As always, I am overwhelmed by the bits of paper that accumulate in my life. Out with little notes from students, Doctor's excuses for students (note to students: this is college! STOP!); illegible notes to myself.
Then I found a list of all the stuff I wanted from 2008. I do these periodically. List-making quells desire, for some reason.
In descending order of estimated cost:
Kitchen remodel: $12,000
Sofa slipcovers: $500
Chair slipcovers: $500
Miss Em COMPLETELY ILLEGIBLE: $200
Memory Foam Mattress Pad: $200
Blinds for Bedroom: $100
Velvet hangers: $70
Interesting to see what I ended up getting/spending.
Kitchen remodel: $8000 (one day, I'll write about how I accomplished this feat)
Sofa slipcovers: $500
Chair slipcovers: 0 (I got sofa slip to match the chairs)
Miss Em: Who knows, since I can't read the item. Seems to start with a "B"
Memory foam: $100 from Costco
Bedroom binds: $40 (Big Lots got honeycomb blinds for an amazing price.)
Velvet hangers: $70
I find that writing things down helps me plan and, important for frugality, WAIT. It took me a long time to figure out how to do my kitchen the way I wanted to--both aesthetically and financially. This seems to be the only area of my life where I am organized.
What's on all your little pieces of paper?
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9 comments:
Love to hear your reno story, Frugal. I think all those reno shows go over the top (b/c they have an interest in us doing so.)
The list is a fantastic technique to learn about ones' transitory (or enduring) choices.
I make two lists, the practical projects we need to keep in sight (e.g., refresh sons' bedrooms after they move out, $2500-$3500) and the captivating things I would like (purple cashmere fingerless gloves) :)
That's a great idea!
(Seriously? doctor's notes?)
I only gave a doctor's note if it was required by a business school prof.
If not, they just wrote me down as absent because I wasn't in my seat..
@Duchesse--I will, one of these days. I got exactly what I wanted, but when I showed the pix to my sil, she thoght they were the before pix.
@FB--Thanks. Yes--I get doctor's notes. I still can't believe it...
I love writing stuff down, particularly lists. Lists of anything. I have notebooks, datebooks, loose leaf, scraps, etc, tucked away.
Hmmm. Haven't seen a list from 2008 lately. My list for 2009 wasnt' so much about what I wanted to buy as what I wanted to have got done. I perhaps got half of those things done. ('Get organised' has been on my annual list for the last 40 years...).
I will look forward to hearing about your kitchen. Bill is itching to do something big when all I wanted to start was to paint! I can see his point about a few things, but we launched straigt into 'new kitchen' when we discovered no one installs bits and pieces -- for the shops it's all or nothing. I hate-hate-hate having my house invaded by strangers, not to mention the small fortune it would cost to re-do what we have; and where would all those perfectly useful old cabinets end up?
I'd rather spend the money on some silverware like my Grandmother's art deco pattern.
@Cubicle--I'm sure your lists are more organized than mine are.
@Shelley--If you have perfectly good cabinets, try painting them! It makes a huge difference. My cabinets were junky to begin with; after 25 years or more, they were disintegrating.
Hm. I'd like to hear how you accomplished the kitchen.
Was over at Ikea this weekend...they have a line of cabinets that I really admire. M'hijito thinks they're not SO cheesily built, considering that many far more expensive sets of cabinetry are made of pressboard. Looks to me like the relatively high-end (for HD, custom ordered) cabinets the previous owners put in this house won't last forever...would be good to know some reno strategies.
@funny--Your wish is my command! I will post on my remodel. If I had access to Ikea, you can bet your booty that I would have used their cabinets. They placed third in Consumer Reports several years ago. They are the ONLY good value cabinet on the market.
Have to laugh about the doc notes: in college, there were a few profs who took attendance and allowed only two absences, req'd doc notes, and everything just like in high school.
I don't have any more archeological digs to rummage through, in a fit of decluttering I shredded just about any and all notes and notebooks not currently in use.
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