The 3 Budgeteers: Hubs, Myself & My Conscience

Hubs likes for me to tell him how much I think I need to spend.  My conscience needs to be told how much to spend.  And I just want to spend, spend, spend!

The first time we met with the interior designer, she told us she would have a plan for us the first week of January.  I expected storyboards chock full of furniture photos, fabrics, paint swatches, etc.  But, when we received the email, there was none of the above.

I am a very visual person.  I need to see it before it happens and I need a plan.  I am a planner.  I love the process of planning.  I suck at making decisions, but I love the process of making them!

Needless to say, I was disappointed. but I felt like she "got" me and my ideas, so I didn't let myself get too upset.  I met with her again and she brought lots of catalogs and a few fabrics AND THAT WAS IT.

AARGH!!!  Frustration!  And those catalogs!  There are NO prices, just pictures- she'll "have to get back to me on the prices".  Well, that's not good enough for me, because then I will set my heart on it only to get an email letting me know that the lamp (not lamps) is $500.00.

Of course it is.  I love it.

After that meeting, I decided to do it myself.  I sat down at the computer, decided what I wanted, added up a ballpark total cost and presented it to the hubster.

And he approved it.  And added in a little wiggle room.  Yay!

Now it's on to the fun part- finding places to cut costs so that I can have a little "cushion" to fall back on.

I told you in an earlier post that I decided to make a lot of the items myself.  Things like wall art, curtains and pillows I can make; and I can repurpose furniture and even lamps to cut costs.

Over the next few days, I will share with you an in-depth look at the plan for each room and the areas where I hope to cut costs.  I will share some projects and ideas.  Hopefully you will enjoy them and be able to use them yourself!

What would you cut?  On what would you splurge?

Cary K.