True confessions of the Cricut Kind...

[estherhead]

OK. I feel like I need to confess. I've told dh & he doesn't seem to care. But I keep going back and forth between utter joy and total guilt.

I'm obsessed with buying carts!

Here's the story.

For my anniversary, Nov 12th of 2008, my mom bought me a Cricut Expression. At the time I was doing zero scrapbooking. But I'd seen the infomercial and had done a bit of research on here & I had done a bit of scrapbooking years ago and still had paper & stuff and had a whole room, already "crafty" decorated that I could turn into a scraproom.

So she just went to Wal-Mart & paid $250.00 for it. It came with one cart.

I came on here & on Cricut messageboards. I started learning and scrapping like a nut. The very first week, I bought 3 carts at Custom Crops for $29.99 a piece and I found one in a clearance bin at Wal-mart for $35.00. So I had 5. And I thought I'd be happy.

But no.

Every time I need any little thing I'm like, "I should buy another cart!"

Here is what I've bought in the last month (prices including shipping, etc):
Jasmine: $26.03
Camp Out $21.00
Disney Dreams $31.50
My Community $22.51
Going Places $27.00

I just find myself stalking e-bay and bidding & bidding until I get it for a good deal & then buy it. But even for a good deal, $128.00 is a bit excessive in one 30 day period for carts! Am I wrong here? I just added it all up & since November my favoritist gift ever has cost me $238.00!

Total I now have: Jasmine, Camp Out, Disney Dreams, Mickey Font, Mickey & Friends, Pooh Font, My Community, Going Places, Doodlecharms, New Arrival, Plantin Schoolbook, Storybook Font, Walk in my Garden, Zooballoo.

Dh tells me to stop freaking out. At least I averaged only $17.00 a cart (dh loves a good deal) and I nod sagely, but internally tonight as I clicked my Paypal payment I was screaming, "Get me outta this crazy e-bay world!"

And that doesn't include the Xyron (50%off coupon) I had to buy and the embellishments, paper, etc. I have another $250.00 in all the supplies I've had to get.

$500.00! from Nov 12th to Feb 17th. That's like $6.00 a day. Isn't that more expensive that a cigarette addiction? Did I somehow pick the wrong (most expensive) addiction out there? Is there some kind of 12 step program for this? Can someone blacklist me on e-bay? Sheesh.

Good thing I have a job.

Cause I don't even have a Cuttlebug or Sizzix or whatever else it is ya'll are talking about. If I ask my mom for those next November, how much is that gift going to cost me?

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

Welcome to the club! I think everyone goes through that.

You got some great deals though. Just take it one day at a time like any other addiction. DO not go on ebay at all tomorrow. and then the next day and so on. you'll see that it gets easier everyday.

Good luck. enhancing your cart library.

 

[Jennasmomma]

If you like the carts and your husband isnt flipping out...go with it. I should tell you (or maybe not lol) that you can get a program called SCAL. I highly recommend it. You can cut any true type font (think of all the free fonts online) and you can make your own files. So when you need something you can make it yourself for free (you can trace clipart with inkscape).

 

[New England Eeyore]

There is a 12 step program. I am a founding member. "Hi, I'm NEE, and I'm a Cricut-holic."

I think many of us went through the same process you did when we got our bugs. The good news is, you have gotten wonderful deals! I can tell you that I have over 30 cartridges (well, I did recently sell a few so I haven't counted since then) and I paid A LOT more than you did for all of them. If I stop and think about how much I've spent on my Cricut(s - because of course I have both) .... well, I just don't go there.

If it brings you joy, and you're not pawning your kids' toys to pay for your addiction, I say don't worry about it. The buying frenzy will probably taper off eventually - or you'll just have bought all the cartridges they make and you'll have to wait for them to release new ones.

 

[bearbear]

My name is Cindy and I'm a cricut cart buyer. My MIL bought me the big bug and she took my little bug and we now have about 33 cart combined. I only had about 10 until Sept and then they have multiplied. She did buy the bulk, but we have no will power when we are together.

We need help

 

[estherhead]

If you like the carts and your husband isnt flipping out...go with it. I should tell you (or maybe not lol) that you can get a program called SCAL. I highly recommend it. You can cut any true type font (think of all the free fonts online) and you can make your own files. So when you need something you can make it yourself for free (you can trace clipart with inkscape).

You guys are evil.

OK, so I went & did a quick download of the 10 day trial of Sure Cuts a Lot. I'm not hooked up to my Cricut but I messed around a bit on it & think I get it, sort of.

Do you guys only have this? You don't have Design Studio? I just hook my laptop to my Cricut with the USB cords and SCAL will cut letters in Disney script? This is what the program is saying?

And what do you mean trace clipart with inkscape?

Are you people nuts? You're giving out addictive materials to an addict!

Dh's gonna flip. He doesn't mind me spending money. But me saying, "Honey, I can't figure out this computer program..." drives him crazy! He may come on here & punish you all.

And while I've been on the net tonight I saw the cool Oriental Trading Company tic-tac containers to store brads and the like. Of course, I'm gonna have to buy those...

And what am I out for the programs? $90, $49, and $50.00 for the jukeboxes?

 

[estherhead]

Welcome to the club! I think everyone goes through that.

You got some great deals though. Just take it one day at a time like any other addiction. DO not go on ebay at all tomorrow. and then the next day and so on. you'll see that it gets easier everyday.

Good luck. enhancing your cart library.

I do hereby promise to NOT visit e-bay tomorrow. I promise. I promise.

And yes, I got good deals. I got Doodlecharms for $12.00 and Zoobaloo for $8.00. (Yes, I was on e-bay a lot) And Plantin, of course, was free. And I have used every single cart multiple times and I haven't even gotten into cards making yet. I've used all the carts just in doing my '08 Disney trip!

But still, when I add it all up I have trouble not saying the above paragraph is simply justification.

To the Cric-a-holics, I knew you would all understand the glee/guilt cycle.

 

[LindaBabe]

I'd LIKE to become a cart collector, but only if I could get that kind of deals! Fortunately, I guess, I haven't got the patience to ebay.

You think the carts are expensive? Get aload of the quickutz alphabets! And THEY only cut one size!

 

[aroyer]

There is a 12 step program. I am a founding member. "Hi, I'm NEE, and I'm a Cricut-holic."


If it brings you joy, and you're not pawning your kids' toys to pay for your addiction, I say don't worry about it. The buying frenzy will probably taper off eventually - or you'll just have bought all the cartridges they make and you'll have to wait for them to release new ones.

I'm laughing but I am in total agreement! I was in the same frenzy when I first got my Cricuts. But I'm to the point where I have all I want and just wait for the new ones to come out. Plus I'm out of room on my shelf.... You are getting amazing deals, so just go with it, we've all been there!

 

[New England Eeyore]

I heartily agree with Jennasmomma that SCAL is a very worthy investment. When you consider that it's less than the price of a cartridge and it opens up a whole new world of possibilities, it's worth every penny. It stopped me from buying font cartridges. I've barely scratched the surface of what Inkscape can do in terms of shapes, but fonts are easy to figure out right "out of the box." I don't have Design Studio yet - haven't felt the urgent NEED yet - nor for the Jukebox. You don't need either to have SCAL.

 

[danilynn19]

Hey if your DH isn't complaining I agree have fun with it. We all spend quite a bit on scrapping, but you are preserving your memories for years to come. No more yellowing pics like when we were little all in a box. I usually feel bad, but my DH turned to me one day and said...,"Hey are the bills paid? Is there food in the house? Do we still have a house? Then enjoy yourself you work too and deserve to do something that YOU enjoy!!"

 

[estherhead]

Welp, dh looked around at SCAL and said he thought it'd be something we'd want so that's on my wish list before another cart. And I didn't visit e-bay once today, even though I was tempted a few times. Shoot, I'm tempted right now!

Danilynn, my dad's philosophy has always been similar to your dh's. When I tell him I'm stressed about money he says, "Are you worth more than you owe?" Of course the answer is always yes. And then he says, "That's all that matters." I agree with him, but sometimes it's hard to not get caught up in the little stuff, the $20.00 stuff, and remember that we own our house.

 

[CajunQT102]

I'm very worried now... I just ordered my cricut over the weekend (the baby bug) and it is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I had previously been using one at my local scrap store, but was growing tired of having to run up there every time I needed something cut. So I did the complete opposite, I sold random items on ebay for the past month until I had enough money purchase the machine and two carts. I have been looking at the tone of other carts this week online and now have a list a mile long. I am going to try and be good about the carts. I created a cricut fund to put spare change in and DH has been contributing too when I collect enough for a new cart I will spend only out of that fund. Wish me luck that I do not fall into the cricut cart buying addiction. I hope I am strong enough, but I am sure that I will get week if I know me well enough. LOL

 

[morgansmom2000]

Lalalalala, I can't hear you...I refuse to add up what I've spent on supplies in the past few days, weeks, months, years. Now you've got me thinking though. I think I have close to 40 cartridges and some of them have NEVER even been out of their box. I love supplies!

 

[SharonLovesMickey]

Are you using them? Then they were worth it!!!!!

I found a place near me that rents the carts for a week so you can try them out and see if you want to buy them. I've found that to be very helpful and a good way to get a "new cart fix."

 

[estherhead]

Are you using them? Then they were worth it!!!!!

I found a place near me that rents the carts for a week so you can try them out and see if you want to buy them. I've found that to be very helpful and a good way to get a "new cart fix."

That would be awesome! I'm the only one of my friends to have any cool toys and quite a few of them scrapbook. I've tried to tell them they can come use my Cricut if they bring along a cart. But so far no takers.

 

[morgansmom2000]

I do have to say that I got my money's worth of my cartridges and the machine last April at the weekend crop my friends and I went to. We're going again this year and you can bet the machine will get another work out

 

[kkbeaton2]

I think that I have this same addiction also. I have almost 40 carts, 2 jukeboxes, CDS, and piles of paper and embellishments. But the way I think of it is... it is my way of stress relief (and I'm sure that the family appreciates that!), and it also leaves my family and future family (grandkids, great grandkids, etc) something nice. Luckily, my dh doesn't ever get after me about how much I buy... in fact, he often encourages (that is how I ended up wit 2 jukeboxes rather than 1!).

Oh yeah, I forgot I have the cuttlebug with MANY of the embossing folders and some dies, and a BIA. It just keeps adding up!!!

 

[estherhead]

I'll probably be on here again tomorrow confessing more as I live in a town which has no real crafting store. The closest ones are 45 minutes away. Tonight we have to go to an event in Columbus, Oh & dh's sure to ask me which crafting store I want to go to. He knows me too well. It's either crafting or a bookstore when I get out of my town.

Anyway, prepare yourselves. Who knows what I'll come home with. Hopefully, not much. But ya never know...

 

[DisneyBarlans]

I have to stay away from ebay b/c in December I spent over $300 on scrap supplies-cricut carts, cm paper kits, etc. I just kept winning every bid!