Tip 3: Bead Swap and Tip 4: Bead Share

Ok, now that you've established your budget (Tip 1) and have decided on the best vehicle to keep yourself on track (Tip 2).  Let's look at some other tips that can help you indulge in your beading passion.

With today's economy, crafters and jewelry designers not only need to think creatively when designing, they also need to get creative when it comes to buying supplies. Bead swapping and Bead Sharing are great ways to add new items to your inventory without breaking the bank!

Of course I've been doing some research (Google--naturally) and there's lots of tips out there for Beading on A Budget.  I've come across Bead Swap and Bead Share (my own title).  Sounds like the same things, huh?  But they aren't--really, there are some differences.

Tip 3:  Bead Swap:  This can be done locally, nationally or internationally (hesitant on the international piece).  What is bead swapping?  Bead swapping is the exchange of beads/beading material. 
1)  Locally, (if you have the beading network) get together with some beading friends for a swap night!  Each participants brings "excess" beads (you know, after you've finished with a project those extra beads that you put aside waiting for the next inspiration to hit you) and then during the course of the evening there's an exchange. It only works if everyone contributes.  This way you add new inventory without spending any money.  You may have to establish rules (or not) so it's fairly equitable.

2) If you live in a relatively remote area and bead friends are not relative close by, then don't dispair.  There are some national options available.  I'm a member of a group on Facebook and at any given time they have swap boxes traveling across the country (they've even establish a swap box for Canada).  I recently participated in a "Seed Bead" swap through this group timing was great as I had run out of a type of seed bead and lo and behold the exact item I needed was in that box...thanks +Elaine Embree.  The disadvantage of this type of swapping?  There is shipping cost involved!  I shipped the box priority mail flat rate and paid $11+ for shipping.  Question is is the value of what received from the box equitable to what I would have spent if I had gone to the local bead shop?  That's for you to decide.  Another opportuity is Bead Swap USA.   I recently joined another group on Facebook (Bead Swap USA http://www.beadswap-usa.com/)

Tip 4:  Bead Share:  Have you gone into your local bead shop and wanted to start using Tila Beads or the 3-cut bead or the P-finished bead and looked at the tube prices and said forget it?  Some of the local bead shops here in Austin have started selling smaller tubes for half the price.  Some Tila tubes are in the range of $17 - $25.  In some seed bead cases, (especially 15/0s, you rarely use even an 1/8), you rarely use all of a tube.  Well, there's 2 scenarios that can work here.

1.  You and a friend have the same color pallet so you decide to purchase 1 tube and split the cost and the tube...everybody wins

2.  You and your bead friend are shopping and there are two colors of beads that you both want, but you can only afford one or the other.  You get together and decide each of you will buy 1 tube and split the tubes..now you have 2 colors of beads and didn't have to spend $50 to get them...

Bottom line:  You can create an opportunity not just for saving money, but more social time with your best bead buds...!

Happy Beading

Tip 1: Set a Budget and Tip 2: Use Pre-paid gift cards

I was asked by a fellow bead chatter +Preethi Iyer to start a blog about tips for beading on a budget.  I laughed out loud because I'm still trying to figure that one out.  But, as always, I'm happy to share my thoughts...

First thing, this craft of ours is not an inexpensive venture as a matter of fact it can become quite expensive. When I started off in my beading journey, I was satisfied with shopping in the craft shops--JoAnn's, Michael's and Hobby Lobby--because I was learning.  As my interest and love of the craft grew, the craft stores, although good for lots of materials, were no longer sufficient as I wanted to improve and increase the quality of the pieces I was making.  Note:  there seems to have been an explosion in jewelry-making because, the quality of materials being offered now has increased tenfold.

Tip 1:  Establish a budget:  Sounds simple, right?  It's not!  You have to know what your disposable income is.  I mean I can set a $300/month bead budget but does that mean I don't eat out, or go to the movies etc.

Look at your income and set aside funds accordingly.  Here's what I do!  I establish a monthly budget (I won't tell you what that is!  LOL).  I set aside the appropriate amount of money from my bi-monthly salary.    One other thing:  I establish a separate budget line for beading classes. Here in Austin, the average class at the bead shops are $35.  I pretty much budget for 1 class per month. 



Here are some sites that provide insight on budgeting!

http://financialplan.about.com/od/budgetingyourmoney/ht/createbudget.htm
http://www.investopedia.com/university/budgeting/basics2.asp
http://www.ehow.com/info_7759849_tips-setting-budget-can-live.html



Tip 2:  Use Prepaid Gift Cards or Loadable DebitCard:   AMEX, VISA or MC prepaid gift cards  or the re-loadable prepaid card.  I either purchase the gift cards or load the re-loadable gift card with the saved funds and this is what I use on my shopping trips.  For example, if my budget was $300/month (it's not), I buy 3 cards and I have at least one with me at all times or transfer the funds to my reloadable card...this way if I pop into a bead store, I don't have to use my debit or credit cards.  Caution:  You gotta watch for "fees" on the reloadable cards though...(each one may be different).  You may transfer $50 but if you don't meet balance minimums there's a service fee...

Once the value of the gift cards are gone, that's it! No dipping into other resources.

This is fun!  Let me know if you have other tips and I'll be happy to share them and try them myself....