How do you convince yourself?

When you're on a tight budget (ie, you've spent most of your spare money for a month) and something Dollfie related pops up somewhere, be it an auction, or a classified on some other site and you really really really want the item. You can afford it, but it'll be tight, and you really don't want anyone else to grab it before you do.

 

How do you convince yourself that it is the Right Thing to buy it?

 

Personally I tell myself it's fine, and that I can live on pasta & ketchup for the rest of the month until my next paycheck...

I'd probably give it up if I was that short on money. Last thing I need is to spend money I don't really have (why do you think we have a global depression after all?). If I was short on money/tight budget, I'd consider that as "Can't afford it". Debt is too much of a compounding thing for me to dare otherwise.

 

So its more a matter of convincing myself NOT to get it in fact ^^; Theres always next time for the next awesome thing after all.

When you're on a tight budget (ie, you've spent most of your spare money for a month) and something Dollfie related pops up somewhere, be it an auction, or a classified on some other site and you really really really want the item. You can afford it, but it'll be tight, and you really don't want anyone else to grab it before you do.

 

How do you convince yourself that it is the Right Thing to buy it?

 

Personally I tell myself it's fine, and that I can live on pasta & ketchup for the rest of the month until my next paycheck...

Buy first think later

I started a wishlist for doll stuff. If something new appears, I figure out how it ranks on my list to see if I should get it. It's easy to get caught up in excitement and forget to save for the special things you really want. I still fail sometimes ^_^;

I'd probably give it up if I was that short on money. Last thing I need is to spend money I don't really have (why do you think we have a global depression after all?). If I was short on money/tight budget, I'd consider that as "Can't afford it". Debt is too much of a compounding thing for me to dare otherwise.

 

So its more a matter of convincing myself NOT to get it in fact ^^; Theres always next time for the next awesome thing after all.

I agree with Mahoro. If it's that close then I'd rank it as a "can't have" item and it just wasn't meant to be. It can be really difficult to say no to it but I try to focus on the bigger picture and remember that there's always going to be more pretty outfits and things. ^_^

I also don't convince myself if I'm that close to broke. I have to be willing to let go and know that the thing I was going to buy will show up some other time. If I don't have money "just in case," then when something unexpected happens I'd have to do something I hate--like borrow money from a friend or relative OR sell something I already own. Ick!

I pretend it's not there.......

As others have noted, if it is a prefab thing (Volks clothes, etc.) I make note of it on a running list, since there is always a running list. If it is more of a one of a kind type thing, I save the picture for future reference so I can see what about it so caught my eye. Sometimes I discover that there are parts of the thing that really drew me, but overall it wasn't exactly what I wanted after the first glance. For example is the detective outfit for the MDD in Volk's November collection. When I first saw it that it seemed to be everything I was looking for in the style for my new MDD. I was even going to have the money for it, but after looking at it for a couple of days I realized that the fabric wasn't quite right, the colors were different that I had first thought they were, although the overall look was close to what I want.

 

I understand being on that tight of a budget, my husband and I burned through our tax return on starting our DD collection, only knowing that it would be the last big splurge for a long time since he was laid off in October. DDs and the stuff to collect to go with them should be something that makes you happy, if it doesn't, your doing it wrong. Take it from a lifetime habitual impulse buyer, when things are that far down to the wire it initially feels great, but the reality you have to suffer through as a consequence very quickly leeches away any of the short-lived happiness you would have gained.

 

As difficult as it is to curb the "I want it now!" urge, if it is something that can be found again later, even at a higher price, it is much more rewarding to take the time in between to save up for it. Then the happy feeling that comes with the eventual purchase will stick around, increasing your enjoyment of the hobby rather than putting yourself at odds with it. How would sacrificing your health make your DD(s) happy? I think it would only make them worry over you.

 

~Sister Kyoya

If it is an item that I really want, have been looking for it (either used or from a new-items ad), and it's at a price I think is fair, I will buy it immediately no questions asked. I have learned that items may be hard to get or more costly later on, so for anything I'm going to buy eventually anyway, I'm better off buying at the earliest chance. That's all it takes to convince me. As long as I do actually have enough money to spend then all is well.

If i see something that is from a seller that appears on Ebay all the time or we all deal with here like Coolcats, Alice Collection etc i tend to hold off till payday to decide what my girls get.

 

I recently brought a baseball style jacket from "angel Sewing" off ebay and knew i needed a coat/jacket for one of my girls, and I'm glad i brought it as the remaining 3 colors sold out soon after

 

If it is something on Esty, then I'll book mark the item and then decide how much i really want it and will that seller re-create the item again.

 

It's 50/50 with me. Sometimes I'll jump in and ask questions later knowing that next month's budget will be a tad lower or I'll wait and hope that the items does not sell.

I'm always that broke.

I live on my own with my boyfriend, we rent an apartment and he is in school. We live off my income as he doesn't work. So I have to pass up on a lot of things that pop up. I just got used to it (sort of) haha. When his program finishes then it might be another story

I always just buy it if I want it as long as it's a good price...because I know that I will keep worrying or thinking about it and end up buying it anyway, maybe for more somewhere else, so I am more of a Buy It Now and Deal with it Later person. Of course if I was broke then NO!, but as long as my house and bills get paid...why not?

I'm notoriously bad about impulse purchases. So these are all good suggestions for me. I especially like the one about the wishlist. I've tried to do that, but often forget to keep up with it. Whoops. /:

 

Mostly, if money is a bit tight, I try not to look at doll stuff for sale. That's mostly my only strategy for now.

If it's a doll I really want, I will first see if the seller will accept layaway. If not, I will just go ahead and purchase it. But I have to really want it! lol I always try to keep in mind that I don't want a large dolly family and to remember if I buy just one more, will I be neglecting the others?

 

If it's clothing or doll accessories, I'll usually just wait sand save up a bit. Or I try to go through my collection and try and sell what I already have to make room for more lol

It depends on my husband actually. I think his limit is really my spending around $200 a month at most. Although this is something I've learned over the last two months.

 

He's not an ogre about it, it's just that he doesn't really like dolls.

Then I'll just convince myself to work more during the vacation period.

If not cutting down on PVC & figures PO.

 

That will make up for it for awhile.

As others have noted, if it is a prefab thing (Volks clothes, etc.) I make note of it on a running list, since there is always a running list. If it is more of a one of a kind type thing, I save the picture for future reference so I can see what about it so caught my eye. Sometimes I discover that there are parts of the thing that really drew me, but overall it wasn't exactly what I wanted after the first glance. For example is the detective outfit for the MDD in Volk's November collection. When I first saw it that it seemed to be everything I was looking for in the style for my new MDD. I was even going to have the money for it, but after looking at it for a couple of days I realized that the fabric wasn't quite right, the colors were different that I had first thought they were, although the overall look was close to what I want.

 

I understand being on that tight of a budget, my husband and I burned through our tax return on starting our DD collection, only knowing that it would be the last big splurge for a long time since he was laid off in October. DDs and the stuff to collect to go with them should be something that makes you happy, if it doesn't, your doing it wrong. Take it from a lifetime habitual impulse buyer, when things are that far down to the wire it initially feels great, but the reality you have to suffer through as a consequence very quickly leeches away any of the short-lived happiness you would have gained.

 

As difficult as it is to curb the "I want it now!" urge, if it is something that can be found again later, even at a higher price, it is much more rewarding to take the time in between to save up for it. Then the happy feeling that comes with the eventual purchase will stick around, increasing your enjoyment of the hobby rather than putting yourself at odds with it. How would sacrificing your health make your DD(s) happy? I think it would only make them worry over you.

 

~Sister Kyoya

 

This is the best answer

when i am low on my budget, i try to avoid looking at ANY sites that would make me think about buying or purchasing things. so during those times, i concentrate on enjoying what i already own, and focus on doing other activities that cost little or no money instead.

 

if i see something i really like, i immediately get that "i have to buy it" feeling and it's very hard not to give in... but if i don't see or think about it, it doesn't bother me at all and i don't spend anything. it sounds extreme but you could try it. once you begin to get low on funds, try to take a break from dollfie-related stuff until your next paycheck. if there's no temptation you can't give in to it!

I lie to myself about my spending limit, but maybe not the way you think.

 

If my budget says my "play money" for that month is $100, then I totally lie to myself and tell myself it's only $50. Unless something that just BEYOND awesome and amazing pops up, I keep to the "fake" spending limit of $50. Over time, I build up enough savings so that if there is a month where something I HAVE TO HAVE shows up, the money is there in the reserve fund.

I just say "Money was meant to be spent on things I enjoy!" And that's normally the closing argument for myself. I really do not let money control my thinking. I'm not those people who penny pinch and maybe that's why I'm broke most of the time but I'm happy. And as they say "I'll rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable."

I just wait until Volks releases Hitagi Senjougahara (Fingers crossed).I'm sure I'll be able to convince myself to get her whether I have money to spare or not .

"Hmm, living on a tree bark and water for a month doesn't seem too bad..."

 

(Sawdust was considered, but rejected due to it being more expensive!)

I'm actually quite stingy with my money. Things a lot of people would just spend money on without thinking about it, I either think hard about it or don't buy it at all. Because of that, money is actually not really an issue for me. If you don't spend money, you end up having money left over.

 

So if I bother to buy dolls or doll stuff, it's because I decided I really, really wanted it. And I probably agonized for days or weeks or more thinking about it.

 

Put it this way. I agonized on whether to buy a new computer for well over a year (and being irritated at it every day) before finally buying one. It wasn't at all a money issue. It was more I was being stingy with my money and wasn't sure I felt like spending it. I kept telling myself what I had was good enough at the same time I was being mad that it was slow and really old.

For me I think I rather build up an emergency fund for things you just know you have to have. That way you will have something to dig out of if a "must buy" moment really comes up.

 

Other than those periods I think I try to save up in anticipation of stuff like this coming, and when time is an issue it's either buy or miss out on the opportunity.

To be honest, I recently made a huge mistake. I run my bank balance RIGHT down and almost maxed my credit card (it's a £600 max one though so it's not THAT bad)

 

But when your struggling to get work and the income is not good....that's bad.

 

I think it was because I just suddenly nose dived, my illness got worse, I got declared unfit for work and I guess depression just got a hold on me. I've been refereed now by my Dr so that's good at least and it acts as a sort of reassurance that things will improve!.

 

It's a bad excuse I know but it's the only thing I can think of that might have contributed because I'm normally not bad with money, this is the first time since 2005 (when I started university) that it's happened so badly and I honestly don't know how I convinced myself it was ok. I probably ignored my conscience.

 

It does not help that I really really want Rise so I'd ideally like to get back to a level standing with finances before the int lottery opens but I might end up not entering because I've been so silly.

 

So right now I'm selling loads of things and am considering selling Amai's MDD body (I intend for her to be a DDII or DDY in the future anyway) to help towards money and I'm working on the 1st run of a clothing line for mini bjd's as an income and am punishing myself harshly in my own mind!

 

I will repent for my stupidity!

 

Ughhhh they should make a badge of shame for people for when they do stuff like this. I'd wear one! maybe because I punish myself too much :/