Before working at the quilt shop, I didnt have an allowance or budget, just used a little common sense and didnt over spend (well maybe a little, several times, shhhhhh) ;) But now with all the fabric at my finger tips, I havent had time to do anything for myself it is all for the shop! Which is a good thing because I am spending almost nothing!! :D

Budget? I didn't know I was suppost to have one. Don't tell my DH. He has never said a thing about the money I spend. My theory is I purchase it now and when we retire I should have a nice stash.

That was my theory,too. Of course, I didn't realize then that there would be all these NEW prints that I would be wanting.

I used to buy lots of fat quarters or half yard pieces because I liked them. Then I found I had lots of bits and pieces that never really fit together when I went to do a particular quilt. I still buy fabric I like, but I try to buy all the coordinating fabrics, so I know that I will have what I need when I finally get around to doing it.

I do have my own mental budget. Comes from being the oldest of 11 children and hearing my parents always fighting about money.

Have to tell this story on my hubby. We were in a quilt shop not long ago and I was looking around and ooohhing and aahhing over some of the fabrics and when I left without buying anything he asked me why. I said I had enough to sew up and there would always be fabric. He said "I just spent $400 on my new motorcycle muffler", which I knew, "I think you can spend some on fabric"!!! I should have turned around than and marched back into the store! We kinda police each other but he has never said NO to me. 35 years and going!!

Happy Holidays.

I used to buy on sale whatever I liked, no budget. Late last year I ran out of room, I have fabric everywhere, a large stash, backings included, so I stopped buying for my stash. Early this year both my DH and myself were laid off so I have been using what I have. Sometimes it is not what I would combine if I could buy something else, but it all works out. I have a little room on the shelves now, will reorganise all the fabric in the new year. I bought batting Warm and Natural by the 40 yd bolt on sale or with a coupon at JoAnn's so I am all set with batting. If I need a border I will buy for that.

Think Budget?
Never!
Instead, think of clutter, dust, stacks of unused fabrics and it will incent you to use what you have.
Of course, one often needs small amounts of coordinating fabric for a project, when you shop, ENJOY the shopping process so there is no need to overbuy.

I am on a limited budget. Therefore I have made a committment to myself not to buy any new fabric until I have completed the projects I have started or have material for. Occasionally I will buy material if I know I need to make a baby quilt or if I am making tablerunners etc. I am sure I have let many a good material patterns go by. But you do what you have to do. I am sure we all can find some material in our stack that will continue to allow us to quilt.LOL Have a great time not matter how you budget your quilting. Love and Prayers

What's a budget? The next rehab place they open should be for quilters!

My husband and I work together on the household budget. (We are using Dave Ramsey's system of getting out of debt.)
We have determined a set amount for each of us to spend each month for things that we want that are outside of the budget (in other words we get an allowance). How we spend that allowance is our own decision. My husband is retired so we only get paid once a month. (Right now, we each get $100 a month.) I use my money for anything quilting related (or for personal birthday gifts or for going out for lunch with friends.) I want to say right here that my husband seems to be able to make his money go a lot further than I can make my money go. It must be because he doesn't quilt. ;-)
We can't dip into the household money if we waste our allowance so that makes us behave when it comes to how we spend our allowance.
So, I guess you can say that "yes" I am on a budget for my quilting addiction. When things come up that I want but will take up more money (like Dave McCallum's featherweight CD and book) I usually save for a couple of months before I buy it.

We have been married for 28 years. We use to fight over money but we don't now. Each of us get the same amount and each of us can spend it without explaining to the other one how it was spent. (We both trust each other that the money is not going to be used in the wrong way...like for drugs or for a gambling addiction.)