In the 18th and 19th century our parents/grandparents and great grandparents did just that. They left their homes and their comfort zones to come to America for jobs and hopefully a future.


Most of them prospered but it was not easy.

I've moved many times in my life and live far from family and friends.

People today have to learn to move on. You just cannot stay in one place unless you accept the limitations of that lifestyle.

If you have a strong support group in a particular place you can stay there but everything has a cost.

I wouldn't begin to say it is an easy thing to move. I've left much behind, but if I'd stayed where my children were then I'd be alone now. My sons have taken jobs which require them to move. That's often the 'norm' now days.

We always have to adjust our sails to get to where we want to be.

Tootsie

That's exactly what it sounds like. I used to be the same way with shoes and purses!! I had to stop - just stop cold turkey. I certainly didn't need another purse....but I'd see one I liked and just HAD to have it. And these weren't $10 purses......noooooo.......I liked the designer ones. I sold three of them to friends that I knew liked them (sold them cheap, too :() and I still have two. I never use them....but at least I have stopped buying them.

I could be a compulsive shopper easily. But now I have to watch every dime I spend - and it's OK - it's not like I'm going without the necessities but when I think of how much $$ I have spent in the past on things I didn't need I could just kick myself.....WHY did I feel the need to buy all that stuff???:Dunno:

At least you recognize this trend - like me you might just have to cut yourself off cold turkey. That's the only way I could do it. After about a week the desire to shop was much less - and I used that time to develop a budget that I could stick to. It's good to allow yourself a treat now and then, though.

Kay, as hard as it is, I had to throw away stuff to stop buying. It's true. I had to de-junk my house to appreciate the room I had. lol

Now when I go to the store I purposely stay in the store longer to re-think what's in my cart. A little backwards but for me it works.

Sounds like you know what your doing, you just need to figure out the why now. It may help to enlist your daughter to help you. Take her with you and have her remind you why you shouldn't buy something, especially if you already have it at home. It's so hard, I feel for you. But, it can be done.

I had decided to get out of the gift basket making thing. To have a yard sell and get rid of all the "stuff" I had collect for that but....it had seemed to me God had a different plan because he put me in the right place at the right time to allow me a new venue to sell them. That is also where I was offered the new job at the tea room.
So....now I am back to collecting the "stuff" and I still have "stuff" from before.
It costs money to buy the supplies to keep handy for making them. But everytime I go near a dollar tree or big lots or see a clearence rack or sale somewhere I have to always manage to find "something" I just have to buy cuz its such a "great deal"

I never used to be like this. I always shopped with a menu and a LIST and never got anything unless it was on that list. I dont know why or when it changed. I often wonder if its because Tim is gone through the weeks and it gives me some sort of comfort to buy things when he isnt around. But thats not going to change. He has to work out of town for the simple fact there are no jobs here.I know that and accept that but the loneliness is still here non the less.

I thought the job would help fill the void of his presence but instead I now have the task of making the aprons so that only opened up a way for another ecxuse to purchase more "stuff" in order to make them.....and also the baking so now I look for and buy stuff to make that easier also...new pans, the checkout line cook books, baking supplies, storage containers and carring containers.....just what ever I deem "worthy" of my newest "JUNK COLLECTION"

I need help....but I dont know what to do!!!!!


UUUGGGGGHHHHH I cant stop the insanity......

Bless Tims heart....he never says a word.....he might say something like Oh ya got a new pan.....thats a nice one....or I got 2 pkgs from ebay orders this weekend. One was a silicone muffin pan and the other was fabric for aprons....all he said when he handed me the pkgs from the mail box was....Hurry up, open them, lets see what ya got.....then he comments on how he liked them both and that was it....I almost wish he would get on to me for the spending but its like he either doesnt wanna fight about it or he understands why I do it , or he thinks I need it too.....I dont know but he NEVER says anything negitive about it......He is such a wonderful man.....

Well, sounds like Tim wants to do nothing but make you happy. Honestly, if your shopping the dollar tree and clearance racks, it doesn't sound so bad. Heck, you could be at Hobby Lobby! lol

It probably is somewhat because he's gone and your filling a void. But I also think you love doing what you do and that is more the reason why you buy more.

I have a job for you Kay. I suspect, as in my case with all my art stuff, that you just don't have storage for it and it all looks junked up. If I am right, this is what you need to do. Next time you go to the store buy one of those drawer storage containers. Buy one each time you get paid and start organizing your stuff. They are stackable so this will save space. Once I organized all my stuff I realized I didn't have much. lol

And remember, you are now a working woman, making money! When I worked, my money was our spending money. Jim's money was for the bills, utilities and groceries.

PS: Jim just saw your signature and likes it. :-)

Thanks Sandy for talkin with me about this....I really DO feel alot of guilt about this issue.
I have been trying to minimize and organize my craft stuff.
Yes for sure storage and space is one of the biggest issues. I have a spare room that I have to use for company to sleep in from time to time but also doubles as my craft/sewing/painting/basket room....and all of my stuff is crammed onto three sets of shelves.....but I do like the drawer idea....I did get 2 of the hooks you hang over the for the two closet doors in there. I got (from a yard sale) 2 of the cloth hanging shoe racks and I sorted my fabrics and stacked them in those....it works great and uses space that was wasted before. I also took two peices of clothesline and strung my ribbons that were on spools on them and hung them from the same door hooks. I got a hanging mag rack like in the dr offices and such and hung it on the bedroom door for all of my card stocks and craft mag's and patterns.
I went through most of the craft books and took out all paterns or pics of project ideas and put them in folders instead of keeping the whole mag's. saved ALOT of space there.
I found the clear rubbermade type sho boxes on sale at kmart 2 for $1 and got all of my colored tissue papers and beads and sweing accesories and paints and brushes in them all sorted on the smalles shelving unit....I do have a 4 drawer small unit that sits on top of one of the shelf units with all of my glue sticks, scissors, markers, staplers, knives, glue guns so I am on my way to getting it in line.....but.....
Today I went to walmart and got 9 remnents of fabric .....I could have just not even went to the fabric department...but NOOOO...I just had to go check and see.....

Then was mad at myself for spending 7 bucks on it.....its just those little buys that start adding up time after time.....

Oh yeah BTW....tell Jim my wonderful sweet SS...got me the coolest tee shirt that has that saying on it...
She said when she saw it that it had KAY...written all over it she just had to get it for me lol.....
I LOVE IT...........my new motto in life lol....

LOL That is a great motto Kay!

Now, your Walmart needs to do what my Walmart did. They closed the fabric section! OMG, I was going through major depression when that happened. I still do when I need fabric or craft stuff for something. Many of my xmas gifts came through that section, BUT, now that it is gone I can't buy. lol

Sounds like you have a good thing going, getting organized. Now, look at it this way about the remnants, you could have bought a whole spool of fabric right? But you didn't. The last remnant I bought was a real pretty beige fabric with dainty flowers on it. I was going to make pillow covers out of it. But instead I stapled it to my wood gate going to the basement. It looks amazing and I can't even imagine the gate without it now! lol

Another thing, if your buying and using the stuff to make money it all balances out in the end. Right? Soon enough you'll be out of supplies because your making baskets and aprons and whatever else your new job needs you to make. I say cut yourself some slack and enjoy your new adventure. If you start buying more than your selling, then maybe you need to cut back.

Jim said you have a really cool SS. :-)

Hey FFM ... I know how you feel about the art and crafty stuff - I have the same dilemma too (now I feel bad for sending you more stuff!) .. .and, Sandy, I can't pass by a quilt shop or check out a remnant sale!! and with my painting ... I collect blank jars and bottles and glasses to paint on .. to GIVE AWAY .. but, no - they are all boxed up for 'that' day!

I think if I cashed in everything artsy I have here - I'd be a ga-zillionaire!! but, rather be poor and busy .. than rich and bored ...

about the door organizer .. sounds good ... but I actually took off all the doors because in a trailer the passageways are too skinny already ... and then I cut out part of a center wall .. no cave-ins - whew!!

now to start sorting out stuff to move ... how I don't want to be hauling stuff to sit in boxes!!

where'd Kitty go?? (herekitty) .. how'd your garage sale go?? we want specifics!!

UPDATE

Hey all ..

has everyone made it thru tax season okay?? and if you are interested in getting the Stimulus Check ... you can still send in a 1040A to submit your SS income by October now ..

for me - now getting the paperwork caught up and figure out the bills ... finishing up 2 courses this week with finals before thursday - new classes start on Monday!

finally nice up here - and the lake is OPEN ... no more ice! just melted yesterday!!

coming into spring and summer vacations .. any money-saving ideas??