Black Friday is right around the corner which is a time for ‘deals’ on a wide variety of items. It is too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that things are on ‘sale’ or that ‘it is too good of a deal to pass up.’ One of the main considerations is whether the items is actually on sale or if the price is actually higher than usual so that the retailer can add a ‘discount’ onto it. Another main consideration is the quality of the material. I have purchased items on Black Friday from brands that are usually considered good quality only to have the item fall apart quickly. The third and final consideration that I am trying to keep in mind this year is whether it is something that I am going to use regularly and if it will improve my life/crafting in some way.

I purchased a dehydrator a couple of years back, it still has not been turned on. I do intend to be more diligent with my garden one of these years so that I have produce to be dehydrated for preservation, however it has not happened yet. On the other end of the spectrum I purchased a ninja thirsti thinking that I was being overly indulgent but wanting to cut back on how much I was spending on energy drinks and soda. That darned thing gets used several times a day. I purchase water flavor packets and gfuel powder then make my own soda’s and energy drinks. This has saved me quite a bit of time, and made it much less likely that I will buy an energy drink for $2+. I did notice that the water canister had to be refrigerated and then extra water had to also be refrigerated if I wanted to have more than one drink within a couple of hours. That led to my next indulgent purchase, an inexpensive ice maker for my counter top. This also gets used several times a day, the ice goes into the canister for the soda maker as it gets ready then it melts down keeping the container and any water I add very cold. This has greatly increased my water intake, and decreased things like headaches and leg cramps. That means that these two purchases have been well worth the expense and have greatly increased my quality of life.

The other main expense I have is crafting, though this can apply to almost any hobby. The quality of your tools can greatly effect your experience. There are some instances where it does not make a large impact and that is something you are going to have to decide for yourself. If you want to get started in weaving and figure out if it is something that you like or not, then perhaps start with a cardboard loom to make some trivet/coasters. Some people will advise that you purchase something like a frame loom to start with, as you cannot adjust the tension on that type of loom, I feel that is a frustrating place to start. Check some resellers or clearance sites on Facebook Marketplace, be a savvy consumer and don’t let someone rush you into something, to see if you can get a good deal. When needle felting I think that Amazon sets are just fine to begin with. If you really love it then invest in some from Living Felt to improve the quality of your finished project. If you are bad at something, but you have watched a ton of videos, spoken with people that do that craft, and are following the steps but the wool will not felt, or the tension on your loom is never right, then look to see if the quality of your equipment is to blame. This does not mean that you need to purchase a $1200 wheel to start spinning or make your spinning better. If you are using a dodec wheel (do not do this) then you might want to look into a spindle or something from one of the major wheel manufacturers. You might even look into joining a guild so that you can see if they have rental equipment or if you can test some items out.

No matter what you are looking into purchasing this year, whether for your own interests or as presents, please remember to check out small businesses. They might not have an ice maker or a soda machine, but I can assure you they will have quality supplies for many if not all hobbies.

Until next time remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!