to me I am sure given a Huge budget Jo would have one of everything LOL. One way to get your spending reined is if you are like many other crafters out there you already have way too many supplies. You could maybe go through your product and onsell it - put it up on ebay and get some money for the product you don't use and then use that money to buy some more that way you are only spending "craft" money. As Jo suggested budget craft supplies into your spending. If it is there in the budget then there will never be the guilt made through purchases. In the past I have made purchases in collaboration with friends. For example cutting dies. If I can share with friends we can purchase different dies and then share them. The same can be done with ink pads, sprays etc. Jo I could never imagine spending $100 a month on supplies and I still have too much. Kellie 0:)

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  2. Wow these were great questions!! I don't know either how you keep up with everything Jo. I have a hard time with just what I have but like Kelli, bloglovin has really helped to keep up with my favorite blogs. I don't get in on challenges much at all. I think just keeping up with my design teams is enough for this old woman!! lol As as far as craft shopping goes, I think we all spend way to much!!! lol But we just gotta have them. If I get out of control, which I do at times, then I will put myself on a spending ban for a while. Cause let's face it, we have more than enough craft supplies to keep us busy!! lol

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  3. LOVE LOVE LOVE your money saving tips! #1 is a priority for me, lol...what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? hehehe

    Seriously though...excellent advise we should all try to follow!! Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom with us :)

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  4. Love your tips on blogging !! I just began and I am very addicted !! I just want to comment on everyone's projects because I know how much it means to me when people take the time to comment that I want to do that for other people ! But I find myself spending hours commenting and my husband and kids look at me like I'm crazy !! But I love it !! Thank you for the tips on saving money and blogging !!!

    Mayra
    Mayrasdesigns.blogspot.com/

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  5. OMG!!! I saw myself in Melissa's question. If only my husband knew the money in my scrapbook room. I think he knows but he tells people I don't want to know.LOL

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  6. I am very HAPPY to catch up!! I love blogging and crafting which I have schedule time to do this weekend. It helps me relax and have fun!!!
    I always try to budget myself but there are sometimes where it is hard.
    I usually go to the sale/clearance section. but always wonder off to the other section....full price..lol!
    But I am setting a budget for my self when it comes to crafting. Great idea!
    Have a wonderful day my friend,
    Migdalia
    ♥ Crafting With Creative M ♥
    ♥ 2 Creative Chicks Challenges ♥

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  7. Awesome questions!!!GREAT ADVISE JO!!! It is hard sometimes to keep a blog going and to find time for blogging, commenting, playing in challenges, etc BUT you do have to keep in mind it should be enjoyable and fun! If it starts to be to stressful then cut back....don't burn out something your passionate about! Jo, you couldn't have answered it any better on both of these questions!
    I love to have all he new things on the market as well. I think many of us can say we probably have a package or two sitting unopened in our craft rooms and just HAD to have it, lol! I am guilty! I have tried to make some sense out of my craft spending lately and did just what you said...set a side a 100 a mo for my craft supplies because wow, if you don't..it is amazing how much you can spend! It works great for me.
    Have a great night Jo!

    Sherrie K
    http://sherriescraps.blogspot.com

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Your lovely comments always put a smile on my face! I love reading each and every one! Thank you for stopping by~
Hugs,
~Jo~