Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking a bit on how I've started saving money with crafting. Be it sewing, hot gluing, modge podge, acrylic, wood, or some other medium, a lot of people do some form of crafting in their life. Essentially taking one or more materials and creating something new with them. But crafting costs can add up if you aren't careful, so today I'm going to be talking about some of the main ways I've been saving money on crafting.
#1: Coupons and Sales
First things first, when you plan on getting materials to make something, start by figuring out if you can save money with a coupon or wait for a sale. In the case of sales, check the price on an item when it's not on sale if you can and make sure its price is actually lower when it *is* on sale. Sometimes businesses will bump up the prices on items prior to a sale and then lower them back to their original price during the "sale." Coupons can often be found by signing up for emails from a company, but sometimes you can get them from an app or in the store itself.
#2: Do I Actually Need This?
This is a problem a lot of crafters run into: buying materials that they intend to use eventually for some unknown future project and then never using it. Avoid wasting money by making sure you only but items you'll actually use. And by this I mean go out shopping for needed supplies for an active project you are currently working on. Don't go buying ribbon or lace just because they're on sale if you don't have a definitive plan for them. If you just need thread, fabric, and a pattern, buy those. If you need paint and a clear coat, buy them. Unless you have a planned project (such as adding lace or other accoutrements to a book shelf or boxes), don't go buying supplies impulsively just because the price is right.
#3: Use What You Have
So, if you're like me, you probably have lots of craft supplies lying around that you either got because it was well priced, or because you had a project in mind that you either never got to, or stopped working on halfway because of procrastination. If this is your case, make up crafts projects that use what supplies you already have. Don't buy anything new for these, just use what you have. Recently I've been trying to use up a bunch of trim, tulle, and ribbon I got that are either impulse buys or leftovers from other projects. I started out using hair clips I had lying around, but quickly ran out, so I decided to start attaching safety pins to the backs since I have a ton of those lying around. Preliminary wear tests show that it's a little difficult to fasten, but it's holding really well so far.
#4: Sometimes, Ya Just Have to Buy It
I know, I know. We all want to save money and make our own accessories and things, but sometimes it's cheaper to just pay someone who's experienced (and probably buys their stuff in bulk from China) to make stuff for us. I know there's been some times where I've wanted to start making my own Decoden and resin pieces, but I only have so much space to work in and to store stuff in. Plus I don't know how to get certain materials inexpensively and don't always want to buy in bulk (especially if I just want one). Not to mention my lack of skills working in those mediums. Because of these things, I've decided that it's better to pay someone experienced to make certain things for me instead of spending twice as much money and a whole lotta time to make something half as good (or just a mess that I can't use).
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks post! Let me know if you do anything creative to save money on crafting supplies!
Check out my Storenvy (Where you can buy some of the cute stuff I make): animelolitacouture.sotrenvy.com
Make sure to follow my Facebook too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Anime Reviews: Death Note
Hello everyone! So recently, due to encouragement from a friend, I decided to give Death Note another try. Several years back when I regularly read manga online, I started reading Death Note, but got bored after a certain point as there was a lot of talking going on and the story was seeming to progress slowly. However, I'm super glad I decided to try watching it this time instead of reading it. So, without further ado, here's my review of it.
Death Note is a story about a highschooler named Light who finds a notebook belonging to a shinigami, or god of death, that allows him to cause others to die either by a heart attack or by whatever method he writes in the notebook. However, in order to use the power of the notebook, Light must know the name and face of his victim. Upon realizing just what power he has, Light decides to use it to begin punishing criminals for their misdeeds and so begins going through the news to find names and faces of criminals either on the run or already in prison. As many of the criminals died from heart attacks, people started to realize there was some power causing these deaths and before long a mysterious detective known only a L joins the Japanese police force in an investigation to find this person dubbed Kira (short for killer). However, despite L's suspicion of Light, who also happens to be the police chief's son, Light is able to later join the investigation team.
So, while I could go into more detail about the story, I'm not gonna do that as there is a lot to the story and I don't want to give it away. My take on Death Note: It was an amazing anime. The story was a little predictable at points, but overall it was very well written and quite enjoyable. Seeing just what lengths Light would go to to protect his identity as Kira was very interesting as well as how the other characters reacted to different situations. The characters all had depth to them that allowed you to see them as actual people rather than just a plot device. The story was limited to a certain number of episodes, so the amount of "filler" material or drawn out scenes was very limited. The ending did a good job of wrapping things up and didn't leave much in the way of unclosed threads in the storyline. The ending was very sad, but well worth it. I would highly recommend Death Note to anyone interested in psychological animes as this one was very good at showing how a mind can warp and manipulate others.
If you have any suggestions for animes you'd like me to watch and review, please let me know! I have several more I've watched recently that you can expect to see some more coming up before too long!
Check out my store: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
I've got a Facebook page too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Death Note is a story about a highschooler named Light who finds a notebook belonging to a shinigami, or god of death, that allows him to cause others to die either by a heart attack or by whatever method he writes in the notebook. However, in order to use the power of the notebook, Light must know the name and face of his victim. Upon realizing just what power he has, Light decides to use it to begin punishing criminals for their misdeeds and so begins going through the news to find names and faces of criminals either on the run or already in prison. As many of the criminals died from heart attacks, people started to realize there was some power causing these deaths and before long a mysterious detective known only a L joins the Japanese police force in an investigation to find this person dubbed Kira (short for killer). However, despite L's suspicion of Light, who also happens to be the police chief's son, Light is able to later join the investigation team.
So, while I could go into more detail about the story, I'm not gonna do that as there is a lot to the story and I don't want to give it away. My take on Death Note: It was an amazing anime. The story was a little predictable at points, but overall it was very well written and quite enjoyable. Seeing just what lengths Light would go to to protect his identity as Kira was very interesting as well as how the other characters reacted to different situations. The characters all had depth to them that allowed you to see them as actual people rather than just a plot device. The story was limited to a certain number of episodes, so the amount of "filler" material or drawn out scenes was very limited. The ending did a good job of wrapping things up and didn't leave much in the way of unclosed threads in the storyline. The ending was very sad, but well worth it. I would highly recommend Death Note to anyone interested in psychological animes as this one was very good at showing how a mind can warp and manipulate others.
If you have any suggestions for animes you'd like me to watch and review, please let me know! I have several more I've watched recently that you can expect to see some more coming up before too long!
Check out my store: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
I've got a Facebook page too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Online Shopping: Be a Good Buyer!
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking about buying online and some general guidelines for how to be a nice seller. Enjoy!
So why am I talking about being a good buyer, you ask? One of the main reasons is because of stories I hear and experiences I have with selling online. Another reason is that I find a good number of people tend to forget common courtesy when they're online because they aren't talking face to face with someone. So here are my top 5 suggestions for buying things online from others who aren't running a store.
#1 Be Polite
You'd think this would be common sense, but apparently common sense does not apply on the internet for a lot of people. I say this mainly because of people who decide to be jerks to others just because there's likely to be no real repercussions on them since there's no face to face contact. When contacting and talking to a seller, please try to be polite. Even if they're blunt, grouchy, pessimistic, or otherwise a downer, it's better to be polite than to be a jerk back as that's more likely to cause you to get in an argument. Save arguments for debate class. Here's an example of a somewhat blunt statement that can come off as rude and a more polite version that's more likely to get you better feedback as a buyer (and keep you from being blacklisted if they take it really badly): "give me this for 20" versus "Hello! I was wondering if you'd be willing to part with this for $20?" So what do we see with these sentences? First of all, use proper grammar and punctuation if you can. This comes across as more polite since you took the time to type it out nicely. Second of all, it's nicer to ask a question rather than state something as it can come across as less demanding and more just inquiring. Lastly, how would you feel if someone messaged you like that? You may still sell to them just because they're the only one showing interest, but you probably won't be writing quite as nice a note for them.
#2 Don't Lowball
People tend to price things the way they do for a reason. Whether it's because the item's damaged, in mint condition, or super rare, they ultimately have the last say in the matter of pricing. With that being said, some sellers do take offers on items or just not be sure how they should be pricing an item and put the price a little higher than they really should be. If you've done your research and approach in a polite way, you could end up getting a really good deal by making an offer. However, the last thing anyone wants is to have someone offer $20 for something that originally cost $150, is in near perfect condition, and worth at least $100. That's just not cool. Yes, some things are really expensive, it's just the way things are sometimes, especially with custom prints, buttons, apparel, and handmade items.
#3 Don't Give Unwanted Opinions
This kinda fits in with the whole being polite thing, but is sometimes overlooked. If you see something you don't like, don't go posting to the whole world (anyone who can read the comments) how ugly you think that particular shade of mustard yellow is. The same goes for making offers, don't start an offer off with "this is rlly ugly" and then proceed to lowball the seller. While this doesn't seem to be as common in alternate clothing sales, I hear about this all the time on Vinted. Why would you tell someone how ugly their item is and then go on to try and buy it from them? It's more than likely going to get you ignored by the seller or possibly blocked.
#4 Reply Back
This makes perfect sense if you're buying an item from someone, but people seem to forget to let folks know when they've changed their minds about something. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone show some interest in an item only to disappear after I answer their question. The least you can do is reply back with something simple like "Dang, that's too small. :/" or "Alright, not sure if I really want this after all." so the seller knows that they can continue to market their item to try and sell it. I always try to respond back and thank the seller for taking the time to respond to my questions, even if I'm not going to buy the item, so that they know if they should get a mailer or let someone else know that the item's still up for grabs.
#5 Pay for What You've Bought
This seems common sense, but apparently not so. I have a friend who's had to deal with multiple potential buyers making a bid on something listed up on eBay only to not pay for it when the auction ends. This means wasted time and money for him. Please please please make sure to let your seller know if you need time for a Paypal transfer, but don't just decide you don't want it, don't pay, and don't message the seller to let them know your change of heart. It's just plain rude.
I hope you all remember to use common courtesy when buying online even though we don't talk to sellers face to face.
Check out my store: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
I've got a Facebook page: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
So why am I talking about being a good buyer, you ask? One of the main reasons is because of stories I hear and experiences I have with selling online. Another reason is that I find a good number of people tend to forget common courtesy when they're online because they aren't talking face to face with someone. So here are my top 5 suggestions for buying things online from others who aren't running a store.
#1 Be Polite
You'd think this would be common sense, but apparently common sense does not apply on the internet for a lot of people. I say this mainly because of people who decide to be jerks to others just because there's likely to be no real repercussions on them since there's no face to face contact. When contacting and talking to a seller, please try to be polite. Even if they're blunt, grouchy, pessimistic, or otherwise a downer, it's better to be polite than to be a jerk back as that's more likely to cause you to get in an argument. Save arguments for debate class. Here's an example of a somewhat blunt statement that can come off as rude and a more polite version that's more likely to get you better feedback as a buyer (and keep you from being blacklisted if they take it really badly): "give me this for 20" versus "Hello! I was wondering if you'd be willing to part with this for $20?" So what do we see with these sentences? First of all, use proper grammar and punctuation if you can. This comes across as more polite since you took the time to type it out nicely. Second of all, it's nicer to ask a question rather than state something as it can come across as less demanding and more just inquiring. Lastly, how would you feel if someone messaged you like that? You may still sell to them just because they're the only one showing interest, but you probably won't be writing quite as nice a note for them.
#2 Don't Lowball
People tend to price things the way they do for a reason. Whether it's because the item's damaged, in mint condition, or super rare, they ultimately have the last say in the matter of pricing. With that being said, some sellers do take offers on items or just not be sure how they should be pricing an item and put the price a little higher than they really should be. If you've done your research and approach in a polite way, you could end up getting a really good deal by making an offer. However, the last thing anyone wants is to have someone offer $20 for something that originally cost $150, is in near perfect condition, and worth at least $100. That's just not cool. Yes, some things are really expensive, it's just the way things are sometimes, especially with custom prints, buttons, apparel, and handmade items.
#3 Don't Give Unwanted Opinions
This kinda fits in with the whole being polite thing, but is sometimes overlooked. If you see something you don't like, don't go posting to the whole world (anyone who can read the comments) how ugly you think that particular shade of mustard yellow is. The same goes for making offers, don't start an offer off with "this is rlly ugly" and then proceed to lowball the seller. While this doesn't seem to be as common in alternate clothing sales, I hear about this all the time on Vinted. Why would you tell someone how ugly their item is and then go on to try and buy it from them? It's more than likely going to get you ignored by the seller or possibly blocked.
#4 Reply Back
This makes perfect sense if you're buying an item from someone, but people seem to forget to let folks know when they've changed their minds about something. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone show some interest in an item only to disappear after I answer their question. The least you can do is reply back with something simple like "Dang, that's too small. :/" or "Alright, not sure if I really want this after all." so the seller knows that they can continue to market their item to try and sell it. I always try to respond back and thank the seller for taking the time to respond to my questions, even if I'm not going to buy the item, so that they know if they should get a mailer or let someone else know that the item's still up for grabs.
#5 Pay for What You've Bought
This seems common sense, but apparently not so. I have a friend who's had to deal with multiple potential buyers making a bid on something listed up on eBay only to not pay for it when the auction ends. This means wasted time and money for him. Please please please make sure to let your seller know if you need time for a Paypal transfer, but don't just decide you don't want it, don't pay, and don't message the seller to let them know your change of heart. It's just plain rude.
I hope you all remember to use common courtesy when buying online even though we don't talk to sellers face to face.
Check out my store: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
I've got a Facebook page: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
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