Help!!!

I am a crafting addict!

There I said it!!! Admitting you have a problem is half the battle right!!! Ok, so I justify my craft with lofty attitudes... I am recycling clothes into something we can keep using, I can get a better fit if I sew it myself, the kids love the stuff I make them...

Ok, so honestly, the problem is that I am trying not to spend ANY money. Which is "impossible" if you want to sew, knit, craft, etc... I am ok on elastic for a little while & I am ok on white serger thread, I have a rainbow of shiny embroidery thread, and FABRIC, eek, don't ask, cuz I won't tell.

I know I am getting 4 cones of black serger thread in my stocking... However, I need batting (I have some for a crib quilt I'm making & some flatter fleece for a table runner), my Mom requested I make her a quilted Mixer Cozy. No problem, SURE!!! It has to match the table runner I made her (ok, so I need to find the same fabric??? Ebay???) and I am running low on white thread, and the gray to match the prison guards pants is almost gone (I do random hem jobs, esp for my brother). I wanted to sew my Dad a nice gun cover, but I would need 5 feet of zipper, not even sure if I can get that locally anymore.....

This is where my struggle lies... And dh's of course, cuz he doesn't seem to understand that it takes a few things to make the nice things I make....

There should be a 12 step program out there!!! I started sewing clothing, then I worked in a fabric shop & started quilting, now I am trying to learn to knit, I can already crochet, I have a file drawer full of odds & ends saved to be glued into rainy day crafts with the kids. (I will have to take pictures of the CD rom ornaments we made, since I have to make more, thanks AOL!!!)

So if I ever sound conflicted, stray off topic.... Please thump me & set me back to right!!!

This is the same struggle we all go through I think, because it isn't just for my crafting bent. I HATE going to the store, getting a $100 bill & realizing that in 2 months 90% of what we bought will be competely gone, some quicker than that. I have made a list of every thing we use on a regular basis that has to be replaced & it is mind boggling. I am sure I am not the most frugal when it comes to toiletries & such, but I have weird hair & it really does have a mind of its own...

When you think about it the laundry, the bathroom, the pantry, the printer paper, STAMPS, pens, pencils, tape......I could go on all day. Batteries is the worst culprit of all. What doesn't take batteries now???

Dh's & my arguments beging something like this..."Where is the digital camera, oh here it is, hey why isn't it working, what do you mean you don't have batteries for it, weren't you just at the store (sure I was but we didn't have $14 left over to buy the right batteries, thought milk bread & cheese where more important) they can't cost that much, oh you just forgot..." "Oh wow, they do cost $14 & those are the cheap ones, wouldn't the $20 be better??? (Ok, well at least I'm not a total idiot)" My favorite is over printer ink!!! To replace the ink in both printers would cost us over $100. So when I get "why doesn't the fax machine have black ink?" I usually just try to hide!!!

One can only make so much go so far, all that anyone should ask is that you do the best you can!

I am sure I fit every definition of the Sidetracked Home Executives from http://www.shesintouch.com/ and http://www.flylady.net/index.asp I can't even make it through a post with out getting sidetracked!!!