Foxflower

Okey-doke. Here's the updated list of ideas, tips.....

How to Stop or Reduce Buying Fabric

1. Decide to stop buying or set a goal of how long you’ll wait to buy and stick to it.
2. Unsubscribe from all mailings/websites that are problematic for you. Examples: emails, coupon lists, blogs, catalogs.
3. Play with your stash. This includes, organizing it, setting it up to be easy to use, “shopping” it for a new project, and petting it. Take photos of it to remind you how big it is and that you don’t need/want and can’t add to it.
4. USE your stash. Make as much as you can only using what you already have. Make scrap quilts.
5. Work on completing projects and giving them away.
6. Stay away from fabric stores. Change your route or the time you travel as necessary. If you are in a fabric store…a) only touch poor quality fabric; b) place fabric in your cart, drive it around pretending it’s yours, then put it back or abandon it; c)get only what you need quickly and get out; d) leave you purse hidden in the car; e) pay cash only f) stick to your budget or less.
7. Join a support group. There are a number of threads here on the QB that may be helpful including the 2013 fabric Moratorium, stash busters challenge, ufo challenge, scrappy quilt club.
8. Keep a tally for yourself….How much stash did you use each week or month, how much you spent on fabric, etc. Add up your receipts and credit card bills to discourage you from making more purchases. Participate in the stash report if you have a blog.
9. Think of where else you’d rather have your money go.
10. Make a budget. An envelope system can help….divide the month’s fabric budget into 4 envelopes and wait as long you can to spend. When you must buy, open 1 envelope, use only part of it and put the rest into a necessities budget.
11. Save money for occasions you know you are going to buy fabric and stick to your budget.
12. Only use cash. Make credit cards much less accessible in a way that works for you.
13. Never buy fabric “on spec.” Only buy to complete a project that is currently in progress. Don’t bid on something you don’t want to pay for. Don’t buy just because it’s a “bargain.”
14. Only replace the fabric you use up with ½ as much. “Use what you have and replace by half.”
15. Split an order with a friend.
16. Keep someone who does not understand fabric collecting with you when going somewhere you might be tempted to shop. Husbands often work well for this, but not always. Leave the enablers at home.
17. Reward yourself with something else, preferable not another addiction, for not buying/meeting a goal.
18. Watch this video….http://vimeo.com/13684735
19. Consider your family….either having to go through it and then throwing it all way, or their needs the money could pay for instead.
20. If you must shop online, put fabrics in your cart or in a “wish list.” Save the page or cart, but do not enter the credit card info. If you really need them buy them later. Ignore abandoned cart discounts unless you really need the fabric. You can make a folder for saved carts or fabric wishes.
21. Make a pinterest or virtual stash instead of buying them.

Last resorts…..
Add on to your house.
Sew faster.