Stitch from Stash December Update

My 400th Post!!

Stitch from Stash is hosted by Mel from Epic Stitching

Essentially the idea behind Stitch from Stash is that we are limited to spending US$25 (or £15) per month. There are various exemptions (Birthday money, existing mag subs, clubs etc) but the idea is not to try and pervert the rules and to stitch some of that stash!  I will be posting on or around the 20th of each month because that is when I get paid!

Money from Christmas 2013	£ 40.00
January Budget	£ 15.00
January Spend	£ 25.84-
February Budget	£ 15.00
February Spend	£ 18.99-
March Budget	£ 15.00
March Spend	£   8.42-
April Budget	£ 15.00
April Spend	£ 16.19-
May Budget	£ 15.00
May Spend	£   0.00
June Budget	£ 15.00
June Spend	£ 51.00-
June Bonus	£ 30.00
July Budget	£ 15.00
July Spend	£ 17.00-
August Budget	£ 15.00
August Spend	£ 29.72-
September Budget	£ 15.00
September Spend	£ 29.08-
Birthday Money	£ 80.00
October Spend	£ 46.80-
October Budget	£ 15.00
Birthday Voucher CK	£ 25.00
November Spend	£ 39.60-
November Budget	£ 15.00
Balance	£ 57.36

Just Nan 10 Charts

£ 20.00

Balance	£ 37.36
December Budget	£ 15.00
Balance at the end of the Challenge	£ 52.36

Allowed purchases:

Jodyri Threads of Month Club : £ 5.54

Here are the ten bargain charts I bought from a FB Stash group:

I could have spent another £36 easily but as I did not have £36 in my account I was forced to resist!

New Starts from Stash: Acorn House Designs - Poinsettia Merry Christmas

WIPs and UFOs worked on: The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas, Thine is the Trick and the Treat

Acorn House Designs - Poinsettia Merry Christmas

Prairie Moon - Thine is the Trick and the Treat

I have reached the far right corner of this now so we can see the full dimensions of the piece.  It's actually more square than I thought it would be.  I was expecting it to be A4 sized.

Well, Stitch from Stash was a huge success for me.  It really helped me keep track of what I was spending my money on and helped me decide if I really need a  particular item or not.  I started the year with £40 Christmas money, used the £30 June bonus, got £80 for my Birthday plus a CK gift voucher of £25 all of which added to the monthly budget of £15 made a total of £355 available to spend.  That's quite a lot really!

As I ended the year with £52.36 in the metaphorical kitty that means I spend just over £300 across the year.  But what did I spend it on? Inquiring minds need to know!!

According to my spreadsheet I spent:

Charts - £ 169.06

Books/Magazines - £ 61.00

(includes the JCS CD)

Fabric - £ 51.57

Threads - £ 18.28

Beads - £ 2.54

Total - £ 302.45

So we can see where my weaknesses are!  Especially when I pull out the Just Nan total of £ 73.09.  I am thinking they are investment pieces LOL.  I did find one error.  I had accounted for the JCS Hallowe'en mag twice, once when I reserved it and again when I received it.  But never mind!  I also spent £66.48 on the Jodyri Threads of the month and £75.19 on subscriptions to three different magazines.  These were allowable exceptions.

Mel has generously agreed to host Stitch from Stash again next year so I am definitely in.  There are slightly different rules this time but I am going to try keep my spending even lower this year. I am going to try for the £15 per month including all gifted money.  See you in a year to see if I manage that!

Finally, I hope you are all enjoying the Advent Calendar Blog Hop.  So far, roller skates seem to be an excellent present choice judging by the participants and their commenters.

Photo from Escape to the Seventies