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How do you motivate yourself to save for your doll?

Apr 10, 2010

    1. Out of sight, out of mind!

      Having even a dollar in my wallet gives me so many ideas on what that dollar can get me. The only thing I have, money-wise, is an emergency $20 that if I spent on other things, my dad would kill me. (That's incentive for ya!)

      But I take all the other cash out of my wallet, and stash it somewhere else in my room. The first time, I kept in in an envelope on my cork board, but this time I kept it in a plastic baggy in a draw. Either way, I make sure it's not visible. I used to tack the money onto the wall, and I'd still go nuts; once I put it in an opaque envelope, and tacked that up, I was much better.

      And always keep the picture somewhere where you'll constantly see it. As I was saving for my first doll (who came yesterday!), the pics of her from the site were on my desktop, and my iPod screens. I guess it's like having a picture of your kid on the carton of cigarettes, so you know that you should quit smoking - only this time, you'll keep saving, and know why you're cutting back a little.
       
    2. Oh well..for me no motivation is needed.....though I pretty much will work overtime to acquire the "must have" grail doll. If the seller or company accepts layaway then I put as big of a down payment as I can and then go from there. The waiting is so hard so I try to not do that too often.
       
    3. I make my phone background the doll I'm saving for. That way when I turn off my alarm clock to get up for work, I see what I'm getting up for.
       
    4. I'm really good at saving anyway, so I generally don't have much trouble saving for things.

      I do however like to collect a few different expensive things (My Little Ponies, anime figures/statues), so what I'm doing currently is just focusing on one thing at a time. I was just buying figures at the start of this year, went on a pony buying binge a couple of months ago, and now I'm buying BJDs (Or rather, have bought BJDs, bye bye money :P ). The most important thing is when I see something like a pony or figure and I get that 'I want it now' feeling I remind myself that it isn't limited edition, it isn't going anywhere, there's always ebay and I'll more likely than not still be able to get it at some point in the future when I switch back to buying for that specific hobby.

      The only exception would be if something I really wanted was limited edition or I could only find say one available on ebay.

      ... And of course computer games tend to trump everything for me. If a computer game that I want comes out, I'll buy it. It doesn't cost that much compared to a BJD and there aren't many games that I actually like anyway. So it balances out and never gets out of control.

      I also make lists of things that I want and slowly work my way through it. With things like games I keep an eye on when they're going to come out so I know when to expect the cost.

      Right now I would love to buy a couple more BJD over the next few months of this year... But I have something else that I have to pay for which takes priority. So with saving for BJDs I guess it comes down to what your priorities are?

      As others mentioned, putting little bits aside here and there can really help too (I just put almost everything aside, but as mentioned I'm a bit of a crazy saver).
       
    5. Having only the bare essentials in your wallet definitely helps. It keeps you from overspending. Also, I have a little treasure chest which I keep locked at all times, that's where I stash my doll funds, and I hide my key in a way that it takes quite abit of trouble to get to. So that keeps me from constantly opening my chest to get to the money. ;)
       
    6. I keep motivated b/c I don't even have one yet! :...(

      I'm still looking for the right one, but I know I want one, so I decided on a very child-like way of saving: I grabbed an old coffee can, wrapped it in paper, decorated it, and every week I add a little of my paycheck to it and keep tabs on the side of how much is in there. I may not know how much my future doll is gonna cost, but I can get a great head start on it this way! :)
       
    7. What I do is think of how much I want the doll, and how much fun it will be when I have it. I know how it feels to see something and just be like "GIMME GIMME GIMME!" Saving can be hard, but it's well worth it in the end.
       
    8. What I did was, the money I get from birthday or something I put it aside somewhere in an envelope. Then I tried to keep it out of mind till it matters (ie. if I ever find the doll i want available or it's on doa market).
       
    9. Dolls are my thing. I don't buy much else. I used to buy books/manga/music/art supplies/video games, but I'm getting a Kindle for Christmas so I stopped buying physical books, and I borrow most games from my boyfriend now (score!), and I've accumulated all of the art supplies I'll need for a long, long time. Lately I've been trying to lose a few pounds, and that helps too (no eating out or buying snacks). Essentially all of my disposable income goes into dolls, so it's just a matter of time until I can afford what I want.

      Right now my trouble is deciding if I should put money towards new resin or clothes/wigs/eyes/shoes! I also want to make an MSD box like the yoSD ones they sell on Bambicrony...
       
    10. Working all the time for me so that I don't have time to think about spending anything is working alright. I live on my own with a roommate now so that I can afford things. But I work so much and so much overtime that I don't even think about how much I'm making. All I know is that with this I can afford it.
      Of course, by impulse, I look at him almost all the time at work at my work station when I get a chance so there's no need to keep him as a background or anything. LOL
       
    11. Pictures, notes, pictures, notes, reminder... Depend on the desperate level. Hehee...!

      If I really really want one, I would stick pictures on my wall, upload it on my mobile as a wallpaper, stick a note on my piggy-bank & get an envelop with "Doll fund:$$$" written on it. So each time I get extra cash, it goes into the envelope.

      This is what I did when I was aiming for my first dolls. :3
       
    12. me ? pretty much bought the stuff's first then the doll x'D

      if i buy the doll first i will get bored easy and don't want to save more money for the doll clothing , wig or eyes (a.k.a i'm happy just with what i have)

      i just bought 4 pair of eyes and 2 wig's to make me stand on my line why i want the doll in first place :)

      if the eyes and wigs arrived i'm 100% sure i'm gonna save more then i ever can for the doll , since i don't like wasting stuff i just bought ~
       
    13. It so happened that I bought everything I needed before I saved money to buy the doll. Now I have no other temptations)
       
    14. I'm all about charts. I basically make a calendar with a picture of the doll I want and the amount of time I give myself to save for her. I put a dollar sign on paydays and then write the amount that I put back under that. I also save my money in a water/soda bottle with another picture wrapped around it. That way, if I try to dip into my savings, I have to cut through my dream-doll's face to get it. How's that for prevention? Lol
       
    15. Well, when I get money, I take a portion of it and put it away for doll-savings. Then I'll have a small portion that I will spend on whatever. But if I don't spend it by the end of the week, it goes in my doll savings and doesn't come out.
      That way I can support my jewelry habit as well as dolls, lol. :lol:
       
    16. Just the thought of my dream doll sends my hand flying away from my wallet. ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ
       
    17. I have a similar problem :( I haven't got my first doll yet because I never seem to have the money and every time I get a little I buy something else :(
       
    18. That's pretty easy, if you want to save enough money for a doll, you'll do. If you can't make yourself to do it, that means you don't really want it.
      Plus I read that phrase somewhere not long ago, so it's likely the truth I think..
      Or maybe just my opinion, cause for me it's easy to save money in general))

      I mean the only motivation is "I wanna get that doll".

      Or maube you can get it as a gift for any holiday, if saving is nearly impossible for you? There are so many ways to do that!
      For one of my friends it's extremly hard, 'cause her family doesn't have enough money, plus they don't give them to her. This is a problem. And what's your problem? I think you just don't really want it.
       
    19. Initially, when I started saving for my very first doll (a DOT Shall), it was really hard for me to save. I had just started college (two years early!) and couldn't have a job, so I was living off of my $25-every-two-weeks allowance, which I needed for snacks, laundry, etc. The only money I could really save was money I got for Christmas, Birthdays, Holidays (from grandma!), etc. It was really slow and hard saving, and it sucked! I actually gave in/broke down and impulse ordered a doll instead of Elodae once I had over $100 saved up. The doll was a tiny whom I adore and don't regret purchasing, but in hindsight I really should have refrained.

      At the time, I lived in a dormitory where everyone on my floor was really close, and once I received Allura (my impulse bought tiny anthro doll) in the mail, everyone was really supportive! So, to help myself save, I started a "penny drive for completely selfish purposes." I hung a sign up on my door with that exact phrasing, a picture or two of Elodae, and an explanation that I was saving for her and how much she would cost. Even though my friends didn't have to help me out, they actually donated a total of about $60 in change by the end of the year! It was really kept me motivated and on task to save for my girl. :D

      Now I don't really have problems saving. I get paid once a month, but I don't need a lot of money for anything, so usually 1-3 months is all it takes for me to "save" for a doll I want. I haven't bought any lately since I've had some other obsessions, but I'm thinking after Christmas it's time to continue ordering. :) First on the list is a LittleFee Ante!

      Edit:
      Obviously, not everyone can do what I did the first time around, but here's an extra little tip, since several people have mentioned not being able to save well at all. I make a very firm, no-break rule for myself: once money goes into the saving jar, it doesn't come out until it's time to buy/get what I'm saving for. Every time I get a little bit of money, I put some in, even if it's only whatever change I have leftover from shopping that day. Every few months, I count up and see how much I have. :D If I get a particularly large sum of money, I promise myself that I'll put at least XX amount away. For example, if I get a $300 paycheck, I promise to put $50 away. $100? Put $10 of it away. Force yourself to do that every time you have money and you'll have money saved up in no time!
       
    20. When ever i run into change on the floor or street i think to myself"hey! im closer to getting my bjd!!" and it goes into my No Touch! bag lol XD or i try to put a dollar in the bag every other day.